Home Center vs Supply House

[romex jockey]

HD carries just about every brand of panel/meter @ significant less $$ than my local suppliers ...and they deliver

so i have to ask the 'EC' in me, if the risk is worth it

~RJ~

 

[growler]

HD carries just about every brand of panel/meter @ significant less $$ than my local suppliers ...and they deliver

so i have to ask the 'EC' in me, if the risk is worth it

~RJ~

The only problem I have ever had with materials purchased from HD is you don't won't to get anything that was returned by someone else. Some people won't tell them they are returning a bad item and it gets restocked. If I return a known bad item I always mark it as "bad" on the box.

 

[mbrooke]

The only problem I have ever had with materials purchased from HD is you don't won't to get anything that was returned by someone else. Some people won't tell them they are returning a bad item and it gets restocked. If I return a known bad item I always mark it as "bad" on the box.

Not sure how it is now or if my experience applies to all locations but I've returned defective stuff only to see it go back on the shelf.

 

[mbrooke]

Not sure about others but Walmart strong arms their suppliers into building products with inferior parts. Some are big enough to stand up to this tactic. Others not so much.

Grainger uses a lot of dirty tactics on their customers. They’ve never been too hung up on low prices. Most of their customer base is also industrial. They wouldn’t risk the Walmart tactic.

You can share them

Personally everything from grainier was not only clean and looked like it left the factory 30 minutes ago- but somehow just felt better built. I know, I know, but the QO panels boxes, fittings and the like just felt better over all.

 

[ptonsparky]

Not sure how it is now or if my experience applies to all locations but I've returned defective stuff only to see it go back on the shelf.

Reminds me of the local small grocery we had in town at one time. We took something back that had a 'use by' date code several years old. Wife told them why, got a different item and as she left, saw them putting the returned item back up on the shelf.

 

[mbrooke]

Reminds me of the local small grocery we had in town at one time. We took something back that had a 'use by' date code several years old. Wife told them why, got a different item and as she left, saw them putting the returned item back up on the shelf.

Not sure but I think that may have been illegal even way back when. On the plus side liberal return policies are nice. They sway whether or not a shop at a place.

 

[PaulMmn]

Not sure about others but Walmart strong arms their suppliers into building products with inferior parts. Some are big enough to stand up to this tactic. Others not so much.

Walmart doesn't strong arm inferior parts. They DO strong arm lower prices-- and they're not really fussy how, as long as you knock a few percentage points off of the previously agreed-on price.

Then the company selling to Walmart talks to their Chinese supplier and strong arms -them- into lower costs. And that's when you get the lead paint and cadmium jewelry.

All in the name of saving a few cents.

 

[brantmacga]

Grainger uses a lot of dirty tactics on their customers. They’ve never been too hung up on low prices. Most of their customer base is also industrial. They wouldn’t risk the Walmart tactic.

Went to Grainger one time looking for a F60T12HO lamp; none of the supply houses had any in stock. Rang up $60; I told them I didn’t need a case, just one. They were $60/ea! Did not buy.


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[hbiss]

Yeah, Grainger isn't cheap but they have what you need. That's what you are paying for.

Do you know that Grainger stocks millions more items than they show in their NYC telephone directory size catalog?

-Hal

 

[Eddie702]

I know people here have said its the same, but I keep having people tell me otherwise. Are the electrical items, even of the same model number, of lesser quality or with tolerance deviations sold at home centers vs what you get at a reputable supply house?

Don't know about the electrical stuff but tools is another issue.

I have a co worker that was buddies with a "DeWalt Guy" he told him the tools HD buys are not the same as the regular DeWalt line. Cheaper construction

 

[mbrooke]

Don't know about the electrical stuff but tools is another issue.

I have a co worker that was buddies with a "DeWalt Guy" he told him the tools HD buys are not the same as the regular DeWalt line. Cheaper construction

I believe him. I have a suspicion its the same with electrical but no one has ever confirmed it.

 

[mbrooke]

Went to Grainger one time looking for a F60T12HO lamp; none of the supply houses had any in stock. Rang up $60; I told them I didn’t need a case, just one. They were $60/ea! Did not buy.


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But those tubes would have outlasted the supply house

 

[romex jockey]

I've used a number of these , w/good results

https://www.homedepot.com/p/GE-Powe...eter-Socket-Load-Center-TSM420CSCUP/205051427

1/3 of a milbank $

~RJ~

 

[mbrooke]

I've used a number of these , w/good results

https://www.homedepot.com/p/GE-Powe...eter-Socket-Load-Center-TSM420CSCUP/205051427

1/3 of a milbank $

~RJ~

And a breaker that actually works. Millbank breakers reek of Zinsco

 

[tortuga]

The Supply house business model is to charge a huge premium for a wide assortment of 'in stock' inventory, with only small quantities available same or next day.
If your a small shop and just needing less than case quantity items your making up more of their profit margin than the over 10k orders.

If your engineering or supervising a electrical project say worth over 10k in parts your probably pricing around materials lists and pre-ordering reels of stuff they will never stock, it just moves thru their distribution chain to your job site at that level.
Then they make a tiny margin on your order at that scale.

Something about the HD website is their supply ordering chain can be quite competitive for a smaller shop in the sense they tend to carry a 'full line' online and give you the best pricing in smaller quantities. The lead time from HD might be much longer, but the price can be significantly less.
For example do a little test next time your in your supply house get a price on an odd ball 4S box cover like a duplex with a single Raco 806C,
then look it up on HD's website.
Or even 3/4" Rigid conduit, HD wont show it in stock, but it very well may cost less than your supply house.
I would be curious what the differences you find are.

 

[Jraef]

When I worked at Siemens, I was responsible for Power, Control and Distribution components as sold through traditional electrical distribution supply houses, in the cubicle right across from me was Kelvin, my counterpart responsible for products going to retail outlets like HD and Lowes (no controls though). The components, like breakers, panels, disconnects and such, were EXACTLY the same; there were no "cheaper" versions. But the thing was, the VOLUME ordered by HD was on a scale unheard of by the average local supply house. So for example a good month for me on QP single pole 15 and 20A breakers through the 20 or so supply houses I supported was maybe 1,000 breakers total, whereas Kelvin would take orders from just the local HD logistics center, servicing maybe 50 HD stores, for 10,000 1P breakers even on a bad month. The pricing he was allowed to use for HD was therefore WAY lower than the best pricing I could offer the supply houses, but it was all based on volume. I had one supply house bring me a project that involved 20,000 1P breakers, I got better pricing negotiated as a one-shot deal from the factory than he ever did. There were other issues too, for example he could only sell them General Duty safety switches, I could sell GD or Heavy Duty versions (at that time, it may have changed now because I saw an HD rated switch at Lowes a while ago). On the other hand, Siemens did allow HD to put together custom "retail packages" that the supply houses could not order, like the meter-main combos. So those had special part numbers exclusive to HD and if a contractor called a supply house to cross check prices, the supply house could not do it by part number.

 

[LarryFine]

On the other hand, Siemens did allow HD to put together custom "retail packages" that the supply houses could not order, like the meter-main combos. So those had special part numbers exclusive to HD and if a contractor called a supply house to cross check prices, the supply house could not do it by part number.

If that's like the 200a-main-breaker-enclosure assembly I mentioned earlier, suppliers could only sell the breaker and enclosure separately, and for waaaaaay more $.

 

[romex jockey]

When I worked at Siemens, I was responsible for Power, Control and Distribution components as sold through traditional electrical distribution supply houses, in the cubicle right across from me was Kelvin, my counterpart responsible for products going to retail outlets like HD and Lowes (no controls though). The components, like breakers, panels, disconnects and such, were EXACTLY the same; there were no "cheaper" versions. But the thing was, the VOLUME ordered by HD was on a scale unheard of by the average local supply house. So for example a good month for me on QP single pole 15 and 20A breakers through the 20 or so supply houses I supported was maybe 1,000 breakers total, whereas Kelvin would take orders from just the local HD logistics center, servicing maybe 50 HD stores, for 10,000 1P breakers even on a bad month. The pricing he was allowed to use for HD was therefore WAY lower than the best pricing I could offer the supply houses, but it was all based on volume. I had one supply house bring me a project that involved 20,000 1P breakers, I got better pricing negotiated as a one-shot deal from the factory than he ever did. There were other issues too, for example he could only sell them General Duty safety switches, I could sell GD or Heavy Duty versions (at that time, it may have changed now because I saw an HD rated switch at Lowes a while ago). On the other hand, Siemens did allow HD to put together custom "retail packages" that the supply houses could not order, like the meter-main combos. So those had special part numbers exclusive to HD and if a contractor called a supply house to cross check prices, the supply house could not do it by part number.

very interesting Jraef

~RJ~

 

[mbrooke]

When I worked at Siemens, I was responsible for Power, Control and Distribution components as sold through traditional electrical distribution supply houses, in the cubicle right across from me was Kelvin, my counterpart responsible for products going to retail outlets like HD and Lowes (no controls though). The components, like breakers, panels, disconnects and such, were EXACTLY the same; there were no "cheaper" versions. But the thing was, the VOLUME ordered by HD was on a scale unheard of by the average local supply house. So for example a good month for me on QP single pole 15 and 20A breakers through the 20 or so supply houses I supported was maybe 1,000 breakers total, whereas Kelvin would take orders from just the local HD logistics center, servicing maybe 50 HD stores, for 10,000 1P breakers even on a bad month. The pricing he was allowed to use for HD was therefore WAY lower than the best pricing I could offer the supply houses, but it was all based on volume. I had one supply house bring me a project that involved 20,000 1P breakers, I got better pricing negotiated as a one-shot deal from the factory than he ever did. There were other issues too, for example he could only sell them General Duty safety switches, I could sell GD or Heavy Duty versions (at that time, it may have changed now because I saw an HD rated switch at Lowes a while ago). On the other hand, Siemens did allow HD to put together custom "retail packages" that the supply houses could not order, like the meter-main combos. So those had special part numbers exclusive to HD and if a contractor called a supply house to cross check prices, the supply house could not do it by part number.

Why was he restricted to general duty switches?

 

[Jraef]

Why was he restricted to general duty switches?

Don't really know, but I imagine because the concept of Siemens selling direct to home improvement centers was cutting out the previously contractual distribution programs they already had in place, so they likely made some concessions regarding not allowing the home centers to have access to "industrial grade" components. So for other examples HD was not allowed to buy switchgear, most of the larger industrial breakers, bus duct, transformers, power monitoring, controls, PLCs, etc. etc. Just load centers and the breakers that go in them, metering panels, GD safety switches, and a limited selection of lighting controls.