Grizzly Backorders

[Kevin Godshall]

Is anyone else experiencing a problem with Grizzly and backorders? I had ordered a set of planer blades and waited over 2 months for them to ship. Then, the motor died on my 12 1/2" portable planer, and when I received my replacement, the arbor for the roller drive was different. I placed the order for the compatible sprocket and was told it was backordered until May 6 (a week away)..... Well, here it is May 24th, and still no word on it.

Fortunately, this is not a "mission critical" piece of equipment to my business, but as my work load is increasing, I'm wondering if I need to rethink my equipment vendors and suppliers, because I could never go this long without a planer and stay profitable or competitive.

Anyone else?

[Lance Norris]

Yes... I have a 2 month long backorder with Grizzly that is still open. I have a G0457 bandsaw and want to be able to use the fence on the right side of the blade. I ordered a second fence rail and will mount it on the back side of the table. Grizzly sent me a post card yesterday explaining the delay will be longer and asking if I wanted to cancel or keep my order open.

[Randal Stevenson]

Papa Griz came onto another board and said that there would be no summer sale this year. Cast iron and shipping prices are eating into them, and they are trying to avoid passing it on. However it looks like next year (at the current rate), prices will be dramatically different.

A lot of different companies are having backorder issues, due in a large part, to the above.

[Tom Henderson2]

A big part of this is (I think) changes in the currency exchange rate. The value of the dollar is waaaay down, and for the first time the Chinese are letting their currency float, so it is worth more. Double whammy.

-TH

[Kevin Godshall]

Well......... I was told my part would ship on May 6th..... and here it is June 13 and I just got a notice saying my part was STILL on backorder.

Sadly to say, I have some purchases upcoming, and in light of potentially having equipment down and apparently no delivery from Grizzly, I'm going to have to rethink my supplier of choice. My shop and my workload is growing, and I cannot afford to be without a piece of equipment for such a long time.

[glenn bradley]

I have had excellent response from Grizzly when contacting them by phone. Call them up and get a straight answer. I am big on setting expectations. This sometimes doesn't set well with others at work. They want to tell the client "what they want to hear". I always tell the client the truth. They may not like the truth but, at least they know what to expect. Give 'em a call.

[Kevin Godshall]

Finally received my part from Grizzly this week, only 2 months and 6 days after the CSR promised me it would ship.

[Jeff Duncan]

I'm not a big fan of Grizzly, though in the past when I needed parts for the machinery that broke down too easily and pre-maturely, it was in stock and shipped quickly.
I've since given up on them for equipment so haven't ordered anything recently. But I can say I've gotten a handful of parts for Delta and Powermatic quickly and easily. I wanted a 1-1/4" spindle for my 27 shaper and it arrived within a week. Unfortunately the pulley had been damaged (surprisingly since it seemed fairly well packed) but they got a new one to me in several days. Picked up some bearings and a new arbor nut for my Unisaw about a year ago and that also arrived quickly with no problems.
I make a living with my equipment so it's important for it to be running. If something breaks down in the middle of a job, I'm losing money. I certainly can't wait for backordered parts. The thing that surprises me is that Grizzly was always very good about parts, it's one of their selling points. I wonder if this is becoming more common or if it was just a bump in the road for them?
JeffD

[Pat Germain]

I get the impression Grizzly had a bump in the road a few months back. I recently ordered a bandsaw and some pneumatic staplers and they all showed up within a few days.

Consider when I was shopping for a bandsaw, the backorder issue included many brands. I talked at length with my local Woodcraft. Whatever saw I wanted, they couldn't tell me when it would be in, but it would be awhile. It was the same for JET, Steel City, Powermatic and Rikon. If it wasn't on the floor, there was no telling when I'd get it.

I noticed a couple of weeks ago Woodcraft had some more machines on the floor. Before that, their stock was mighty lean. I think whatever logjam was in place is finally starting to clear.

[Doug Rogers]

I recently ordered the ultimate 14" bandsaw from Grizzly on a thursday afternoon. The saw was on the delivery truck friday morning and delivered to the local shipping company on friday afternoon. You can't ask for more than that.

Doug Rogers

[Steve Clardy]

I've got a few minor parts on backorder.

Understandable that they cannot stock everything.

[Mike Bensema]

Jet Tools had some of the Grizzly product impounded by customs over a dispute about them using the color white on their Woodstock product line, wondering if that might have caused the delay some of you are experiencing.

http://woodshopnews.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=FD6F2E8641904654B55AF7707B685087

[Steve Clardy]

Jet Tools had some of the Grizzly product impounded by customs over a dispute about them using the color white on their Woodstock product line, wondering if that might have caused the delay some of you are experiencing.

http://woodshopnews.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=FD6F2E8641904654B55AF7707B685087


Looks like a train wreck

[Billy Chambless]

In other news: Ford sues General Motors over white pickup trucks.

[Pat Germain]

Sounds to me like JET has the worse case of sour grapes in human history. I guess it's easier to attack the competition and keep them tied up in litigation rather that manufacturing good products and selling them at competitive prices. That's just way too hard. :rolleyes:

I should write JET a letter telling them what morons I think they are. Of course, I'd have to use goldenrod stationary, lest they sue me for using white paper.

[Kevin Godshall]

I recently ordered the ultimate 14" bandsaw from Grizzly on a thursday afternoon. The saw was on the delivery truck friday morning and delivered to the local shipping company on friday afternoon. You can't ask for more than that.

Doug Rogers

I haven't had any problems with ordering any machinery or catalog orders from Grizz. Only on the Parts end.

This is bad for me, for 2 reasons: 1) my machine is broke and I'm down and not working, therefore, not making money. 2) the CSR told me, promised me, it WILL SHIP on such and such a date. I plan my workload and schedule around it and then nothing for over 2 months. Unacceptable.

I love Grizz's stuff. I'm only an hour from the Muncy showroom and am there over and over again. My equipment holds up well and runs beautifully, but when I'm missing a $3 part, (that ended up costing me $8 in S/H charges (what's up with that?)) and takes over 2 months to deliver, I have a 500 pound paperweight that I end up piling scrap wood on.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Uh...Kevin,

Grizzley equipment and parts are made where? China or Taiwan...usually.

If they don't have the part instock, they may actually have to order the part. The manufacturer may not have the part in stock and may have to manufacture it. Most manufacturing plants are on a schedule. They don't stop producing what they are producing to retool and make a part for you personally. They will finish their current manufacturing run before making some parts.

Shipping. That part probably comes by boat so that it doesn't cost $100 in shipping for that $3 part. Especially with the recent skyrocketing price of oil, boats will not leave with just your 1 part on it. They will wait until they are fully or nearly full.

Shipping...$8.00.....Where have you been? Again...the cost of oil, thus fuel, gas and avgas...The price of shipping is gonna go up ......I am shipped parts several times weekly usually via Fed Ex. $8.00? Cheap.

It's a global economy. Fewer things are made here in the US and more things made overseas. That means if it isn't in stock here in the US, it's gonna take more time to get things. With the recent extraordinary cost increase of oil and thus fuels, I'd say $8.00 is cheap shipping regardless of how much the part costs.

[Joe Jensen]

Uh...Kevin,

Grizzley equipment and parts are made where? China or Taiwan...usually.

If they don't have the part instock, they may actually have to order the part. The manufacturer may not have the part in stock and may have to manufacture it. Most manufacturing plants are on a schedule. They don't stop producing what they are producing to retool and make a part for you personally. They will finish their current manufacturing run before making some parts.

Shipping. That part probably comes by boat so that it doesn't cost $100 in shipping for that $3 part. Especially with the recent skyrocketing price of oil, boats will not leave with just your 1 part on it. They will wait until they are fully or nearly full.

Shipping...$8.00.....Where have you been? Again...the cost of oil, thus fuel, gas and avgas...The price of shipping is gonna go up ......I am shipped parts several times weekly usually via Fed Ex. $8.00? Cheap.

It's a global economy. Fewer things are made here in the US and more things made overseas. That means if it isn't in stock here in the US, it's gonna take more time to get things. With the recent extraordinary cost increase of oil and thus fuels, I'd say $8.00 is cheap shipping regardless of how much the part costs.

I own no Grizzly products, but they look good, especially the new high end ones.

I expect suppliers to maintain an inventory of spare parts. If the supplier endeavors to provide good service, they would inventory parts. If cost is the only concern (and with Griz, many are buying primarily one price), then the supplier may chose to lower their costs by not holding an inventory of spares. Maybe this is Grizzly's policy, don't know.

To the poster who complained about an $8 charge for a $3 part, have you shipped anything lately? There might be $2-3 of handling in that $8, but most things I ship cost me at least $7 to ship...joe

[Chuck Saunders]

In refurbishing my Grizzly 16" jointer I have had to order quite a few varied parts. I will say that most (56 out of 60) of the varied parts were in stock and shipped right out. Of th pt tht ere bckordered, 1 was a bandsaw blade. I have ben impressed with how many parts were redily in stock. I wish they were all in stock but this is not the first company I hve ordered parts or product and had it backordered.

On the shipping I am not as pleased. I don't quite get that the shipping is based on order value. But, I guess that that allows for a much asier to codify shipping policy. I did order 8 gib screws for $10 and shipping added $8 and tax made some highly overpriced bolts even more expensive. Probably not much different from minimum orders which are a different solution.

Better than hearing No Longer Available.

[Barry Reade]

I ordered a Grizzly 19"band saw a few months ago. They said it was going to be back ordered about 6wks. I was really upset. After researching which saw would be the best value for my dollars I decide on one that was back ordered. To make a long story short. I got a call from Grizzly on a Saturday saying it was in and going out to me on Monday. I had it in less than two weeks. No damage in shipping no flaws in anything. I asked them why was it on back order and they said they wereexperiencing a run on all their tools and were just trying to keep up with orders.

[Mike Heidrick]

I have ordered a few small parts and puieces from them - right angle jig parts and some bushings for teh shaper. Small parts I know but very fast shipping. Only one bushing was not in stock and it arrived within a week. They sent me parts from multiple locations so thme stocking parts in different places in the US paid off for me. That reminds me, I need to place another order.

[Kevin Godshall]

Follow up:

My portable planer was making awful noises last week. I took it apart and found a bearing had come apart. I was very hesitant to put in an order for parts..... but took the plunge.

My order arrived complete within 5 days. To make things even better, I was happy to see "Made in America" on 80% of the parts I got back. Heading out to the shop right now to get my planer back up and running.

[keith ouellette]

The dc I was looking at was on back order till they knew not when. It worked out good for me.

Retailers are keeping as little stock on hand as possible (according to cnbc) and only ordering as needed.

[Barry Reade]

I think Grizzly handles their back orders the way we would like them handled. If the projected delivery is past a certain # of days then they don't have a projected delivery date. If it is in the window they figure long instead of short so as to keep customer disappointments to a minimum if it goes long. I know when I ordered my BS I was initially bummed out but it came earlier than their initial projected date.

[Charlie Jones]

I have replaced the bearings in my portable Delta planer. They would have been 80.00 from Delta. I bought them from a local auto parts for 13.00. Bearings are common sizes so check locally and save money.