Grizzly Industrial G0656 jointer

[James Hale]

I have been patiently waiting 8 months now for the G0656 jointer to be delivered from Grizzly. Right before they ship, I get an email that it will cost an extra $179 as a result of tariffs. Now, I understand that no one likes the tariffs. However, I have given them more than enough time to fulfill my order. I was told repeatedly (Feb, March, June) that my order would be shipped next. Never was I informed about how my item would be affected. Now the question I pose to everyone here is, do I pay or go with someone else? Yeah I would pay more for the same size jointer, but I feel Grizzly has betrayed my trust.:mad:

[Jacob Mac]

Is it still the demonstarbly best value?

[David Kumm]

Not really anyone's fault but I'd rethink the wedgebed jointer choice since you have the chance. Not the best design for a new machine. Dave

[Cary Falk]

If it makes you that mad then pay more money and go somewhere else. I have companies that I won't do business with because I got rubbed the wrong way. Usually it takes a couple of offences though.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Grizzly didn't increase the tariffs and they may not have $179 in profits on that machine to absorb the loss created by the tariffs. To an individual it may seem that the company could generously absorb the loss for customer satisfaction but the reality is that companies like Grizzly make profits on quantity of sales not a huge markup on each individual sale.

Do some comparative shopping. Then decide whether you want to keep your order or cancel it and go with another company's product.

[James Hale]

Thank you guys for your reply and I appreciate your opinions. I would just have to disagree a little. I have been waiting 8 months and not 8 weeks or 8 days, it would seem that they should honor their commitments. Just like I would have to honor mine 8 months down the line that I still have the money to make the purchase. Grizzly must have been making money since they could not keep up with the orders they were receiving. I made the order on December 7, 2017, think about all the people in the same boat that bought something for their loved ones to now have to say sorry had to cancel because Grizzly could not keep up with demand. Their new customers already know they have to pay the tariffs. Grizzly is only a name anyways, since they make only a few of their own products. Everything else comes from China. So on that note, anyone buy a jointer from a company in china that didn't have an American company name on it? Alibaba has some good looking ones probably made from the same factory Grizzly gets theirs.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Does Alibaba have customer service?

Let us know.

[Peter Christensen]

I'd consider getting one through Alibaba or direct. I'm actually looking into getting a tractor and implements that way.

Here is a thread on someone here buying a sliding table saw direct. Looks like you just need to make sure you have all your ducks in a row before pulling the trigger.

https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?265986-Importing-Combination-Machine-from-China-as-an-Individual-My-Adventure-(So-Far)&highlight=import+from+china

[Matt Day]

Also, Grizzly’s manufacturer is/was changing plants or something which is the reason for all the delays. They’re not making money hand over fist like you allude to.

That being said, I thought Shiraz said that the tariffs wouldn’t be applied if you had the order placed before the tariffs went into place.

But speaking of rubbing someone the wrong way, it always rubs me the wrong way when someone comes here and rants for their fist post.

[James Hale]

Sorry I should have started with a joke. I do appreciate everyone's opinions as it will help shape my final decision. At the very least I learned to beware of a company that oversells.

[glenn bradley]

Shiraz posted explaining (https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?265843-Grizzly-s-prices-on-some-machines-going-up-25) that the tariffs would be passed directly along on machines that were effected including back ordered items. This should not be a surprise. I believe that like tax, the tariff is collected, not charged.

[Jacob Mac]

I get your frustration, I cancelled an order with Grizzly last year bc I was tired of waiting. But the tariffs are outside Grizzly's control. Not much it can do about that.

In my mind, the real question is where can you get the best value for your budget. If it is still with Grizzly, I would stick with them IF it can get you a jointer sometime soon.

But if it was even close, I would move on just to have the tool in your shop making furniture. For me, hobbies are about having fun, not waiting for a year for a company to get it's manufacturing issues straightened out.

[Ryan Liegel]

I've been waiting on a G0490X jointer since January 14th. Delivery date has slipped 4 separate times and I also got the recent notice that the price will go up $300.

I generally feel like it would be the "right" thing to do for a business to honor the price agreed upon when the order was placed, but at the same time I guess Grizzly is just so backordered on so many things that it wouldn't be possible for them to eat the cost of the tariffs on all those items.

I feel a bit betrayed too, but I'm continuing to wait for mine as it's still the best financial option for now. I can only wait so long before I just give in and buy a more expensive model so I can actually have a jointer. Maybe a bunch of people will cancel and my delivery will happen sooner than expected? I wonder how many sales these manufacturing/delivery issues have actually cost Grizzly...

[Steve Eure]

I don't think you will be able to find a comparable deal anywhere right now. A very large portion of the WW tools we buy are now made in China, so the tariffs will affect them all. I was one of the lucky ones I guess. I ordered a Rikon lathe at the end of Nov. 2017 that took 4 months to arrive, so I missed the tariff.
I sure hope it all works out for you.

[Andrew Hughes]

James there’s a nice Northfield jointer on Craiglist Out here in So Cal 2,500. No need to wait if you need help loading it up let me know.
Somebodys going to get a sweet deal.

[Barry McFadden]

Judging by what I see on SMC waiting and waiting and waiting for Grizzly tools seems to be a normal thing ..... it would certainly put me off buying one...

[Mark Felton]

I've been waiting on a G0490X jointer since January 14th. Delivery date has slipped 4 separate times and I also got the recent notice that the price will go up $300.


Interesting! I ordered the G0490X on January 10th. I got the notices about it being backordered and the explanation as to why. I was frustrated but decided to wait because the jointer still seemed like the best deal going. I never received any notices about a price increase (and in fact paid the original price). I got an e-mail on July 12 that it had shipped and received it a few days later. It was definitely worth the wait. Solid piece of equipment. I'm sorry for the inconveniences others have had. I didn't like waiting 6 months for mine but that now seems minor compared to the experience others have had.

[Van Huskey]

Bottom line "buyers" never obligated themselves to buy and Grizzly never obligated themselves to deliver. If Grizzly had taken your money months ago then it might be a different story.

That said I have dumped vendors for (what some might call) lesser perceived offenses. In the end, you were willing to wait to get what you considered the best deal for you, the economic equation has changed, you simply need to do another cost-benefit analysis to determine if you will continue to fish or cut bait. That is a personal decision not something anyone else can make for you, I have watched some people on forums willing to pay the tariff and wait, some have chosen other options to get a machine.

Further, if you step back tariffs can not "succeed" if manufacturers absorb the tariff it is there to provide a disincentive to end customers. The niche hobby woodworking market is likely just an unintended or ill thought out victim. From my POV the only thing they do here is increase the economy of used and Euro machines, I doubt anyone is going away from Grizzly 8" jointers to call Jeff at Northfield to order his US made $14,000 8" jointer nor are the tariffs causing machine importers or potential US machine to start looking at US built machines again.

Me personally the money is less of a factor than the wait. In 8 months I could have found any number of old iron 12" jointers for less money, or simply bought the competition that I could have within a week. That said I hate to wait and as my wife will point out I tend to fix things with the "check wrench" or I suppose in today's world it is more like the "card CNC".

Do what works for you, while it may seem like a silly or lazy answer everyone's situation is different.

[Rod Sheridan]

That said I hate to wait and as my wife will point out I tend to fix things with the "check wrench" or I suppose in today's world it is more like the "card CNC".

.

Excellent post in general, I may have to plagiarize your "check wrench" and "card CNC" descriptions in the future:D

Regards, Rod.

[Van Huskey]

Excellent post in general, I may have to plagiarize your "check wrench" and "card CNC" descriptions in the future:D

Regards, Rod.

I can't take credit for it, it comes from my mother-in-law and she uses to describe my father-in-law's actions. Despite being pretty good with his hands (he is an orthopaedic surgeon) he will hire someone to hang a picture...

I had another thought about this situation. If someone lived in a state that Grizzly collected sales tax for would they be upset at Grizzly if their state raised the sales tax and Grizzly collected that extra sales tax? Both are simply government required collections.

[Rod Sheridan]

Thanks, now back to my question about the 5.328 miles and 2 wheels, Ducati?

I've always loved Ducs, really wanted an SS900 however I was riding a Norton at the time.

Bike for me has mostly been BMW, always wanted a Motto Guzzi as well, just couldn't put up with all the issues my buddies had with theirs. Beautiful machines however..........Regards, Rod.

[Rod Sheridan]

Judging by what I see on SMC waiting and waiting and waiting for Grizzly tools seems to be a normal thing ..... it would certainly put me off buying one...

I wouldn't mind waiting Barry, I waited 3 months for my Hammer B3.

That said the Hammer was delivered on the scheduled date and not rescheduled...........Regards, Rod.

[Van Huskey]

Thanks, now back to my question about the 5.328 miles and 2 wheels, Ducati?

I've always loved Ducs, really wanted an SS900 however I was riding a Norton at the time.

Bike for me has mostly been BMW, always wanted a Motto Guzzi as well, just couldn't put up with all the issues my buddies had with theirs. Beautiful machines however..........Regards, Rod.


Sorry Rod, I saw and meant to respond to that when you posted it but was out of town for business and just plain forgot. Yes, the sig refers to Ducati, Ferrari and Centauro (with apologies to Northfield and Tannewitz who still makes big high quality saws but it didn't fit the narrative). It is really born from Moto GP and F1 more than the street vehicles.

Funny enough that signature is indirectly linked to you. Just prior to that I had memorialized a quote from you where you (sarcastically) said all Euro machines were Cxxx. The word is a rather mundane slang term for human excrement but was deemed too profane at least for a signature that popped up constantly, so I had to change the signature, the Italian connection idea popped in my head and I used it with the expectation to change it to something else fairly quickly, however, the sense of mystery has been a source of amusement for me so I have left it. I should note based on the last couple of years in Moto GP and F1 I should be saying the 2nd or 3rd best things... In any case, the distances to the Mercedes, Honda and Tannewitz factories would not have the same correlation and moving to make it work would likely place me in the middle of an ocean.

Cheers

[Rod Sheridan]

Thanks, good to know I inspired someone:D

[James Hale]

As I had time to reflect on this, it's not the tax that made me so mad. It was the waiting and lack of correspondence on their part about policy change. It was the constant change of dates on my order. It was the scripted responses I received, every time I asked for specifics. Why post policy updates on a forum and not send an email, phone call, or smoke signal so I could be updated. Instead I was told only when my item was ready to ship. The tax is what broke the camels back. The jointer looks great and probably performs well. The service they offer, leaves me with wanting more. Which then makes me hesitant to spend my money with them. I can only imagine if something goes wrong on the order I would end up waiting another 8 months. I waited this long, might as well find another company that does not give me those concerns. Even if it cost more, least I have peace of mind.