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I finally stopped using those cheap coil springs from Big Box Hardware
Bought a pack of "universal" springs for $18 at Lowe's last month and two of them snapped after just 3 rebends. Customer came back fuming because his garden gate fell off the hinges. Going back to ordering from Century Spring even if shipping costs more, anyone else had bad luck with those bargain bin springs?
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emmag405d ago
Yeah @holly898 makes a good point about the sagging gate issue. I've seen plenty of springs fail not because they were cheap but because the gate itself was out of line and putting uneven stress on them. Sometimes paying more for a brand name just covers up a problem with the hardware or install.
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You said "two of them snapped after just 3 rebends" and honestly that sounds like you got a bad batch or maybe you're bending them wrong. I've been using those same cheap Big Box springs for years on my own gates and fences and I've never had one snap on me. I think people blame the springs when really they're over-torquing them or using the wrong size for the job. You can't just grab any pack off the shelf and expect it to work perfect for every gate. Plus at $18 compared to what Century charges you could buy five packs and still have leftovers if one fails. I've seen those expensive springs fail too so it's not like paying more guarantees anything. Maybe your customer's gate was already sagging or the hinges were loose and that put extra stress on the springs.
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