re: Home Depot vs Lowes

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I generally lean towards HD. Unfortunately the one close to me seems to be terribly staffed and it always out of everything I need forcing me over to

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HD is closer to me. I have never been in an HD where the staff knows much more than the guy stocking the shelves in the hardware section at Walmart. If I know exactly what I need to do a job, I'll try HD and/or Lowes. If I have questions about the project, I'm not even bothering and I'm heading straight to Ace.

Ace hires guys who know and want to know how to do things. HD and Lowes hire check cashers.

The Lowes near my house has been going down hill fast since COVID started. Barely any registers open the curbside pickup takes forever even after they tell you it is ready to be picked up. Lowe's has gone the way of Walmart with one or two registers open on a Saturday and lines around the stores trying to check out. If I know exactly what I need for any certain project I will go to Home Depot as it is well staffed and I can get out of there in a reasonable amount of time. I will go to the Lowe's since it is a mile from my house if I need something that comes up that I was not prepared for like a busted sprinkler head or a random saw blade etc... I have never been impressed by the knowledge of anyone in the store in the event it was something that I needed help with. I just want to get in and out as fast as possible because 99% of the time I know more than the people working in the departments about the issue I am trying to fix. I buy tools from Home Depot because they seem to have a better selection of better brands. If it is a one off tool then I just go to Harbor Freight down the street from work if it is something I am going to be using once or twice.

I got to whichever is closest to me. If I’m at work, Home Depot. Home it’s Stines. Lowe’s only when I’m looking for something specific that the others don’t carry.

I don’t necessarily have anything against any of them. I’m not usually going there to figure out how to do something, I’m only looking to purchase the things I’ve already determined I need.

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I generally find Lowes has what I'm looking for more often than HD. Luckily, the Lowes near me is across the street from HD so I can hit both easily.

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Yeah if I'm out away from my house, over where some of my siblings live, the Lowe's and HD are in shopping centers about a half mile from each other. I typically go to that Lowe's because it is easier to get in and out of.

It will normally completely depend on the manager of the stores.

I prefer my local Lowes because it's cleaner, better organized, and better service.

But if Germantown Hardware (like SSpaniel was saying ) was closer I'd shop there all the time.
It's a locally owned hardware store and has good small engine equipment plus service (Echo, Stihl, etc)

Stines

Six of one half dozen the other among well run ones.

The Lowe’s by me is on my bad side (recently locked me in the garden section with a couple guys they caught trying to steal stuff- terrible move as the guys are trying to kick down doors and gates to escape)... so I’ve been driving the extra few minutes to HD more often.

In the city I reside, there are 3 Home Depot’s and 3 Lowe’s. And each pair are only a few blocks from each other or across the street. So I find myself going to both.

Home Depot because they are less woke.

I go to both, depends on what I'm looking for. I seem to enjoy the browsing experience better at Lowe's, but we bought a dining room light fixture at HD that I absolutely love.