The Best Places to Buy Steel Products Supplier Online and In-Store
Mar. 03, 2026
Where to Buy and Not to Buy Steel | The Hobby-Machinist
I am in the process of building a railing for our deck and needed 20 to 24 ft. of 1/2 x 1" HR steel. The variation was due to the selecting shorter lengths to minimize shipping costs. I priced Online Metals and came up with an optimized cost of $109 plus $248 shipping. Metals Depot had an optimized cost of $104 plus $85 shipping.
I used to buy metal products from a local heavy hardware supplier, Wiedenbeck in Madison, Wis. On the chance that they still did walk in sales I called them and as long as you had cash, check or credit card you were good, Yesterday, I paid them a visit and for$38.15 + tax, I bought a 20 ft bar, including one cut so I could fit it inside my minivan.
A fun fact, I can actually fit a 12 ft bar inside my van and close the hatch. Local guys supply the trade and tradesmen need a markup to feed their families. I had a good local supply in Traverse City MI that usually had what I needed in their cutoff area and had good prices on full sticks too.
While it's convenient to shop online they know it's a different market. Whenever possible support your local suppliers, you might get a better price and help keep them in business too.
John The local guys (and I certainly don't mean the "metal by the piece*" ripoff in your local hardware store) are always many times cheaper than online, or hardware store bits. I have bought full lengths (20') for about the price of 3' at one of the other places.
GsT
*Metals by the Piece is also the crappiest hot-dog steel and less dimensionally accurate than what a metals dealer will sell. I have a Metals Supermarket near me, but their prices are worse than McMaster-Carr including the shipping. Yarde Metals started an internet store with some of what they carry called FastMetals, prices are ok, not great. Not sure about shipping costs yet since I haven’t done that, but they are an hour away, so I can go and pick up if shipping is too expensive, or I want long lengths.
Midwest Metal Supply used to be good for small quantities, but now are expensive until you buy about a stick worth. Shipping on my past orders was good, but I haven’t bought from them since they changed their pricing model. I have a metal supermarkets an hour away. Their prices were very high. It's hit or miss. Sometimes lower. You can ask about the same item days later and get a totally different price. I don't know how it works... Seems like a commodity pricing, whatever the market says at that moment. Frustrating.
So rather than travel down and ask for prices, I mostly order from online metals, mcmaster (small amounts), and Stock Car Steel & Aluminum I can’t justify or afford the usual online stores. Mostly what I need is drops basically. I keep an eye out for lots that are larger drops the local manufacturers offer on CL. Also machine and fab shops going out of biz. For special drops I use a couple of guys on eBay. There is also a big welding shop about an hour away and whenever I’m down there I check their drops for sheet metal. Scouting for metal is kind of a pastime for me. I also have forgone pristine for surface rust as my main means of expected discount. It also pays to know your going rate if you expect to have bargaining power. Local steel supplier won't do retail sales. (I've called.) Have to travel 30-45 minutes to a steel yard that will. Mostly buy drops, which they store outdoors. If you buy enough (150 lbs of steel) the price is about 1/2 of the 10 lb rate. Unfortunately, I've never seen round stock in the drop area - that's sold at retail rates. Also their non ferrous stock is limited. Some of the steel is flame cut, which can be awkward at times.
So I have to scrounge around, like nearly everyone else does, in various places. I've yet to hit any deals like some folks do, but keep on trying. I keep nearly all my scraps, thinking there's some invaluable thing hiding inside. Sometimes it's true.
I used to buy metal products from a local heavy hardware supplier, Wiedenbeck in Madison, Wis. On the chance that they still did walk in sales I called them and as long as you had cash, check or credit card you were good, Yesterday, I paid them a visit and for$38.15 + tax, I bought a 20 ft bar, including one cut so I could fit it inside my minivan.
A fun fact, I can actually fit a 12 ft bar inside my van and close the hatch. Local guys supply the trade and tradesmen need a markup to feed their families. I had a good local supply in Traverse City MI that usually had what I needed in their cutoff area and had good prices on full sticks too.
While it's convenient to shop online they know it's a different market. Whenever possible support your local suppliers, you might get a better price and help keep them in business too.
John The local guys (and I certainly don't mean the "metal by the piece*" ripoff in your local hardware store) are always many times cheaper than online, or hardware store bits. I have bought full lengths (20') for about the price of 3' at one of the other places.
GsT
*Metals by the Piece is also the crappiest hot-dog steel and less dimensionally accurate than what a metals dealer will sell. I have a Metals Supermarket near me, but their prices are worse than McMaster-Carr including the shipping. Yarde Metals started an internet store with some of what they carry called FastMetals, prices are ok, not great. Not sure about shipping costs yet since I haven’t done that, but they are an hour away, so I can go and pick up if shipping is too expensive, or I want long lengths.
Midwest Metal Supply used to be good for small quantities, but now are expensive until you buy about a stick worth. Shipping on my past orders was good, but I haven’t bought from them since they changed their pricing model. I have a metal supermarkets an hour away. Their prices were very high. It's hit or miss. Sometimes lower. You can ask about the same item days later and get a totally different price. I don't know how it works... Seems like a commodity pricing, whatever the market says at that moment. Frustrating.
So rather than travel down and ask for prices, I mostly order from online metals, mcmaster (small amounts), and Stock Car Steel & Aluminum I can’t justify or afford the usual online stores. Mostly what I need is drops basically. I keep an eye out for lots that are larger drops the local manufacturers offer on CL. Also machine and fab shops going out of biz. For special drops I use a couple of guys on eBay. There is also a big welding shop about an hour away and whenever I’m down there I check their drops for sheet metal. Scouting for metal is kind of a pastime for me. I also have forgone pristine for surface rust as my main means of expected discount. It also pays to know your going rate if you expect to have bargaining power. Local steel supplier won't do retail sales. (I've called.) Have to travel 30-45 minutes to a steel yard that will. Mostly buy drops, which they store outdoors. If you buy enough (150 lbs of steel) the price is about 1/2 of the 10 lb rate. Unfortunately, I've never seen round stock in the drop area - that's sold at retail rates. Also their non ferrous stock is limited. Some of the steel is flame cut, which can be awkward at times.
So I have to scrounge around, like nearly everyone else does, in various places. I've yet to hit any deals like some folks do, but keep on trying. I keep nearly all my scraps, thinking there's some invaluable thing hiding inside. Sometimes it's true.
I keep nearly all my scraps, thinking there's some invaluable thing hiding inside. Sometimes it's true.I keep all the left overs too. I have a 3drawer file under my horizontal bandsaw with the smallest in the letter drawer and larger/heavier as you go down the drawers. That small drawer and a cookie tin I keep machined scraps are my most used for my projects. I’m always needing a small piece something. 99% of the time I can find just the piece I need instead of cutting up big stock.
FastMetals - Buy Metal Online - Custom Cuts and Fast Quotes
FastMetals
45 Newell Street
Southington, CT
833-327-
Click here to get more.
We accept all major payment types
Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover, PayPal, Shop Pay, Apple Pay, Google Pay
Need a quote for custom cutting or products not listed?
Contact us at
833-327-
You have no items in your shopping cart.
With competitive price and timely delivery, ZZC sincerely hope to be your supplier and partner.
Please Include Mill Test ReportSubtotal $0.00
Total Weight 0 lbs
Major payment types accepted
If you want to learn more, please visit our website Steel Products Supplier.