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McMaster-Carr: Beautifully organized and informational industrial product store

mcmaster.com

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Re: McMaster-Carr: Beautifully organized and informational industrial product store

#11

Post by chrisdalke »

The cult of McMaster is real -- My university's mechanical engineering department mailroom was always filled with McMaster packages. Insanely fast (Sometimes same day) turnaround, and you knew when you bought something they had selected the best possible supplier.

And my favorite feature: Nearly every part comes with complete data sheet and CAD models on the product page.

One anecdote: I ordered a large mounted bearing for an electric vehicle drivetrain, about a $250 part. Upon opening it, I was confused because the bearing didn't seem like it was seated correctly -- It was slightly off-axis. I called McMaster and they sent a free replacement the same day, no questions asked. I later realized the bearing was self-aligning and needed to be greased/mounted to align properly, so it was 100% my mistake and the first part was completely fine!

Re: McMaster-Carr: Beautifully organized and informational industrial product store

#12

Post by johnrgrace »

I asked nicely and got a tour of their facilities once. They have a really interesting business that focuses on getting you what you need fast.

They get things to people so fast because they have trucks they send directly from their warehouse to the local UPS distro facility to you every day. Amazon does that today but McMaster-Carr has done it for years.

their warehouse hires people with college degrees, PHD's to pick and pack, they have amazing perks, and a really nice workspace.

Re: McMaster-Carr: Beautifully organized and informational industrial product store

#13

Post by NordSteve »

It is hands down the best implemented e-commerce site. Just ordered some SS stud anchors from there today. Didn't bother checking the hardware store for them.

Another distributor that is super strong on the fulfillment side is Digikey. I had a tour of their operation several years ago and it was amazing. I saw orders picked and moving to the UPS truck 10 minutes after payment. Web site not nearly as good as McMaster though.

Re: McMaster-Carr: Beautifully organized and informational industrial product store

#14

Post by katmannthree »

leon_sbt wrote: post #9

Sometimes I spend close to $2k a month at McMaster for work things. They are literally a modern marvel. I order something at 6pm . It's there at 9am the next day. I buy things from them even if it's double price, since I know there's no drama with their orders. It just works. Everytime. They are the defacto standard that I have for a great e-commerce experience. When I need design /UI tips for my website. McMaster is…

Please just don't ever copy their right click context menu suppression model, drives me nuts every time when trying to compare products...

Re: McMaster-Carr: Beautifully organized and informational industrial product store

#15

Post by Rebelgecko »

flubert wrote: post #5
brodouevencode wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But the average person can't shop here.

What do you mean by that? Their prices are higher than most, but anyone can purchase from them.

IIRC they don't even tell you the total price until after your order is shipped, which may be a deal breaker for some people

Re: McMaster-Carr: Beautifully organized and informational industrial product store

#16

Post by chorsestudios »

chrisdalke wrote: post #11

The cult of McMaster is real -- My university's mechanical engineering department mailroom was always filled with McMaster packages. Insanely fast (Sometimes same day) turnaround, and you knew when you bought something they had selected the best possible supplier. And my favorite feature: Nearly every part comes with complete data sheet and CAD models on the product page. One anecdote: I ordered a large mounted beari…

McMaster including CAD models of parts is extremely helpful. Printing parts to test before I purchase has saved me money in the past. Fusion 360 integration with McMasters catalog has been convenient and is very user friendly.

Re: McMaster-Carr: Beautifully organized and informational industrial product store

#17

Post by skuhn »

Rebelgecko wrote: post #15
flubert wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What do you mean by that? Their prices are higher than most, but anyone can purchase from them.

IIRC they don't even tell you the total price until after your order is shipped, which may be a deal breaker for some people

The McMaster site doesn't show shipping costs, because they package your items and then get the dimensions and weight. They only ship things very fast, and they charge you what that costs. They are optimizing for fast and correct, not cheap.

If you're concerned, you can call or e-mail them to ask for an estimate. It's worth noting that free shipping is never free -- it's either hidden in the item cost, or some corner is being cut.

Re: McMaster-Carr: Beautifully organized and informational industrial product store

#18

Post by TimC123456 »

I’ve been a McMaster-Carr fan for as long as I can remember. My dad would always have one of their huge catalog books both at his office and at home in his garage. Any time he needed a part, he would flip through the catalog and find what he was looking for.

As a young kid I remember spending hours flipping through the catalog when visiting my dad at work, marveling at the then hand-drawn illustrations of each product, wondering how a place could somehow sell what seemed like everything.

Even today, I use their site in a similar way. If I need to build something, fix something, or figure out what kind of parts for a project even exist, their site is usually my first stop, sometimes followed up with a text to my dad to ask him how he might solve it—which sometimes prompts him to walk out to his garage, pick up his now-dusty old copy of the printed McMaster book, and flip through it to find the right part.

Re: McMaster-Carr: Beautifully organized and informational industrial product store

#19

Post by mturmon »

brodouevencode wrote: post #3
astrocat wrote: post #2

Stumbled across this today and was blown away at the level of organization, information, and detail presented. They provide specific examples of common uses for components, as well as material information like what alloy is used, what's in the alloy and what it's properties are. It was an absolute joy to explore.

But the average person can't shop here.

No, it’s actually quite good for the occasional purchase by ordinary folks. Pricey, but the selection is amazing.
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