Chief Delphi sprockets

[archiver]

Posted by Patrick Dingle at 03/08/2001 9:45 PM EST


Coach on team #639, Red B^2, from Ithaca High School and Cornell University.


In Reply to: Re: WHAT???..
Posted by nick237 on 03/08/2001 8:15 PM EST:



All I'm saying... for us, it is a LOT cheaper to purchase sprockets through SPI when they charge ONLY SHIPPING for them then when we purchase them through another catalog such as mcmaster carr.

That's all i'm saying.

I agree with you, that if you buy a lot of stuff from small parts, then you are paying a lot. But even with the half price I think it's less than through other catalogs.

Let me see if I understand you: You are saying it is cheaper to buy from other sources than buy from SPI with the $200 discount and 1/2 price on the rest? I have looked at other catalogs, and the cost from other catalogs is usually very comparable to the catalog price from SPI.

Now, obviously there is nothing for FREE. Well, there is $200 of parts for free. With this $200 our team purchased sprockets and chain for our drive system. We also purchased a small amount of other parts from the catalog. All in all, we spent about $400 catalog price, but we only ended up having to pay about $120 for all of it... ($400 - $200) / 2 + shipping = ~ $120. Had we ordered from another catalog the same parts, we would have had to pay around $300. Granted, SPI is still benefitting from our team, because the amount they charged us ($120) more than pays for how much it costs them to get the parts or manufacture them.

My point is: Who cares? We saved about $200 by ordering from Small Parts.

Obviously, SPI is in this for money, but who cares? It benefits both them and us.

Now, as I mentioned in my previous message, I see no reason why FIRST should prohibit all teams from purchasing sprockets and chains from other sources.

There are such things as business deals that benefit both sides.

Patrick

: Patrick, Wake up and smell the gear oil.
: We get nothing for nothing in this world and free parts and discounts from SPI is a total smoke screen.
: You seem to forget the $5000.00 entry fee to a regional event for each team.
: You forget that what you do buy from SPI has a value equal by weight to GOLD.
: Two years ago SPI charged our team $17.00 for 20 feet of string at a regional.
: We all pay, and through the nose with SPI. So dont think SPI or FIRST is doing you any favors, they are doing it for $$$$$$$$$
: Disney also reeps their share of our event by overcharging for rooms and packaging park tickets to room rates. Also once in thier hotel system you have to pay their prices for any thing you need to buy as the stores and towns are miles away.
: It costs $4000.00 per team to enter the Nationals, multiply this by the amount of teams going to Florida and your looking at a large chunk of change.
: The fees to the nationals do not include hotels, air fares, food etc etc.
: We the adults students and parents pay this, so dont be fooled.............. FREE HAHAHAHAHAHA.
: NICK237

:

: : I would not mind if they put sprockets & chain on the additional hardware list, however I do not want to eliminate the SPI sponsorship, since they GIVE each team $200 of free parts, and half off on the rest. This is a HUGE assistance to teams with tight budgets.

: : Patrick

: : : Well, I agree with you on some levels. But I do not agree that this evens out the spread between te "super teams" and the rest of us. This is how I see it...

: : : Last year, if we needed a specific sprocket, or pulley, or gear or whatever, all I had to do was open up a catalog, find it, and buy it. This year, we can't do that. However, teams that have access to these various machines, etc, can legally machine their own parts out of kit legal components. At the same time, since my team has no such access, we have to either compromise with something from SPI, IF it is even available, or just ditch the idea right off. Now, to me, this does not seem to be helping that spread, but hurting it.

: : : Just my opinion,

: : : Jason