for the Aussies, US online shopping

[jack404]

G'day folks

i have been doing a PILE of online shopping from US suppliers

some are real sticky to deal with, for non US folks

so heres what i found

Travers.com great! a little lacking in communications $100 USD minimum buy for export, shipping /handling average costs but fast. 2 orders no problems Oh and the travers catalogue just rocked up and its a phone book!

CDCO Machine Corp. Excellent folks good comms good prices cheap shipping 3 orders no problems

MCSDIRECT, a long wait on the phone, order got snagged because of the system setup, good prices, shipping ok but handling was 15% , next order also got snagged, long wait on phones, but they do fix it. call em, avoid the state issue with non US / NON EU folks

Little machine shop. simple just simple, email straight back confirmed the order, postage not cheap for slow shipping but a great deal compared to OZ prices ( mini lathe starter kit) next order the same (lathe chuck with adaptor plate)

Grizzly, lost my order, still looking, one person deals with Oz orders and they are away often, got em on the phone at last, problem solved. next order was straight forward got my bonus too ! ( chose gloves) call em, the call centre folks are fast helpful and this avoids the non US issues with the online orders

i spent $1958 AUD with the folks above

$801 on shipping

but when a T cutter here is $69 for local made HSS or $120 for M42 or $160 for carbide and from travers they are $12, $15 and $24, you'll see why

i know, i know, buy Australian ,

but when Aussie isnt really Aussie
and there 600% difference in price for the same thing

funny thing is some of the wire size drills i bought are aussie made P&N made in S Oz
just 15% of the cost here. silly eh

shipped to the USA and sold online far cheaper than i can buy here

crazy

whats really crazy is that all of this would have cost me $6800+ AUD without any shipping

if i could get some of the items here at all.

anyway i hope this helps you blokes

cheers

jack

PS get a pre paid long distance card for the USA before you start shopping

it makes international calls to the US about 1 c a minute ;D

spend 20 cents asking about items , some things are not clear and other options ( spindle etc) are available often if you ask

cheers

 

[Maryak]

Thanks for the info jack, :bow:


Best Regards
Bob

 

[tmuir]

I know what you mean about prices here in OZ.
Big heavy things I have to buy local but smaller things are so much cheaper to get else where.
An ER32 chuck for my mill with spanner cost me $25 including $13 postage from Hong Kong and locally it would of cost me $200.

I want to buy the belt drive kit and air spring kit for my mill from little machine shop but I'm just waiting for the US to OZ rates to get better. Atleast the OZ to UK rates are now good, shame I was in the UK when £1 got $2.40 OZ just a few months ago....

I'm glad to here that little machine shop gives us Ozzie's good service as I can see them getting a few orders from me in the future.

 

[Tin Falcon]

Jack:
Hope you do not mind me throwing in my $.02 here.
A very different perspective a I am in the states and have delt with several of the listed dealers face to face. So my take on the listed dealers.
Travers tools I have not personally ordered from them. (Shame on me)But have talked with them face to face they are great supporter of the HMEM hobby and vendors at the cabin fever show. (They donated several hundred $ worth of merchandise to benefit cabin fever and the local industrial museum in york PA last year.The items were raffled off and given as door prizes.

CDCO Seems to be a mom and pop company with Asian ties.Friendly in person. Good to deal with good produce and prices also a CF vendor.

MSC Huge catalog good for a childs booster seat. Very fast service I generally get over night delivery at UPS ground rates.

LMS great folks also CF dealers and supporters. Small growing import company. great service.

Grizzly fantastic cata;og and show room. Good products .

Enco owned by MSC slightly slower shipping than the mother company but better prices and free shipping with the code. Smaller selection and catalog but still worth dealing with.

Mcmaster Carr Huge selection great catalog if you can get your hands on one . Overnight service for me at UPS ground rates. Have to pay tax arg . But good source of metal and close enough to stop by once in a while.
Jack thank for helping the US economy LOL
Tin

 

[shred]

FWIW, if you do find places willing to ship overseas for a reasonable cost, I'd try and maintain that relationship as much as possible-- at least one big vendor no longer ships overseas except to established accounts (McMaster, I think). You can thank the US State Department for that-- they keep changing the list of what you can and can't ship and where and who you can and can't ship it to; so much so that a friend's shop that used to ship overseas now can't keep up with them, even with 2-3 full time employees in the shipping department, and has to send everything through a licensed exporter just to keep the paperwork straight.