http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXMZS1&P=7 i checking to see if the sold carb kits and found that one...... i can get that same kit for about 10 bucks

Well, they did go to the trouble of taking out all the rest of the parts that you don't need. I mean, that's gotta save you some refuse fees right there.

Dealers pay less than half retail, which in the case of most small carbs, is $10 or less...The diaphragm only kit is even less than that...

They aren't crazy, just cold blooded.
The people that buy these are the ones that are crazy.

Darn! I was going to say that!

No worse than $60.00 for a ignition sensor and $250.00 for a ignition.

But right, there is still crazy people buying them.

Milton

Tower is counting on all the new people buying their gas engines without any idea of how they work or how to find parts. So they come back to the motor seller when something goes wrong because they don't take the time to use the web to get the info. Can't blame Tower for making the parts available.

u hit the nail on the head ect

$7.99 at Horizon

http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products...ProdID=ZEN2372

Look at it this way, Tower is always good for a chuckle or two when examining their pricing.

I'm a capitalist. The wife and I own a small business. I do believe in the old addage of, "Charge what the market will bear". Why sell dozens of an item for little money when you can sell and handle just a few items for much more money? I haven't found a product in our line up that would permit me to do that. I'm jealous.


Ed Cregger

They are selling a new carb for less than that

Could be from encouragement from their "repair department".[sm=49_49.gif] Make it easier to replace than repair.

That is an HPI part. We do not service HPI. They set the retail price, which is shown as $47.00 on their website. Here's their web page:

http://www.hpiracing.com/products/en/15466/

Tower gives it a discount similar to the discounts they offer on other parts and accessories.

Only thing HPI does is buy it from Walbro for about $5.00..

Gotta love those several hundred percent markups [:@] I've seen it on contractor bills too; it's usually on those little parts where you don't notice it as much...

oh well, buyer beware. also, it's good that stuff like that comes out on these forums; sometimes, there is good info here

I have to agree that the price charged is a bit high, but having been a small businessman myself, I also have to agree with what Ed Cregger says. It's not just the spread between cost and selling point, but all those other pesky overhead costs like employees (gotta have 'em) their benefits, buildings, those PITA IT departments that take forever to get little things done, inventory carrying costs, insurance, tithes to Caeser...... you get the picture. It never ends. I always try to buy my stuff local at the LHS even if he is a little higher because I know how thin the margins are. It's worth it to me to have him close and open!

Mike

[&o]

id rather have a reasonable markup and sells a lot more than 1000% markup and only sell a few and look like a greedy a-hole dealer

I would suggest that if Tower (Great Planes, Hobbico, etc.) is going to be in the gas engine business they simply sell the Genuine Walbro carb gasket and rebuild kits under their own name. Prices should then be in line with any other on-line sourch.

For the record, Horizon has the K10-WAT kits as follows:

http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products...ProdID=ZEN2372

These fit most WT series carbs and the prices are not out of line.

MetallicaJunkie,

I will come to the defense of Tower here.
As Bax said Tower does not set the price of this product it is set by HPI, the manufacturer.
They are most likely offering it as a courtesy.

I have seen almost every product sold by Dubro, Sullivan, Harry Higley, Robart, Goldberg,and others
sell for less from Tower than the original seller.

"Trash talking is the domain of mediocre minds"

Good Day Sir.

Happy flying, Oscar

Tower Hobbies is not really saving you much in the long run. By the time you pay the super high prices for your repair items it bumps the cost of dealing with them too a much higher level. Then a lot of items they will not replace if bad...like the Futaba rec pack I got when I odered a Radio system from them. They wanted to charge me $26 to get my battery pack back from them. They are crazy. I paid shipping to send it too them. Cost on shipping should bevery low...but they want $26 to send same battery back too me. They said it was ok....NOT...the battery pacwould go real low in a day or so. Junk that cannot be used in any airplane. That is when I quit doing any business with them. If they made it right....I would buy certain items yet. Items that are not electrical or anything that does not need a warrenty I may buy. Its Tower Hobbies call to make it right...but I bet they never will. Capt,n

Tower has far more purchasing power than HPI, if Tower wanted they could package their own Walbro gasket kit as HPI did , 100 of times cheaper than them and sell it at a reasonable price like Horizon

If Tower Hobbies is buying it from HPI at insanely high prices, they really are nuts in that aspect

Wonder just how many they have sold?

They may not set the price but they buy it and pass on the gouge.

Their buyers must be just as ignorant as their service personnel, maybe they're the same. To even offer a repair kit priced higher than the replacement price of the whole carburetor doesn't make much sense.

Reading your sig line I take it you're admitting your mind resides in the domain of mediocrity. Kids and dogs, come on ....really?

If you take what you have in your sig seriously then the trash resides between your ears.