Less expensive anodizer

One week after I ordered an anodizier from ReactiveMetals.com, a
friend pointed out to me that Web-Tronics has what appears to be the
same anodizer for about $100 less:

http://www.web-tronics.com/lowcosioubep.html

Lorraine

One week after I ordered an anodizier from ReactiveMetals.com, a
friend pointed out to me that Web-Tronics has what appears to be
the same anodizer for about $100 less: 

Ah, the joy of the internet. A constant, nagging sense that one could
have gotten a better deal.

Elaine
http://www.CreativeTextureTools.com

I originally bought an anodized from a different seller-- same
anodized, less money – though the name was different, the site
looked the same. When something broke down, they couldn’t have cared
less. So I bought the replacement from Bill at Reactive. He stands
behind what he sells. So consider the difference to be insurance,
and decide that way.

Noel

It not 100% fair to compare a very similar power supply with
Reactive’s anodizer. If you are an experienced anodizer then sure
buy a power supply and do it yourself. However if you are experienced
you may want more than a 1A supply.

Webtronics is not going to be really useful when you have questions
about how to use their “anodizer” plus you need to go elsewhere to
get your cathode, anode, etc.

Jon Daniels
The Ring Lord Chainmail

Tis true and you get what you pay for… nothing but the power
supply. No instruction. No support. Every unit we have made for us
comes into the studio and is tested. We test the full output of
each. We then apply a load and run them for 48 hours and then retest.
You can be sure if we are going to send one of these out of the
country we want it to work when it gets there. We have been selling
anodizers since the early 80s. We still provide support for everyone
of them.We get these made for us 100 at a time, it costs more. Sorry,
we do the best we can with the quantities that we can purchase. It is
the nature of a small business. Almost everything you purchase from a
local or trusted business can be purchased on line for less.
Sometimes that’s good, sometimes it is bad. Truth be told, I wish I
could give them away, but we all need bread on the table. Bill

Bill, Deborah, Michele & Sharon
Reactive Metals Studio, Inc

Hi gang,

This thread has brought up an interesting thing: how much are you
willing to pay it forward?

I looked at the bare power supply, and I already have an old London
pattern anodizer I built myself many moons ago. I’m faintly
pondering getting a new anodizer that has better control at the lower
end than mine does. (Mine has a much higher current capacity than the
solid- state power supply, but the SRC’s have better control.
Besides, I want a new toy.) So yeah, I could easily get by with just
buying a bare power supply.

On the other hand, having Bill around has saved my bacon more than
once. Who else is selling reactives at any sort of reasonable price?
Who else is willing to get stuff out to me right now when I’m in a
bind? Or go looking for the weird stuff I sometimes need?

In the same vein, John Frei once sent me a $1500 microscope as a
loaner until they could get the funky one I actually ordered, just
because he knew I was in a crunch to get a set of wedding rings
done. That kind of service buy a lot of loyalty.

Sometimes, it’s worth it to pay a little more to make sure that a
trusted supplier is there for you when you need them.

Regards,
Brian

Truth be told, I wish I could give them away, but we all need bread
on the table. Bill 

Don’t worry, Bill. Those of us who’ve dealt with you in the past,
are already well aware of the myriad intangeble added values you
give, well beyond just the machine. For me, when I bought mine from
you, I’d already seen, and bypassed, a number of cheaper but similar
commercially available units like the one mentioned in the prior
post. In fact, I already had a servicable home built anodizer for
which yours was a welcome but still optional upgrade. What you add,
not just in material, but in expertise, is well worth paying the
extra money for. And in return, even long after the sale, you’re well
known for “going the extra mile” and taking care of your customers
and friends. In the long run, even if you have to sell the actual
anodizer for more than some importer can do, you save your customers
time and money.

And lets not forget, there are a LOT of people who only know about
anodizing at all, because of your decades of promoting it and
spreading the knowledge freely and willingly. And many of those
online competitors out there who managing to beat your price on some
do-dad or other, are only carrying it at all because YOU made it
popular enough to be worth carrying. Those people who jump on those
deals in the end, are not getting a better deal I think…

I’m not saying people shouldn’t compare prices and all. That’s a
necessary part of business. Just recognize that there is a lot more
to the value you get from a good supplier than just the bottom line
price.

Peter Rowe

Thank you, Bill. That was the detailed explanation I was hoping to
see.

Lorraine

Bill, Peter, Alberic, and all

What Peter wrote is so true! Even living far away, I still prefer to
deal with Bill for all things concerning reactive metals (for his
knowledge and for his service). I would also like to include the
people who work with him.

Added bonus: when I’m working on a titanium piece my fellow
colleagues/ friends/students look up to me in awe because I’m the
only one who has this “magic” anodizer. Nice feeling !!!

Linda Savineau (Belgium)