Ace Hardware

2 ½ stars for an average Ace location that doesn’t quite live up to its Orlando brethren.
Most of the Ace Hardware stores in Orlando are great. They have nice knowledgeable people and a surprisingly large inventory. This Ace, however, doesn’t quite have that. Located on the corner of Aloma and Palmetto (which makes it a pain to get in and out of), this Ace is not really that special, but it is decent enough to get the job done in a pinch.
I stopped by this Ace last weekend to pick up a stainer pen. When I went inside, the first thing I noticed is this store is actually really small. While that’s not a huge issue, that does limit what you can get. The second thing I noticed was the cashier. He was fairly young and seemed ready to leave as soon as possible. When I asked where the stainer pens were located, he sent me down the wrong aisle. I was starting to see why my wife didn’t like this place when she stopped in.
However, the saving grace for this Ace was the help in the back. A gentleman in the key area came out and directed me over to the stain pens. He also was cool with waiting for me to go in and get the item I needed stained and going over the options to figure out which one was best. He was rather nice and reminded me that I could always bring the pen back if I wasn’t satisfied. i also noticed another guy out in the aisles helping people find what they need. This Ace apparently sends its good employees out to help people while shopping and keeps its bad employees up front, which was re-​enforced by the sarcastic comment I witnessed the cashier and his friend say to another customer. While not a terrible idea to keep its good employees in the aisles, it is a shame that this Ace’s lesser employees are up front acting as the face of the store. They should probably just fire the kid cashier, but he struck me as being the owner’s son or something.
Overall, this Ace doesn’t live up to the brand established by other Ace Hardware stores in Orlando due to its small inventory and lack of nice knowledgeable employees. However, if you are in a pinch, they do have some decent people out in the aisles, so you’ll be alright if you go inside and head straight towards the back.

This is not a nice Ace location. It’s small, not well organized, and has a rather surly staff.
To start, I generally prefer Ace Hardware. In fact, the one by the SoDo plaza is my favorite place to go when I need supplies. However, this location does not live up to the brand standard.
Overall, if you’re in this area, just go to a Home Depot or a Lowes or something.

So I went to this ace and asked to borrow a torx driver to remove ONE SCREW so I could match the threads. The lady working there said «yeah because we love selling used tools at ace… Just kidding.» The guy at discounts auto was happy to help.
I know this sounds stupid but over a 10 cent screw but I was also planning to buy about $ 100 worth of stuff for my lawn. I really try to shop local and stay out of the big box stores but they make it pretty hard.

Small store. No one really seemed interested in helping me. I had to go up to the employees who were having a personal conversation up front and ask them where things were. They didn’t know what half of the items I was looking for and when they did, they just pointed me to the general direction and didn’t really help me find it. On top of everything, it was much more expensive than other places.

The guy there cut a car key perfectly out of a blank I brought to them. Home Depot — couldn’t do it. Lowes — Not allowed to do it because I didn’t buy the key there. Ace — They just cut the key, no excuses. I am a renewed fan of Ace Hardware stores.

Quick service by a knowledgeable and friendly staff.

This may be a small Ace, but it’s got a ton of stuff and nice staff. I always find what I’m looking for and come grilling season there is usually a line to refill your grill propane tank. The parking can get tricky in the small lot, so park cautiously when busy. Quick service, good prices!