Best Fastener Assortment Kits
A good assortment kit covers the sizes you actually reach for, in organized trays, with decent steel. It pays for itself the first time it saves a hardware-store run.
What to Look For
- Coverage: grade-marked bolts, matching nuts, and washers across common sizes from #6 to 1/2 in.
- Organization: a labeled, compartmented case you will actually keep sorted.
- Material: zinc-plated steel as a minimum; stainless if the kit lives in a damp shop.
- Drive and thread mix: include machine screws, wood screws, and sheet-metal screws, not just bolts.
Top Picks
1. Grade-marked hex bolt and nut assortment (1/4 to 1/2 in) Best overall
A labeled case of Grade 5 bolts with matching nuts and washers covers most repairs and shop projects.
Check price on Amazon →2. Stainless screw assortment (machine, wood, sheet metal) For damp shops
A multi-tray stainless kit that will not rust in a garage or basement.
Check price on Amazon →3. E-clip, cotter pin, and retaining ring assortment Small hardware
The clips and pins you always lose, in one organized box — cheap insurance for machinery and mowers.
Check price on Amazon →What to Avoid
Avoid
- No-name kits with unmarked hardware — you cannot tell a Grade 2 from a Grade 8.
- Kits full of one size you rarely use — coverage beats raw piece count.
- Flaky, thin plating that rusts in the case before you use it.
Bottom line: Start with a grade-marked bolt, nut, and washer kit in a labeled case, then add a stainless screw kit and a small-hardware box. Coverage and organization beat piece count.
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