Harbor Freight Seaming Iron

[rusty baker]

Heat Bond Carpet Seaming Iron

[Sean Moore]

wow. that's cheap.

Orcon irons are 1000w so maybe you have to put this thing on max instead of 3/4?

Wonder how they last. Probably not very well.

[rusty baker]

Some of their tools are not too bad, some are pure crap. Looks like a good iron for a carpet cleaner.

[Sean Moore]

yeah... or a guy who does strip+pad <5% of the time, huh.... I probably burned two rolls of seam tape last year. About a case of "honey" through my bottles and about that many feet of seams in Unibond, no sealer. Lots of cpt. tile.

Mine is fine and I think I still have a backup out in the garage but if those both died I'd probably go buy this little chinese thing.

[kylenelson]

You would do better to buy a used orcon off of ebay.

[Lo Down]

Sean Moore said yeah... or a guy who does strip+pad <5% of the time, huh.... I probably burned two rolls of seam tape last year. About a case of "honey" through my bottles and about that many feet of seams in Unibond, no sealer. Lots of cpt. tile. Mine is fine and I think I still have a backup out in the garage but if those both died I'd probably go buy this little chinese thing.

Whatever makes you think it's Chinese?

[H Scott]

This is another example of why our economy is in the dumps. Greed !

Many tools we buy are way over priced, The irons from Roberts might cost them 12.00 to make, they will charge you 89.00

Since I have been selling at wholesale price it has opened a door to the lies and misuse of loyalty in the flooring industry.
There is always a better price but American Companies are not willing to give it. They would sell thier own soul to the devil for greed.

IE: I pull products from 70% of the nations suppliers with our four locations.
I will have one supplier tell me that this certain manufacture has increased price on a certain product.... yet I am pulling the same product from another supplier and they have said there have been no manufacture price increases at all.

This is the wrong environment to increase prices, the supplier that lied to me has lost 80% of my business.
My customers are just like you and I , they feel the pinch of the dollar, they are looking for the best deal, they want a honest price, that's all.

[rusty baker]

The American greed is everywhere Hugh. McDonalds has been making a splash with their $1.00 drinks. My stepson, who works there, says that figuring in labor, cup, ice and syrup, they have .07-.08 in each drink.

[H Scott]

I concur.

[Lo Down]

rusty baker said The American greed is everywhere Hugh. McDonalds has been making a splash with their $1.00 drinks. My stepson, who works there, says that figuring in labor, cup, ice and syrup, they have .07-.08 in each drink.

H Scott said I concur.

That's how come those places can sell a burger for a buck.
........they sucker you into buying a drink too, and now your "$1 meal" cost ya $2.69.

[BrianM]

Lo Down said That's how come those places can sell a burger for a buck. ........they sucker you into buying a drink too, and now your "$1 meal" cost ya $2.69.

*
I saw the CEO of some fast food franchise, probably McDonalds on CNBC explaining that they don't make any money on the $1 items and they were pressured to keep them on the menu by the competition. They can lose money on some items and make up for it on others just as any other business tries to meet the supply and demand of the market with whatever works.

With so many burger joints, flooring stores and discount retailers I'm worried they can stay in business at all in these tough times. I truly don't see where the accusations and anger over their "greed" come from. Nothing stopping any of us from buying a little commercial space and setting up our own rackets.

When I go to McDonalds I typically order TWO double quarter pounders with cheese, large fries and a coke. If I'm really hungry I'll add a chicken sandwich or two from the $1 menu. There's no shame in my game. So I don't feel they're suckering me into anything. I'm going there because I'm hungry and they've got the technology to fill my gut FAST with just the crap I think I need. Can't remember the last time I had Micky D's though. My wife is hounding me about eating healthy.

[Mike Sahli]

H Scott said This is another example of why our economy is in the dumps. Greed ! Many tools we buy are way over priced, The irons from Roberts might cost them 12.00 to make, they will charge you 89.00 Since I have been selling at wholesale price it has opened a door to the lies and misuse of loyalty in the flooring industry. There is always a better price but American Companies are not willing to give it. They would sell their own soul to the devil for greed. IE: I pull products from 70% of the nations suppliers with our four locations. I will have one supplier tell me that this certain manufacture has increased price on a certain product.... yet I am pulling the same product from another supplier and they have said there have been no manufacture price increases at all. This is the wrong environment to increase prices, the supplier that lied to me has lost 80% of my business. My customers are just like you and I , they feel the pinch of the dollar, they are looking for the best deal, they want a honest price, that's all.

I'm assuming you are buying from distributors and not going direct to the manufacturer for the items you sell on the INTERNET. I can tell you that distributors are not making money in this economy any more than most of the dealers and installers are. I hear the wail every day from dealers that think the distributer should buy there loyalty by taking care of every dissatisfied customer with buyers remorse or every bad install no matter how poorly it was installed because if they don't the dealer will dump them and go els ware.

If you think there is that much money available at the distribution level, you should start your own, buy full containers from China, rent that warehouse, hire the help for the order desk, warehouse, accounting dept. and every thing else, supply the displays that every dealer wants for free, take care of all the claims that you expect them to handle, suck up all the bad inventory that didn't sell.

Now the fun part, hire reps that go out into the market and push your products, pay them enough commission so the can make a living in this nasty economy and take that phone call from your custamers that think your ripping them off.

Good luck.

[H Scott]

Let me explain a few things as I see it.
Today I went into Southland Flooring Supply, my last installer walked off with my jambsaw and power stretcher so I am shopping tools.

I see the same Crain 555 jambsaw at tools 4 floors.com for 215.00
At Southland it was 249.00 it was 289.00 before I started dealing, I have an account with them and a loyalty spanning 10 years, and I need it Monday. I have not used this account in 3 years. I put in on account just to start showing some paper to them.
They get my business, the price was fair enough and the loyalty + account with the added camaraderie superceeds the price difference.

On the flip side.
I have another ,distributor/tool supplier I have processed well over 1.5 million$ in sales with, back when things were tight they would not give me an account, no new accounts they said. I said no loyalty.
Had they been loyal to me like Southland was years ago when things were tight I would buy my tools from them, but I don't and I won't.
These distributors are getting what they deserve I have no feelings for them.
They dictate their own margins, they charge restocking fees that are absurd.

I am actually supplying this distributor with our extruded polystyrene curbs and shower tray extensions, they have owed me money for two months, but I do not leave their dock without cutting them a check.
If this is how they do business they get what they deserve.
I will beat them down to the last dollar margin to close my sale, trust me gents there is always a better price.

We must choose our battles or they will choose us.

[Nick Arrera]

I been dealing with a multimillion dist for close to 40 years .
A month or so back a friend walked into a store and got a price on wood at a buck a foot cheaper then i get it from the dist . There all out for themselves .