On 9/2/2014 2:49 PM, Mike Marlow wrote:
wrote:


I think the big difference is how the tools are designed and
manufactured. I love to see how business changes and how they are
run. It seems these days that most really large companies have
little to do with some of their own products, other than to make sure
the numbers "work". An outside engineering firm brings a design for
a new sander to a Big Box Store, and their team evaluates the service
life, the usablility, the design, and the most important aspect, cost
to manufacture. There is no doubt that some of the BBSs have an
interest in the companies they choose, but don't own them. They do
however, own all other aspects of their product including the
engineering designs, distribution, etc.


Not sure I agree witth that at at Robert. I think you're giving way too
much credit for the involvment by the retailer. I don't believe they get
into it to that level, at all. I think that at the very best, they chose a
tier one manufacturer that they may want to represent, and they then
negotiate for exclusivity, or some other prefered marketing strength - but
not at all based on any outside engineering firm, evaluations, etc. as you
suggest above.


Distributing a mass produced name friendly product across many
channels just makes sense. For the most part, the higher the count
of manufactured widgets goes, the less price per widget results. So
why not sell a mediocre brand like Sears anywhere you can? Same with
Ridgid; they sell Ridgid tools (in a limited selection) at our
largest plumbing supplier here, and now I see they have Ridgid recon
items, brand new batteries and other Ridgid necessaries at CPO
Outlets.

Ridgid has always been sold at plumbing supply houses. Not sure how you are
tieing that into your point. Sorry - but I don't know what CPO Outlets
means.

Ridgid plumbing tools, not woodworking power tools.

CPO outlets sell new and reconditioned name brand power tools.

http://www.cpooutlets.com/






Now Ryobi is quite different and is now a name like so many others.
Look halfway down the page and see if you recognize any of the brands
owned by this investment group:

http://www.ttigroup.com/en/our_brands/

That list kind of surprised me Robert. I recall that they used to own more
of the household names that we are familiar with today, than what currently
appears on their web site. Things change I guess...


I think most tools these days are designed not with long term
usability like Festool does, but more for a guy looking for utility
value. Personally, I am somewhere in the middle. I love using a
really nice tool, but find it hard to let go of the cash these days.
And for the most part, unless you jump all the way up to a Festool
type brand, I am not so sure we get much difference in our tools
these days regardless of what we spend.

Unfortunately, I think that is true. It's just too bad that you have to
make such a leap up to the brands like Festool. Great tools without a
doubt, but they are playing the same game - market to the quality focused
consumre and rape them on the price under the notion that they are buying
quality. But - where else are you going to go to buy a higher level of
quality than the standard offering?

I think that when PC and Milwaukee were the top quality tools their
prices were pretty darn high too. Prices on these tools have dropped
significantly to compete.