Where to get inexpensive Metric Fastener Maintenance Assortment?

   / Where to get inexpensive Metric Fastener Maintenance Assortment? #1  

newbury

Super Star Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2009
Messages
13,641
Location
From Vt, in Va, retiring to MS
Tractor
Kubota's - B7610, M4700
I lost 2 #10-32 bolts off my lawnmower, in Virginia. This disabled the ground and the power off capability. But I didn't know they were #10-32 and I didn't even know if they were SAE or metric.
All my collections of small bolts are 900 miles away in Mississippi.
So I went on Amazon and got 2 boxes (SAE & Metric, 1 of each@ $10) so I would solve my problem. Delivery was overnight, lawnmower is fixed.
But at least in SAE they are cheap crap. Of about 5 bolts I tried 2 need their threads cleaned before I could even get a nut on. And the good ones I still had to shorten.
So I went to McMaster Carr and bought their Fastener Maintenance Assortment,

for $35 but it only come in SAE. The inexpensive Metrics start at $271 for a lot more items.
Any place to get metrics in comparable price to the SAE ?
I couldn't find it on Fastenal and google just brings up the cheap stuff like I had bought.
 
   / Where to get inexpensive Metric Fastener Maintenance Assortment? #2  
Rural King has the cheapest metric bolts locally.
 
   / Where to get inexpensive Metric Fastener Maintenance Assortment? #4  
My go-to for fasteners is Bolt Depot. (No relationship other than satisfied customer.) They have assortments in plastic cases (e.g. Metric, Small plastic compartment boxes, Zinc plated class 10.9 steel, Metric hex bolts w/ class 10.9 nuts, flat washers, and lock washers 6mm - 10mm - Bolt Depot). They also list the components and quantity, something many purveyors omit. (They also sell an internally threaded gauge (for external(bolt) threads for $4 (IMHO well worth it.))

That said, Murphy designs the kits. You will likely exhaust one size early, find the kit does not include another size or length, and never use any of another item. As I have acquired fasteners, usually in quantities of 50, I will buy fully threaded bolts in a longish lengths rationalizing I can snip with bolt cutters and touch with a grinder more easily than I can keep track of various shorter lengths.
 
   / Where to get inexpensive Metric Fastener Maintenance Assortment? #5  
Before I retired, I kept a stock of each diameter and thread count of machine screws in the longest length available. Wire strippers with machine screw cutters trimmed them to whatever length I needed. Never was stuck for a screw I needed. This was before metric became common.
 
 
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