5 Tips for Buying Industrial Parts
From warehouses to processing plants, the need is great for industrial parts and accessories. But what if you’re confused by all of the options out there? How can you be sure that you’re choosing the right products for the right prices? If you’re in the market for industrial parts, here are just a few ways to ensure that you don’t buy a lemon.
1. Start With Brands
While you shouldn’t buy something based on logo alone, it can be a good jumping-off point if you’re completely new to the world of industrial parts. Look at which brands are the most popular or the most affordable. Find the ones that have been in the business for years and have a good reputation among customers, clients and companies.
2. Limit Your Search
Once you’ve made a shortlist of potential brands, narrow down your search to the specific products that you need. The company offering the best prices on dust excluders might have a limited supply of quick exhaust valves, or the brand with amazing drum pumps might have poor digital gauges. You won’t know these things until you start comparing and contrasting individual items.
3. Know How to Shop
There’s a difference between suppliers, manufacturers and retailers, and it’s important to understand them if you want to get the best deal. Don’t be afraid to call up companies and ask them direct questions about where they get their products or how they make them. Forewarned is forearmed.
4. Give Yourself a Price Range
Instead of a rigid budget that you may or may not adhere to, create a flexible price range between “what I’d like to spend” and “what I don’t want to go over.” This will allow you some wiggle room as you juggle things like prices, shipping costs and potential installation fees.
5. Get a Guarantee
What kind of warranty comes with your industrial product? Can you extend it with an additional fee? What’s the replacement policy like? If you have to send the product back, will you be responsible for return shipping costs? These are all important questions to ask before you sign on the dotted line, so don’t be shy.
Whether you’re looking for parker valves or pneumatic manifolds, these are just a few ways to make sure that you’re buying the right product for your needs. After all, it’s better to do your deliberations now than after you’ve already parted with your hard-earned money!
