# Best price on tools and PPE?



## Kevin (Feb 14, 2017)

Just4FunLP said:


> Where can I get the best prices on voltage-rated tools and PPE. Also, everyday electrician tools. Thanks!


Probably a supply house.

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## paulengr (Oct 8, 2017)

Kevin_Essiambre said:


> Probably a supply house.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G920W8 using Tapatalk


On some things, sometimes true. Sometimes not. Supply houses usually have really good rates on materials which is their bread and butter, and very low margin. But the stuff on the shelves at the counter is often on display while you are waiting for a reason.

One of the sleepers is Zoro. This is an off shoot of Grainger that basically gives you the standard Grainger discount large companies get. They often run 10-20% sales on categories of items. Often that ends up being the best price on tools. But here's a bizarre one. Punch in a Grainger part number on Zoro. If it doesn't come up try few hours later and it often gets added. Zoro numbers ARE Grainger numbers.

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## MikeFL (Apr 16, 2016)

We usually look to tequipment.net first for Fluke & other brands. They have good prices, ample inventory and great service.


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## John Valdes (May 17, 2007)

What are you? Electrician or apprentice? You say industrial. Might help.


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## Just4FunLP (Oct 31, 2018)

I’m technically a Florida Unlimited Electrical Contractor, but I’ve been working in manufacturing plants most of my career. I’m branching out now and need to buy a some items. I have hand tools, but I’ll need a lot of other things as I go along. I was wondering if there are online sources for electrical contractors that have reasonable prices. PPE, knockouts, pipe threaders, voltage rated tools, etc... the prices I’m seeing at most places are ridiculous. Just thought the people on the forum may have some better suggestions....


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## John Valdes (May 17, 2007)

Just4FunLP said:


> I’m technically a Florida Unlimited Electrical Contractor, but I’ve been working in manufacturing plants most of my career. I’m branching out now and need to buy a some items. I have hand tools, but I’ll need a lot of other things as I go along. I was wondering if there are online sources for electrical contractors that have reasonable prices. PPE, knockouts, pipe threaders, voltage rated tools, etc... the prices I’m seeing at most places are ridiculous. Just thought the people on the forum may have some better suggestions....


Thanks. And yes, the members can help you. I also come from an industrial background. Never went out on my own.
Where are you in Fl. I was born and raised in Miami and worked all over S. Fl. for many years.
Welcome to the forum.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

Welcome aboard @Just4FunLP!

I don't think ther eis one specific source for the best prices, if price is your only concern you have to shop things around but the problem with that is the investment of time involved.

For safety equipment (deductible expense) I always shopped at Grainger as they have always been great about having items in stock and standing by their warranty.


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## 460 Delta (May 9, 2018)

I have bought tools from ebay with good success, I know they are used, but as soon I take new stuff from the package it is used also.


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## nrp3 (Jan 24, 2009)

I’ve bought a lot of good used test equipment, meters, etc and tools from eBay with good success. I don’t know that I buy ppe there. That I’d do some shopping and go new. Like others said, I don’t think there’s only one source for everything, especially when shopping for the lowest price


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## paulengr (Oct 8, 2017)

The other thing to consider especially for things like pipe threaders is renting, and job funding. On big jobs you might just go ahead and put the price of the big expensive tool in the price of the job and bid with that. Like if you are bidding on a job with say 100 cables that need lugs then you include the price of the crimper as part of your quote...buy the crimper only if you get the job.


You can also do rental this way but there's another way to look at rental too. Pay attention to how much money you spend on renting a tool such as say a pipe threader compared to the cost of buying it out right. So if the rental cost PER YEAR is say 25% of the cost of a new tool, you'd break even by buying it after 4 years (25% per year) and after that it would be 100% profit. So how do you compare this to your margins? There is an approximate way to figure this out without getting too deeply into accounting. Simply take 100% divided by your gross margin percentage and that gives you a approximately a break even in years. So if your gross margins are 20% then investing in something that returns a 20% return breaks even in 5 years. Using our above example of a pipe threader with a 25% annual cost to rent vs. buy, if your gross margins are 25% or less, buy it and it will pay for itself within 4 years. If it doesn't beat this math, it's cheaper to rent. Those with fancy interest rate calculators can come up with more exact numbers but nothing that is so simple as this that you can do it in your head.


This also doesn't consider cash flow. If you don't have enough free cash to buy the tool then it doesn't matter what your gross margin is. It's just a quick way to evaluate the more expensive tools and screen out the ones that it makes no sense to buy.


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## Flyingsod (Jul 11, 2013)

Online. Never saw anything in a brick and motor I couldn’t get cheaper online. Barring sales of course. Even amazon routinely has better prices. But there’s not ONE place to go


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