OTT like woodpecker, etc

threesixright

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Aug 17, 2017
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Since woodpecker has insane shipping prices (> purchase price) I doubtfully will buy from them (any normal EU pricing?). 

Yet, I’m questioning why would you buy expensive OTT, what you do if in 5 years some part breaks?  I think I saw more companies doing this. Just curious how others look at this?

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You get the same warranty as with their other tools. I presume they keep some reserves in stock in case a tool were to be defective and needed to be replaced.
 
They usually do keep reserves for replacement parts. They may even offer to re-make a replacement part if it came to that.
That said, look for a reseller in your country to save on shipping. In the US there are several that order OTTs and resell them often with better pricing or applicable discount codes or free shipping.
 
I think Woodpeckers is starting to see people aren't fans of the one time tool model. While they still offer them, many of the more popular ones are now a part of their regular line up. I was never concerned with getting parts, as there are generally not many moving parts with their products. I get it - anything can break. But I don't loan out any of my Woodpeckers stuff, and I'm generally careful with them.

I do feel for you regarding the shipping costs, however. I was going to order the new clampzilla and it was in my shopping cart, but I abandoned it when it calculated the shipping. I get it - shipping isn't free and everything costs money. But this time around, it just wasn't worth it (for me, anyway).
 
I've had no problem with WP for spares. About a year ago my 6SS square went out of whack and they sent me a new one and requested that I return the defective tool in the return packaging, a prepaid UPS label was included and that was that.  [big grin]  Pretty simple...

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I also had a 48" rule that the anodizing had faded on, I contacted them, showed them a photo and a new 48" rule arrived in the mail.
 

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As much as we all love to hate the OTT model (and for good reason) I do get it. Their model has allowed them to gain a loyal following and to grow their company significantly. I am sure that a new building helps but I would also bet that growth and the improved cash flows it has brought have made it possible for them to afford to hold larger inventories. It has also helped them purchase equipment that makes them more efficient and almost certainly more profitable. More power to them! If the OTT model allows them to innovate then I am all for it. Based on their moves over the past year or two it is obvious that if buyers buy their stuff and request that their past items become available again that they will bring them back and make the most popular ones part of the permanent line.

Do I wish that Clampzilla was not an OTT and that I could wait and get my hands on it at my local woodworking store ... sure. The thing is that I believe that there is no way that they would have created it if they did not have this model. The material costs, the tooling up costs, the risk associated with having no idea how well it will sell would have kept it in some file cabinet somewhere. This way their risk is minimized and we still get innovation. And if we buy enough of them consistently over time, guess what, they will become part of the permanent line.

On a side note if any of you want one of their OTT items to be re-released just post it here, get some more of us on board and we can all go to their site and request it. I think that the last few years have proven that When they get enough demand they do re-release.
 
box185 said:
PeterJJames13 said:
I think Woodpeckers is starting to see people aren't fans of the one time tool model. While they still offer them, many of the more popular ones are now a part of their regular line up.

This may be related to the expanded capacity in their new building ?

I have thought the same. The OTT bit I was thinking was driven by limited machine availability and the desire to keep production costs down so run as many of one item as you can then go to something else. In between runs sell off any excess/unsold pieces. The limited runs with a year or more between them also helps drive interest and gets some people off the fence as opposed to thinking to themselves that they can order next month if they find out they need something.  People will buy based on perceived future 'need' if they know (think) they can't get one for a year or more.
 
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