Poll: Where do you buy your power tools (hand held, stationary or mobile)

[SD_Andy]

32 minutes ago, pkinneb said:

Not sure what you mean I pay less than $100 a year and get free shipping for me, my wife, and all three of our adult children. The cost of gas alone would eat that up in no time.

I mean that I end up making impulsive buys and racking up a big bill because its so easy when you have Amazon Prime.   We buy a ton of stuff from Amazon now that we have Prime.  Love it.

[Dylder]

I find it online and take the add to the borg.. They normally will match the price, especially amazon prime prices.  Then there is no wait, Normally when I'm buying a hand held its because I need it now and the old one failed.

 Most everything stationary is an upgrade, so normally I have time to be patient searching for the right deal.

I prefer to always buy local, 

Festool, always online for the tools, accessories local.  Festool everything is the same price, and normally ships from Indiana.  So why pay close to 9% sales tax.

[AJ_Engineer]

Online. Bought my jointer, bandsaw, planer, and many other things on Amazon. Same price for most tools due to manufacturer policies but with no tax and free shipping to my garage. Had prime so most things were two days away, and as I was doing things in the evening waiting an extra day to get a new router bit was no big deal. Amazon in Canada is nowhere near the same though Could have bought the big stationary tools (Jet/Powermatic) for the same price locally but then I have to get it back from their store, Amazon brought it into my garage.

Veritas tools I buy direct from Lee Valley (previously mail order when I lived in the USA, now local).

Have bought a few random things from the big box hardware stores (Rigid tablesaw, random drill bits) if the price difference isn't too bad, most tools they stock though are not the quality level that I am looking for.

[Art]

I've bought pretty much everything from local stores.  I like going to the store, getting my hands on the tools, browsing, etc.  I realize it's probably more expensive, but I don't mind as I'm supporting local, independent businesses.  The only tool I've ever bought online was a router from Lowes, and that was only because they had an amazing sale on.  Even then I felt a little bad for not buying it from my usual stores.

Also, what is CPO?

[SD_Andy]

23 minutes ago, AJ_Engineer said:

Online. Bought my jointer, bandsaw, planer, and many other things on Amazon. Same price for most tools due to manufacturer policies but with no tax and free shipping to my garage. Had prime so most things were two days away, and as I was doing things in the evening waiting an extra day to get a new router bit was no big deal. Amazon in Canada is nowhere near the same though Could have bought the big stationary tools (Jet/Powermatic) for the same price locally but then I have to get it back from their store, Amazon brought it into my garage.

Veritas tools I buy direct from Lee Valley (previously mail order when I lived in the USA, now local).

Have bought a few random things from the big box hardware stores (Rigid tablesaw, random drill bits) if the price difference isn't too bad, most tools they stock though are not the quality level that I am looking for.

I'm almost the same, so much easier to have big tools brought right to your house, especially when it's free.   I live in the states so Lee Valley is still online.

[SD_Andy]

7 minutes ago, Art said:

I've bought pretty much everything from local stores.  I like going to the store, getting my hands on the tools, browsing, etc.  I realize it's probably more expensive, but I don't mind as I'm supporting local, independent businesses.  The only tool I've ever bought online was a router from Lowes, and that was only because they had an amazing sale on.  Even then I felt a little bad for not buying it from my usual stores.

Also, what is CPO?

I like supporting small business but it doesn't have to be local for me.   There are some local places that I buy certain things from (not just woodworking) but I can't pass up the convenience of having products delivered right to my door.

CPO is a store that sells tools online i.e. www.cpofestool.com, www.cpodewalt.com, www.cpopowermatic.com etc etc.  You get the idea.  Very good if you are brand loyal.

[Art]

35 minutes ago, SD_Andy said:

I like supporting small business but it doesn't have to be local for me.   There are some local places that I buy certain things from (not just woodworking) but I can't pass up the convenience of having products delivered right to my door.

CPO is a store that sells tools online i.e. www.cpofestool.com, www.cpodewalt.com, www.cpopowermatic.com etc etc.  You get the idea.  Very good if you are brand loyal.

Thanks for the reply.   I've never heard of these CPOs.  Is this an American thing?

Edit:  Just checked them out.  Only US...

 

[rodger.]

We get gouged here in Canada on shipping - especially on large items. The shipping for some items is often 25% or more of the purchase

[Cheeset202]

18 minutes ago, rodger. said:

We get gouged here in Canada on shipping - especially on large items. The shipping for some items is often 25% or more of the purchase

Ouch! You get free health care though!  Just kidding, being a Canadian American residing in the US I know how much you pay in taxes for the free health care!

[Ronn W]

Mostly online but occassionally at woodcraft to support a local business and because it pays to be one a frist name bases when you need a little help or an extra consideration.

[Cliff]

I buy almost everything from amazon even if it's more expensive because of Prime and absolutely no hassle returns. The only things I don't buy there are things that they don't sell there. Like Lee Valley specific things. 

[..Kev]

I buy from local brick and mortar whenever possible, I prefer to support local businesses.

If I can't get it local, I'll use my Amazon account.  

[Coop]

On 9/1/2017 at 4:12 PM, Ronn W said:

.. at woodcraft to support a local business and because it pays to be one a frist name bases when you need a little help or an extra consideration.

 

11 minutes ago, TIODS said:

I buy from local brick and mortar whenever possible, I prefer to support local businesses.

If I can't get it local, I'll use my Amazon account.  

Amen! 

[Eric.]

Just keep in mind that just because a store is brick-and-mortar doesn't necessarily make it a "local business," and just because something is sold on Amazon doesn't mean that it's not.  If I was selling router bits on Amazon and someone else in St. Louis went to Rockler instead of buying from me online, they'd be supporting a group of investors from Minnesota rather than a small local business in their own community.

Woodcraft is at least a franchise.  Shopping at Rockler is basically no different than giving your money to Walmart.  And there are lots of small businesses online that I find more worthy of my hard-earned dollar than corporate brick-and-mortars down the street.  If I'm gonna buy from a mega-corp, it's gonna be the one who offers the best prices and best customer service.  And that's Amazon.

[Coop]

E, I'm probably disagreeing with someone that knows a helluva lot more about online commerce than me, so correct me if I'm wrong. After searching locally, I ordered a 36" dia. watering trough from Amazon, to be used to replace an old one I've had for years, being used as a fish pond. The existing one is rusting and has a rubber liner and I wanted the liner to fit the new one. I received it yesterday via Amazon Prime and it's 32" instead of 36". So who takes the hickie on the return and the replacement, the manufacturer of the trough or Amazon? 

Also, I'm assuming that Rockler is not a franchise, but when I go into our local store to buy what I went in for, I usually come out with a helluva lot more., thus boosting their ability to pay their rent and my ability to browse. When I order online from Rockler, I only order what I needed. IMO! Amazon is no different than Walmart in replacing local family owned retail and hardware stores.

And since I'm asking and it's not you that's offering,what do you sell online. Hell, you may have a good marketing audience here! 

[Eric.]

16 minutes ago, K Cooper said:

E, I'm probably disagreeing with someone that knows a helluva lot more about online commerce than me, so correct me if I'm wrong. After searching locally, I ordered a 36" dia. watering trough from Amazon, to be used to replace an old one I've had for years, being used as a fish pond. The existing one is rusting and has a rubber liner and I wanted the liner to fit the new one. I received it yesterday via Amazon Prime and it's 32" instead of 36". So who takes the hickie on the return and the replacement, the manufacturer of the trough or Amazon?

It depends on who you bought the item from.  If it was an item sold by Amazon and you return it, Amazon eats the costs.  If it was a third party seller (me) selling through FBA (fulfillment by Amazon...aka Prime) then that third party seller will eat the cost.  Customers take advantage of Amazon's liberal return policy and third party sellers have to eat a lot of cost...just part of the game and I consider it the price you pay to sell on the world's most powerful sales platform.  That said, if you receive an item that didn't match the product page description, then you should feel zero guilt about returning it.  That's the seller's problem and they deserve it for being sloppy.

I've sold some tools in the past but I currently have no inventory that you folks would be interested in.  Well...I'm not selling any tools at the moment, put it that way. LOL  These days I sell primarily in the Toys & Games and Health & Beauty categories.  I used to sell some electronics but the returns on those were just too brutal so I gave that up.  I'll sell anything I can make a buck on...I ain't that picky.

[Coop]

Thanks man. So I shouldn't feel guilty in returning this big ass piece of galvalvanized metal as it's just part of doing buisness  thru Amazon? 

[Eric.]

16 minutes ago, K Cooper said:

Thanks man. So I shouldn't feel guilty in returning this big ass piece of galvalvanized metal as it's just part of doing buisness  thru Amazon? 

If they said 36" but sent you 32" and you need 36"...nope, I wouldn't feel a shred of guilt.  That's their problem.

On the other hand...if you buy your grandkids a toy, let them play with it for a couple weeks until they're no longer interested, then return it...yeah, you're a dick.  Happens all the time, believe it or not.  People...

[Eric.]

2 minutes ago, Mike. said:

if I buy a dick toy, play with it for a few weeks, and then return it, what does that make me?

Nasty?

[Coop]

Friend of mine that I helped today remove Sheetrock told me that last year he had a "contractor" remove a tree in his yard, went thru 4 chainsaws, as he didn't know what that the hell he was doing. Bent the bar on all of them and returned them to HD as being bad and they replaced them. Although I like their return policy, this is what makes us pay more for everything we buy from HD and Lowes. That "arborist" A Hole is indeed a dick! 

[Coop]

56 minutes ago, Eric. said:

It depends on who you bought the item from.  If it was an item sold by Amazon and you return it, Amazon eats the costs.  If it was a third party seller (me) selling through FBA (fulfillment by Amazon...aka Prime) then that third party seller will eat the cost.  Customers take advantage of Amazon's liberal return policy and third party sellers have to eat a lot of cost...just part of the game and I consider it the price you pay to sell on the world's most powerful sales platform.  That said, if you receive an item that didn't match the product page description, then you should feel zero guilt about returning it.  That's the seller's problem and they deserve it for being sloppy.

I've sold some tools in the past but I currently have no inventory that you folks would be interested in.  Well...I'm not selling any tools at the moment, put it that way. LOL  These days I sell primarily in the Toys & Games and Health & Beauty categories.  I used to sell some electronics but the returns on those were just too brutal so I gave that up.  I'll sell anything I can make a buck on...I ain't that picky.

I contacted the manufacturer prior to contacting Amazon, as I didn't want the small guy having to take the hit. He told me that both sizes have the same part number and it was up to Amazon to determine the one I wanted, due to the description. I guess if several items have the same part number, and if that's the way they do business, I shouldn't care who takes the hit. Good enough! Screw em both! 

[..Kev]

11 hours ago, Eric. said:

Just keep in mind that just because a store is brick-and-mortar doesn't necessarily make it a "local business," and just because something is sold on Amazon doesn't mean that it's not.  If I was selling router bits on Amazon and someone else in St. Louis went to Rockler instead of buying from me online, they'd be supporting a group of investors from Minnesota rather than a small local business in their own community.

Woodcraft is at least a franchise.  Shopping at Rockler is basically no different than giving your money to Walmart.  And there are lots of small businesses online that I find more worthy of my hard-earned dollar than corporate brick-and-mortars down the street.  If I'm gonna buy from a mega-corp, it's gonna be the one who offers the best prices and best customer service.  And that's Amazon.

The business owner may not be local but the jobs they're providing are.  

 

[Eric.]

6 minutes ago, TIODS said:

The business owner may not be local but the jobs they're providing are. 

Amazon fulfillment centers provide local jobs too.

[..Kev]

Just now, Eric. said:

Amazon fulfillment centers provide local jobs too.

Not my local from my community.  Everyone is local somewhere

Nothing wrong with Amazon, I use it all the time.  But, I prefer to support local when I can even if it's a little more.

[Tpt life]

Great discussion guys. I do not know all of the ins and outs of supporting big corporations who hire many vs. supporting entrepreneurs. I do place a value on different things at different times. I love my local hardware and do not want it to go under. Often enough, they do not have what I want. The big thing for me is tool specs. I don't like buying power tools from BORG because of the lesser specs often on those bulk purchased tools with a pre-fixed price point. Amazon Prime 2Day has huge appeal. To ask where I "normally" buy tools is a farce though. I am not into this hobby to buy tools.  Yes, I have a few on my wishlist. However, the tool dictates the sale. One factory direct ordered to spec, one CL. No rhyme or reason other than what was available when I had the cash in hand. I think the conversation between E and K is more about that everyday stuff though. Glue, sandpaper, hardware...those are commonly recurring enough to say I have a normal.