McMaster-Carr: Best Service Ever

Danskpibemager · Post by **Danskpibemager** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 10:46 pm

I know that Kurt has made mention that he makes alot of purchases from McMaster-Carr but this one takes the cake. I was taking an inventory the other day of items that I was running low on and planned to replenish this week and Delrin Rod was one of them. For the last two days I checked a number of the usual suppliers that I normally buy from and pretty much fell out of my chair when I saw that the shipping costs matched or exceeded the product I was purchasing. Just for sh*ts and giggles I thought I would check McMaster-Carr and low and behold the price was $.10 cheaper per foot than anywhere else. I ordered 25 Ft. of Delrin rod at 10:30 am, received a shipping confirmation email at 11:30 am and when I got home this evening at 5:00 pm the Delrin was sitting on the garage floor waiting for me. Talk about great service and the shipping was $5.00. I never hesitate to mention a company when they provide such superior service so I thought I'd share this experience with everybody on the forum. I know I'll be doing alot more business with them in the future.

Kevin

Post by **KurtHuhn** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 7:16 am

One of the great things about McMaster-Carr is that they've got warehouses in a few strategic locations throughout the country. Not every warehouse has everything, but it's really cool when your entire order comes from one that's only one UPS zone away - overnight shipping at ground prices. The customer service there is on of the reasons I keep going back. Sometimes the stuff is a dollar or two more, but I know that when I order it, it's going to show up at my door a couple days later.

And if you sign up for an account you can get order history, one-click order submission, and package tracking. Really cool website and services, and should be a model for other e-tailers to follow. Being a "web guy" I sometimes get frustrated with the websites of folks that I do business with, but I can't find anything wrong with McMaster-Carr's site.

Funny anecdote:
When I was a kid, my dad had an oiler can that was lever operated, copper in color, and had a long metal spout. I was always fascinated by that oiler for some reason, so when I brought home my lathe I wanted one just like it to squirt oil into all the little places where an old lathe needs oil. Wouldn't you know, the company that made those oilers back in the '60s is still around, and McMaster-Carr carries the modern models! I now have my own copper colored and lever operated oiler - and I'm still fascinated by it for some reason.

Catch · Post by **Catch** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 10:37 am

Thanks for posting this. I had never heard of them before, but I have already placed and order with them for my company.

Frank · Post by **Frank** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 1:52 pm

I agree with all that's been said about them. My only complaint is their site search

. I sometimes find it difficult to pinpoint what I'm looking for, even when I know they stock the item.

JHowell · Post by **JHowell** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 3:58 pm

Frank wrote:I agree with all that's been said about them. My only complaint is their site search . I sometimes find it difficult to pinpoint what I'm looking for, even when I know they stock the item.

Maybe sometimes. But I've had it take me to exactly the item I wanted before I even had all the letters typed in, like it was reading my mind.

Anvil · Post by **Anvil** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 8:11 am

I seem to remember when I first heard of McMaster Carr that they would only take business orders and not orders from individuals. Has that changed? Possibly the advent of internet shopping has opened them to new markets? I have always lamented the fact that I could not order from them since they have so much cool stuff.

Although Grainger has almost as much cool stuff and there is a Grainger store right here in town.

JHowell · Post by **JHowell** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 8:43 am

That's interesting, I started using McMaster because Grainger wouldn't sell to me unless I filled out an application proving that I was a business. Whereas I simply ordered from McMaster as Howell Bamboo Fly Rods and had no problem. I don't think you even have to go through that anymore. Now, getting a McMaster catalog, that's a different story.

Post by **KurtHuhn** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 9:14 am

I've never tried to order from Grainger, even though I have found a store a few towns over. But, I've always ordered from McMaster-Carr as "Pipecrafter" with no problems.

Alan L · Post by **Alan L** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 4:41 pm

Another excellent alternative is MSC. http://mscdirect.com.

They have about everything McMaster does, ship just as fast, and don't care what or who or where you are. I know of one blacksmith in the Virgin Islands (I know, but hey...) who gave up on McMaster because they would no longer ship "overseas" to a US territory, even one served by UPS and the US postal service. He switched to MSC and is much happier.

An added bonus is that MSC tells you not only import/USA made, they actually tell you what brand stuff is. Catalogs are free, even the "Big Book," a tome that takes both hands to pick up and can kill you if allowed to fall forward while reading it...

Anvil · Post by **Anvil** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 8:07 am

I had forgotten about MSC. I will have to look them up. You guys just accentuate my point when you say you order as Pipecrafter and Howell Bamboo Fly Rods. I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume those are not your given names?

I suppose that you could always just make up a business and use that to order. That is unless they require a tax ID number or something like that. Has anyone had any experience ordering under their given name and home address? If I know I can order directly from them it makes things easier when people on the forum talk about specific items in the McMaster Carr catalog.

Post by **KurtHuhn** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 8:44 am

I think that, to order, they need a business name. I think you could just use your given name and it would go right through. They don't require a tax ID number or anything.