Lowe's vs. Home Depot

[CYdTracked]

All 3 big box stores between Menards, Home Depot, and Lowes have their pros and cons. Menards has some of the best prices but their services offered can be somewhat lacking at times. Case in point this past weekend I had to go dishwasher shopping and I found the same model at basically all 3 stores at the same price. Menards currently is not offering installation due to Covid while HD and Lowes are but only HD had the model in stock so they got my purchase. I will shop all 3 whenever I am looking to make a purchase and its basically a crapshoot who has the best deal and actually has it in stock at the time.

 

[AgronAlum]

All 3 big box stores between Menards, Home Depot, and Lowes have their pros and cons. Menards has some of the best prices but their services offered can be somewhat lacking at times. Case in point this past weekend I had to go dishwasher shopping and I found the same model at basically all 3 stores at the same price. Menards currently is not offering installation due to Covid while HD and Lowes are but only HD had the model in stock so they got my purchase. I will shop all 3 whenever I am looking to make a purchase and its basically a crapshoot who has the best deal and actually has it in stock at the time.

Side note to this, appliances like a dishwasher or fridge are one thing because it’s basically a water hookup and plugging it in but don’t let HD or any of the big box stores install anything major in your house. I’m talking stuff like cabinets, countertops, flooring, etc. They sub the work out to crews that can’t get enough business for themselves, which is reaaallly hard to do in today’s climate. They are bottom of the barrel contractors.

 

[BWRhasnoAC]

Lowes is for home owners, Home Depot is for pros. Menards isn't bad but I've had bad luck with their lumber.

 

[BCClone]

The only Hitachi stuff that I have left are my Skill saw and my router. Both have worked great. I have a Metabo (rebranded hitachi) 23g pin nailer that has seemed to work ok.

Even throughout my years working at seed plants and in ag, I had no idea John Deere actually branded tools. Never seen any hanging in anyone’s shop or servicing any of our equipment.

Was for a few years then they just left the hitachi name on it. I would take a picture of mine but sadly my impact and drill were both in my pickup when it got stolen Saturday morning, along with over half my other good tools.

They still sell hand tools and other stuff. I have deep well sockets, breaker bars, and an air compressor, and a few others that are John Deere’s also. Closest place for quality tools at the time. Similar to Mac style. I don’t care for for snap on style.

 

[DeereClone]

I like Milwaukee tools and lumber through my local Spahn and Rose.

I like random house/farm supply shopping at Menards.

Hardly ever go to Lowe’s or HD.

 

[do4CY]

I don’t have a strong opinion either way, but I do like the layout of Lowe’s better.

OT: I always think it would be fun to work at some hardware store part-time after I retire. I just want to help guys spend money on tools, machines, and lumber.

That would be a good job for retirement. I think I would take it a step further and sell my own line of power tools with a red and yellow color scheme. Brand them as cyclone power and have Jeff Johnson be my spokesman.

I go mostly to Menards for random things and shop at the local lumberyard or electric supplier otherwise.

 

[dosry5]

Menards tools suck majorly.

Bosch tools do not suck. At all.

 

[nfrine]

IOT: I always think it would be fun to work at some hardware store part-time after I retire. I just want to help guys spend money on tools, machines, and lumber.

This is my retirement plan.

Not a good retirement plan. A friend of mine tried this. Ended up spending all their earnings (plus some) on tools because of a slight employees discount.

 

[BCClone]

Not a good retirement plan. A friend of mine tried this. Ended up spending all their earnings (plus some) on tools because of a slight employees discount.

Already looks like my retirement work at a strip joint would be better. Wonder what the employee discount is there.

 

[Pope]

Home Depot and Menards are right next to each other in Ankeny, so it's easy to compare them. I like Home Depot because, unlike Menards, the staff who work there seem much more knowledgeable about the areas they work in, which comes in handy when you need advice on home improvement projects.

There was a brief period recently when I avoided Home Depot in favor of Menards, though. That's when Menards required masks and Home Depot didn't.

 

[BryceC]

The only Hitachi stuff that I have left are my Skill saw and my router. Both have worked great. I have a Metabo (rebranded hitachi) 23g pin nailer that has seemed to work ok.

Even throughout my years working at seed plants and in ag, I had no idea John Deere actually branded tools. Never seen any hanging in anyone’s shop or servicing any of our equipment.

Deere owns Hitachi. So it's just a Hitachi with a different skin.

 

[BryceC]

Home Depot and Menards are right next to each other in Ankeny, so it's easy to compare them. I like Home Depot because, unlike Menards, the staff who work there seem much more knowledgeable about the areas they work in, which comes in handy when you need advice on home improvement projects.

There was a brief period recently when I avoided Home Depot in favor of Menards, though. That's when Menards required masks and Home Depot didn't.

I've had the exact opposite experience. Customer service in HD has been absolutely trash in Ankeny when I've gone. I'll drive to Lowe's in Altoona before I'll go there.

 

[Bewilderme]

Fleet Farm Fam > Home Depot > Menard's > Lowe's

But really a mixture of them all depending on what I'm looking for.

 

[throwittoblythe]

Menards is my go-to for supplies. They generally have everything I need in stock, and their prices on those types of items can't be beat by HD or Lowes, especially when you add in the 11% off. I know, I know, it's not technically a discount, but I shop at Menards so much its basically cash to me. I have yet to have any bad luck with their supplies. I agree that their tool brands (other than bosch) are hot garbage and no better than Harbor Freight.

I prefer DeWalt for my tools, and HD seems to have the better offerings there. So, I've been buying my power tools there, but for no other reason than they have them.

 

[nfrine]

Already looks like my retirement work at a strip joint would be better. Wonder what the employee discount is there.

By the time you get to retirement you may be required to pay a premium....

 

[throwittoblythe]

Home Depot and Menards are right next to each other in Ankeny, so it's easy to compare them. I like Home Depot because, unlike Menards, the staff who work there seem much more knowledgeable about the areas they work in, which comes in handy when you need advice on home improvement projects.

There was a brief period recently when I avoided Home Depot in favor of Menards, though. That's when Menards required masks and Home Depot didn't.

Menards seems to have the lowest level of staffing of the big 3. I used to avoid Menards for that reason. However, as I got more competent in DIY projects, I tended for Menards more because I knew what I was doing and what I needed. I've had some really bad experiences asking for help from HD or Lowes staff. I can find the location of what I'm looking for on the ap, and most of those folks have little to no construction experience, so they have no clue what they're talking about. Example; I once asked a Lowe's employee if I should get a 4-1/4" or 4-1/8" hole saw for my particular project. His answer was "which is bigger, 1/4" or 1/8"?". I just said "nevermind" and walked away.

 

[1100011CS]

Bosch tools do not suck. At all.

Agree. Except their cordless reciprocating saw sucks ass.

 

[CYEATHAWK]

Menards seems to have the lowest level of staffing of the big 3. I used to avoid Menards for that reason. However, as I got more competent in DIY projects, I tended for Menards more because I knew what I was doing and what I needed. I've had some really bad experiences asking for help from HD or Lowes staff. I can find the location of what I'm looking for on the ap, and most of those folks have little to no construction experience, so they have no clue what they're talking about. Example; I once asked a Lowe's employee if I should get a 4-1/4" or 4-1/8" hole saw for my particular project. His answer was "which is bigger, 1/4" or 1/8"?". I just said "nevermind" and walked away.

About a 6-7 years ago HD starting weeding out all their high paid professional help. Can't speak for Lowe's but you are dead on about there is no difference now where it use to be that was reason enough to avoid Menards. So Menards gets most my business now between the three because they stock many of the little things I need to make things easy on the site. And much cheaper than a specialty shop. Where the other two are geared for the screw it up and caulk crowd.

 

[jdcyclone19]

Last week I was searching for a part that Home Depot didn't carry. I hadn't been to a lowe's in probably 3 years. Does anyone else feel like Lowe's is a complete joke compared to Home Depot? Maybe just the local Lowe's are so bad? Another thing I noticed is that Craftsman has really fallen.

Just a few observations. Thoughts?

Most definitely on Craftsman. Especially their power tools. It was a mistake for them to pull in Craftsman and scale back Kobalt. I got my 8 year old son a Craftsman drill among some other things because it was fairly cheap and he wanted to start his own tool collection. It feels as cheap as a 20 dollar Black and Decker.

I like Home Depot for tools and a select few building products and menards for the rest.

Thats because craftsman is now owned by black and decker along with portercable, dewalt and some others.

 

[mramseyISU]

For the guys talking about Harbor Freight I pick up one of their 44" US General tool boxes about a year ago. I can't say enough good things about it. The US General tool box organizing stuff is good too.

Harbor Freight for me at least has kind of taken the place of Sears for mechanics type tools. Now I'd never buy anything that ran off electricity there but for tool boxes and hand tools they're great. I've got a few of their ICON sockets and they've been really good and I really like their Doyle brand pliers. You just have to do your research on what you're getting when you go in there. For example that yellow Daytona floor jack is a rebranded Snap-On for half the money and those Doyle pliers are rebranded Mac for the most part. The ICON stuff for the most part is on par with Gearwrench or Tekton.