I'm trying to replace all the inside door knobs in my house, and it will number to be somewhere around 20 (bedrooms, closets, bathroom, etc).
At Lowes and Home depot these things are pretty pricey and they don't offer (at least Lowes) bulk/contractor pricing for these knobs.
If any one could offer come advice for a less expensive source to buy these I would really appreciate it. Thanks for your time!
That depends a great deal on the brand/grade/finish/design you're looking for; if you're not picky, it's pretty hard to beat the imported stuff offered by the big boxes; assuming most of your locks will be passage sets, find out how many to a case, (usually 6-12) and ask a manager if they will discount a case a wee bit, (saves them from breaking open a case).
Home Depot did that for me when I bought a case of a dozen light fixtures once.
When I built my house, I bought all of my door knobs and deadbolts on ebay. They were tons cheaper.
Does anyone know about Dynasty Hardware? They sell some cheap knobs on ebay.com.
A visit to the website shows an attempt to appeal to the antique crowd with old-timey looking levers and knobs, (like Baldwin), but the pix reveal a Grade 3 style post spindle chassis, (tho occasionally this design will squeek by a Grade 2 classification), but then they are priced accordingly.
Light to medium residential use.
Originally Posted by rstripe
A visit to the website shows an attempt to appeal to the antique crowd with old-timey looking levers and knobs, (like Baldwin), but the pix reveal a Grade 3 style post spindle chassis, (tho occasionally this design will squeek by a Grade 2 classification), but then they are priced accordingly.
Light to medium residential use.
Thanks for the great reply. Unfortunately I have no idea what the grades mean... however, I am in the process of making a lot of small upgrades to my house. Compared to lowes, this seller on ebay.com looked like I could save around 50% of my money.
Would you recommend it?
Medium residential use sounds like it would be any normal family right? We have a 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom 3k sq ft house if that helps at all. Thank you.
I think that it is great that the marketplace gives opportunity to consumers to save some money with copycat products, but I cannot help but warn you that in all likelihood, these foreign made products are often of significantly low quality, many not even being able to comply with the ANSI (American National Standards Institure) grading system.
Does that mean they are a bad product? No of course not. But in all likelihood, replacement parts will be unavailable or if they are available require you to purchase more than just the replacement parts.
There is an old saying, if you pay peanuts you will get monkeys.
It is always your choice, to save a buck or two by using other brands. Personally I would purchase better quality local serviced and warrantied products, if it were my house.
A lock's Grade Classification is somewhat like this:
Grade 1= Heavy Duty, commercial/industrial use.
Grade 2= Medium Duty, for light commercial/residential use.
Grade 3= Light Duty, (utility grade), strictly residential/infrequent use.
Though not always an accurate method to determine quality, it is a starting point, and would be the first question to ask about a potential purchase.
The Grade has very little to do with security, but is a good indicator of durability. So, for example, closets bedrooms, I'd be OK with Grade 2 or 3; Exterior, Grade 2; Exterior, high use, Grade 1.
Ok thanks for that clarification and info.
I should point out that the doorknobs from this vendor would only be for inside - bedrooms and closets strictly. For outside locks, I will be getting something I've seen in person, and most likely from Lowes.
...and most likely from Lowes.
A big box megamart homecenter would be the last place I would look for exterior locksets. The best (albeit the most expensive) would be a trusted (in business for several decades) lock shop and if that is a bit too expensive then look at what they offer and then purchase over the Internet.
why would you shop at Lowes instead of your local locksmith?
Supporting small businesses is at the very heart of this country's potential recovery.
Lowes, Home Depot, Walmart, K-Mart, Target have been bringing in foreign manufactured cheap stuff for many years, usually at huge detriment to the nations small businesses.
I completely understand that price is the chief motivator, but sometimes the little bit more you pay at the local small business comes with a more personal and better guarantee than what you might necessarily receive from the big box stores.
You have to ask yourself, how much do you respect your neighbors and the livelihoods of those services that can and will help you locally.
I dont know what you do for a living, but how would you feel when a big box starts taking money or food from your pocket or mouth?
There are far more reasons to purchase from a local small business merchant than from a big box.
I have lived in many different cities and countries. In those places I always prefer to shop locally before going to the el cheapo big box and many of the shopkeepers appreciate loyal and returning clients, often offering discounts for loyalty.
(end of rant)
Originally Posted by GlobalLocky
why would you shop at Lowes instead of your local locksmith?
Supporting small businesses is at the very heart of this country's potential recovery.
Lowes, Home Depot, Walmart, K-Mart, Target have been bringing in foreign manufactured cheap stuff for many years, usually at huge detriment to the nations small businesses.
I completely understand that price is the chief motivator, but sometimes the little bit more you pay at the local small business comes with a more personal and better guarantee than what you might necessarily receive from the big box stores.
You have to ask yourself, how much do you respect your neighbors and the livelihoods of those services that can and will help you locally.
I dont know what you do for a living, but how would you feel when a big box starts taking money or food from your pocket or mouth?
There are far more reasons to purchase from a local small business merchant than from a big box.
I have lived in many different cities and countries. In those places I always prefer to shop locally before going to the el cheapo big box and many of the shopkeepers appreciate loyal and returning clients, often offering discounts for loyalty.
(end of rant)
Isn't saving money at the core of almost every do-it-yourself'er, what this site is based upon?
Sure, some do it solely for craftsmanship or hobby, but that represents only a minority.
While I understand your point of view BigTime, many DIY'ers want to perform the labor content of the task themselves. I dont begrudge them from performing the labor themselves but if you want to purchase a cheapy product from the big box, that is your choice. I guess supporting the backbone of the country (small business) isnt in your repertoire. (no offense intended).
Certainly do the labor yourself, but at least do yourself a favor and purchase something better quality than the elcheapo garbage designed to break down (just outside the warranty period). You will be better off for the longer term in my opinion.
Tags: doorknobs, house, bought, bulk, small business, local small, local small business, small businesses, Home Depot, Lowes Home, yourself much respect your neighbors, accordingly Light, accordingly Light medium
