On 9/18/2014 10:55 AM, Bob Engelhardt wrote:

On your first question, if I order at work, whether directly with the
distributor or through a payroll deduction purchase, most suppliers
grant a discount. This can range up to 25%, maybe more. And tradies here
wear hi-vis shirts, usually either bright orange or yellow. Sometimes
buying personal tools at tool shops, wearing my hi-vis, I'm offered a
tradie discount, usually 5-10%.

Regarding the cost of machine tools & shipping: Oz is closer to China
than the US is, you'd think that tools would be cheaper. Or is it
tariffs that drive the price up?

Couldn't say for sure. Been so long since I bought new tools, I'm a bit
out of touch with new US prices.
One thing that makes things look a bit more expensive is GST, which is a
sales tax really, and is figured into the price. So sticker price is
register price. Labor is more expensive, and that has to factor in.
Then there's the fact that Australia is near the same size as the
continental USA with a population smaller than California's (legal)
population. Economies of scale in distribution have to play a part.

Jon