# blowes



## Advanced plum (Aug 10, 2012)

Well i just happened to be around lowes the other day and you all would not beleive the plumbers that were in there buying plumbing materials over going to our local plumbing supply houses this is really crazy. blowes should be our last resort b all means like on a sunday ya i can see that but dam they were everywere . And i was there buying building supplys for a room we are building onto the house just in case you were wondering that will always be my last choose for plumbing supplys


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## AlbacoreShuffle (Aug 28, 2011)

I always take my company shirt off before entering the doors of blows or depot


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## Titletownplumbr (Feb 16, 2011)

Advanced plum said:


> Well i just happened to be around lowes the other day and *you all would not beleive the plumbers that were in there buying plumbing materials over going to our local plumbing supply houses this is really crazy*. blowes should be our last resort b all means like on a sunday ya i can see that but dam they were everywere . And i was there buying building supplys for a room we are building onto the house just in case you were wondering that will always be my last choose for plumbing supplys


The sad part is the fact that alot of the material you buy retail at the home centers is cheaper than what the wholesaler sells it for, pathetic.


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## Fullmetal Frank (Jul 11, 2012)

Oh I'll go there, but you'll never ever see me leave with more twenty or thirty dollars of stuff, and only if it's saving me gas cause it's closer. No way I am going to pull a job list there.


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## Mississippiplum (Sep 30, 2011)

I'll buy stuff for my own house there, and maybe every once in a while we might buy a fitting or two for a job but that's bout it.

sent from the jobsite porta-potty


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## RealLivePlumber (Jun 22, 2008)

What, they got no lumberyards where you are?

I put an addition on my house this year, and most everything came from the li
Lumberyard. You would be amazed at the difference in the quality of the wood.
It's quite unbelievable.


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## ditchdigger (Aug 12, 2012)

Maybe they were limited out with the supply house had to use that lowes credit card to slide by for a week or so.


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## nhmaster3015 (Aug 5, 2008)

PV fittings are almost twice more expensive at the supply houses than they are at HomeDepot and Lowes. Not that I would buy them there :whistling2:


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

I got no loyalty to any wholesaler... We buy from the closest least expensive place there is


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## GREENPLUM (Jul 27, 2008)

RealLivePlumber said:


> What, they got no lumberyards where you are?
> 
> I put an addition on my house this year, and most everything came from the li
> Lumberyard. You would be amazed at the difference in the quality of the wood.
> It's quite unbelievable.


The blows round here has good lumber, top quality.

But I buy from a local lumber yard, they deliver.


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## GREENPLUM (Jul 27, 2008)

OldSchool said:


> I got no loyalty to any wholesaler...


I do, but I still cheat on them all the time.

My supply house takes us on hunting /fishing /golf trips every year, they also give us sports tickets, take us out to lunch, buy drinks, have hot dogs ready to eat everyday, and the list keeps on going they do more.


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## Plumber (Jan 18, 2009)

Buying from some supply houses (Fergs) is like shopping at 7/11 for your weekly groceries.

Buying from the big box is like buying from me, your competitor. I might get a few flappers or sawzall blades, but that's it.

My local hardware store gives me a better price on BW water heaters than any supply house. $395 for a 50g nat.


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## TallCoolOne (Dec 19, 2010)

Plumber said:


> Buying from some supply houses (Fergs) is like shopping at 7/11 for your weekly groceries.
> 
> Buying from the big box is like buying from me, your competitor. I might get a few flappers or sawzall blades, but that's it.
> 
> My local hardware store gives me a better price on BW water heaters than any supply house. $395 for a 50g nat.


I pay about a bill less than that ......


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## Plumber (Jan 18, 2009)

TallCoolOne said:


> I pay about a bill less than that ......


It's not polite to brag.

I wonder if it is the same config. We have that California stamp of approval thing going on here, I think. 

Also, we're a few blocks away from the nearest big city...up the hill a bit, so I'm sure we get hit with freight.

Dang, I hate supply houses. Why should I have to pay for materials? I'm white, for ___ing sake, I shouldn't have to buy things.


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## pilot light (Apr 21, 2012)

OldSchool said:


> I got no loyalty to any wholesaler... We buy from the closest least expensive place there is


 If you need parts well then! Usually the parts I need cant be found at the home depot! :laughing:


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

OldSchool said:


> I got no loyalty to any wholesaler... We buy from the closest least expensive place there is


I give every bit as much loyalty to the wholesale supply chain (headed by the manufacturers) as they have given me. :laughing:


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## Plumbdog (Jan 27, 2009)

nhmaster3015 said:


> PV fittings are almost twice more expensive at the supply houses than they are at HomeDepot and Lowes. Not that I would buy them there :whistling2:


Not at my supply house and pipe is considerably less.


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

pilot light said:


> If you need parts well then! Usually the parts I need cant be found at the home depot! :laughing:


What you can't find plumbing parts at HD... Maybe you are in the wrong aisle ...


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## drain surgeon (Jun 17, 2010)

Im reading this just after doing a little research on faucet prices.
I can buy a Delta 9192 at Lowes for 194.30 or at Faucets direct for 197.50 and have to wait on it or I can go to anyone of the local supply houses and pay about 200.00 and get a HUGE attitude because Im making them get off their lazy arses and step away from their doughnut to get me what I need. Also there have been MANY times I have gone to the supply house looking for some simple item and its not in stock or the person behind the counter does not have a clue as to what I am talking about. Im looking for the best price and selection with the least amount of attitude and if the local supply house cant or wont provide than then Ill go to lowes and the supply houses have no one to blame but themselves. Just my opinion.


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## Mississippiplum (Sep 30, 2011)

I have noticed occasionally that some products sold at supply houses are built better then the exact same product sold at the box stores.

sent from the jobsite porta-potty


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## GREENPLUM (Jul 27, 2008)

yalls supply houses suck, or they just dont like you, and its possibal yer all buttholes

At my supply house last month they gave away $100 Gas Card, Fishing pole , closet auger, and braves tickets.

These guys are my friends who do look out for me somewhat. Just dont forget they hafta make money just like you.


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## GREENPLUM (Jul 27, 2008)

Plumbdog said:


> Not at my supply house and pipe is considerably less.


 
really, prove it cause HD and Blowes buy a shietload of pipe and I dont believe you


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

GREENPLUM said:


> ...or they just dont like you, and its possibal yer all buttholes...


Now now my fellow funky music brother. That was not very nice. :no:


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## GREENPLUM (Jul 27, 2008)

plbgbiz said:


> Now now my fellow funky music brother. That was not very nice. :no:


Did yer momma tell you that everybody was nice?

if so momma lied :laughing:

anyway it was a PG rating, sorry


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

GREENPLUM said:


> Did yer momma tell you that everybody was nice?...


My mom was on the PZ...till I banned her. Just sayin'. :laughing:


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## Phat Cat (Apr 1, 2009)

Kohler Highline toilet without seat - Supply house $220.

Kohler Highline toilet with soft close seat, complete in box - Lowes $189.

I used to be loyal to the supply houses, my loyalty has shifted to economics.


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

Phat Cat said:


> ....I used to be loyal to the supply houses, my loyalty has shifted to economics.


EXACTLY !!!

It's about business, not a one sided sense of loyalty to manufacturers and pandering suppliers that dropped us all like hot potatoes to pursue the larger and more profitable retail market.

I am in business to support my family, not theirs. To whatever end the wholesale supply chain or the big box can serve that mission...that is where I make purchases.


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## Plumber (Jan 18, 2009)

GREENPLUM said:


> yalls supply houses suck, or they just dont like you, and its possibal yer all buttholes
> 
> At my supply house last month they gave away $100 Gas Card, Fishing pole , closet auger, and braves tickets.
> 
> These guys are my friends who do look out for me somewhat. Just dont forget they hafta make money just like you.


All that is pure business. It's called promotion and every business does it.

They're nice to you, really? Like you're nice to your customers? They aren't self-employed or carry a trades card, so they have to be nice or they get fired.

I'm a customer to them and expect to be treated as such. The minute I'm not, I go somewhere else. All it takes is one cross word or a smart alec remark and they don't see me for months.

I can buy most stuff on the internet for less or same price.



Mississippiplum said:


> I have noticed occasionally that some products sold at supply houses are built better then the exact same product sold at the box stores.
> 
> sent from the jobsite porta-potty


The quality is less and the product number is different.


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## Widdershins (Feb 5, 2011)

Excepting fixtures, I'll buy whatever I need wherever I'm at.

Frankly, there are some things I prefer to buy at a big box store -- Particularly plastic DWV pipe. All of the supply houses around here store their ABS pipe outside, which will warp when exposed to sunlight -- I'd much rather buy my pipe from a place where it is stored indoors.


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## PLUMB TIME (Feb 2, 2009)

GREENPLUM said:


> yalls supply houses suck, or they just dont like you, and its possibal yer all buttholes
> 
> At my supply house last month they gave away $100 Gas Card, Fishing pole , closet auger, and braves tickets.
> 
> These guys are my friends who do look out for me somewhat. Just dont forget they hafta make money just like you.


It's nice they "give" stuff away, but we all know "aint nothin free":no:

give another 5% off and I'll buy my own tickets.


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## cjtheplumber (Mar 9, 2012)

A few months back I made a list of the most common stuff we use, I wanted to find out where I would save the most money.

So I call 8 of the local supply stores around here hirsh, Ferguson, apex, express and some other are the ones everyone goes to and the big ones. At the end I called HD it turns out every single item was cheaper some up to $5 bucks cheaper. They give you credit as well. From a savings point of view and convenience there is a HP everywhere you go. So to say the least HD is the place to go unless they don't have what you need. I guess is all about the buying power HD has, they buy bulk more than the supply store so they can sell it cheaper. It works for us:thumbsup:


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## jc-htownplumber (Feb 29, 2012)

Our supply house is pretty good about looking out for us they will match lowes or hd but I'll buy fixtures at the supply house don't need the plastic faucets they sell at lowes and hd 
The branch owner of Moore supply always takes us to the baseball game pays for everything all we need to do is show up but haven't gone this year it's the Astros


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## HOMER (Jun 5, 2011)

HD will allow me to return just about any item that I bought there with no restocking fee and no hassle.
and since I buy all my supplies with the credit card, I don't even need to bring the receipt in to make that return.

And I can return to any HD location,even if I puchased it elsewhere(other HD stores)


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## AKdaplumba (Jan 12, 2010)

HOMER said:


> HD will allow me to return just about any item that I bought there with no restocking fee and no hassle.
> and since I but all my supplies with the credit card, I don't even need to bring the receipt in to make that return.
> 
> And I can return to any HD location,even if I puchased it elsewhere(other HD stores)


HD does have a wicked return policy. I heard they will take the return with no receipt here as long as they stock it:blink:


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## ditchdigger (Aug 12, 2012)

Wonder if lowes would give Someone say 100,000 a month line of credit.


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## cbeck (Mar 7, 2012)

ditchdigger said:


> Wonder if lowes would give Someone say 100,000 a month line of credit.


I'm sure, where I used to work, we all had HD and slowes cards. They had over 150 techs, a/c, plumbing, and electrical. We were never told to watch our spending there or anything like that.


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## ditchdigger (Aug 12, 2012)

I also wonder if they would deliver to me two or three times a week being as my supply house does an they are 35 miles away. Lowes is about 40 miles away and when I call my supply house I get a person competent in plumbing supplies not a computer .I understand things are different in every location but for me my salesman and my supply house work hand in hand with me so both of us can turn a profit .Im also sure these places can't handle pricing a large bid in a short amount of time my supply house can which could mean pricing the job with up to date prices and may be the difference on getting the job.Also every time we make a purchase our supply house emails me an invoice so I can track everything.I couldn't have gotten where I am if without my supply house just my opinion though


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## GREENPLUM (Jul 27, 2008)

yall keep buyin from Home cheepo and Blowes 

Ill keep doing what im doing 

Winning!


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## jc-htownplumber (Feb 29, 2012)

Biggest complain about hd and lowes is dealing with all the return bs when you need it


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## Greenguy (Jan 22, 2011)

I miss being able to buy from HD always saved money and time especially in the morning. At the same time it is nice to be able to shop 3 or 4 wholesalers for the same big job. 

Since moving down to the armpit Nevada I have neither HD or blowes, and only two wholesalers who can take weeks for products to arrive, instead of hours in Vancouver. I also miss the on hand selection for faucets and such that blowes carries.


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## Don The Plumber (Feb 14, 2010)

I rarely buy plumbing supplies fromt the big box stores, but lately I had a long talk with owner of my supply house, about them being out of stock, on simple common everyday items. He acknowledged that their stock is down, cuz times are tough. Well, I asked how the heck do you think they will get better, by putting the big zero, on shippers?

And what really ticks me off, is when I call & complain, they give me all their saga stories, & say they will fix the problem, & a month later, they are still out of the same item. What a joke.

I started buying from a new supply house lately, & haven't had a back order yet. I think the old supplier, just took me for granite. Well they lost about 75% of my business, the last 2 months. They already been calling to ask what is happening. Not that I do a large volume, but I pay within a day or 2 of receiving the bill, always.


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

AKdaplumba said:


> HD does have a wicked return policy. I heard they will take the return with no receipt here as long as they stock it:blink:


I heard of a story one day that a plumber (you may know him) was at a swap meet and bought 6 boxes of ABS fittings old stock that was still in the original boxes for $50. Story goes he went to HD and returned all the fittings and was given store credit for almost $800. Story ended with a new bosch tablesaw amongst other things going home with that lucky plumber.


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## RW Plumbing (Aug 16, 2010)

I used to worry about keeping the wholesale houses up and running until they opened self pick areas and started selling directly to my customers. They were willing to sell me out, I don't feel bad about doing the same.


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## PLUMB TIME (Feb 2, 2009)

RW Plumbing said:


> I used to worry about keeping the wholesale houses up and running until they opened self pick areas and started selling directly to my customers. They were willing to sell me out, I don't feel bad about doing the same.


you have to show your license at First Supply if they don't know you.:thumbsup:


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## mtfallsmikey (Jan 11, 2010)

Titletownplumbr said:


> The sad part is the fact that alot of the material you buy retail at the home centers is cheaper than what the wholesaler sells it for, pathetic.


That's been going on since the 80's


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## AbsoluteDP (Jul 25, 2012)

Fullmetal Frank said:


> Oh I'll go there, but you'll never ever see me leave with more twenty or thirty dollars of stuff, and only *if it's saving me gas cause it's closer.* No way I am going to pull a job list there.


Agree... Occasionally time is also a factor


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