Best Place To Buy Screws Bolts Nuts Online?

I retired in the nineties. Source origins dried up it's China but a lot of Chinese stuff is scrap. Shipping costs have mutated, I used to but from Del City but they wanted thirteen dollars to ship a freakin' toggle switch from Reno NV to San Diego.

I used to buy from AROW FASTENERS. I think they went belly.

So rather than be egotistical and wrong, I ask first.

I'm flabbergasted how ya'll know so much but don't know where to buy your screws. Send me the link when you figure it out. I'm on the water and might need some.

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
And for the West Coast the (rather) clear winner is...

McMaster Carr.

• Extremely intuitive navigation
• Quite large selection of fastener sizes, and types
• Surprising amount of hardware available in 316 grade stainless steel
• Lots of torx head fasteners
• Good range of metric screws and nuts
• Very reasonably priced
• Shipping charges are not punitive

I just put together a seventy-seven dollar order that should qualify for no-fee shipping. I believe they have a plant in the Southeast.

I hope I live long enough to take advantage of such a diverse inventory. The danged LED chip screws are 3.5 x 4.0 millimeter. Sorta tough to find down here.

Thanks for all your input! I really went through every site adding lists, and noting shipping charges. But frankly it was the absence the unavailability of key fasteners that swayed me. Some sites are easier to navigate than others.

MC is great isn't it? Have been dealing with them for years and you can spend hours going through their inventory.

For general fasteners, not the specialized stuff you're looking for but standard bolts and such, it's hard to beat Rural King. None down that way but they sell the stuff by the pound if you're ever near one. I stay away because I tend to buy the stuff just to buy it, and the wife gets pissed when I have a cart loaded down with a few hundred pounds of nuts and bolts in baggies that I don't need LOL.

And for the West Coast the (rather) clear winner is...

McMaster Carr.

• Extremely intuitive navigation
• Quite large selection of fastener sizes, and types
• Surprising amount of hardware available in 316 grade stainless steel
• Lots of torx head fasteners
• Good range of metric screws and nuts
• Very reasonably priced
• Shipping charges are not punitive

I just put together a seventy-seven dollar order that should qualify for no-fee shipping. I believe they have a plant in the Southeast.

I hope I live long enough to take advantage of such a diverse inventory. The danged LED chip screws are 3.5 x 4.0 millimeter. Sorta tough to find down here.

Thanks for all your input! I really went through every site adding lists, and noting shipping charges. But frankly it was the absence the unavailability of key fasteners that swayed me. Some sites are easier to navigate than others.

I brought my meanwell into the local Ace hardware store when I was looking for screws to fit the threads in the casing. One of the workers came over asked what the MEanwell was, and proceeded to tell me how great his garage charger was, as it had a green light.

"Walk away, please"

While they had phillips head fasteners which fit, most were too long, and I had to cut them down and taper the heads and cut off that last thread.

I like torx drive, but have no issues with phillips, just got to find which bit can hold the screw horizontally without falling off. Slotted fasteners however, are a crime against logic

Local hardware has a handful of phillips/straight blade terminated pregnancy head # 8 or #10 four inch long screws. Hacksaw them to length. Or straight blade sheet metal screws all one inch long and perfect if you like # 10 diameter.

100, # 8 x 3/8" phillips head sheet metal STAINLESS screws cost me $15.50 at the local specialty bolt store. I wanted 1/4" but love it or leave it...no torx at all.

wa8yxm wrote:
Frankly unless you need a whole bunch of 'em .. Local hardware works for most. Or special bolts. Many major cities have a "Fastener" store .

Perhaps for some but from Bolt Depot for this DIY person: Sheet metal screws, Square drive pan head, Stainless steel 18-8, #8 1.5“ quantity of 100 for $8.92 or 9 cents per screw, buy several sizes or bolts etc. and spread the S&H costs.

Or spend several bucks for 3 in a nice package at the local store. Plus the gas to get there but admit that I do cruise through the tool department when in the store.

Frankly unless you need a whole bunch of 'em .. Local hardware works for most. Or special bolts. Many major cities have a "Fastener" store .

Where do the locals get that stuff? Don't they have a hardware store within reasonable distance?

I am researching like crazy here. Some of the suggestions lead to absolutely nuts shipping charges reminiscent of come-on flaky eBay deals.

I needed metric flat-head allen 4 mm screws for the bottom of Megawatts, and Meanwell power supplies.

The screws holding even hospital-grade receptacles, plugs and sockets are garbage (on a fifteen dollar device !?!). So I need to secure Torx head screws.

I have already purchased a lot of #6 x 32 x 1-1/4" phillips flat head screws to replace the OEM flat blade screws that come even on hospital and federal spec grade plugs and sockets. Use a flat blade screw on a plastic receptacle and you are begging for a hard time. I chose self tapping screws and they are a snap to use.

I must admit that I have difficulty with one hand and the screws above coupled with a magnetic driver are a near miracle with a strong cordless screwdriver.

Now back to shopping. Thanks everyone!