Our research finds that Home Depot, Menards, and Mills Fleet Farm offer low prices, but their customers are typically less than thrilled with the advice and service each offers. Yet picking a hardware store doesn't have to be an exercise in tradeoffs. Sprinkled throughout the area, there are many independent stores that provide helpful advice, and some of these stores even make a reasonable effort to compete with the Big Guys on price.

Read our article and findings (available exclusively to CHECKBOOK subscribers)

Back to Twin Cities Consumers' CHECKBOOK Table of Contents.

Sample Subscriber Comments/Reviews About Hardware Stores

CHECKBOOK provides subscriber comments on their experiences with the firms they use. Please remember that individual subscriber comments are informal. Subscriber comments may give you insight into the types of features and problems that exist in a service field, but are not the best basis for selecting or rejecting a specific firm. To assess the quality of a firm's performance, we recommend that you give more weight to the percentages of favorable ratings. Those percentages are generally based on much larger numbers of consumers' ratings (the number of consumer ratings is noted above).

As You Can See Below, Some Hardware Stores Get High Praise from Their Customers. Some Others Don't. So Choose Carefully.
Here Are a Few Samples of the Thousands of Comments CHECKBOOK Has Collected on Hundreds of Different Hardware Stores.

• Subscriber from COON RAPIDS, MN wrote Another Store: If you're looking for at odd replacement part or a hard-to-find hardware item, Beisswenger's is..........
• Subscriber from ROSEMOUNT, MN wrote Another Store: Recommended using a leaf blower to blow insulation into an attic when they did not..........
• Subscriber from ARDEN HILLS, MN wrote Another Store: The staff are always very helpful---even for the cheapest, smallest items!.......
• Subscriber from EAGAN, MN wrote Another Store: no service EVER!.......
• Subscriber from MINNEAPOLIS, MN wrote Another Store: Great inventory and all employees are knowledgeable and helpful........
• Subscriber from SAINT PAUL, MN wrote Another Store: These ratings are for the Kendall's Ace Hardware on Maryland Avenue in St. Paul........
• Subscriber from OTSEGO, MN wrote Another Store: Always very helpful and usually have what you are looking for........
• Subscriber from RICHFIELD, MN wrote Another Store: They are the place to go to when you need advice on a project........
• Subscriber from MINNEAPOLIS, MN wrote Another Store: Helpful knowledgeable staff. Good selection of merchandise. Committed to community they do business in. Nice..........
• Subscriber from MINNEAPOLIS, MN wrote Another Store: This rating is for Jerry's in St. Louis Park (Miracle Mile Shopping Center). I love..........
• Subscriber from MAPLE GROVE, MN wrote Another Store: Go there for everything I can. Home Depot and Lowes are just as close to..........
• Subscriber from WOODBURY, MN wrote Another Store: Generally very good for small store competing against Home Depot. A lot more user friendly..........
• Subscriber from MAPLE GROVE, MN wrote Another Store: Every single time we need help, they are able to solve our problem. Courteous, helpful,..........
• Subscriber from MINNEAPOLIS, MN wrote Another Store: not the cheapest place around, but very helpful, usually have what I need, and I'm..........
• Subscriber from MINNEAPOLIS, MN wrote Another Store: A great neighborhood hardware store. An institution in the neighborhood for years, but as a..........
• Subscriber from SAINT PAUL, MN wrote Another Store: This is our local store we run to. There is always someone there to help..........
• Subscriber from MINNEAPOLIS, MN wrote Another Store: I like Menards better than Home Depot. They seem to stock things based more on..........
• Subscriber from MINNEAPOLIS, MN wrote Another Store: Good selection of products. Refunded overcharge grudgingly. Helpful staff. Difficult parking........
• Subscriber from NEW BRIGHTON, MN wrote Another Store: The manager refused to "match" a price (and a 10% discount) on a tool at..........
• Subscriber from PLYMOUTH, MN wrote Another Store: All Home Depot's are dirty (dust/dirt on merchandise), one can't find knowledgable help, slow check..........
• Subscriber from MINNEAPOLIS, MN wrote Another Store: This is a great neighborhood hardware store - has a great variety of items, from..........
• Subscriber from MINNEAPOLIS, MN wrote Another Store: Jim Welna runs a wonderful store and his staff is excellent.......
• Subscriber from MINNEAPOLIS, MN wrote Another Store: This is a respected store store that has been in business about 50 years and..........
• Subscriber from PLYMOUTH, MN wrote Another Store: A good place for your home repair needs........
• Subscriber from PRESCOTT, WI wrote Another Store: When you can find an employee, they are very helpful -- far better than most..........
• Subscriber from EDINA, MN wrote Another Store: excellent.......
• Subscriber from MINNEAPOLIS, MN wrote Another Store: Very friendly and helpful staff........
• Subscriber from MINNEAPOLIS, MN wrote Another Store: Enjoyable shopping at friendly neighborhood store........
• Subscriber from RICHFIELD, MN wrote Another Store: It is hard to find someone to help you........
• Subscriber from MINNEAPOLIS, MN wrote Another Store: Great hardware store--I've been going there for years!.......
• Subscriber from SAINT PAUL, MN wrote Another Store: Has changed hands a lot, with lots of staff change, bad attitutudes and don't know..........
• Subscriber from SAINT PAUL, MN wrote Another Store: Very helpful staff when searching for product........
• Subscriber from MINNEAPOLIS, MN wrote Another Store: This place is too small to carry everything, but they make up for that with..........
• Subscriber from MAPLE GROVE, MN wrote Another Store: They have a solution for most problems I come in with. Very helpful!.......
• Subscriber from FRIDLEY, MN wrote Another Store: Front end staff at this location is appalling when main management is not present. Have..........
• Subscriber from LAKE ELMO, MN wrote Another Store: The best among several stores I know: they are very helpful all the time........
• Subscriber from WOODBURY, MN wrote Another Store: Great for fasteners, small garden/lawn equipment, paint, pipe & electrical fittings.......
• Subscriber from MINNEAPOLIS, MN wrote Another Store: Good small neighborhood store on the northside of Mpls........
• Subscriber from WOODBURY, MN wrote Another Store: Generally good variety in stores. Had major problems with special order department........
• Subscriber from ARDEN HILLS, MN wrote Another Store: Their new store is a standard by which other hardware stores are lacking. The size,..........
• Subscriber from PLYMOUTH, MN wrote Another Store: I had a broken storm window pane. It was repaired there for $9 or $10...........
• Subscriber from ANDOVER, MN wrote Another Store: Excellent prices happy employees.......
• Subscriber from VADNAIS HTS, MN wrote Another Store: Good people with good advice. A bit understaffed at times........
• Subscriber from MINNEAPOLIS, MN wrote Another Store: Best Hardware store I've ever found!.......
• Subscriber from APPLE VALLEY, MN wrote Another Store: Best store ever for over 20 years.......
• Subscriber from BLOOMINGTON, MN wrote Another Store: Great for fixing screens. Quick turn around on repairing lawn mowers and snow blowers, since..........
• Subscriber from PLYMOUTH, MN wrote Another Store: I like the "no waiting for savings" saying at the check outs. I like the..........
• Subscriber from GOLDEN VALLEY, MN wrote Another Store: If they don't have the product on hand they will order it for you........
• Subscriber from SAINT PAUL, MN wrote Another Store: Another great hardware in helping costomers with housing maintainence problems........
• Subscriber from SAINT PAUL, MN wrote Another Store: They were able to, within 10 minutes of closing, pull some supplies that we needed..........