Needing some cheap parts

[StarTech]

I just signed up with Stens. Or filled out their online customer application. From what I know, Stens sells pretty reliable parts, don't they?

Yes to do and sometimes you can get an Stens part that is actually an OEM part but at an inflated price. I have gotten Kohler parts with just a Stens label slapped over them. And recently I was looking for an aftermarket for a Husqvarna ignition switch, basically just to see if could one at a lower cost, when a Stens aftermarket showed up at 5X the price that I could get the OEM part through by distributor for. Also got to watch OEM spec belts too. On my first belt order they sent 4 out that were 1.25" too long(1/2 x 104.25"); although, they claim they were the OEM 103" belts. ON project that was to take 2 days became a 5 day project as I had re-order from my distributor the OEM belts. So for me I need to check every belt that I do order from and not trust their quoted specs will match what they send out.

Just got watch what you are ordering from any supplier and compare. Another example is the 798778 Briggs fuel bowl. Power Distributors in Ohio is wanting $99 for one that any of my other distributors are asking less than $30 for the same part.

 

[PTmowerMech]

Yes to do and sometimes you can get an Stens part that is actually an OEM part but at an inflated price. I have gotten Kohler parts with just a Stens label slapped over them. And recently I was looking for an aftermarket for a Husqvarna ignition switch, basically just to see if could one at a lower cost, when a Stens aftermarket showed up at 5X the price that I could get the OEM part through by distributor for. Also got to watch OEM spec belts too. On my first belt order they sent 4 out that were 1.25" too long(1/2 x 104.25"); although, they claim they were the OEM 103" belts. ON project that was to take 2 days became a 5 day project as I had re-order from my distributor the OEM belts. So for me I need to check every belt that I do order from and not trust their quoted specs will match what they send out.

Just got watch what you are ordering from any supplier and compare. Another example is the 798778 Briggs fuel bowl. Power Distributors in Ohio is wanting $99 for one that any of my other distributors are asking less than $30 for the same part.

Stens selling for more than OEM? How is that even possible? Obviously it's just few parts, not their entire line. But even on those few, doesn't seem like they could do that honestly.

 

[StarTech]

It called suggest retail list price. They sell for whatever they get out of us. Of course it not the whole line they carry as they do have aftermarket manufactures they buy direct from and then package the item in the Stens retail packaging.

For a long time I was having to pay list and resell @20% GPM (Gross Profit Mark-up). Now with most of the distributors I landed the last two years I sell at SRP (Suggested Retail Price). I do; however, have few parts that I still pay retail for so they get the 20% GPM pricing as I give seniors a 10% discount. So I basically take my cost and divide by .80 for a 20% gross profit margin. Say you vendor gives you a 10% discount on parts; you just their invoice to you price and divide by .90.

I honestly don't what going on with Power Distributors since they buy direct from Briggs. All I know is their price file they provided is off by a lot and my rep won't respond to my question why is is off by so much. Any they lost that order this morning as I have two alternate distributor that more fairly priced to me. I also reload the one of hte other distributor price file for the Briggs line that has 55,600 SKU numbers and prices. According to my accounting system there 50,000 items that were over priced and 5600 new items added.

 

[ILENGINE]

Stens selling for more than OEM? How is that even possible? Obviously it's just few parts, not their entire line. But even on those few, doesn't seem like they could do that honestly.

Kohler OEM parts through stens prices, their dealer cost is the MSRP from Kohler. Some Walbro, Stihl, parts are that way also,

 

[ILENGINE]

Yes to do and sometimes you can get an Stens part that is actually an OEM part but at an inflated price. I have gotten Kohler parts with just a Stens label slapped over them. And recently I was looking for an aftermarket for a Husqvarna ignition switch, basically just to see if could one at a lower cost, when a Stens aftermarket showed up at 5X the price that I could get the OEM part through by distributor for. Also got to watch OEM spec belts too. On my first belt order they sent 4 out that were 1.25" too long(1/2 x 104.25"); although, they claim they were the OEM 103" belts. ON project that was to take 2 days became a 5 day project as I had re-order from my distributor the OEM belts. So for me I need to check every belt that I do order from and not trust their quoted specs will match what they send out.

Just got watch what you are ordering from any supplier and compare. Another example is the 798778 Briggs fuel bowl. Power Distributors in Ohio is wanting $99 for one that any of my other distributors are asking less than $30 for the same part.

Doesn't help that Power Distributors is the exclusive Briggs distributor for parts to dealers for the entire USA.

 

[StarTech]

Doesn't help that Power Distributors is the exclusive Briggs distributor for parts to dealers for the entire USA.

Hmmm they might be 100% but I can still buy thru A&I at 20% discount where PD only gives me a 10% off list (trade discount) their so-called list. Even with the 5% discount I get from RBI, they are still way cheaper then PD. And I know most dealers only get a 25% discount as dealer.
Here is the snips that proves what I said about PD prices vs A&I prices.

 

[bertsmobile1]

As Ilengine has already noted, not all parts are available aftermarket and each company will have a different price.
If you end up with a Stens account, see if you can get a hard copy of their catalogue, it is a lot faster & easier to use than the computer one.
This is particularly the case when looking for belts, blades & pulleys as it has a table of them by size.
With pulleys in particular, most now days have a 6000 series ball bearing ( although all catalogues show a double row bearing ) and the only difference between dozens of them is the bush in the center which presses out , and when you have your head around them, you will work out that in many cases you can substitute a more common pulley size for an uncommon thus very expensive pulley size .
That alone can save a lot of money.
Deere parts down here are about 1/2 to 2/3 the price of other brands because their mower division piggy backs on the agricultural equipment warehouse .
SO I buy a lot of genuine JD parts retail cheaper than aftermarket parts wholesale .

Prime Line had the best price on cables , starters & clutches.
Stens are best for belts , pulleys , bar blades ( except the Gator style which are prone to premature flute failure ) & air filters .
Oregon naturally chain saw blades bars chain & sprockets plus Gator blades .
Rotary air filters , oil filters , fuel filter, fuel taps & MTD vari Drive belts .
Where the big discounts come in are the trade packs.
Stens do 12 Packs and Rotary do 36 packs in oil filters so it becomes viable to par it down to 3 or 4 common sizes & buy the big boxes.
Briggs panel filters come in 25 or 50 packs as do several fuel filters

We have swing back blades on walk behinds and the 100 pair trade packs bring the price down to under $ 1.00 pair
Comparred to $ 4-00 to $ $ 9-00 a pair for individual pairs.
I will do 100 to 200 blade changes in a good season

 

[ILENGINE]

I honestly don't what going on with Power Distributors since they buy direct from Briggs. All I know is their price file they provided is off by a lot and my rep won't respond to my question why is is off by so much. Any they lost that order this morning as I have two alternate distributor that more fairly priced to me. I also reload the one of hte other distributor price file for the Briggs line that has 55,600 SKU numbers and prices. According to my accounting system there 50,000 items that were over priced and 5600 new items added.

Briggs corporate sets the MSRP pricing, and then PD gets a discount percentage off of that price, and the dealers get a set discount off of that price. So on a $1 part PD may pay 30 cents and the dealer pays 70 cents. Sometimes Briggs makes some pricing errors, but the last few years I have seen MSRP prices triple on some parts from one years price list to the next one.

 

[StarTech]

Anyway they lost the $200 order that was probably over $400 if I used my PD account; A&I got the order instead. Not paying $99 for a fuel bowl on a $110 carburetor. I got three of the fuel bowls @ 29.80 ea already inbound; I should get them tomorrow. Boy I could make $80 apiece on them if I was greedy.

 

[PTmowerMech]

Well all of that was a friggin nightmare. Trying to match JD parts with aftermarket ones. A trip to the John Deere dealership, I thought, would sort things out.
First rattle out of the box, at the parts counter.

Me: Hello, I'm needing these deck and drive parts for a Scott I'm working on. Model number 1642H.
Clerk: Who makes that? I'm not sure if we can get those parts.
Me: (already thinking this wasn't going to go good)

And it didn't. He finally got the sale manager over (after like 20 minutes) who helped sort things out. But when he printed out the list & cost, (over $200, which didn't include one idler he didn't have in stock). I thought to myself. Well, that didn't work out either.

But in the end, getting back online, with the knowledge you fine folks gave me, I was able to order all the parts I needed online, A couple of them were JD, but the rest were aftermarket. But kept it at about $135.

Thanks again.

P.S. I'm thinking about going up on my hourly rate for John Deere products. Too many hours just looking up and matching parts.