After about a year with stens, I've learned:

[PTmowerMech]

Buying in bulk, doesn't always save much money
They don't have any of the Walbro style carbs for the Biggs 15 to 20hp engines.
I can buy Kawasaki 10w 40 (by the case) cheaper than I can get the stens brand. (On Amazon)
If you put in a model number, and it doesn't come up with anything, that doesn't mean they don't have parts for it.
They don't have a lot of comparison/compatible parts


Good things: Next day shipments are nice.
Their 2 cycle carbs (when they actually have the ones I need) seem to be good carbs.
As well as their 4 cycle carbs.

 

[PTmowerMech]

Something else I just noticed. At Maverick mower supply, they're selling the 335-214-6 pack for less than my cost is.
My cost $33.84
His cost:$31.34

Do you get bigger discounts with Stens if you order a lot more?

 

[bertsmobile1]

If you go back to the original thread you will see most of us suggested signing up to more than one supplier .
Some wholesalers will be cheaper than others depending who their suppliers are .
Don't know if they do it there but down here they have monthly specials.
LAst month it was spark plugs @ 76% off so I bought 5 years worth .
This month it is fuel line & Starter cord so I will be ordering 3 years worth of fuel line plus adding all of the sizes I do not already have .
Might add some sizes of premium ( black cover cord ) as well. Right now I only keep the size for Honda as all the contractors run Honda walk behinds & they happily pay the extra dollr for the better cord .
All of the other wholesalers do the same thing but you don't have them over there.
When PRime Line was here I got all of my Kohler parts from them as their Kohler parts were about 2/3 the price as the other wholesalers
Starter motors & electric clutches also came from Prime Line .

IT will take time but as you have already found out , even with a trade account some prices are not the cheapest so you need to shop around & compare till you work out what to get from where.

 

[bertsmobile1]

Something else I just noticed. At Maverick mower supply, they're selling the 335-214-6 pack for less than my cost is.
My cost $33.84
His cost:$31.34

Do you get bigger discounts with Stens if you order a lot more?

I get std wholesale less 10% .
Down here you get roughly an extra 5% off for each $ 5000 increase in your ANNUAL spend .
And this discount is across the board on everything you buy the following year .
So when saw chain was on special I bought the biggest roll in each size of semi-chisel .
Most of which I have never touched but it was 1/2 price and it pushed me up to the next discount level ,
The maximum advertised discount is 40% so some of the on line vendors are getting their stock for 2/3 what I pay for mine .

RGS give discounts for early payments around 10% for payment on invoice and 5 % for payment within 3 days of statement .
But that affects my cash flow too much ,

Did you get the printed catalogue ?
Stens dealer discount schedule is normally printed on the inside cover
Might also be on the 2nd page of the PD catalogue .

 

[PTmowerMech]

I've spent over $7500 this year with Stens. Not as good as It'll be next year. But not bad, considering my first year at this shop. Especially when you consider A LOT of this year I wasn't at this shop.
As far as other suppliers go, I'm just not in that big of a hurry to get my tax crap all legal just yet. Plus, now a days, I don't mind getting a part for a few bucks more with a supplier that I don't have to have a tax ID or some business info. I don't pay for parts anyways. The customer does.

But, that'll change soon enough. Probably some LLC or something of that nature. I probably need to be building my business credit. But having so many suppliers, IMO, just seems like a headache. Especially when I hear you guys talk about how long the backlog is for getting some of your parts.

 

[PTmowerMech]

BTW, I was surprised to see Kawasaki oil cheaper on Amazon, then Stens brand.

 

[bertsmobile1]

The Stens price is fairly well perminent
The Amazon price could be a one of being sold by some one who got a job lot of oil really cheap
OR they could be getting their oil cheaper than Stens because they they get a bigger volume discount
OTOH you might like to have a little chat with your area rep.
You could just ask do Stens USA run the same volume discount that they do in Australia and note you have spent $ 7,500 this year & intend to increase it next year.
Some times that need a bit of prompting.
That would earn you 4 % down here.
However it does not show on your invoices as a line item ( well not on mine anyway ) .
When Allpower were their distribution agent the prices shown on the on line catalogue were the full price & when the invoice turned up the prices were lower by my discount.
Masport have a different system and the display price is the discounted price .

 

[PTmowerMech]

The Stens price is fairly well perminent
The Amazon price could be a one of being sold by some one who got a job lot of oil really cheap
OR they could be getting their oil cheaper than Stens because they they get a bigger volume discount
OTOH you might like to have a little chat with your area rep.
You could just ask do Stens USA run the same volume discount that they do in Australia and note you have spent $ 7,500 this year & intend to increase it next year.
Some times that need a bit of prompting.
That would earn you 4 % down here.
However it does not show on your invoices as a line item ( well not on mine anyway ) .
When Allpower were their distribution agent the prices shown on the on line catalogue were the full price & when the invoice turned up the prices were lower by my discount.
Masport have a different system and the display price is the discounted price .

Gold members get 15% at $12,500. That's going to be easy peasy next year. Titanium, is my goal. But after I get my legal stuff, and at least signed on with Oregon, who knows.
The building I'm in, doesn't have room in their "lobby" to make it much of a store front. It's like 12X12. If I had that, I could put a lot of product in there. Blades, filters, etc etc.

 

[Hammermechanicman]

Years ago i tried stocking blades and filters and a few other things for retail. Didn't work out well for me. Being a small repair shop and not a store front just couldn't compete. If somebody wants something i have on hand i will sell it to them. Biggest thing people want is a spark plug or a piece of fuel line. Not a lot of markup there.

 

[PTmowerMech]

Years ago i tried stocking blades and filters and a few other things for retail. Didn't work out well for me. Being a small repair shop and not a store front just couldn't compete. If somebody wants something i have on hand i will sell it to them. Biggest thing people want is a spark plug or a piece of fuel line. Not a lot of markup there.

That's the way it's always been for me. But my shops were always at my home. The only thing I worried about was getting the shop organized that made my job easier.. But with location in town, visible to thousands of people per day, I'm wasting a LOT of profit by not having a big supply of parts. I have two competitors in town. One is down a farm to market road away from everything. But he's the best in this part of Texas.
The other shop, is fairly hidden. With very little room to park. The cops are always getting on to his commercial customers for parking out front of his store, on the road. (in a school zone).
I'm at an intersection (on the corner) where two state highways come together. Neighborhoods behind the gas stations and donut shop. Plus a pawn shop beside me.
The guys who run the tire and brake shop in this building are as lazy as the day is long. The only reason they're still in business, is because the shop is paid for. And they don't have to do anything extra. If their shop makes $100 a day, they're good. I wished I had that side of the shop. But the owner said he'd sell it for a million. I can't afford that right now, Not even close.

P.S. I just looked in the waiting room, and one of the hands is asleep on the couch. It's 10:30am.