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                                                                   EXHIBIT 23(b)









INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' CONSENT AND REPORT ON SCHEDULES

We consent to the use in this Registration Statement No. 333-27801 of Applied 
Industrial Technologies, Inc. on Form S-4 of our report dated August 6, 1996, 
appearing in the Prospectus, which is part of this Registration Statement, and 
to the reference to us under the heading "Experts" in such Prospectus.

Our audits of the financial statements referred to in our aforementioned report
also included the financial statement schedule of Applied Industrial
Technologies, Inc., listed in Item 21(b). This financial statement schedule is
the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to
express an opinion based on our audits. In our opinion, such financial
statement schedule, when considered in relation to the basic financial
statements taken as a whole, presents fairly in all material respects the
information set forth therein.




DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP
Cleveland, Ohio
July 7, 1997



