Lowes vs. Home Depot... FIGHT!

[delatlanta1281]

I vote lowes, partly because i like the blue better than the orange, and lowes has a larger specialty hardware section. I do however perfer my local family owned hardware store to both

What specialty hardware do they offer that THD doesn't?

[bejbis]

I vote lowes, partly because i like the blue better than the orange, and lowes has a larger specialty hardware section. I do however perfer my local family owned hardware store to both

[davey101]

I go to my local hardware store. I don't support those big box places if I have a choice. I get better prices and the guy there actually cares enough to listen to any project plans, and makes sound, quality suggestions. And he knows what he is talking about. The options you've given, the employees don't even understand when you ask if an adapter or component is OSHA certified.

This. Theres a small hardware store about 5 minutes from my house. Very helpful and great pricing and I know all the employees. During the summer I'm usually in there at least once a week. For power tools I go to sears because I'm a cheap ass.

I chose home depot though because thats where my dad always went when I was growing up. Lowe's is so clean and bright, where as HD is dark and crappy. Seems so much more manlier

[kylekrueger]

I like the Home Depot for building supplies but it is really terrible for anything else especially if you don't know exactly where and what it is you are looking for.

Ace is great for hardware and sometimes if you ask they will even let you use their tools in the back to modify their products even before you buy them. And they are always very helpful.

OSH is terrible, they never have anything I want and it is always overpriced although their return policy is the best, one time I had bought 4-5 bimetal hole saw bits, broke them all because they were made of terrible metal and OSH refunded me for all of them.

[delatlanta1281]

Lowes is for women.
BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH
That is all I hear when you complain about Home Depot. I could care less what you think, and so could 90% of contractors in the US. Do the research. Lowes is for women, Home Depot is for contractors... and thanks to their marketing dept. women as well (Martha Stewart lines are being launched geared towards the female shopper all this and next month).
Another thing. Have you ever gone to Lowe's website. Impossible to navigate. THD's is a million times better.
And yes, i am biased. I was raised in a Home Depot. My whole family is someway associated with them, and anything you say is going to go in one ear and out the other.
Kobalt.... that's a real brand, I swear.

[bddog]

Go into Home Depot before or after work hours . This place has made me so much money over the years, instead of waiting for a lumber yard delivery.
Anybody in the trades , prefers Home Depot.
Lowes is where I take the old Lady, when she wants a new appliance.

[AndrewBird]

I always go to ACE first as they usually have exactly what I need and they are just around the corner. If they don't have it, then I go to Lowe's. I have an ACE Rewards card and have gotten like $30 back in gift cards since they opened like a year ago. I love that place.

The biggest difference I see here is at HD, there is NEVER an employee around when you need one and at Lowe's you are almost annoyed by the fact that an employee asks if they can help you so often. The Lowe's here is also a lot cleaner and better kept up than the HD.

[machined]

I go to my local hardware store. I don't support those big box places if I have a choice. I get better prices and the guy there actually cares enough to listen to any project plans, and makes sound, quality suggestions. And he knows what he is talking about. The options you've given, the employees don't even understand when you ask if an adapter or component is OSHA certified.

This comment came sooner in the thread than I had anticipated.

[pureaudio]

I work for home depot and I have to say that I have NEVER seen a place to oriented on helping their customers find what they are looking for and making sure that they have everything they need to do the project.

They try to take care of their employees as much as possible, competitive pay, excellent benefits, even for part time employees, they have grants and scholarships that they offer to any employee going to school, as well as programs in place to help employees falling on hard times. I'm very impressed with every aspect of how they handle their business.

Normally I will support a local hardware store though. Those mom and pop places give the same kind of service but if I have to go to a big store its Home Depot.

The Home Depot you describe does not exist anymore...

Ace is unbeatable for hardware, I go to Home Depot for lumber and Lowes for most everything else.

I have to go out of my way to hit up Ace for hardware but Lowes does not have squat for selection and our Home Depot has been out of stock of grade 8 for literally 2 years (I'm not shitting, they haven't stocked back up in that long)

[e34john]

I work for home depot and I have to say that I have NEVER seen a place to oriented on helping their customers find what they are looking for and making sure that they have everything they need to do the project.

They try to take care of their employees as much as possible, competitive pay, excellent benefits, even for part time employees, they have grants and scholarships that they offer to any employee going to school, as well as programs in place to help employees falling on hard times. I'm very impressed with every aspect of how they handle their business.

LOL!! Maybe 15 years ago! Now they just hire kids.

[techterr]

Mclendons

up here we have Mclendons, they rock.. We have a couple of HD's here in seattle, but I have given up on them.. the service has gone way down since there last ceo cut everything.. maybe it will get better now... The HD in Aberdeen though is awesome... couldn't find better people.. or better prices.... so if we are in seattle we go to mclendons, if we are in Aberdeen, we head for HD... I swear the guy who does the hiring there must make all the cashiers do the touch your elbows behind your back test... whoever he is, he's a god....

[eurotrashm20]

Lowes until I need nuts, bolts, etc then I head for Ace, which is more expensive here.
Sears for my Klein Tools! Cheaper than the local electrical supply.

[Red88]

Rob. Behind Home Depot there are lots of cool things. I was worried about cameras the first two times, but when nobody's there after a while, you figure they either don't care or don't notice.

[fannman]

Lowes hands down if we are just comparing the two.

The HD near me is staffed by a bunch of people that will try their hardest to never work a minute throughout the day. Staffers will literally walk the other way when they see you coming toward them with a question about any particular product. Magically, their register closes when you line up to check out. And possibly the greatest annoyance, either talking on the store phone or one of the many cell phones that each of them carries to their girlfriend/boyfriend when trying to ring up your merchandise.

The Lowes closest to me is about 30 minutes away so I don't go there often, but I almost shit a brick when I went their for the first time and was standing in one of the aisles looking for electrical boxes and a staffer walked up to me and asked how my day was going and if I needed any assistance finding something. My mind was truly blown, an employee that actually wants to do their job, AMAZING!

thats exactly how most home depots and lowes are that i have been to. Ace is the helpful place though and they also ask what you are looking for once you walk through the door so they can get it for you. Ace has better tools like stihl saws, makita and they are priced a lot cheaper than lowes or home depots

[bimmerpirate]

ACE is by far better than both. plus, i have one walking distance from my house. as for lowes vs HD, it depends on what you're looking for. I usually dont want help and go only for specific things and can usually find things on my own. I prefer HD usually because the lowes around here doesnt have self check out and i hate dealing with cashiers. (i'm not anti-social, i swear!)

lowes has a good selection of tools for the most part, but they have no selection in work gloves which i go through pretty fast at my job. HD has a better selection of gloves.

it really comes down to what you're looking for when you go in. I've for the most part, havent had anyone ask if i wanted help in either but i prefer it that way.