Our PA in Dartmouth has one of the best group of people I've dealt with. They can be busy as he77 and they don't mind helping in the least. Call up to see if they have something, they'll check on the computer and if it says yes they'll ask if you're coming in so they'll go and physically check and [put it away for you. Returns are no problem which is a good thing LOL.
Yes, a lot of their stuff is Chinesium junk but the Power Point stuff seems to be a lot better quality than the Power Fist.
Bought a Schumacher battery maintainer, 2 years later it went bad but it had a 5 year warranty. Took it back fully expecting to hear the ' you have to ship it back to the manufacturer" Since I had the receipt, they gave me my money back, not an exchange so I went and bought another.
The one here also has a pretty good hydraulic assortment as well, Gresen, BB and so other brand names................Mike

 

My shadow has never actually darkened the door of a Princess Auto store but I have bought thousands of dollars of stuff from them over the years. Quite a bit of hydraulic stuff. I've only returned/refused something once. It was a 5 hp totally enclosed motor that arrived with the connection box broken off. They sent me another that was less damaged that I accepted. Seems to run fine but they should up their game a bit on some heavy stuff packaging. Wasn't really well packaged. On the other hand I bought an alleged 6 hp (peak) refurbished air compressor, US assembled delivered to my garage door in Quebec from Alberta for $65.00 shipping and the compressor was something like $600.00. Does what I need it to do.
It probably won't be a popular opinion here but China is every bit as capable of making quality goods as anyone else. Like Japan after world war 2 they've shipped a lot of trash over here but they can and do make some good quality stuff but it usually isn't quite dirt cheap.
If PA ever opens a store near me or one easy to get to from where I am, I expect I'll, at the very least, check it out.

 

What can I say? I'm a regular and they treat me like royalty. Clerk assistance is as individual as who's helping you, but 90% of the time I've had very good responses, and I've witnessed staff being unnecessarily harassed by moron customers. Sometimes they are in a bad mood for a reason. I've taken a number of items back with no problem (sometimes inferior merchandise, sometimes I just screwed up on size or something). I just bought another tool cart to set my cheap Chinese plasma on and I can't buy the metal and 4 castors for what I got it delivered for (well.... delivered 8 miles away, but that's a Purolator issue, not P/A's). I tend to shy away from electronics and anything with an electric motor, but I have also had good luck with hydraulics and the Power Point line. My Ingorsol Rand compressor came via P/A and despite my buying "American", it still comes with a "Made in China" compressor pump so I don't see much difference in quality levels some times. For lots of shop items like wire, connectors, sometimes even brand name welding rods, they are a pretty good source.

 

I probably have a half dozen of those 12/3 yellow extension cords, and I like them. They seem to be as good as anything out there short of industrial suppliers.

 

4 four inch steel casters ( 2 swivel 2 fixed) for a new welding table build. $60 plus tax.

I think they were on sale. Thought it best I have them "on hand" for actual height dimensions before I start cutting leg material.

Pretty tough to determine what you need online and then discover they are either out of stock or may even have better options on the shelf.

As it turns out they are the same as I have used previously...

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4 four inch steel casters ( 2 swivel 2 fixed) for a new welding table build. $60 plus tax.

I think they were on sale. Thought it best I have them "on hand" for actual height dimensions before I start cutting leg material.

Pretty tough to determine what you need online and then discover they are either out of stock or may even have better options on the shelf.

As it turns out they are the same as I have used previously...

Nice Shop, clean, organized and well locked after !
I particularly I enjoy seeing your Record Vice (at least it looks like one to me) mounted on a Swivel Base and mounted on the Corner near the Leg of you movable Table. Obviously, you know what you are doing.

Cheers - DH +++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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Nice Shop, clean, organized and well locked after !
I particularly I enjoy seeing your Record Vice (at least it looks like one to me) mounted on a Swivel Base and mounted on the Corner near the Leg of you movable Table. Obviously, you know what you are doing.

Cheers - DH +++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

I've bought lots of castors there on sale, and I've yet to have one fail. I think you got the same ones as I put on my welding table, and those grey plastic wheels have been good deals on sale as well.

 

These six inch ones are my fave. They come on sale often and I use them for the front of welding carts.

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They were around a very long time.

20 years ago it was all really junky, but now thing like sockets have really improved.

good warranty.

I really eyeball and try to break it before I buy it though.

You have to watch what it is.

I did get some genuine Kant twist clamps on clearance. Those were really worth while.

 

I did get some genuine Kant twist clamps on clearance. Those were really worth while.

Kant Twist at PA? Really!? Must have been on clearance because no one knew what they were. Lol.

Wish I'd seen them.


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Well that last post of mine came out sounding snobby.....


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Meh....not really. They do have some worthless crap on the shelves... you just have to learn to pick and choose instead of using the cart like a xmas tree...

 

My neighbour used to call the local Store. Chinese Hardware. Which used to be very appropriate . But nowadays
they mostly carry a much better quality products. There Pro Point Brand is built to industrial standards. But it is not cheap like the Power Fist used to be. Most of the Pro Point electrical tools are rebadged from other brands Like there Plasma cutters I was disappointed when they gave up the Lincoln franchise. as they used to be able to give good deals
sometimes on Lincoln and Century welders And they had a full range of Lincoln welding rods and accessories Now
they are all Hobart Welders and accessories But there seems to be less flexability as they always seem to be priced very high and I have never seen any good deals on them. Some times when something has been on the shelf for a long time they will accept an offer for it I got a Jepson dry cut saw very cheap that had been there for years I always like to brose
around the store when I have time to kill

 

Funny you should mention the Jepson.

I just noticed it in the latest flyer.

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I was looking at that one too... not sure I'd justify the cost for the small number of times I'd use it though...

 

Who knows. With every cut you make the smiles may be “priceless”

** I can’t say for certain as I’ve never used one so individual results may vary


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I've used these 6" casters for welding carts in the past.

I bought a set today at 50% off. 2 swivel base and 2 rigid.

Surprisingly nice quality.


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I've got 6 of those sitting here waiting for my gantry crane build. I'm not sure if they'll go there or not... I've seen them delaminate and shed the plastic after many years of service. I might have to go all steel.

 

PA had F style welding clamps on sale and were actually surprisingly nice quality.

I picked up two 8" ($25 Cdn each) and two 10 inch ($27 Cdn each)

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No surprise these clamps have gone up in price.

Today I picked up two 12” on sale for $35 Cdn each.

Good weight to them (5 pounds each) and somewhat comparable in quality to the Bessey equivalent at $102cdn.

 

Yea.... my concern is the amount of weight I'll be putting on the crane. I agree, for something like a welder they'll last for decades unless your dragging them around the yard or rough floors a lot...

 

Dusk to dawn LED yard light. $49cdn

Last day of sale. regular price $75


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Great looking light.
Now only if turn on and off ever 5 minutes. It helps the burglar trip into sharp steel in a metal shop.

Dave

 

The long narrow outlet bar I liked comes back on sale next week... I think the price is higher this time though...

 

REALLY?

wonder how much money PA wasted mailing out these postcards

letting us know their on line store is open 24/7???!

 

I should complain.... I did not get a post card. Guess I can quit waiting until 8 am to place my order though...

 

Their return policy is the best anywhere. You break a tool, they have a no questions asked policy. They will honor sale prices a month after and a month before. They will often give a sale price if you ask too. It has to be something that's been on sale in the past though. I bought a generator cover to put over a water pump and asked if it ever goes on sale, The floor person looked it up and said it was on sale back in Jan. but gave me the sale price anyway... 3 month's later. I also got sale prices on wheels with tires and hubs to fit them. The wheels were exactly the same as Canadian Tire sells but I paid about the same including the hubs. Some of their prices are high though like welding cable and some other welding items.

 

Ditto on PA. Not only that I've never met a surly, uninterested, not willing to help staff there neither, maybe that they're good to work for?..........M

 

Not just in BC, I just got the same thing this am in NS, quite a waste .......M

 

Advertising... it's wasteful by nature. Look at how many flyers go to households that never buy there every month. Those cost a lot more than a few postcards. One of my friends deals in tools and complains about the price of the big catalogues. To hand them out for free he has to pay the companies $20 to $40 for each big catalog (not PA). Those big catalogs you grab for free on the way out the door don't come cheap.

 

I'm the opposite... I don't like sifting through all the answers that come up, and find myself searching the catalogue for the "proper" name or sku #.

 

But I hate when they have one off widgets you’ve seen advertised in the past.

Could be in a half dozen categories including “surplus”


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I've generally had good experiences with the Pro Point line.... a better level of Chinese junk. I've also noticed the new "sale " prices look a lot like the old regular prices pre-covid.

 

I've also noticed the new "sale " prices look a lot like the old regular prices pre-covid.

Not just PA, it's everything everyone sells.