Fastenal for hard to find fasteners

[apopleptic]

I ordered from fastenal to get SS screws for my controls on the handlebar and carbs and etc. For 4 orders now I've had no issues. Just make sure you know what fasteners you need before ordering.
They are expensive for shipping, but they will order in to the local store and not charge you for shipping. Local branches match the website price so sometimes the price works out pretty OK.
Never had to wait more than 3 days for the screws to come in.

[koolaid_kid]

We have a retail outlet here in Indy, and they were able to get me a hard to find part in one day. I can't complain, except that their stock is generally SAE and I almost always need metric. But they don't seem to mind ordering things.

[bonanzadave]

except that their stock

Speaking of Fastenal stock.....Fastenal started in my home town. Winona, MN. When I got out of the USMC about 1987 there was a $9K stock offer package that I actually thought about investing in. I bought a boat instead. Last year that $9K was worth $2.9M .

[1980GS1000E]

That better be a yacht.

[twotimeGSr]

I have always had good success buying from them for specialty construction fasteners. ..local Indy retail.

tp

[apopleptic]

I hate to do this, but I have to change my opinion of Fastenal.

During my first several purchases everything was fine.
My last two orders were not. Firstly I went in and placed an order in person in the store and when I went to pick it up, there was only one fastener and it wasn't even one I had ordered at all. I complained about it and they told me that they would place the correct order and that I could come in and pick them up today. I get there and they don't have everything in, some of the parts were marked 'back ordered'.
They also decided to split my order into two invoices and charge me $5.42 shipping on each of them to pick them up in the store.
I commented that the price seemed high and the guy behind the counter apologized and said he put the wrong part number in. When I get home and look at the invoice more closely, I see the shipping charges on each of them, and I see that he never fixed the item to the correct one.
I go back down there and he refunded me the incorrect parts, but then points to a notice on the wall that says they'll be charging $10 as a surcharge for anything they have to pull from the hub. I complain a little bit more and he tells me that I can return the stuff if I want to, but I really wanted to put the wheel on so I told him to just cancel any orders that are still in the system under my name. Shipping charges don't even match what they say the surcharge is supposed to be.
Then I called the regional manager and left a message for him with my complaint about being charged shipping when picking up in store.
I have a feeling that I'll never be doing business with Fastenal again.

[DanTheMan]

I hate to do this, but I have to change my opinion of Fastenal.

During my first several purchases everything was fine.
My last two orders were not. Firstly I went in and placed an order in person in the store and when I went to pick it up, there was only one fastener and it wasn't even one I had ordered at all. I complained about it and they told me that they would place the correct order and that I could come in and pick them up today. I get there and they don't have everything in, some of the parts were marked 'back ordered'.
They also decided to split my order into two invoices and charge me $5.42 shipping on each of them to pick them up in the store.
I commented that the price seemed high and the guy behind the counter apologized and said he put the wrong part number in. When I get home and look at the invoice more closely, I see the shipping charges on each of them, and I see that he never fixed the item to the correct one.
I go back down there and he refunded me the incorrect parts, but then points to a notice on the wall that says they'll be charging $10 as a surcharge for anything they have to pull from the hub. I complain a little bit more and he tells me that I can return the stuff if I want to, but I really wanted to put the wheel on so I told him to just cancel any orders that are still in the system under my name. Shipping charges don't even match what they say the surcharge is supposed to be.
Then I called the regional manager and left a message for him with my complaint about being charged shipping when picking up in store.
I have a feeling that I'll never be doing business with Fastenal again.

That's exactly the way it worked for me the first time I ordered from them. I'll go in their store to look for something I need, usually can't find it so I go to the local Ace Hardware (they have everything) in Brainerd MN, and find exactly what I was looking for, even in metrics.

[Larry D]

If you need some oddball bolts or screws....or just about anything along those lines, try these guys. Amazing inventory of stuff and the fastest shipping I've ever experienced.

http://www.mcmaster.com/#

[marvinsc]

If you need some oddball bolts or screws....or just about anything along those lines, try these guys. Amazing inventory of stuff and the fastest shipping I've ever experienced.

http://www.mcmaster.com/#

Indeed, Mcmaster Carr has an amazing inventory and superfast shipping but you pay a little for that. Corporate buyers don't especially like the fact that they don't give discounts, Period. Whether it's a Mom and Pop hardware store or a Multi National company ordering, they pay the same while Grainger and MSC Industrial give us a 10 percent or so discount. Fastenal has our Fastener contract at the plant and do pretty well and can order much more than they have at the retail store. But when I need something overnight without paying premium shipping charges McMaster usually gets the call.

[sschering]

www.boltdepot.com is another place to look.

[kawfeedave]

I'll give a second nod to boltdepot.com, I've used them for stuff and the shipping was real reasonable. Good selection, and I had the stuff within 2 or 3 days of placing my order (in all fairness, they're up in the northeast somewhere, and I'm in Ohio, so I guess if you live out west it might take longer).

[Billy Ricks]

www.boltdepot.com is another place to look.

I've ordered from them too. I was happy with them.

[850 Combat]

I went in to Fastenol to buy bolts for my carb boots once. I'll never go back. My local hardware store had them anyway, but high priced.

I have had good luck with DMP Fasteners. http://dmpfasteners.com/shop/

That's exactly the way it worked for me the first time I ordered from them. I'll go in their store to look for something I need, usually can't find it so I go to the local Ace Hardware (they have everything) in Brainerd MN, and find exactly what I was looking for, even in metrics.