Place of purchase

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Hello! I was wondering if there is any difference between purchasing a welder (a Lincoln AC/DC for example) from Home Depot vs. a welding supply store? A welding supply store charges $200-$300 more. What can explain this difference?
Reply:A welding supply store can give you lots of advice and even supply you with many "support" products that HD doesn't have. You have to pay for that

If you don't need any of it, then HD is not only going to be a much better deal, but that also comes with a much more "liberal" return policy...
Reply:Someone more knowledgeable definitely correct me if I’m mistaken about this…But I’ve been led to believe that certain companies (not just welding gear) will produce a cheaper version of their popular items exclusively for a particular big box store…and that those items may or may not be the same quality you’d find if you bought from a certified dealer of said company.  I’m not sure if this is common with welding machines, but I experienced this once myself at Lowe’s.  I was shopping Traeger pellet grills.   Lowe’s had one that was pretty similar to one I’d seen in a BBQ supply store - for significantly less money.  I asked a sales clerk about it, and he told me that Traeger produced this particular grill exclusively for Lowe’s…and the reason it’s was less expensive than similar grills made for other Traeger dealers was that it was cheaper made - to cut cost.Makes me wonder if, say the Lincoln machines you can buy at the box stores, for example, is not the same quality as those sold at my LWS. RedGod bless our military men and women and their families!  To all our veterans and active duty military...Thank You For Your Service!Vulcan MigMax 215Hobart Handler 210PrimeWeld Cut50D