DIY City Guide: Tucson

The Old Pueblo has been an Ace Hardware town way before the big box retailers showed up. We've selected some local favorites as well as other vendors and shops that local diy enthusiasts have loved for years.

Hardware Stores

Ace Hardware
6959 E 22nd St, Tucson, AZ 85710
520.747.9473
There are Ace Hardware stores throughout the area but this one has been around for years and has a loyal following. If you are an Eastsider you've most definitely visited this store for your home improvement needs.

Kent's Tools
133 E. Grant Rd, Tucson, AZ 85705
520.624.8089
You name it, they probably have it. New, used and surplus tools from over 500 manufacturers.

Manny's West Congress Hardware
910 West Congress Street, Tucson, AZ 85745
520.623.3921

Cactus Hardware Inc
1899 W Grant Rd, Tucson, AZ 85745
520.620.0704

Kelley Bros Hardware Corp
870 S Campbell Ave, Tucson, AZ 85719
520.882.4436
Specialize in Hollow Metal Doors and Frames, Wood Doors, Finish Hardware & Electronic Access Controls

Clyde Hardware
331 South Olsen Ave, Tucson, AZ 85711
520.622.6431
Door and Cabinet Hardware and Decorative Plumbing

Lumber

Grant Road Lumber
2543 East Grant Road, Tucson, AZ 85716
520.795.4160
Founded in 1948. Grant Road Lumber handles everything from 2" x 4's" to finely crafted doors. They have a large selection of dimensional lumber in a variety of species including Douglas Fir, Spruce Pine Fir and Yellow Pine. Pressure treated #1 & #2 Southern Yellow Pine. Preserve and Preserve Plus Arsenic Free Pressure Treated lumber and plywood. Redwood, Timbers, peeled poles etc..

Gardening and Nurseries

Sunset Nurseries
5931 N Oracle Rd, Tucson, AZ 85704
520.888.6410
Huge selection of citrus trees. They also have glazed pottery in many colors and interesting metal sculptures. Or course cactus and native Southwestern plants are also available in spades.

Silverbell Nursery
2730 N Silverbell Rd, Tucson, AZ 85745
520.622.3894
Knowledgeable and friendly staff. Been around for years and specialize in native plants and water-drought resistant shrubs.

Charles & Hudson | Comments () |

Kate

Thank you for your fine resource. I would like to add a few of my favorite nurseries (in no particular order):

Harlow Gardens has a nice selection of plants but also pots and garden tools. In addition, they offer frequent free lectures on matters of interest to Tucson gardeners.

B& B Cactus Farm has a splendid supply of native Arizona plants, specializing in cactus.

Mesquite Family Growers is one of my tip top favorites. I visit even though I have to drive most of the way across town (it's on the east side). They have a HUGE supply of everything from roses to cactus to fruit trees to garden tools, pots. The staff is very helpful

Green Things is close to my home, and I go a lot. They've expanded recently, and the selection is much better. Try to talk to the owner because he is very knowledgeable and happy to share his knowledge. I love visiting!

handylady

Not all ACE Hardwares are created equal. The store at 9th & Euclid, for example, falls far beneath the high caliber of several Ace Hardwares in the city. The prices sometimes are lower by a few cents, but the experience is often lousy. Many employees lack basic knowledge of their merchandise. Only two employees in the store seem to have any experience using the tools or materials themselves. The rest just don't know much about hardware. Expect to return several times for a single project, because the first several answers are often be wrong. And good luck returning the "wrong" items. What a headache. The return policy is oppositional and at odds with that of other branches. Mixing paint may take multiple tries. The management lacks basic customer service skills and can be rude and inflexible. The operational policies seem short-sighted. This is a store that would clutch to a quarter at the expense of losing a $100 sale. The customer gets the sense that not only isn't she "right" here, she is actually an inconvenience. Even though it's my neighborhood store, I have had enough frustrating experiences here that I think it's worth driving a few miles to another branch just to speak to someone who is friendly and knows something about repairs and maintenance.