What's your most favorite 'big box' home store and why?

[kcflhrc]

Menards is my favorite, Home Depot is closer though.

 

[300UGUY]

When I moved here, 31 years ago, every small town had at least one lumberyard, and hardware store. There are no lumber yards left. The nearest is 30 miles away, in the next county. Only one decent hardware store left, and I don't know how they stay in business, they have very few customers when I goe there.

 

[oldpilgrim]

not Menards, period. Nope not gonna happen.

The closest one is 515.4 miles away.

 

[kcflhrc]

not Menards, period. Nope not gonna happen.

The closest one is 515.4 miles away.

Road Trip

 

[teejk]

I think Menard's might have a store along I80 in Indiana but that I think that is the end of their eastward expansion. They are present in Minnesota and South Dakota but probably not much further west.

 

[NorTracNY]

Wow, I'm surprised at most of the replies. I only have experience with Lowes, Home Depot, and Walmart. I HATE all three of them. They are horrible stores and the services is bad at best. I especially hate Walmart. They are crooks.

I cannot remember a time when I went to Lowes for a project and only needed to make one trip. So many times I have bought something from them and gotten home only to find that what was in the box was not correct or was missing parts.

Walmart incorrectly marks the prices on their products. When this is pointed out to the manager, they say thanks for letting them know and then don't change the price. If you threaten to contact the AG, they will hand you a $10 gift card and still not change the price. When I contacted the AG, they just get a form letter from Walmart that says it's all taken care of. The form letter gives you no way to actually contact Walmart. When a kid product got squished onto my berber rug it hardened. Walmart said they had no idea what the product was, what it was made of, or who even sold it to them. It completely ruined the carpet, but they told me they didn't care. They still were selling the product on the shelf though. OK enough ranting...

 

[300UGUY]

I think Menard's might have a store along I80 in Indiana but that I think that is the end of their eastward expansion. They are present in Minnesota and South Dakota but probably not much further west.

We have Menards in Michigan. I don't know how many, not as common as Lowes or HD.

 

[JerryK]

My closest Menards is an 1.25 hours away each way, south of Traverse City. But we are getting a shinny new one West of the big city of Gaylord opening next summer. Right next to our almost new Meijers ....... There is something good about only living a hop skip and a jump away from shopping when you get older..... not that I am old or sumptin.....

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Wow, I'm surprised at most of the replies. I only have experience with Lowes, Home Depot, and Walmart. I HATE all three of them. They are horrible stores and the services is bad at best. I especially hate Walmart. They are crooks.

I cannot remember a time when I went to Lowes for a project and only needed to make one trip. So many times I have bought something from them and gotten home only to find that what was in the box was not correct or was missing parts.

Walmart incorrectly marks the prices on their products. When this is pointed out to the manager, they say thanks for letting them know and then don't change the price. If you threaten to contact the AG, they will hand you a $10 gift card and still not change the price. When I contacted the AG, they just get a form letter from Walmart that says it's all taken care of. The form letter gives you no way to actually contact Walmart. When a kid product got squished onto my berber rug it hardened. Walmart said they had no idea what the product was, what it was made of, or who even sold it to them. It completely ruined the carpet, but they told me they didn't care. They still were selling the product on the shelf though. OK enough ranting...

There I agree with you. What is in the bins is often mis-matched and has been switched around by other customers. You have to check every piece you buy. I also open every box, since the info on the outside of the box is often incomplete and doesn't tell me if it's what I want to buy. Never shop at Lowe's without a pocket knife. Unfortunately, the old hardware stores of my youth are long gone. In the modern stores it's caveat emptor. Fortunately, Lowe's has a liberal return policy, because I often enter the store through the returns counter.

 

[Qapla]

We do no have any Menards so I cannot comment on them.

We used to shop more at HD since they had a much larger store than the Lowes (at that time we also had a Scotty's, West Building and a couple more) Since that time, Lowes has built a couple new stores and has done a bit better than HD.

That said, Lowes just build a new store to replace an existing one (that store is gone now - building torn down) - only thing is, this nice new "better, larger Lowes" does not stock as much. The appliances, batroom fixtures and a few other areas are now "showroom" style where you look and "order" the product instead of loading it into your truck and heading home with it.

Also, HD has changed their pressure treated lumber to "ground contact rated" while Lowes PT is not.

All said, we shop at both as well as ACE Hardware. We have some really big ACE around here that rival the other two in size and price. They even have "drive through" lumber that is inside storage area