Where do yo buy your tools and equipment?

rhardman

What percentage of your tools are purchased...

1) At a local material house?
2) Online?
3) Direct from the manufacturer?

How do you deal with warrantee issues and how supportive is the distributor if there is a problem?
Who do you think is the most technically competent online distributor? Why?

I'm VERY eager to hear your comments.

Rick

rhardman

Didn't look like this was a topic people were interested in so I went to other sources.

What I've heard from several contractors is that for lowest price, the internet drywall outlets are where most contractors go. For larger purchases or where they are more concerned about technical support they want a local face they can talk to.

Going directly to the manufacturer is okay, but most don't advertise enough.

With online stores, warrantee issues are referred to the manufacturer and little follow up is done.

Let me know if you disagree with any of the comments.

Thanks.

Saul_Surfaces

I've been pleased with Leading Edge Drywall for my tools. They ship anywhere. The drywall supply houses up here wanted way more money for the same stuff. From what I've read, lots of guys seem happy with All-Wall too. There are a couple of smaller supply sites that I'd wondered about, but when I googled their user reviews, one especially sounded really sketchy (I don't remember which one, but the complaints were easy to find on google). Likely worth taking a good look at whoever you deal with online. The only repair issue I ever had with was dealt with by the local Leading Edge affiliate store, and it was fixed faster than I'd have hoped possible. There's also a powerful lot of used stuff on ebay. lots of boxes, tapers, etc. Mostly from pawn shops and stuff, so the source is a bit sketchy, but at 30% of new, some of the stuff might be worth the risk.

cripe2lzs

If your looking for great deals on hand tools and supplies.. Look now further. Please check me out at Cripedistributing.com.. Drop me a private message and I wil lget you a great discount on your order and your shipping. Thanks Michael

rhardman

All-Wall and Leading Edge are most certainly top notch companies; we're very familiar with each of them and respect them. That being said, another online drywall distributor wanted me to drop ship to his customers AND pay shipping while he offers the lowest possible price. When nobody makes any money, the customer ends up with *rap tools that they never use (because the sales person has never strung tape) and spray rigs they can't get parts for because the company has gone out of business.

As we get ready to start selling our tools, it's really difficult to offer a percentage to a mfr's rep (one wants 15%), then 25-40% to each distributor when we still have to respond to all of the technical questions that they don't want to answer. We're really looking close at just how much value they actually offer.

We would rather just work with the end customer but even with our own sales people, we can't meet the national need.

I thought about starting an advertising campaign that would say, "Save 40% by going direct!" but that would only upset future distributor's we really would like to work with and thus curse our own potential growth.

It's really quite the dilemma...

Rick

robert seke

Besides All-Wall, Fantastic Tools and Production Abrasives, those of you on the east coast can also find Joest products for Pole sanders and P/C at Kamco Supply in the New England states as well as Mac-Lad in N.Y/New Jersey area. THey both have inventory.

Thanks,
Robert

Cousin-itt

Purchasing preferences. Well Rick, anything that would need to be warranted, I'd have to purchase through a reputable dealer who could honor such claims. Hand tools that matter - I'll go to stores to physically hold and feel the tools to see what I like. Save a lot of heartache this way. Although, lately, I've been ordering online. Purchased through Kraft Tool and was very satisfied. I've been ordering some tools online through All-Wall and Drywall Zone and had great results as well. Very helpful and friendly staffs. I still believe that you have to know what you want before you order online though. I work too hard for the money to buy junk. Watch out for the gimmicks.
Thanks

WingNut

I glad Drywall Zone was good to you. It took 18 days to get my knifes ( the USG Quick Chang came with NO handle ad said blade & handle and still waiting on roller and handle. They told me 7 to 10 days for shipping grrrrr. yea they don't answer the 800#
not happy with Dryzone at all

tanker300

Well I work at Drywall Zone and here is the deal, the whole industry has takin a huge hit which includes all vendors big and small worldwide and the staff has also been slimmed down. When we place an order to fill an order or the whole order vendors including USG are taking much longer to ship and require bigger min orders. This is passed to the middle vendor and then to you the consumer and can not be controlled. Now to help ease time we are ordering more to keep a heavier inventory to help speed up orders and we get alot everyday and most orders do go out nexted day or within a week but please understand the whole industry is fragile right now and is passed to everyone. We will make sure you get a handle for the mis understanding and those are hot sellers so always reloading inventory but I will personally make sure you get the handle for sure and hope to do a fantastic job next time with professional results.
As you know the drywall or even construction business is up and down so in December staff are cut and manufacturing slows to a crawl until Feb-March then vendors start to prepare for summer and fall to keep up with demand but in our area we are very busy and sales on website have always been steady so when we place an order for 15 tapers 150 USG taping knifes ect it will take them a little longer to complete orders until they beef up staff. The world is a big place and we just can not stock everything in our wherehouse so we need to order to complete backfills but now we are pretty much full again.

WingNut

Over 35 days still no @%^*@ USG handle and no phone call from drywallzone.
if I told one of my customers that crap u've been tell'n my Mom, I wouldn't have a job or any side work!!!!



Drywallzone = slackers

rhardman

Any support yet Wingnut? I sent him a PM a few weeks ago with specific questions (on another issue) but he wouldn't answer any of them unless I asked him publicly. I didn't understand the reasoning so I dropped the issue.

Since you are talking publicly, I would imagine you have their attention.

Saul_Surfaces

Has anyone noticed as business operators or staff we're expected to provide great customer service to ensure repeat business and referrals, and yet some of people who make and/or sell the tools we use seem somewhat less interested in customer service? I have tools from Can-am, Columbia, Tapetech, Drywall Master, Northstar, and (I'll admit shamefully) Goldblatt. I've only emailed Can-am and Columbia with questions, but they sure didn't bother replying. From what I've heard, that's pretty much the industry standard.

Imagine my surprise when I mentioned on DWT a difficulty I was having with my Drywall Master angle head. They found the post and contacted me. The pm read something like "we hear you're having trouble with one of our tools. How can we help?" How cool is that? If I'd known they were like that sooner, I'd own more of their tools. I kind of like buying from companies that care about customer service.

rhardman

That was probably Sunil that responded to you.

This guy is a class act. He also contacted us to help with our prototyping and put me in touch with industry leaders for marketing feedback.

Drywall Master has a guy named Johnny that worked directly with Robert and Stan Ames during their early days and heads up much of thier R&D efforts.

I cannot say enough good things about them, they are certainly a higher standard of tool provider. They are well connected and from everything I've seen, much more interested in the individual than anyone else.

tanker300

One compaint out of thousands of transactions over 13 years is not a bad record and some people you just can not make happy and when you deal with a specialized product you can only buy from 2 vendors they have the controls so best we can do. We have sold drywall master tools and well you can email us for results but we sent back and why would you spend good hard earned money on a copy of a tapetech, spend a little more and get the best.
www.drywalltoolsdepot.com or www.drywallzone.com and see the difference

rhardman

That response made no sense at all.

I think you will find that trying to diminish others in a cheap attempt to promote yourself, doesn't go far. You don't seem to have much respect for the contractor thinking he can't see through your "Pleeeeze buy from meeeeee!!!!!" panic attack.

Good luck with that.

tanker300

I guess no one gets to have an opinion here and 1 complaint out of thousands of orders does not make any sense then you have a problem with reading and no advertising here just showing the difference, line them all up and they always choose Tapetech period, I do not work for them just sales and repairs and what ever a professional drywall guy wants we get and it is Tapetech not a copy for almost the same price

Tim0282

Jeepers Tanker, take a chill pill!

WingNut

WHERE MY HANDLE STILL HAVEN'T GOT IT after 4 months IF YOUR SOOOOOO GOOD GIVE ME MY HANDEL " that I paid for"

1wallboardsman

Saying that they want to help, and even seeking you out to tell you that.... still only gets you a donut anywhere in town, if you have a dollar to go with it. All of the manufacturers know **** about their tools, so it is difficult for them to help you when they have never put on 4" of tape with any kind of tool.

jdl

1wallboardsman

Monkey see.. monkey do... does not make tapetech one bit better then anybody elses knock-off with "me too" features. Tapetech being the "least tool" for the "most price" since Ames bought them, does not make them one bit better then anything else either.

So give me one thing on a tapetech that is better then any body else's.

jdl