SpinnerRow

Question about DLE pricing and I'll use the new DLE-20 as an example.

Everywhere I go on the web or to a hobby shop, this engine is listed for $269. Going to Tower Hobbies, I can get it for $219 if I am a member of their Super Save Club ($9.95 per year to join) which I am.

Is the price fixed every where but Tower?

BadAzzMaxx

The price is fixed by the manufacture but Tower gets around it with there super savers club.

They get the engine for a lot less than the smaller dealers and have very little shipping cost for the engines to them because they buy them by the container loads.

Will not be long before they are the only ones selling them and then I think you will see the price go up.

Milton

MetallicaJunkie

they have a 60$ coupon if you spend over 300, what coupon do you have?

JNorton

My Feedback: (2)

Yup - they seem to have done that with most every product they distribute. Once they are the sole distributors up goes the price.

spaceworm

Not a bad business model. They have survived almost everyone else in the hobby retailing market. But, that said, I don't deal with them unless I have to. "Having to" means there is NO ONE else for the product I need, not that they have a lower price. I would rather pay a little more if someone else has the product.

Regards, Richard

Tired Old Man

My Feedback: (1)

I purchase products from Tower rather infrequently and then in very small quantities. I think my last purchase their was almost 3 years ago. Since I fly larger planes I had to find manufacturers of products of much higher quality and reliability.

captinjohn

I hope after Hobby King gets a USA Wharehouse up & running and any and all other Hobby dealers like Troy Built, Hanger 9, Don,s RC & all the product sellers can somehow bring down the Big monoply that Tower has. It seems like Great plains & other big sellers of hobby products are all tied in together in Illinois.

I think they control prices and keep them high because if you look around you can beat Tower,s prices at many small hobby shops. I used to be a long time buyer from Tower...but it is clear that many of the thigs you think is a good deal is not in the long run. There service stinks also if you need any help or repacement of sick items you purchase from them. I sure hope some new places to buy will bring the mighty tower down. Then you will see better prices too. Just face it...they have too much of a monoply going. Not a good thing at all. Capt,n

Truckracer

My Feedback: (19)

And a huge Chinese retailer (regardless of where they warehouse) competing with Tower (Great Planes) will help us how? Oh lets see here, the Chinese company gets larger and the US companies suffer .... not good no matter how large the US companies are.

In terms of dollars spent, I probably spend about 1/4 of my hobby money with Tower. Mostly for Futaba and Hitec servos and related equipment. Back a few years I also bought quite a few OS heli engines. The balance of money going to other online sellers, specialty companies and my local dealer. We have a great hobby shop here in my city but they don't cater to large scale plane builders at all. The owner is a good friend of mine but he only gets a fraction of my business because of his stocking practices. I get tired of walking in looking for something common (like a 22-8 prop for example) only to walk back out empty handed because it isn't stocked.

As far as Tower pricing ..... the discount coupons are always in force so using them makes pricing very competitive. As for service or returning items, every order comes with a no questions asked return shipping label. You don't like something ... return it for credit. What could be simpler. I've used this service several times and have never been questioned why I wanted to return something.

I'm not in love with Tower by any means but they do serve a useful purpose in this day and age.

captinjohn

You can save on that $300 dollar order...but after you get you $300 dollar engine or radio...all the small orders you make to get props ect...you are not going to save nothing. By the time you pay shipping & handling fees it will be more. Other places sell small items with free shipping....not Tower. Plus you got to figre in the $$ you paid to join the savers club. Remember most orders will be nowhere near $300. Wow...crunch the numbers. Capt,n

Truckracer

My Feedback: (19)

The Tower coupons currently graduate from 15% off for a $150 order through 20% off for a $300 order. All with no shipping costs or local sales taxes. An active flyer can easily come up with a discountable order and the cost of the membership is covered in the first order with no shipping costs. They have a good thing going there and I would hate to be a legitimate dealer competing with them. But heck, in my line of work, we constantly compete with online sellers in just the same way so I understand the pain of trying to compete with someone that has little or no overhead.

I'm not a Tower fan club, just stating the facts.

SpinnerRow

Did you see where I said I wait until I have about $150 worth of stuff to purchase before I buy from them? I've never paid shipping on a Tower Order and they don't have "handling fees". I also place seperate orders to maximize the discounts they offer. Earlier this summer I was going to spend a little over $600 on a new plane and everything that goes with it (reciever, battery, servos and engine). I split the order into two $300 orders and ultimately got $120 off of my orders. The prices were on par with anywhere else I could buy the items without the discount but add the discount and free shipping and nobody could touch them.

I was overjoyed to see them offer Aeroworks planes but alas, their discounts don't apply to those. Tower actually drop ships it and charges you shipping. Might as well cut the middle man out and buy direct from Aeroworks in that case.

Like someone said earlier, I've had nothing but good experiences with Tower in the last three years and spend more than half of my hobby dollars with them.

If you are a member of their club, they send you an email with all of the codes for the different price points. Orders of $150 or more have free shipping and they routinely drop that to $99 or more is free.

If Your Order Totals: YOU SAVE Use Ad#
$100.00 - $124.99 $15.00 010BA
$125.00 - $149.99 $20.00 010BB
$150.00 - $199.99 $25.00 010BC
$200.00 - $224.99 $35.00 010BD
$225.00 - $249.99 $40.00 010BE
$250.00 - $299.99 $50.00 010BF
$300.00 or more $60.00 010BG

Octopus RC

My Feedback: (2)

Correctly ! And in China , DLE is stopping offer engines to small company and some other company who is selling engines around the world and damaped their biggest partner`s profile , for example - Hobbycity ~!

Clay Walters

I sure would hate for that to be true since that would be slicing the throats of those who helped you get your start.

I buy locally, from Tower, HobbyKing, and Hobby People routinely. So far, all of them as well as a few smaller vendors from time to time provide discount pricing and better value than average retail around where I live. If a local retailer has what I'm seeking in stock and competitively priced I buy from them. But if they have to order it; depending upon the item I may just order it myself.

Hopefully DLE will continue to sell its products to multiple vendors and leave the market to itself. I personally do not believe in exclusive territory arrangements and feel a consumer should be able to purchase products from the vendor offering the best price but receive full warranty service from the vendor most capable of providing it...they do not need to be the same vendor.

The old "We service what we sell." slogan is a red flag and I try not to purchase things from those vendors when I anticipate I might actually need warranty service. I feel the same about car dealerships too.

Regards,

Clay

jedijody

My Feedback: (1)

You should try to make a living providing products and support in the hobby industry and see if you feel the same way. DLE has ceased selling their engines to all Chinese wholesale and discount outlets.

SpinnerRow

I can only imagine. I bet there is some serious flakiness in your business. I know my local hobby shop owner was seriously pissed about the prices when I told him.

I wish I had the money to buy more from companies like yours but alas, my funds are limited and I have to get the goods the best and cheapest way I can. Otherwise I would have to give it up altogether.
Why is that? Better price control?

jedijody

My Feedback: (1)

The largest markets are not in China, customersupport and satisfaction is the key issue and very low from the Chinese wholesalers. The largest retailers have been pressuring DLE to do this for years. It may also have been a part of the agreement with Great Planes.</p>

captinjohn

Something sure went wrong years ago when big outfits took over. I bought many engines from Indy RC at great prices. My first G38 was $89...now about 3 times that. My first G62 Zenoah was around $170...now more than double that price. I bought several Supertiger engines at very good prices. Now the big time monopoly companies raised the prices on anything of high quality. Then RC radio brands (some) &amp; others keep making there Radio systems cheaper. Remember the old Gold case radios...the gimbles &amp; batteries was far better quality. Its the same old story...the big companies want to make a killing or just close the doors. The big places just keep that margine of profit as high as possible...more in there pocket. Capt,n

Edit: Removed a certain brand.

BadAzzMaxx

The sad part about the whole deal is the big boys waits until a product has been proven by the hard works of other people then when the product has had most of the bugs worked out they make there move.

Now if history repeats itself in probably two years the big boys will have total control over DLE products.

This is what Sears used to do years ago and Home Depot still does this also.

They will enter into a exclusive contact with them and guarantee them to sell say 2,000 engines a year at say $160.00 each, DLE thanks that is great dealing with a big company with a guarantee to sell more than they have ever sold. (All your eggs in one basket)

Now DLE sets up to manufacture that many a year and have a heavy investment in doing so.

Next year time for contract renewal, They tell DLE they want to renew there deal but only will pay say $120.00 per engine, DlE knows they can produce them for that price but with hardly any profit, But if they do not agree they have a lot of debt to cover from expanding to meet the first years contract and will go under if they do not agree to it.

So the big boys say no problem we will take it over and cover your debts.

So I hope DLE can see this written on the wall and always keep a good back door open for options.

Milton

hairy46

My Feedback: (1)

When ready I will order from Valley View RC, I have the super saver membership with Tower but that said would rather pay just a bit more and get the backing that Valley has! It will be my first gasser so allot of questions I am sure will be asked by me! Tower has my glow needs met and Valley will be my gas engine shop, They for sure have earned my respect!

SpinnerRow

Survival of the fittest. Sucks yes but that is the way it is and why companies like Tower have been in business for decades. I have no vested interest in Tower hobbies whatsoever and if someone else could beat Tower's price, I'd buy from them. It is that simple for me.

DLE, like any other company, needs to make wise business decisions or they will get caught with their pants down and find themselves out of business or owned by someone that makes better business decisions. I find no fault in that.

If DLE prices skyrocket, I'll quit buying them and buy the new/next three lettered brand engine that comes out with a better price/power/reliability and start the process all over again.

Valley View is a class act company. I've bought a few things here lately from them. After the new year, I'll order a JBA 15G and a 42% opto kill. Gotta finish the plane it is going in first.

captinjohn

A company is about as good as it words. I seen Tower had started to sell Aeroworks airplanes at a good price. I called about one for my DLE30 but they was out of stock. (sound familiar? ) I asked if they would be at he same price for a couple of months...which they replied...sure will. I called not even a month &amp; 1/2 later....you gussed it....the pricewas thena lot more. What appeared to be a good deal vanished....Puff! Capt,n

SpinnerRow

Then don't do business with them. That's the power you have as a consumer. Every hobby company is going to have a horror story about them floating around out there some where. Any of the up and coming hobby related companies would be VERY happy if they could have the success in the next 10 years that Tower has had in the last 40.

From what I've been told, Tower doesn't stock Aeroworks planes. They drop ship them from Aeroworks and from the few times that I've looked, they sell the planes for the same price as Aeroworks. At that point why even go through Tower? Just order directly from Aeroworks.

GerKonig

Remember the first batches of Hangar 9 Piper Pawnee ARF, around $180, then they run out of them, and when they re-stocked they went to around $240. Great planes run out of the Hawk Biplane ARF (great plane, I have one), and now they will come back. I bet at a higher price!

Sad but true...

Gerry

Truckracer

My Feedback: (19)

I believe those Aeroworks prices were set by Aeroworks, not Tower. They have specials and sales from time to time, just like the one set to expire tomorrow. At any rate, the Aeroworks prices at Tower are exactly as listed at the AW website.

tony0707

HI

SO AFTER ALL THAT-were can i get a DLE 55 0R a DLA 56 and now a DM55 for the CHEEPEST POSIBLE PRICE SHIPPED TO ME ??