Delta " small Parts" service, not much good in Canada

[Rick]

I have a Delta Jointer and the small spring that keeps tension on the guard needs to be replaced.
I called Delta service in Ottawa, and they said they told me the part is $ 5.19 cents and shipping is $25.00.
I thought i heard her wrong and ask her to repeat..Then i said, are you kidding me.. I am 140 Kms away. She said sorry thats policy.

I emailed Delta in the USA today and got a response right away,

They said they did not realize the shipping for small parts was that far out.They said normally the part in the USA is 2.19 plus 10.00 shipping, but they will just send me one free of charge.

Anybody else have issue's with Delta service in Canada. This is my first Delta part

Rick

[mbowler]

Not really any problems with the service as I live down the street from the service center so no shipping costs for me. The staff are friendly folk. I do have complaints at the prices of the small parts.... and the frequency of which the small parts seem break on my Delta machines. $5.19 for a small spring? At least that is better than the $52 I spent the other day on a poorly cast pot metal pulley for my lathe.

[Vern in Victoria]

I found S&H in Canada is getting rediculous. I've had an item shipped to BC from back East, $5.16, $18.50 S&H. Postage on the package was $2.18. Sure must have been "handled" by a bunch of people!

What ever happened to Canadian Postal Service?

[Legacy]

For something like a spring, you might be better off looking through the miscellaneous hardware aisle at Home Depot, Lowes or RONA. I've definitely seen springs there before. At Home Depot they would be in the rotating displays. Lowes has this kind of hardware in drawers.

It's probably still overpriced, eg $2-3 for a spring, but at least it's local and no shipping. There's also a store called Active Surplus downtown Toronto, Queen St West, a bit further west than Atlas Machinery. They have a lot of electronics surplus, but lots of miscellaneous hardware, cheaper than anywhere else. Of course going downtown costs more, either due to taking TTC, or parking (yikes)

[master finishing]

the real problem is the cost of processing the order. It likely costs delta something in the area of $125 to process, pick, pack and ship your order. They have to sell you the small stuff because you need it but they lose money every time they do.
I have a supplier I buy odds and ends fittings from. they have all the weird stuff on the shelf. their min order is $10. The most I every needed from them was roughly a $1 but I always walk out with a handful of other stuff that is useable so I spend my $10. I have seen some people get really upset but put it in prospective. Someone stocks a product, helps you and does the paperwork for a $10 sale.
Lastly for the record Delta/Pc service has tanked since they were put together with Dewalt a few years ago.

[Vern in Victoria]

True, browsing the Big Box stores can become time consuming though.

[aussie]

Why not try a bearing supply or even a specialty fastener store? Many of them stock various sizes and rates of springs as well as their stock in trade. Take one of the stock springs along to check for pressure, wind and heights - free and compressed.

[Vern in Victoria]

As I said before Aussie, getting out into the city can get very time consuming and a problem for some of us "retired types". Some times that small part ends up costing more than a new unit..

(See Lee Valley is offering free S&H for a time)

Take Care
Vern

Why not try a bearing supply or even a specialty fastener store? Many of them stock various sizes and rates of springs as well as their stock in trade. Take one of the stock springs along to check for pressure, wind and heights - free and compressed.

[Rizak the Really Horrible]

I just got something mailed today from Australia (that I got on Etsy, and the woman refunded me $5 on the shipping bringing it down to $2 FROM THE DARK CONTINENT DOWN UNDER! Sure, it fit into a standard size envelope ... but, still!

[aussie]

I just got something mailed today from Australia (that I got on Etsy, and the woman refunded me $5 on the shipping bringing it down to $2 FROM THE DARK CONTINENT DOWN UNDER! Sure, it fit into a standard size envelope ... but, still!

Oh you lucky lad!

[phil malo]

The problem is also the way they ship the parts.You order a small spring and they send it in a package that would hold 200 springs.
If they sent it in a proper sized package it would cost quite a bit less.
I received some books i ordered the other day in a box that had enough paper around the books to wallpaper a small room.Why,they were only books?????
Canada post is also quite expensive these days.
I needed to send a letter registered the othe day.$8.50 for a normal sized letter in Canada no less.

Phil in Buckingham

[master finishing]

Its actually kind of sad a courier will pick up at my front door, delivery guaranteed next day within Ontario for much less money than Canada Post. I am not even going to comment on Canada Post service

[Pete in Welland]

Lots of times I have found Canada Post a lot cheaper than any of the others. If you are rural and have a PO Box address then the only way is Canada Post.
As for courier don't get me started!
Too late
The last courier delivery i had ignored the sign on the door about where to leave the package. Didn't leave any notice they had even been. Phone me 2 days later, leaves a voicemail saying that as they had tried twice it was now up to me to drive 30k each way to pick up my package. I called back 4 times and still couldn't get a person on the line. They call me again the next day and I was ready. I pointed out that someone had paid them to deliver the package and as such it was a contract they hadn't kept to. So they had 2 choices, either deliver or return. As it would be returned at their cost they lose no matter what. Package arrived within the hour.

[phil]

if you need to go shopping for a spring you either don't take enough things apart or you always get them back together my last resort is always hmm, how many screws can I get from this thing? I always take stuff apart out of curiosity if nothing else. half the time I find it is something I can fix, or at least has a few parts I can re-use. all in all it saves a lot of shopping usually. I love finding ready made collections of screws, nails etc at G sales . Some tend to think of this stuff as junk for some unknown reason.

Phil