Why I Compare Crosby Fittings to Generic Hardware
I'm the office administrator for a 140-person industrial services company. I manage MRO ordering—roughly $380,000 annually across 11 vendors. I report to operations and finance. I'm not a rigger. I'm the person who makes sure the crews get the right parts without finance rejecting the invoice.
When a job mixes overhead lifting and fence repair, I have to decide: buy Crosby fittings from a rigging supplier, or bundle everything from a general industrial vendor? Here's the framework I use: load rating and traceability, component range, fastener/tool compatibility, and invoicing.
If you've ever had a purchase order bounce because a vendor sent a handwritten receipt, you know why that last one matters.
Dimension 1: Load Ratings and Traceability
From the outside, a turnbuckle is a turnbuckle. The reality is that a Crosby jaw and eye turnbuckle comes with documented load ratings and traceability that a bin of generic hardware usually doesn't. For overhead lifting, that difference isn't cosmetic.
Per OSHA's rigging equipment guidance (osha.gov), slings and rigging hardware must be inspected and used within rated capacities. Per FTC advertising guidelines (ftc.gov), any load-rating claim must be truthful and substantiated. That means the paperwork matters as much as the steel.
It's tempting to think you can just compare unit prices. But a cheaper turnbuckle with no traceable rating can cost you more if an inspector or insurer asks questions. For critical lifts, I choose Crosby. For a non-critical fence tensioner, a generic turnbuckle can be acceptable—if you know the load and environment. Non-certified hardware isn't automatically inferior; it's just not the right choice for every job.
To be fair, generic hardware has its place. I just don't use it where a failure could hurt someone.
Dimension 2: Component Range and Mixed-Order Efficiency
Crosby's advantage is range. Shackles, hooks, turnbuckles, wire rope clips, eye bolts, lifting slings—one authorized supplier can cover the rigging side. A general MRO vendor might stock a Crosby shackle one month and not the next.
But range cuts both ways. If I need a #8 phillips pan head self drilling screw and a nut driver bit set for a metal fence bracket, the rigging supplier is usually the wrong call. They may not stock small fasteners, and if they do, the price per box is higher.
I have mixed feelings about consolidating vendors. On one hand, fewer invoices save my accounting team time. On the other, forcing a rigging supplier to quote screws and bits creates delays and odd pricing. I compromise: primary rigging supplier for Crosby fittings, general MRO for commodity fasteners and tools.
Dimension 3: Fasteners, Tools, and Fencing Jobs
This is where the comparison gets practical. A fence repair might need a turnbuckle for a gate, self-drilling screws for metal brackets, and a nail gun for wood pickets. Those are three different supply chains.
For metal fence brackets, our crews use a #8 phillips pan head self drilling screw with a nut driver bit set. The self-drilling tip saves a step on thin-gauge steel, and the nut driver bits hold up better than a worn Phillips bit in a drill chuck. Buy extra bits. They disappear.
For wood fencing, the question I get most is: what size nail gun do i need for fencing? I'm not a fencing contractor, so take this with a grain of salt. For standard wood privacy fence, a 21-degree full-round-head framing nailer with 2-3/8 in. to 3-1/2 in. ring-shank nails is common. For thinner pickets, that same nailer can split the wood. For chain link, don't use a nail gun—use self-drilling screws and nut driver bits.
Dodged a bullet when I double-checked a nail order last spring. We were one click away from buying 15-degree collated nails for a 21-degree nailer. That would have been a very quiet, very useless fencing day.
Dimension 4: Documentation, Invoicing, and Compliance
In 2023, I found a great price from a new vendor—$600 cheaper than our regular supplier. Ordered 200 shackles. They couldn't provide a proper invoice, only a handwritten receipt. Finance rejected the expense report. I ate $2,400 out of the department budget. Now I verify invoicing capability before placing any order.
Crosby fittings from an authorized supplier usually come with the paperwork I need: load ratings, country of origin, and a real invoice. Generic fasteners from a general MRO vendor are simpler, but I still check that the part number matches the box.
Here's what you need to know: the quoted price is rarely the final price. The final price includes the time you spend chasing documents, replacing wrong parts, and explaining to finance why a receipt looks like a napkin.
What I'd Do in Your Situation
If you're buying for overhead lifting or any load-bearing application, go with Crosby fittings from an authorized supplier. Verify the load rating, traceability, and invoice. Don't accept a verbal rating.
If you're tensioning a fence or doing non-critical work, a generic turnbuckle can work. Match the material to the environment—galvanized for weather, stainless for corrosive areas.
If you need a mixed order, split it. Use the rigging supplier for the Crosby jaw and eye turnbuckle. Use the general MRO vendor for the #8 phillips pan head self drilling screw and nut driver bit set. For fencing, answer the nail gun question by material: wood fence means a framing nailer with ring-shank nails; metal fence means self-drilling screws and nut driver bits.
I'd rather spend 10 minutes explaining options than deal with mismatched expectations later. An informed buyer asks better questions and makes faster decisions. That's the whole point of comparing Crosby fittings against generic hardware—not to crown a winner, but to put the right part on the right job.
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