People who work with tools will
tell you that it is getting harder and harder to find good quality tools these
days. If you attend the famous National Hardware Show in Las
Vegas, you can speak to manufacturers who will tell you that a single
manufacturer may make three different quality tool lines, selling each under a
different brand name in order to maximize market reach. Still, a home do it
yourself person may chose a more inexpensive tool than a professional. The
professional, however, will tell you that the tool quality makes a difference
in the quality of the overall job.
Unfortunately,
some tools which have limited market demand have ended up in the low grade only
realm because of the low demand. Prices, however, can still vary greatly. A
great example of this is the 1x30 inch belt sander, a tool professionals are
clamoring to find old and broken models of to fix because you just can't get
the same old-fashioned high quality in a new tool anymore. And when you do find
it new, you can find the same exact machine with just a different label sold at
each end of the tool market priced accordingly. Boycott Watch found the exact
same tool with different names at two very different suppliers.
1x30 inch belt sanders:
Grizzly
Industrial price: $54.95
Harbor
Freight price: $39.99
If you look at the
photos, you will see that these are not only the exact same tools with
different stickers, but the photos appear to be taken in the exact same angle,
indicating the manufacturer took all the photos of this product for all their
private label customers at the same place and at the same time. The only
difference is the stickers.
While Grizzly is known
as a professional tool supplier, Harbor Freight is a deep discounter. The
lesson for consumers is to shop around. Just because you find a tool at a
professional supplier, look for the same exact tool elsewhere. When a
manufacturer has multiple product lines and versions for the same tool, the
housing will be different for each. In this case, it is all one product line
with different stickers. |
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