Two sides but...local parts stores are dying for a reason

[pentode]

It was Torque Test Channel, I watch all their stuff. Those counterfeits, if you weren't paying really careful attention you wouldn't notice, especially if you didn't have real ones on hand to compare with. Scary where we're at with parts now.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I think Torque Test Channel or one of the popular YouTube channels recently found that many spark plugs they ordered from Amazon were potentially fakes. eBay was just as bad.

Gump, that shipping from 4 warehouses thing is not uncommon. I go elsewhere if that is my only option on RA... but 99% of the time I can come up with an order on there with reasonable shipping and not that BS.

I know others have had issues with RA, and I know I'm probably their biggest fan on TRS, just know I'm speaking from experience. I have probably 100+ magnets on the side of my tool box to prove it. I have had no worse luck with RA than any other vendor. Sometimes you have to shop around though and I'm not afraid to do that - eBay, Amazon, Partsgeek, smaller places (Quadratec, LMC, Speedway,) etc...all great alternatives.

Over a year later and they seem to still be sparkling like they should

 

[rusty ol ranger]

Ive used autozone shipping a time or two.

I needed an air filter for the superduty...rock auto wanted 60 bucks plud like 15 shipping (motorcraft)....autozone had it for 50 with free shipping...my local store didnt have one so i ordered it and it was on my porch next day.

 

[Bigvman54]

I use a local, small independent auto shop to work on my Ranger for stuff I can't do. They source their parts from the local NAPA dealer. The parts are HIGH! I've gotten parts from other sources and brought them to him for work and he has used those (I know a lot of shops probably won't do that). But when you can get an equivalent part off of RockAuto or Amazon for half the cost, maybe even more than half, that's a savings you just can't pass up.

 

[Bill]

I haven't had any problem with Rockauto. They are a drop-shipper. They don't stock the parts. They submit your order to various auto parts warehouses. Often, they are the same warehouses local auto parts stores get their parts from. Not every warehoue stocks every part. If you order 10 parts and all those parts aren't available at the same warehouse, then they come from another warehouse and you will have to pay a separate shipping charge.

But back to local businesses, for me it is a price-balancing act. I'll pay more at a local business if the prices are reasonable. A few months ago I was cleaing up a chainsaw and lost a needle bearing. I tracked down the part number on the Oregon chain saw parts website where it was $9.00. I think the dimensions were 10x10x13 mm, so you know $9.00 is a huge markup. I went to a local store that sells garden equipment, in addtion to selling parts and repairs. They wanted $30.00 for this bearing and bing a very common size, it came in bulk packaging. I declined, and they knew why, and gave me a speech about how much they have to charge to keep the lights on. We all understand, they have to charge more than what is available online. However, that $9.00 I saw on the Oregon website is the MSRP....that is what they suggest retailers charge. And, this shop wasn't selling single-item in a plastic bubble-wrap package. They were selling individual bearings that came in sets of 6. Later that evening I ordered a set of 6 needle bearings on Amazon for $10.

Also, a coworker recently needed an alternator replaced. He didn't want to buy a store-branded alternator and asked about a new alternator. They were going to charge him $419 for a new Bosch alternator. I think it was about $169 on Rockauto.