Grizzly bandsaws "on sale"

[Brian LaShomb]

I've been shopping for a bandsaw for awhile, and just noticed they have many of their models now marked down from $25-$55. (They do have a 24" that shows a $200 discount). Not a huge discount, but hey, eats some of the shipping cost anyway.

http://www.grizzly.com/products/category/420000

[Van Huskey]

With Grizzly it seems based on their prices they run with a pretty low profit margin so you have to take a few bucks when you can get it. The good thing about that is you can always feel pretty good about buying a Grizzly when you want it with little worry that it will go on sale for 15-20% off next week, which you do have to worry about with Jet/PM and Rikon for example.

[Myk Rian]

Often, the real trick is actually getting it delivered in a timely manner.
Always make sure it's in stock before ordering.

[Thomas Marr]

Often, the real trick is actually getting it delivered in a timely manner.
Always make sure it's in stock before ordering.

You've got that right. I've never understood why they don't just carry more inventory. With their volume, they've got to be one of the biggest players out there and have a lot of leverage with their suppliers. The six month waits can get very frustrating.

[Jaromir Svoboda]

I ordered mine thursday and it was in shop on tuesday.

[Brian LaShomb]

Often, the real trick is actually getting it delivered in a timely manner.
Always make sure it's in stock before ordering.

Yeah it's an odd strategy to put an item on sale that's backordered for months. I called last week and inquired about the lead time on the 513X2BF, and they told me July. Why would you discount an item you can't keep in stock? Not that I'm complaining.

BTW, I didn't look before I posted, this sale is across all their lines, not just bandsaws.

[Ron Natalie]

Griz has always been straight forward with whether they have something or not. If they have it, it comes at whatever speed the truck freight can get it to you (in my case usually about three days from Williamsport).
The bad part if they say it's not in stock, it can be a rather protracted time while it gets over on the slow boat from China.

[Kevin W Johnson]

You've got that right. I've never understood why they don't just carry more inventory. With their volume, they've got to be one of the biggest players out there and have a lot of leverage with their suppliers. The six month waits can get very frustrating.

I feel sure it isn't that simple. Guessing demand for an item is very difficult, and probably one of the hardest things businesses face. Businesses try to forecast demand based on historical sales data, and unanticipated demand throws them a monkey wrench. Add to that the way modern day Chinese/Taiwanese manufacturing is run and stock replenishment isn't quick when you find that demand is unusually high. They may tell you it'll be here on shore in a couple weeks, but that's because it was already in the pipe. The factory that makes many of these tools, likely makes the same style tools under many different names. The factory might tool up and make a 1000 Grizzly lathes this week, and re-tool slightly and make Jet lathes the next, and so on. Thats why so many different brands of the same item share so many similarities. Then tool up for an entirely different item next. The time it takes Grizzly (or any other brand) to get a particular item can depend on the demand of other brands and whats in cue. It may well be that it will take 6 months before the factory gets around to running a Grizzly G0xxx.

It also takes an enormous amount of capital investment as it is when you look at all the different machines and parts Grizzly sells. Increasing the onhand quanities above historical sales data just doesn't make good sense, because you can't anticipate unknown demand.

[Kevin W Johnson]

Yeah it's an odd strategy to put an item on sale that's backordered for months.


I'd say it's because there are people with more patience than some (me for one as I'd most likely choose another) that will place their order anyway, thus "putting their name on one" at the sale price.