Sawyer's Ace Hardware and Rental — Local services in The Dalles

After patronizing this establishment for 2 years and countless pleasant interactions with the staff (Kent was always awesome!), our experience today has ensured we will NEVER return.

We like to feed the local birds and so we came into the store to purchase more bird seed on a nice sunny Saturday afternoon.

We walked in and headed straight to the 40lb bags of wild bird seed, located in plain sight about 20 feet from the front door and the cash registers. Easy peasy!

My spouse reaches down and puts the 40lb bag on his shoulder and we hear a voice, an old white woman and a young white woman are standing in front of us.

The younger woman tells us I need to take my backpack to the front counter and as she speaks the older woman walks around my partner, around the bird seed, and stands right behind me.

Mind you, my backpack is my purse, and I’ve worn it into this store many times before without any issue.

I say “We’re just buying this bird seed? We’re literally about to check out”

Then the old lady who is standing right behind me says “Can we carry it for you?” And starts picking up a bag.

I point to my spouse who has had the 40 lb bag on his shoulder since BEFORE they walked up and say “Nope, he’s already been holding it” and we walked to the register as they watched us.

I pay for the bird seed and then look for signs stating to leave bags at the counter, surprise surprise! There are none! I then walk up to their comment box to leave a review, and they are out of review cards.

We are gainfully employed members of this community and we like to purchase from local businesses but after this treatment we will not be returning and we will advise others against visiting as well.

We will from now on spend our hard earned money at American establishments that treat customers with respect rather than with racist...

Every time I've ever needed help with any kind of small engine/powered yard tool repair they've had exactly what I've needed or got it right away! Case in point, Saturday I was selling Weed Eater at a yard sale and after the fourth or fifth person test started it, the brittle primer bulb popped and sprayed gas all over the guy. I took the trimmer down to Sawyer's and Ron helped me. I showed him the busted bulb, he turned to another employee at the counter and asked which bulb to get. This other guy, without stopping what he was doing for another customer and without even really looking up, rattled off a part number. (That was impressive.) Ron stepped back into the shelves and returned with an exact match to my busted bulb. It was a perfect fit. I know it was a perfect fit because Ron handed me a screwdriver and a shop rag and let me "check to make sure" right then and there. I took the trimmer home and told the very next guy to start it up that the bulb was brand new as of about one hour ago. He paid my full asking price and seemed really happy with his purchase.

I've had the same 5 star experience when I broke the drive cable for the same Weed Eater a few years ago. Again when I needed help trouble shooting and then getting the right parts to rebuild a $10 lawn mower to give to my son. And again when I decided to build a set of "jump ropes that don't have any rope" because I am not coordinated enough to use a real jump rope. I came in with a crappy sketch and the guy who helped me walked me back and forth between plumbing, hardware and a rack filled with rolls of various tubes, fuel lines and air hoses. I'm now the proud owner of rope-less jump ropes.

I wish I could write multiple reviews...

Had a horrible experience with rental of excavator and big wood chipper. First, the equipment was dropped off 2.5 hours later than the agreed upon time of 0900. I had my crew there by 0800 so I could have them complelety ready to start work when the equipment arrived. After late arrival, the excavator continually overheated, shutting itself down, every 20 minutes and had to be shut down for an hour before starting again. I made calls to Sawyers with really no help in getting the thing going (One guy, Joe, was actually no help at all and bordered on being rude on the phone). The wood chipper started smoking duing the third or fouth loading of juniper shrub and it too had to be shut down. I later found out a rock, about an inch big, jammed in the mechanism: DON'T put roots in the chipper!!!! Roots will actually grow around rocks and you might not see them all. I hadn't been told that.

I wasted an entire day of trying to make this work. I had hired a crew of three men that had to be paid for the one day despite what happened with the rental equipment. I learned to make a clause in my future contracts to cover unforeseen equipment failure. I requested the equipment to be returned after 4 hours of trying to use it

The reason I give these folks two stars is they refunded the entire amount I paid. Robert, the new Robert in Rental Dept., did his best to make this work-I am very happy with his customer service. I am just out the $300 I paid for three guys to stand around waiting for equipment to work. I will not make THAT kind of...