Lowe's and Home depot

[Anonymous]

Ok I went to Home Depot on Tue. as I needed a hole saw and Home Depot is 6 miles away and Lowe's is 18 miles away and I have work to get done.
I have spent a bunch of money at Lowes so far this year since the new NASCAR season started. I've built 3 deep hive bodies, 6 screened bottom boards, a screen door for the screened in porch (No I couldn't just buy the door guess they don't make wood framed ones any more), a dado sled like tom's site had steps on building and a gardan arbor. I have the wood for one more deep hive, a second garden arbor and a bee yard cart I am in the think and design stage on. Plus we have bought close to 100 cubic feet of mulch.
I have found the people working at Lowe's seem nicer at the locations near our home. Also the plants in the garden center are better taken care of at Lowe's, but watch out for spyder mites on their house plants before buying.
Home Depot has much nicer quailty 1x12 boards with fewer cracks, split ends, warps and knots. Seems the asiles where things are stocked make better sence Like the glue is with the paint stuff rather than in the hardware section. The lattic is stacked lower so it is easier to get. Try getting wood lattic off a shelf head high (Lowes changed theirs after I raised hell and told the manager as I stood in front of him with bleeding hands to get me 3 sheets) And yes the Management does make a difference as the Home Depot in the next town 25 miles away has nicer people than the home town one.

Now I want to buy a bisket cutter/jointer by Porter Cable. They have a $30.00 rebate at Home Depot and standard price at Lowe's last time I looked. Going to check it out again at Lowe's for a fathers day gift from my furry kids.
  Al

[Lechwe]

Trail,

I have noticed similar things in Lansing. I end up going to Menards instead of either.

Not to get off subject but you mentioned building screened bottom boards. Do you have some sort of plan for them? I have been wanting to build some but have never used them before so don't really know what I need to do to make good ones.

[snowzerdog]

Wood screen doors $14.95 at Menards 30, 32, 36 inch

[beemaster]

I bought a screen door for my North facing back porch 7 years ago, I put L Brackets in each corner and on the bottom half I put a heavy gauge 1/2 inch square wire grid on the inside and out - to keep my cats in and the outside cats out. The door is as solid today as the day I bought it and I can honestly see getting another 5 or more years from it.

My neighbors bought the same door, didn't do anything to reinforce the weigh on the corners (the l brackets, etc) and theirs didn't last a year before it was warped, bent and finally trashed.

Putting an extra $3 worth of hardware into these screened wooden doors is WELL WELL worth it!

[Robo]

Not to get off subject but you mentioned building screened bottom boards. Do you have some sort of plan for them? I have been wanting to build some but have never used them before so don't really know what I need to do to make good ones.

Here is a link to Al's SBB post
http://www.beemaster.com/beebbs/viewtopic.php?t=530

Here is a  good set of plans for SBB as well
http://www.beesource.com/plans/ipmbottom.htm

[Anonymous]

Well thanks robo for linking the screened bottom board post. I have been to the Marnerds in Bay City. Nice store, No ryme or reason for where things are there either and the prices are higher and in some cases a lot higher. Freurd Bisket cutter at Lowe's is $98.00 at Manerds it is $125.00
the menards In Escanaba has so much stuff on pallets in the asiles you just can't get down but a couple. I did buy some hercoliner at Menards in Huchinson Minnesota this spring, It was a huge sale so a gallon that cost about $119.00 I got for just a tad over $60.00.

My screen door will last my life time.  I built it and used corner supports and cross members. I also used treated wood.
  Al

[beefree]

i stopped shopping at Lowe's when they posted that idiotic anti-gun garbage on their website (which they have since removed...heh).  i'm contemplating doing the same thing to Krogers for their silliness  on the subject down in southern Ohio... but at least this Krogers district has had the sense not to follow suit.  family motto "don't shop where you can't carry".  I always spend a little more when the sign reads CCW WELCOME!    (yeah, yeah, i think drone cells are cute cause they look like bullets, too).
beefree