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Thread: question re: purchasing equipment online

  1. #1

    question re: purchasing equipment online

    in the past, i purchased equipment from the local Woodcraft store (or found it used). they were knowledgeable, delivered for free, and had great customer service. ownership recently changed, however, and these things are no longer true. i am getting ready to pull the trigger on a new band saw and am considering buying from an online retailer (acme tool). i'll save some $$$, but i'm concerned about whose cage i have to rattle (and where it might be located) in the event i run into a problem with the equipment and/or delivery.

    am i inventing a potential problem where one doesn't/shouldn't exist or does purchasing from an online retailer (who may be located several hundred miles away) something to approach with caution? anybody have any insights about purchasing online in general and/or acme tool (or any other retailer) specifically?

    thanks for any thoughts or insights you can offer. just want to make sure i don't do something stupid and end of wasting a bunch of cash.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Camas, Wa
    Posts
    3,853
    The majority of my current equipment is from Grizzly. I have a few pieces of equipment from CL. I have a few pieces I bought through Woodcraft. In the end you have to go through the company for warranty issues so I don't have any issues buying online.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Lewiston, Idaho
    Posts
    28,504
    Except for my scroll saw, 2 air cleaners, drill press and table saw, all of my tools were bought online. The few times I have had issues during the warranty period, the companies involved have been very responsive and often a pleasure with whom to work. I have no issues buying online.
    Ken

    So much to learn, so little time.....

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
    Posts
    65,685
    Everything in my shop outside of my drill press when it comes to stationary tools was ordered from a non-local vendor. That wasn't true early on because there were multiple local woodworking stores to select from, especially for the level of equipment I was buying at the time. All those stores are gone. Once I moved to Euro type gear, the only option was to order and have it shipped (or order and pickup from a show, which I did for two of my three core machines) I just ordered a USA-made CNC machine and it will be shipped from Georgia on a big truck, transferred to a roll-back and then deposited in front of my shop doors. I have no qualms about ordering what I want from whatever the best place to acquire it from is.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Batavia, IL
    Posts
    53
    Almost always purchase online. Can recommend WoodWerks (Columbus, Ohio), who can provide knowledgeable assistance and great service.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    SoCal
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    22,492
    Blog Entries
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    I'm sorry your local brick and morter store has decided to cut its own throat. So many do. I try to buy locally whenever I can; even paying a bit more to support my community. That being said, all my large machines were bought online. On the left coast I have never suffered from the shipper's gorilla-handling the merchandise. I do pay for lift gate service and they have always dropped the pallets right in my shop and refused a tip. I do read horror stories in other parts of the country. If other things you have ordered online have shown up in reasonable shape I would suspect the integrity of the job probably exists across shippers and is present in general. Any issues after delivery are on the seller so you want to look to their customer service record.
    Last edited by glenn bradley; 03-29-2018 at 10:59 AM.
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


    – Samuel Butler

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Location
    Central Missouri, U.S.
    Posts
    1,263
    I just bought a table saw from Acme (through Amazon). Service and shipping were excellent, in fact it arrived at my door several days early.

    Haven't had to deal with them for any problems, so can't comment on that.

    Like Glenn said, a lot of it comes down to the shipper. In my case, the policy was that it would be delivered "curbside." I'm told that is for liability reasons. If the truck comes on your property, they get into liability issues, insurance-wise. In my case, a national trucking firm handed off the saw to a regional company who couldn't have been nicer. Backed the truck up to my garage door and moved the saw right into my shop. Had to almost beg the driver to accept a tip.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    SE Michigan
    Posts
    3,222
    Russ, I’m curious. What is it that is no longer true...no longer knowledgeable staff, no longer provide free delivery, and/or no longer great customer service?

  9. #9
    I couldn’t even tell you if the local Woodcraft store is still in business but I tried my best to buy a full complement of Powermatic stationary equipment and later over two grand of Festool hand-held stuff because I prefer to support local businesses.

    Amazon delivered on site for a lot less money. The Woodcraft store would not deliver and refused to provide any loading assistance if I hauled it myself. And, you wouldn’t believe what they did to lose my Festool business.


  10. #10
    I've spent a lot of money with ACME. I used to have a salesman there that I dealt with specifically for everything, but he recently went to another company.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    NE Connecticut
    Posts
    695
    No experience buying big machines from Acme but I have purchased from them several times over the years and never had a problem.

    I have also had some very large machines, such as a sliding table saw, delivered with no problems. Inspect the packaging and as much of the machine as you can before signing for it. If it doesn't look good, refuse it.

    If it were me, I would go for it.


  12. #12
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Location
    Piercefield, NY
    Posts
    1,659
    I bought a drum sander from Acme that was delivered last week. Everything went very smoothly, and the price was better than I could find elsewhere. It had been supposed to be delivered on a liftgate truck, but since the heaviest box was under 200# it wasn't too hard for the the driver and me together to slide them out of the truck and onto a dolly. Prior to this I have bought all of my tools used, some online and some locally, and have had pretty good luck both ways.
    Zach

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Griswold Connecticut
    Posts
    6,926
    Russ

    Each online experience can be different. Some good, some bad, but most in between.
    My 5HP Rolair, 60gallon, air compressor,came from Acme Tools online.
    I ordered it on a holiday weekend, via the internet, as it was shown as the only one in stock. I called the toll free number and left a message to call me to verify the availability. I was called on a Sunday afternoon to verify that yes, my order was received, and processed, and the compressor would ship out on Tuesday when they were open. Even though the store is not physically open, they have a person processing internet orders in the off hours and responding to phone messages..They arranged for lift gate service and the driver and I literally put the compressor in the garage.
    It was a very positive experience overall, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend ACME based on my experience.
    Last edited by Mike Cutler; 03-30-2018 at 1:46 PM.
    "The first thing you need to know, will likely be the last thing you learn." (Unknown)

  14. #14
    looks like they carry lots of stuff.

    Capture.jpg

  15. #15
    Phil, it's all three, in my opinion. Since the ownership change, the place just isn't the same. The current staff does not seem as knowledgeable or helpful. Moreover, the refusal to deliver equipment locally really irks me. The previous owner personally delivered equipment and took care of any issues that arose thereafter. I just don't have confidence in this particular Woodcraft any longer.

    Just today, I stopped in to look at bandsaws and witnessed an employee attempting to load a table saw (new and in a large box) onto a customer's utility trailer. In an attempt to get the cart into the trailer, the employee laid down some really thin plywood as a ramp. When he tried to push the cart up the makeshift ramp, the cart busted through the plywood "ramp" and thunked on the sidewalk. What kind of business sells large machinery without the equipment or know-how to load said machinery into an ordinary utility trailer? I know. The kind of business that I will unlikely frequent again.

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