Ordering extra's just doesn't work

[PTmowerMech]

So a month ago, I had a couple of good weeks, so I ordered some extra parts, to help build up my inventory.

Well this week, and actually almost every week since, Seems none of the extra's I ordered, were nothing I needed. Always some odd ball carbs and things of that nature. This past week, it was an odd ball Honda carb on a common Honda engine. Today, it's a common Briggs engine on a pressure washer, with an odd ball carb.

I do like having a growing number of parts in the shop. But that only works when I can actually use the ones I have in stock. lol

 

[Hammermechanicman]

I don't stock carbs like i used to. Just too many different ones. I still have a handful but they are for older stuff. Now i just order as i need. Air filters are getting to be a nightmare too. I stock a couple for all the ones i know i do annual maint on but too many now to try and stock. Spark plugs and fuel line, starter rope and oil filters are about the only things i am pretty sure to have on hand.

 

[StarTech]

Stocking parts can be a crap shoot at first as you got find what out commonly is needed in your territory. Each of our territories is slightly different based on what the public is buying. Part stocking takes experience which you will gain as time goes by.

Since I repair nearly 99 percent of the carburetors I only stock some the main carburetor parts used in my area. Since this year is over sales wise I know I only had order one Honda carburetor and several Stihl Zama carburetors. Just can't justify stocking any of these carburetors.

With the distributors that I have being only one to two days out delivery wise there is no real reason to even stock some items so I have reduce my 50K inventory down to around 33.5K now and probably even less next year. Now common items like belts, blades, plugs, etc (expendable items) I do stock as they are something you must when the customer asks for them on hand.

I actually still got some first stock that I purchase back in 2009 on hand. Learned quickly not to trust the distributor's recommendations on what to stock.

 

[bertsmobile1]

When I kicked off I ordered double of most things I needed ,
BAck then it was better than now as the retail prices were a lot higher so I could add enough mark up to cover the second item and still a little beer money.
Now with all of the E-tailers selling junk on evilpay from their outside toilets margins are squeezed a lot.
I still have to order in parts for jobs but it is only the odd one.
Of the over ordered , I sell about 1/3 as parts and about the same for jobs in house but the killer is long delivery times.
Just waited 7 weeks to get a spindle housing from Jacks
The Briggs stators took 13 weeks
Still waiting for V twin diode looms that were ordered 12 weeks ago, thankfully the diodes arrived in 4 weeks from Hong Kong and thus it goes on.
I carry around 2000 air filters over around 300 different lines .
Don't expect to sell them all every season but as an example this time last year we had bushfires raging all around here and in 2 weeks I did 47 fire pumps.
Could no have done it if I did not have the cartons of Honda & Briggs filters on hand plus the metal cased fuel filters.
Even better is no one quibbed at the price or argued that they did not need a filter all they cared about was their pump sprayed water and I had 30,000 litres in the tank so each & every one was shown to be working.
I know at least 6 customers used their pumps to save their property .
Some of those filters were in the stock I took over when I bought the business back in 2012 & this was the first time I sold one .
Telling a customer you do not have the parts to service their pumps with would not have done anyone any good.
Sold 11 carbs and 13 float bowls .
That was my best months trading ever

 

[bertsmobile1]

Stocking parts can be a crap shoot at first as you got find what out commonly is needed in your territory. Each of our territories is slightly different based on what the public is buying. Part stocking takes experience which you will gain as time goes by.

big snip

I actually still got some first stock that I purchase back in 2009 on hand. Learned quickly not to trust the distributor's recommendations on what to stock.

Yes I know what you mean .
because I did not know, I bought a Champion Popular plugs pack from Stens and an NGK popular plugs pack from RGS
Eight years latter I still have not found out what 2/3 of the "popular " plugs in these packs actually fit but the merchandizers look good in the workshop and does make it easy for me to sell a "spare" plug to most customers

 

[Hammermechanicman]

2000 Air filters! I have maybe 125 and 24 of those are the flat panel for briggs push mower engines. I don't do much over the counter sales. Not sure what happened but most of the people who have me do late season maint didn't call me this year. I mark it up to covid and hope they call me in the spring. I am not even going place a stocking order in the spring. Just going to go with what i have on hand.

 

[bertsmobile1]

2000 Air filters! I have maybe 125 and 24 of those are the flat panel for briggs push mower engines. I don't do much over the counter sales. Not sure what happened but most of the people who have me do late season maint didn't call me this year. I mark it up to covid and hope they call me in the spring. I am not even going place a stocking order in the spring. Just going to go with what i have on hand.

I buy a lot in wholesale quantities so that is cartons of 50, 100 or 144 in order to get them for a price hat will allow me to price match with the on line vendors .
Briggs & Stratton Aust have a very small stock.
Even very common filters are always in short supply, let alone one for a 30 year old 4 Hp stationary engine.

 

[Hammermechanicman]

Years ago i bought a bunch of briggs style foam filters from Foley Belsaw for pennies. About half have decomposed in the packages. Still made money on the ones i used.

 

[Rivets]

Because I also work for a business, my inventory is probably the lowest of all the techs on this forum. I do order some items through them when they do seasonal orders to get a better price. Only have about 5K in inventory, things like filters, plugs, carb kits, oil, etc. Refuse to stock belts, cables, batteries, blades and most things electrical. Actually have 2-3 times more invested in tools than inventory, neighbors say if I don’t have it they don’t need it.

 

[ILENGINE]

Because I also work for a business, my inventory is probably the lowest of all the techs on this forum. I do order some items through them when they do seasonal orders to get a better price. Only have about 5K in inventory, things like filters, plugs, carb kits, oil, etc. Refuse to stock belts, cables, batteries, blades and most things electrical. Actually have 2-3 times more invested in tools than inventory, neighbors say if I don’t have it they don’t need it.

I stock the air filters that I use commonly, and oil filters, oil and spark plugs. Fuel lines for trimmers and lawnmowers. and the fuel filters. Blades, belts, cables etc I can have within a day or two. Seems like parts numbers change every year and what I sold this year may not even be on the radar for next year. Seems like my business and others may be leaning that direction is I am seeing less pieces of equipment but much larger repair bills. Instead of having 4 pieces of equipment come in with $100 repair bills it is now one piece with a $400 repair bill.