ol_seabee

London bankers who represent europes royal families created freemasonry to help run their colonies

They have retaken America as a colony

This site sucks now

Joe airport is just another blame America first ignoranus[:@] who doesn't realize that even chevy and ford cannot survive in a debt based money environment

The bankers have the power now

freedom my ass

jedijody

My Feedback: (1)

I didn't say that DLUSA is out of business, but that that is what I have heard. I don't know if Bob is still operating the business or not, I'm to chicken to hit the "Buy Now" button and wait to see what happens. Regardless, many of his former customers have been left out in the cold, I have been honoring the warranty for those people that need that service. The factory is aware of the situation and has been very helpful with it.

captinjohn

Why do I get the timed out thingy...and loose my post I was going to make????? Capt,n

Evil_Merlin

My Feedback: (13)

A few of the fine folks over at RC Scale Builder are building, from scratch, fully scaled retracts for the D.A. Ta152 (the 1/5th scale). You may want to check it out. I have the plans and a short kit, but way too much stuff to do before I get to it!

Jake Ruddy

My Feedback: (40)

Sometimes if you type a long post or take some time to think what you want to say it will time out. I get that from time to time. I believe its 2 mins, maybe 3.

Best thing to do is to hit back on your browser, copy and paste everything you wrote and then hit reply to the poster. The time will start all over and you can cut and paste it back in and continue on.

NM2K

My Feedback: (14)

Businesses serve only one function. That function is to earn money for their investors. Altruism, patriotism, etc., are not a part of that equation. To expect a company to behave in a manner that threatens the company's existence is being unrealistic.

However, our government can put into place laws and regulations that provide tax advantages for businesses that provide beneficial behavior for our wonderful country. It is the job of John Q. Public, U.S. Citizen, to ensure that our Senators and Congress Critters behave in a manner which facilitates behavior conducive to the creation and deployment of USA benefitting rules and guidelines - not Tower Hobbies.


Ed Cregger

TURBINATOR

If everyone will please turn to page 202 in the new Tower Hobbies catalog, it states that each DL engine undergoes an extensive quality control inspection at DL-USA's Texas facility before it reaches any hobby customer. Obviously, Bob at DL USA has sold out to Tower.

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

Sounds like another Moki affair like Horizon went through some years ago?

TURBINATOR

So much for supporting the little guy, obviously they are more concerned with lining their pockets than customer support. Whoes next?

YogoBlue

My Feedback: (17)

Jodi?????

Tired Old Man

My Feedback: (1)

Sorry folks, but if I went into the engine business it would only be for the money, and there's not enough of it in hobby engines to justify the effort. The old term for "love or money" is to me a little lopsided. Love won't pay the bills.

If ya'll think Valley View will continue doing all the free warranty labor on engines sold through other vendors with their fast turn around time once Tower starts selling them you're not thinking straight. About the time Tower's engines start hitting the market I expect to see Valley Veiw wanting to verify where the engines came from before working on them. No point in servicing Tower sales unless Tower was to work out a service contract with them. Even then it would be a money loser since just about all warranty claims are performed at a net loss to some extent.

JOHNS3D

My Feedback: (5)

T.O.M is 100% correct.

sodbuster 1

this is just a guess, and maybe WAY off, but think about it......

I'm thinking the name change from DL to DLE was done SOLELY to be able to void any kind of exclusive distributorship DLUSA might have had with the factory.

Think about it.

Bob had quite a run as the only game in town for a while that offered warranty.Other than that you could buy from someone that imported themselves a handful but you got a China warranty.Or you could buy direct from a number of China sellers same deal on warranty.
Kind of seems like when Valley View started selling DL's and offering warranty DLUsa pitched a big enough fit to possibly cause some legal issues.Maybe a fit big enough to cause the name change.
Now that the name change has happened all of a sudden EVERYONE's carrying them and offering warranty.
My guess is that the factory got wise and figured out DLUsa was just too small to produce the kind of sales they really want. They want big players that can move big quantities

Unfortunate . That's just going to mean one price from Tower. List .
A slightly lower price by their dealer network ( to keep the dealers from screaming " It's unfair that we have to compete with you, the distributor!!!") but be assured they will all have to advertise at the same price.

So Tower/Great Planes decrees, so you the dealer shall do!!
Now kiss my feet lowly dealer, and thank me the distributor for ALLOWING you to sell my product!!

Now had Bob been a better businessman, taken more of his profits and reinvested them into advertising more, or making some kind of distributorship pricing deal with the dealers,
THIS MIGHT NOT HAVE HAPPENED!!!!

Silly Bob, business with the Chinese is not for kids.....

ol_seabee

I'm outta here

Don't care much for perfectly normal posts being deleted.... and by a foreigner moderator at that

JNorton

My Feedback: (2)

Now that is pure conjecture. I was very pleased in my dealings with Bob.

I understand what you're trying to say but we don't know what happened as Bob hasn't been on here in quite a while.
John

NCFlash

Gents,
Tower is just practicing that grand American tradition...Capitalism. As a free person you may choose whom ever to buy your goods and products from, another grand American tradition. Some folks will go for bottom line price while others look for service but keep in mind, without competition we'd all be driving Fords!
I certainty appreciate those that support their LHS and suppliers but don't bash Tower for trying to get a piece of the action.
I think it's safe to say with out the large retailers such as Horizon Hobby, Tower and others our hobbie would not be as technologically advanced and as popular as it is today.
Thanks for the soap box.
Fly safe,
Flash

nonstoprc

My Feedback: (90)

Both DL and DLE engines are manufactured by DLPower (http://www.dlpower.net). It seems if Bob wanted an exclusive distributorship , he would put "current and future gas engine products" in the contract. DLUSA website lists DLE engines so I think he has the deal on DLEs.

DLPower probably has noticed that their products are made available in US through multiple channels and serviced by several companies, and wanted to expand the business in US, such as through Tower hobbies, as Tower Hobbies is a major RC player in US. The term that the engines will be checked by DLUSA probably indicates that the engines are imported through DLUSA first and then sold through Tower H.

sodbuster 1

[/quote]
Now that is pure conjecture. I was very pleased in my dealings with Bob.

I understand what you're trying to say but we don't know what happened as Bob hasn't been on here in quite a while.
John
[/quote]


you're right it is 100% conjecture and not based on any fact other than seeing how the manufacturer has gone to a much more agressive marketing tactic.

they've outgrown the small distributorship/ small marketing strategy and went with their best bet for mass production and sales.
They plan on and will for that matter most likely end up being the frontrunner in the R/C gas engine business.
They've developed 3 new engines and been able to release them (so far) without creating a backlog issue so they obviously have the means to keep up with the demand.
I wouldn't be surprised if Great Planes has a stake in their business. Maybe even lent them money to ramp up their business.

I have nothing bad to say about Bob as far as his customer service. I only had one dealing with him and it went ok.
All I'm saying is he kind of blew a major opportunity and let it slip into the hands of the behemouth that controls the industry.
Had he played his cards right he could have built quite a distributrship for MANY different items sold at a fairer price as he was the first one to make the connection with this source
which could have led to many more connections.


As far as capitalism and competition goes as one poster said.
Tower taking on this product doesn't help get the end user a better or fairer price OR better service. It eliminates that opportunity.
Why do you think there are so many less LHS's today?

'Nuff said I'll get off my soapbox now...........

As far as them bringing to the forefront new technology.
I beg to differ. They are just a ditributor.
They don't really manufacture anything themselves do they???

Evil_Merlin

My Feedback: (13)

Isn't that the point of business? Make money? Well that and keeping the customer happy. But there is only so much of that you can do. This forum itself proves no matter how good you are, someone always is going to have an issue with what you are doing/trying to do.


The only people that have problems with capitalism seem to be people who don't make money because they cannot figure out they need to work for it. Oh and people like Michael Moore who likes to make stupid, inane movies.

Jake Ruddy

My Feedback: (40)

Guys, I have to remind everyone to move away from the political nature of topic again.


There are very strict policies about that and I don't want the thread shutdown.

YogoBlue

My Feedback: (17)

And those that voted for Obama?[X(]

:UCK:: Here comes the swing!!

YogoBlue

My Feedback: (17)

Sorry Jake Hard to discuss capitalism and free market trade without politics coming up as they tax us on the capitalism

captinjohn

The Moki was made in another country. China I believe will sell the DLE engines to anyone. Cheaper by over 10. Now if dealers want to stay in bussiness...I believe they can...its how they finance things. Capt,n

Tired Old Man

My Feedback: (1)

DL USA never had a lock on either the DL or DLE engine line. Df you were willing to play by the rules DL had in place, you could become a dealer.

At the moment you have three US locations to service a DL engine. Valley View R/C, Wild Hare R/C, and Troy Built. Personally, I'll take care of those that have been going out of their way to take care of me. Valley View has been taking care of DL engines bought almost anywhere and Wild Hare has a solid history of taking care of their engine customers. Troy Built has been making it quite plain that they are there for their customers, and a few that were not.

So it's you decision whether or not to bite the hand that's has been taking care of you. There will be some newbies with no understanding of the way things work that will only be interested in the cheapest products they can buy but those people usually don't go very far in the hobby. They end up restricted in size and performance by their inability to see any value in paying a little more for reliable service and a dealers involvement in assuring a quality product.

YogoBlue

My Feedback: (17)

Agreed!

And really what airplanes does tower sell for either the 55 or much less the 111? (maybe 3?)


If indeed it ends up Bob is doing that.. good for him. Its a smart business decision I think. No one will become well off selling RC stuff. If he needed to leverage the market well more power to him. My concern is that tower somehow leverages DL into making them Tower - DLE's. Then its going to be an issue.

This will also satiate the walmart shoppers that want the "cheapest" stuff no matter the quality. Unfortunately in this instance they are getting "cheap" stuff that actually performs well. In industry that usually equates to a price increase and exclusivity somewhere down the line.