Deals at woodworking shows

There is usually some type of deal with local distributors to offer "show specials", which may include some equipment combinations that are attractive, but for single items, the prices are not all that great of a savings, IME.

AAMOF, at the Houston show, most of the power tool prices are pretty much what you will find on the Internet, plus you have to pay 8 1/4% tax plus the cost of parking and admission.

There can, however, be savings on items like bits and blades, sand paper, other expendables and, of course, those countless little items that make a woodworker's life more pleasant and Lee Valley rich with my money.

The advantage of the shows are that everything is one location, and you get to practice self restraint by resisting the temptation to buy all the neat things you've heard about, and some you never dreamed of.

Also, there may be more than one organization putting these things on, so YMMV from one to the other.

I've saved a bit here and there. I just got the Powermatic BS for $765. I think I told someone the other day I got it for $749 (my mistake). Anyway, I've gotten some deals, and I've passed up a lot of stuff that wasn't any cheaper. You MUST know your prices before you walk in there. Buying on the 'net with no tax AND no shipping will meet or beat lots of the deals they have. But there's not much more pleasure than finding a tool you want a walking away with it if the price is also right.

Things I got ok prices on include

PC557 Fein vac Powermatic BS Bessy clamps Forrest Blade CMT router bits

some of the stuff wasn't a GREAT deal, but those items were at least a BIT cheaper than elsewhere.

Good hunting!

dave

RRhodes wrote:

geez, I forgot the biggest expenditure at the shows: the Woodpeckers table/PRL/Incra Twin Linear. Blame SWMBO for that one. I was gonna pass, but she wanted me to get it, so what can I say??

dave

RRhodes wrote:

In October I picked up a LE Unisaw at a show that Amazon was selling for

RRhodes wrote:

My experience with shows (and I've been to about 6-7 of them in two parts of the country) is that most of the deals tend to be on small accessory items. I've gone to all shows in the market for floor-standing cast iron and have left with tool lamps, circular saw blades, and router bits.

Anyone have info on where upcoming ww'ing shows might be and when? Is there a website that would have this info? I did a quick google but didn't find much in my neck of the woods (Upstate NY)

she darned near broke my arm! :)

NOT!!!

dave

George M. Kazaka wrote:

I don't know whether all woodworking shows are alike (I suppose not) but around here the local ww'ing club stages a show each year and I've gotten some pretty good deals at them. Last year I bought a Delta BS for (IIRC) about $150 off the normal street price, + $50 rebate + free delivery.

My advice is to be patient. It may drive you nuts, but it could pay off big time.

-- jc Published e-mail address is strictly for spam collection. If e-mailing me, please use jc631 at optonline dot net

You do know that sooner or later you will have to pay her back and with interest

yeah. the deal is a new kitchen!

dave

George M. Kazaka wrote:

I got $200 off retail selling price (not suggested but actual selling price) of my LE Delta Unisaw a year and half ago.

I got no discount on my Precision Router Lift bought at a show.

I think it just depends. I would ask the local distributor if he expects a discount.

Good luck!

Rob

Ahhhh Women where would we be without them, Let her know I'm glad she didn't let me down.

I won't place any bets on that, George. I'm pretty slow, and we are still in the thinking stages about layout. I'm hopeful that we can incorporate the dining area into the kitchen so as to install a lot more cabinets and have a lot more counter space. My neighbor just had her kitchen done in a larger layout, but her floor plan is just a tad different than ours, so I can't match hers exactly, but I'd sure like to come close to it.

dave

George M. Kazaka wrote: snip

Where are you in upstate NY? If you are near Saratoga Springs, there is an annual woodworking show in March at the City Center.

Bill

I went to the Woodworks show in Ft. Washington PA last month, after planning for some time to buy a new jointer and planer, and got the Delta 15" stationery planer and DJ-20 jointer for amazon.com pricing, and they threw in mobile bases for both (@$80+/- or so each), a dust hood for the planer, and since the planer was one of them "X" versions, I got a coupon for a free PC 690 router to boot. With the freebies I did slightly better than internet pricing considering sales tax, and had the toys in 4 days. The local dealers sometimes get incentives to match or beat internet pricing from the manufacturers, according to the sales guy I bought from. As they say, your mileage may vary, but do your homework on pricing, and you might find a good deal - if your goal is to save $200 off of internet pricing, I'd forget it, but $200 of normal retail, yes, that's doable depending on what "retail" is. In my case it was worth holding out for the show. Some say wait until the last day of the show, when deals are presumably better, but in my case given what I was buying I didn't think that would matter all that much. good luck

I got a really good deal on my Jet contractor's saw a couple of years ago. At the time Amazon was selling it for $549 after the rebate. I got it at the show for about $479.

Dick Durbin

Rarely. At this year's one in Denver - the DeWalt plate joiner was $99. A good deal, IMHO. But I also wanted a WWII (show price $95, same as Internet price), a band clamp (was $2 cheaper at BORG), etc.

You have to factor in tax, then factor out shipping. I decided to go on Friday, do some research on Saturday and then return Sunday to buy.