alcarafa

This guys went out of their minds ?

e.g. OS 46 AX increased its price 23.81 % !!! [:-]
thank god OS is not the only engine on the market.

Another e.g. Super Tigre .40 raised its price 9% [X(]

Here comes the worst glow plugs increased 45.57 % [:'(]
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...2&I=LMA044&P=K

A single OS # 8 glow plug $ 5.99 [&o]

What is happening at tower ??????

longdan

The employees are giving themselves a pay rise maybe?
Or they are making up for lost sales on GMS engines by putting prices up on everything else.

brewski

I can somewhat understand the price increases but what sets me off is how long they are taking to ship items after I place the order. I ordered on 6/26 and they did not ship until 7/2. The are so jekyll and hyde. I like doing business with them but it gets frustrating when prices are up and service seems to be declining.

Mr. Mugen

You aren't kidding. I like them too but this is ridiculous. A cowl for my sukhoi was 9.99 last week....I had it in my cart. Now it's 15.99.....huh? Like 60% more....?? I am growing unhappy with their shipping as well. I ordered on 7/2 and it is projected to get to me by 7/11. I may not be their biggest customer but I know I spend around $8,000 a year with them. Been a customer since the middle 80's....not sure how long I will be if they keep emptying my cart everytime they up their prices....which seems to be quite often lately.

rcdude7

My Feedback: (264)

The guys running my LHS say nearly all the big distributors have already announced price increases. Brace yourself and hold on to your wallets, it's going to be a bumpy ride! [&o]

Tower is just the tip of the iceburg here.

bawls

tower is very slow to ship. I see they've increased their shipping prices to boot.

higher prices+decreased sales=break even?

onewasp

Plenty of other sources guys_____with excellent service I might add and without the mercurial pricing of Hobbico/Tower.

I moved on about 18 months ago, and I'm glad I did.
No, they don't have the Tower/Hobbico branded selection but I found that some previously unknown brands (to me) are better than that to which I had become accustomed.

Perhaps they have forced others to do likewise._____ and become pleasantly surprised.

I see five potential converts right here !!!!

XTOL

I havnt placed an order with Tower since they started
playing the month by month game with the long out
of stock Tower and GMS engines.

In case no one has yet noticed they have pushed back
the Tower 75s to September. That makes it a year now.

8178

My Feedback: (17)

Any imported items are being impacted by the devalued dollar and the price of oil driving up shipping cost. The best advice is stop buying imported stuff and buy from US companies. MECOA makes some nice engines including the RJL line.

freakingfast

My Feedback: (3)

Your right 8178, perhaps we need to rethink our state side engine manufacturers.
MECOA (K&B), FOX, Desert Aircraft, Jett and Nelson. I may have missed a few.
By the way, I have a K&B glow plug “HP type� #3700 that is still running after 2 gallons of 30% nitro in a OS 46 XV DF engine. That’s 34 flights running over 25,000 rpm! The rest of the K&B (MECOA) glow plug line is very good as well.

alcarafa

Imported or not products, dont demand a 24% increase on any engine or 46% on glow plugs this goes well beyond profits, also delivery service is getting worst every time !!!

In my opinion they are taking bad corporate decisions @ th, sooner or later they ' ll regret it costumers are no empty heads, who cant search elsewhere for their needs at lower prices.

They will keep moving prices up, as long as there is someone paying for the prices they ask !

PAPE

Most of the GP planes have also gone up

wjvail

My Feedback: (3)

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_76...tm.htm#7686564

Along the same lines....

Bill

LufthansaCFI

I was gonna buy a GP Super Skybolt, but it went from 259.00 to 299.00 over night! RIDICULOUS.

freakingfast

My Feedback: (3)

In the last few months I've noticed a great decline in the number of buyers at the local HS and much fewer fliers at the field. It’s like a collapse. This is not the time to stick it to the RC'ers. At least half are retired on fixed incomes and in no planning scenario could they have foreseen food & energy cost double in 2 1/2 years. Another quarter of us were just holding own before this all started. Cuts will be made and let's face it, we need to eat and keep a roof over our heads more than fly RC planes. If the RC industry thinks they can make up for loss of volume of sales by getting more for the few they do sell, boy do they have a surprise coming. They and their suppliers should be holding or cutting prices even if it hurts. Modelers may leave the hobby for years or never come back, how many times have we seen this even in good times. Perhaps the rest of the world thinks Americans are still made of money, not like it was just ten years ago.

I’m thinking that I’m like many RC'ers that have been in the hobby for 5 years or more, sure I like that shiny new motor with all it’s fresh power, but I must have 8 good motors in a drawer and 8 kits or planes that could be made to fly, besides the planes that are flight ready. And as for fuel, I just saw a ASP 46 size glow engine run on ONLY gasoline and two stroke oil with only a 300 rpm loss but double the flight time. The mods you ask? It needed full time low current to the glow plug (plug life is good), different fuel lines and higher fuel pressure (case tap+ check valve or fuel pump) because the engine would quit in nose high positions. That’s all I know about that engine so don’t ask for more. I will have to try this.

We can adapt and get creative if we need to.

BlackB12

My Feedback: (9)

On June 30th I put together a 300 dollar tower order. I got all my stuff although a little slower than usual. But the interesting part is a day (month of July) later the prices of literally ALL items on my list had gone up. 55ax engine was on special and I got it for 144.99. It's now 160. Servos went up about 3 dollars each. I guess that's just the way it's going to be.

Mike

JRO

I think Tower went a little overboard on their price increases. As a retired person whose income is fixed, it starts to catch up. I have been in the hobby for 25 years and I have a lot of inventory. Not only Tower Hobbies but everything else, is going up at least in my household. I am no economist but when we keep screwing around with a lot of debt (both country and individuals) and then try to fix it by lowering rates and giving out money, I believe it makes things worse in the long run. I have been retired for 10 years. Growing up I always kind of understood there is no free lunch. Just my opinion.

jeffie8696

OUCH the APC .061 plugs just doubled!

Capt Lou

If you think prices went up, wait until you see the price of glow fuel. My LHS says fuel is going up by as much as 25%. He says there is a nitro shortage.

scratchonly

It's called stagflation; a slowing economy with infationary price increases.

JimInCA

Glow fuel producers better beware of higher prices; it just makes electrics that much more appealing. When it gets to the point where you can get a LiPo for the price of two or three gallons of fuel, you can kiss glow good bye. They may be cutting their own throats in the long run.
Jim...

wjvail

My Feedback: (3)

Deated... I have reconsidered my comments...

aa2dd

I bought a case of 25% glo fuel last May. Paid $68.00 for the case. getting low on fuel again, so Went back to the same LHS, 2 weeks ago for another case, about had a heart attack when the stated price was $124.99!! Soooooo... it's not just Tower. I think we are in for a ruff time from now on. If we want to play, be prepared to pay!!!

Bruce

Strykaas

Yep, time to invade Iran to get cheap oil.

Edwin

My Feedback: (2)

Or switch to gas engines.
Edwin