Buying A TIG Machine On Line Or Local???

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Obviously you save a few hundred buying on line vs. local.......what have you guys done???
Reply:Local. Same or better list price as online. Wanted to support a local business and establish a relationship. It has paid off in freebies now and then.Yakdung
Reply:Sometimes buying local pays off. if you have problems and I have found the more I have bought at my LWS the better the discount is. Plus you are supporting local jobs.Miller Diversion 180Lincoln Mig Pak 5000 HDHypertherm 45Uni-Spotter Stud WelderOxy Set-up with Harris TorchMiller 30FX Arc StationMiller Elite - Hockey Canada Helmet
Reply:Originally Posted by yakdungLocal. Same or better list price as online. Wanted to support a local business and establish a relationship. It has paid off in freebies now and then.Yakdung
Reply:if you buy online you are supporting a local business,  it just may not be local to you.  there is no reversing the trend towards online merchandising. (look to best buy's stock price for verification;  then look at amazon's)  you will do no better buying local than you will online.  you can't be denied warranty coverage, you will likely get better pricing online, and if you are lucky you can screw the state out of some sales tax revenue.in the end it's a personal decision.i wish i could get gas on the internet,  i'd order it online.
Reply:i guess it depends where you live.....in a big city then online is the way to go. in rural america then maybe local is a better choice.  i once paid more for tires from a local speed shop just to throw some money his way when i lived in a small town.  here in the DC area local business could give a rats *** about customers.. strangelly  the local autozone gives the best treatment to me of any where i go for anything.....bobs77vet/37ford4drEastwood digital TIG200HH190Lincoln Invertec 155sLincoln weldpak 100sears/craftsman (lincoln) 50a 240v buzz boxO/A rig Harris gaugesnexion cut 50 dxchicago electric (HF) 240v spot welder
Reply:I think I have a really good relationship with my LWS, I've been dealing with them for over 30-years, In fact I've been going there longer than anyone who works there. I just bought the V350-Pro, got my best price on line. Went to them for their best price. They couldn't get within $600.00 of the on line price. I bought on line, when the machine arrived I had problems with it. The LWS sent their outside sales rep to my house to see if he could figure it out. At one time he was a repair tec for ESAB. Now that's service if you ask me.Don’t pay any attention to meI’m just a hobbyist!CarlDynasty 300V350-Pro w/pulseSG Spool gun1937 IdealArc-300PowerArc 200ST3 SA-200sVantage 400
Reply:I buy from the local guy.I buy them from the guy that will end up repairing it later on, & I will pay much less for service because of it.For example, last October my old Weldanpower 150 threw a connecting rod, & the parts wouldn't come in for 3 weeks.  I was just starting a corral for a new customer, local rancher (who turned out to be a great customer).I went into the LWS & told them I'd like to order a new machine, but they were on back order for 4 weeks.  He pulled a Ranger 250 out of the back & let me use it free of charge for the 4 weeks that I was waiting.2 weeks after getting the new machine it had a problem & had to go back to Lincoln.The guys at the LWS gave me a free rental to use AGAIN.  I had zero downtime thanks to them.Even if an online place did their absolute best, they could not have matched that level of service.  Its a MaineOxy store about 2 miles away,they give me great service, & for that I will always go back.Not to mention the referrals that they give meOn Wed I got 10lbs of 1/16" 5356, & an Argon T bottle it came out to $123.89, that's not bad IMOBuy American, or don't whine when you end up on the bread line.
Reply:hi, prices vary upon location and where you live. Someone here my know of a good local supplier in your area if your location was posted. My wisconsin lws has a website and has great prices. It may help you .  http://www.weldersupply.com/
Reply:I bought local. I called my LWS, told them the prices I found online. They matched on one, were within $25 on the other, and had both machines I wanted in stock.
Reply:Post # 8 is exactly why I bought my maxstar locally.
Reply:Originally Posted by fdcmiamiif you buy online you are supporting a local business,  it just may not be local to you.  there is no reversing the trend towards online merchandising. (look to best buy's stock price for verification;  then look at amazon's)  you will do no better buying local than you will online.  you can't be denied warranty coverage, you will likely get better pricing online, and if you are lucky you can screw the state out of some sales tax revenue.in the end it's a personal decision.i wish i could get gas on the internet,  i'd order it online.
Reply:Originally Posted by fdcmiamiif you buy online you are supporting a local business,  it just may not be local to you.  there is no reversing the trend towards online merchandising. (look to best buy's stock price for verification;  then look at amazon's)  you will do no better buying local than you will online.  you can't be denied warranty coverage, you will likely get better pricing online, and if you are lucky you can screw the state out of some sales tax revenue.in the end it's a personal decision.i wish i could get gas on the internet,  i'd order it online.
Reply:My nearest lws is airgas so I took my business elsewhere.. I ordered my mig and also my tig welder from Indiana Oxygen, avoided paying tax, free dropped shipping. I saved hundreds because the lws' around me dont deal with you unless you have a business account with them..I do use a semi local lws for gas and some consumables, but it is out of state..I was told by two different lws', bigger repairs on the name brands go to a regional repair center..Last edited by brucer; 12-31-2011 at 09:24 AM.tackleexperts.comwww.necessityjigs.comhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/mach...dingequipment/
Reply:i long for the days where my suppliers of anything depended on my business for anything. big city life sucks i can wait to retire and go back to mom and pop villebobs77vet/37ford4drEastwood digital TIG200HH190Lincoln Invertec 155sLincoln weldpak 100sears/craftsman (lincoln) 50a 240v buzz boxO/A rig Harris gaugesnexion cut 50 dxchicago electric (HF) 240v spot welder
Reply:I bought my first TIG machine (Lincoln SW175) from my LWS (Trico Oxygen in Elyria, OH) as, after much discussion, he matched the sale flyer price of one of the large national suppliers. Since then I have purchased all my consumables and stuff from them.IMO, it's nice to have a good, solid local connection!Rex
Reply:I purchased a MIG welder from Airgas and they beat online prices. I did not have an account with them I just asked.Yakdung
Reply:Long run you are much better off buying from your LWS!  If you bring them the online price most of the time they can match it or get real close in price.  The little bit you might save on taxes will be recouped the first time you need something not covered by warranty!!!  When you establish yourself with LWS they will treat you well!  Give you deals on most everything from that point on. THAT IS A FACT!!    Online purchase, once they got your money thats the end of contact with you. The case with CEP saving $600 is pretty rare but he has a good enough relationship with his LWS that they understood and still help him out when nedded.AEAD 200LE, Lincoln precision tig 185, Millermatic 251, Spectrum 625 extreme, Victor torch , Smithy 1220LTD. and  Do all C-4 band saw ,  Always adding.
Reply:I would have loved buying my stuff in at a local provider (Even reasonably more expensive ...) ... Unfortunately, the machines that I wanted are sold here in Madrid Spain about 35% more than in England ... And I don't agree totally with houseoffire, there are some companies like this one :http://www.rapidwelding.com/pages/WhyBuy.aspxthat continue to give quality service after they sold you the machines, the only bad thing is to send the stuff to be repaired, it costs a little more in P&P.
Reply:I would only buy on line, where I can pick it up personally and pay cash for it.Which is really a local purchase anyway.It not only supports local business, the seller can also see that I am a serious sort of guy, very open and friendly, but definitely not to be messed with.Cheers,  Tony._________________________________Transmig 310 + Argoshield LightOxy acetyleneOxy propanePrehistoric stick welder_________________________________
Reply:I bought from a local lws.  But NOT from the big one that starts with A.   The smaller gut was within 50$ of internet price on my first querry.  So he got my money !    Cant argue with that !The "BIG GUY"  refused to come down at all.  Even his "deal" was still 800 above the other small place !T
Reply:I am willing to give the little guy my business if he is reasonably close to the on-line prices. The little guys prices are generally a bit higher, but not much. the sales tax makes buying local more expensive than his mark-up.
Reply:Just because its online doesn't mean it isn't local. Have a look at the address they could still be based near to you, you are still supporting the local economy that way. Online can give you great deals, just still need to shop around. You can establish a business relationship with an online retailer still. I bought my TIG Welder online and still have a phone number to speak to the suppliers and still get deals and discounts - they still appreciate the business just as much. And they are based around the corner from me!!
Reply:I bought my Dynasty 200DX from Cyberweld.  they were more than $500 cheaper than my LWS.  I prefer to shop local, but $500 + tax on that large of a purchase is more than i can absorb.Cyberweld was GREAT.  They noticed that my shipping address was different than my billing address (had it shipped to work so i wouldn't have to go to FedEx to pick it up due to not being home).  To prevent fraud, they took the time to actually google my home phone number (i gave them my cell number) and verify I ordered it and there was nothing fishy going on.  I buy all my consumables and gear from the LWS, so they got the $500...and then some.caspian
Reply:the arguments that you read by those in favor of supporting local businesses are understadable, if not a bit nostalgic, but aside from the social aspect of it those arguments simply do not stack up against the use of online suppliers for ease and convenience.  this year, when i do my taxes i will be going over the 2011 receipts in bulk.the most striking thing about them will  be the almost total lack of invoices that required my driving to various locations during business hours to pick up supplies.  what can you buy anywhere that doesn't take up at least an hour of your time.   i don't drive, wait in lines, get the " sorry we're out of that part number" reply from counter people any more.this shift away from local business has been going on for quite some time;  how many remember what it was like getting pricing on tools before the advent of HD.  now, HD has to contend (and they cry about it, even though they were probably responsible for killing thousands and thousands of smaller operations) with the internet,  they and other big box stores are trying to block the obvious success of internet retailers through legislation aimed at retarding their proliferation.  that is too bad,  won't happen.  the LWS stores had it good for a while, but their time has come and gone.   it makes me feel warm and fuzzy reading some of these stories about relationships with local suppliers but i am thinking that most buyers are loving the fact that the can get multiple pricing results from a single query on the  internet.   it is a far, far, better world for the small operator today than it was just 25 years ago; unless you happen to be the owner of a welding supply store with no internet presence.recently i watched a john wayne movie titled, the shootist, it dealt with the last days of a gunfighter during a period when the western u.s.  was in transition (1901) from untamed to tamed.   in one scene wayne was in town on a buckboard with lauren bacall when along comes another aging gunfighter, richard boone, driving an  early model automobile.  across the street was the owner of a stable for horses, the blacksmith/farrier seemed unconcerned about the automobile at the time.  i wonder how he, or any of those that made their living as farriers were feeling about cars 20 years later.  it is what it is.In my case it its both ways...I usualy get all my consumables at the LWS and sometimes my lWS will get close the same price as an Online deal on a machine but other times its not just a 100.00 difference...but much more.One thing i will MAKE when ordering online..is to NT buy from a foreign source,as long as it's a USA store,i'll buy from it and i always try my best to buy american products.1 Example is i was looking at the new Lincoln 3350 hoods..i looked at them at a local Praxair,the guy wanted just under 300.00 for 1,i seen them online shipped to your door for well under 200.00..i mentioned it to the guy and even told him i understand the overhead of owning and operating a local biz and yet he still got all "salty" with me about even mentioning an online source.....i've since went an Airgas store and he had a much better attitude and gave me a better price wuote..not as low as online,but offered to throw in a few other things for free if i decide to buy one from him....So it all really depends on the LWS too...i've dealt with several all over the countryside,for the most part they are easy to deal with and very nice..but i've seen some i wouldn't give the time of day anymore let alone spend my money there....Lincoln Ranger 8 225Lincoln 180 ProMigMiller Maxstar 200DXInternational Ironworkers Local 70930+ years and counting
Reply:I've read the differences in opinion about buying local vs buying on line.The one thing that comes thru to me is that several "small operators" must have a lousy relationship with their LWS.  This attitude of "I don't give a sh1t about the little guy down the street" is one of the things making it tough to survive in today's business climate.One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet is referrals.  My LWS has an established presence in the local community.  They don't do ANY welding/fabrication.  Over the last several years I've gotten more than enough referrals from them to offset any price difference I could have realized from buying online.I've NEVER gotten a referral from an online store.It's ironic that several of the most vocal supporters of "buying online" are also the same posters singing the praises of the cheap imported welders.  I wonder how much work they'll get from the importers.Syncro 250 DX Dynasty 200 DXMM 251 w/30A SG XMT 304 w/714 Feeder & Optima PulserHH187Dialarc 250 AC/DCHypertherm PM 1250Smith, Harris, Victor O/ASmith and Thermco Gas MixersAccess to a full fab shop with CNC Plasma, Water Jet, etc.
Reply:Originally Posted by caspianI bought my Dynasty 200DX from Cyberweld.  they were more than $500 cheaper than my LWS.  I prefer to shop local, but $500 + tax on that large of a purchase is more than i can absorb.Cyberweld was GREAT.  They noticed that my shipping address was different than my billing address (had it shipped to work so i wouldn't have to go to FedEx to pick it up due to not being home).  To prevent fraud, they took the time to actually google my home phone number (i gave them my cell number) and verify I ordered it and there was nothing fishy going on.  I buy all my consumables and gear from the LWS, so they got the $500...and then some.caspian
Reply:Originally Posted by SundownIIII've read the differences in opinion about buying local vs buying on line.The one thing that comes thru to me is that several "small operators" must have a lousy relationship with their LWS.  This attitude of "I don't give a sh1t about the little guy down the street" is one of the things making it tough to survive in today's business climate.One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet is referrals.  My LWS has an established presence in the local community.  They don't do ANY welding/fabrication.  Over the last several years I've gotten more than enough referrals from them to offset any price difference I could have realized from buying online.I've NEVER gotten a referral from an online store.It's ironic that several of the most vocal supporters of "buying online" are also the same posters singing the praises of the cheap imported welders.  I wonder how much work they'll get from the importers.