LOWES is coming to town......

[Dark Horse]

We typically prefer Lowes. Primarly due to the Electrical section. and they are usually have more instock. The fact that stores are Cleaner than HD and we can actually find help is always a plus. Down side for us is the nearest Lowes is 60 miles away and HD is 5 min from work. The kicker is right behind the HD is a Proper Lumberyard. HD doesn't Try to compete with them from what I can see. two very different client bases.

Jim

[Micro469]

It's not that we are short of big box hardware stores. In our town we have 2 Home Depots, 2 Ronas, a Castle Lumber, and now 2 Lowes. 20 Minutes away, we have another Hd, another Rona, and a Home Hardware,10 minutes away we have another Home Depot, and anther Rona in an other direction. Going toward Toronto we have......

The problem is , all these stores sell the same crap wood. And the same .....

If you want something special you really have to search for it in out of the way places. I really miss the old Mom and Pop Hardware stores that had been around forever, and still had stock that came out of the fifties....

[halfdome, Danny]

It's not that we are short of big box hardware stores. In our town we have 2 Home Depots, 2 Ronas, a Castle Lumber, and now 2 Lowes. 20 Minutes away, we have another Hd, another Rona, and a Home Hardware,10 minutes away we have another Home Depot, and anther Rona in an other direction. Going toward Toronto we have......

The problem is , all these stores sell the same crap wood. And the same .....

If you want something special you really have to search for it in out of the way places. I really miss the old Mom and Pop Hardware stores that had been around forever, and still had stock that came out of the fifties....

I'd find a small local Cabinet shop and ask them where they get their lumber & plywood. A lot of plywood today is made in China and some of it de-laminates while cutting it on the saw. In the Seattle WA area Crosscut Lumber & Compton Lumber & Hardware have good quality stock and are two blocks away from each other. Eden Saw is another one. Danny

[madprinter]

They are pretty close as for as selection, but I agree Lowes has more Electrical. In my area ( Monroe, Louisiana) the HD has a slightly better selection of lumber, and more sheetstock, as MDF and hardwood plyboard. As all major stores, depends on who's working as for as service. At times you'll get great help. Other times You'd think the place is run by crackheads . I've spent over $50.000 dollars there over the last few years on remodels, mostly at Lowes. And I do price shop, They both do a price match plus 10% off if the other has something cheaper. I've used it several times and saved a bundle on plywood decking .

[Creamcracker]

I read an article a while back that compared shopping at Lowes with Home Depot. The main point of the article was that Lowes was designed with women in mind --- since they make most of the decisions about what appliance/paint/etc goes where -- hence the aisles are wider and more things are presented in a visual manner. Home Depot on the other hand designed for men especially with the contractor in mind -- hence narrower aisles (more product in the same space) and less on display. I guess that when I evaluate the ones I've visited I would have to agree with their description. I know my wife likes to visit Lowes more than she does Homw Depot -- where she's heard to say -- I can't see it!
Philip