Tractor Supply doesn't have plow bolts

[ovrszd]

Carriage bolts are a poor substitute for plow bolts. The underside of the head is flat rather than tapered. So when, as you say, the dome head wears off there's little or nothing holding the bolt tight. The remnants of the head will recede into the tapered counterbore and whatever you are trying to hold tight against a support or frame will be loose.
Plow bolts are either grade 5 or 8. Carriage bolts are usually grade 2, if you are lucky they can be found in grade 5.

I agree.

I looked for a pic but don't have a good one. The Grader I run uses "plow bolts" to hold the cutting edges on. Flat head, tapered back side. Additionally the holes in the cutting edges are shaped so the head of the bolt never gets any of the shear wear. I use them for years without replacement.

 

[sixdogs]

I think with the modern so-called farm store chains, they've all gone Hollywood. That is, they're run as a maximum efficiency business the way you would expect those lessons to be taught at a high-end MBA business college. That means pay as little as you can, efficiency everything possible from inventory turnover to reducing every cost as much as possible. No wasted anything. The goal of some seems to be to keep 100% of every dollar you spend as gross profit.

Executive management is paid and bonused, as well they should, on what they bring to the bottom line and how well the stock does. The whole company works for, and answers to, the shareholders. That's life. If a 5/32" cotter pin can't pull it's weight, it's not there. The efficiencies of modern management is what we don't like.


In contrast, the mom and pop shop we all find so welcoming is filled with operational inefficiency. They carry those 5/32" cotter pins because someone might need one and what the heck is $2 for a bag full and some shelf space? The clerk might be older and shuffle around but we like him. Hardly a go-getter at the cash register.

Our problem with the chain stores is that we--us--are all smarter than anyone in those modern stores because we have the skin in the game of our own equipment and vocation or avocation is at risk. That's partly why internet shopping has taken off is that we are smarter than the people that try to sell things to us and we don't have the hassle of driving 40 miles to have our intelligence insulted with a tool made in Sri Lanka or an wiseacre 17 year-old.

I shop at the mom and pop places, mail order from them find niche businesses that sell what I want or need. My own life gets run that way to in that I operate with inefficiencies and might do something for an older or broke person to help out. I might not charge or just for free help a widow woman because she needs help. That kind of thing. I stay out of the places I don't like because it only encourages them and my behavior of going in there says is all OK. It's not with me.

 

[5030]

Was just there for bird seed and guess what... No Rotella T6. In fact, all there was was the cheapo Traveller brand of mouth wash.

 

[5030]

I agree.

I looked for a pic but don't have a good one. The Grader I run uses "plow bolts" to hold the cutting edges on. Flat head, tapered back side. Additionally the holes in the cutting edges are shaped so the head of the bolt never gets any of the shear wear. I use them for years without replacement.

Actually, Dome head plow bolts are neither Grade 8 or Grade 5. They are if correctly made, ASTM Grade A325.

 

[RickB]

Actually, Dome head plow bolts are neither Grade 8 or Grade 5. They are if correctly made, ASTM Grade A325.

Not all plow bolts are dome head. It would not be a stretch to say most are flat headed.
Edit: Apparently not all dome head plow bolts are A325. The ones I used to source from Trinity and Imperial were Grade 8 as are these.

 

[Handloader109]

My TSC is almost worthless. Mainly dog and cat food store. yep, a handful of propane hoses, (I was needing to connect tank to new house. Just wanted a 6 foot hose with a damn fitting to connect to half or 3/4 pipe. Not a thing in stock. No pipe fittings except for some scrap. The one closest to me is actually the closest store that might stock more than food. But I usually don't walk out with what I need. Maybe 10% of the time. Nuts bolts, yeah, some, pipe or fittings? of any sort, just not worth looking. You couldn't put together a spray rig. Dog food and even chicken feed, sure

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

plow head bolts are all of the above grades (Grade 5, grade 8, grade A325 and more), a Mechanical Engineer specifies what grade to use for what application.
I have a 6' Landpride back blade with grade 5 plow head bolts. To add a rubber horse stall mat to plow snow in the winter I had to get longer plow head bolts to make up for the 3/4" rubber mat. Fastenal had the longer length in stock but were grade 8. They work and were available, your mileage may very.

 

[kpsp50]

If you can't find those bolts use grade 8 they will hold up I had to use them in a pinch

 

[Smokeydog]

As the inventory of the local TSC has changed over the years have got good bargains of the old stock on the clearance shelves. Old stock suits me just fine.