Went to a few HD's and Lowes in my area to get a dozen 2x4 studs for a
project. After going through the piles for 15 minutes at each place
to find straight lumber, I gave up. Most of the stuff was twisted.
(Bowed studs I could have used in a pinch).
Have you all had similar experiences? Do you have better results at a
lumber yard even though its usually alot more expensive?

I haven't noticed any quality differences between our local lumber yards,
Lowes, or Home Depot. It's mostly a matter of first come, first serve. If
you're first to get to the pile, you can find lots of nice straight lumber.
If you get there after it has been picked over, all that will be left is
the warped and twisted firewood.

The lumber yards work better for large orders like framing a garage or
something, but they're not very convenient to go in and hand pick a few
2x4's for a workbench or something. Especially if I need to pick up a few
boards late in the evening, along with a faucet, a rake, a plant, and a
book.

Anthony