What Triggers Your Buy/Build Decision?

[Scotty370]

I know in my last couple projects, the reasons varied. On the Grapple/Root rake, It was exactly what I wanted, and not available for purchase. On the Stump Grinder, It was purely cost savings. Now I'm looking to Build/Buy a off-road utility cart, with tadem ATV Tires and rims, but don't think I can beat the price ($600-) of a pre-built! Some of you folks here are "Fabrication Geniuses ", but when you are jobbing out plasma cutting, etc. is the cost saving that big? What 'trips' your decision? Self satisfaction? A better product? a custom design? I alway factor in my labor (of luv) at $0.00 dollars per hour! ~Scotty

 

[jenkinsph]

Sometimes it is cost but usually it is something I want that is specific in some way and it is easier to build it than look for it.

I like to have a project going in the shop at all times and work on it as time permits.


Steve

 

[texasjohn]

Don't forget that Craig's List often has what I (and maybe you) need... maybe slight repair required... but for the right price, doable.

 

[weldingisfun]

Two things:
Need and my wife.

 

[pat32rf]

In the past forty years or so I have had people/family question why I would buy a brand new whatsis and then start welding/cutting/grinding/rewiring on it. So have I. Now I tend to buy/swap for something that needs repair, then rebuild it MY WAY. On simpler things I just start from scratch, adding hooks/brackets where they will be handy but not hang up. (For my use any ballast box should be capable of carrying tools and thermos, have a 2"receiver, tow hooks and a chain hanger. You should be able to lower it to the ground to remove it and use the FEL to hook and transport it)
I will look at new equipment at TSC (or such) and wonder why users would buy it when the faults seem so obvious, then I realize that many people don't require the same ease of operation/toughness/versatility that I like to have.
We used to be taught that "Form follows function". In other words it don't matter how fancy- it had better work well and perform as we expect it to....

 

[LD1]

Sometimes its for cost savings, and sometimes it because what I want isn't on the market. And a lot of the cost savings depends on what I already have in my scrap steel pile.

An example of not having what is needed on the market is the lawn roller that dad and I built just a few months ago. The biggest that we could buy was a 24" by 4ft wide for about $250. He already has one, borrowed from a neighbor, but they arent heavy enough. We tend to drive in the yard when it's a little soft and rut it up, which was no big deal with a little mower, but with a fast ZTR, it beats you up. Also, the thin material of the rollers dent easily if you have to cross the drive.

We had all the steel for the ends, and the toung, and 1 1/2" pillow block bearings, so all we had to do was buy the 1/8" steel to be rolled and a 1 1/2" round bar for the axle. Steel comes in 10ft lengths so we just got a full 4 x 10 sheet rolled which makes it 38" diameter. With no water it weighs about 600lbs, and can hold about 1850lbs of water. It works better than expected. We did have about $350 in it though, but better than $250 for a roller that wouldn't do what we wanted.

As an example of cost savings was the three trailers we built for wood. One is 4' x 8' with 2' sides. Another is 4' x 9' with 3' sides. The third is 6'6" x 11' and doesn't have sides yet, but is wide enough to haul the ZTR on. All three of these trailers were built completely out of the scrap pile. All the square tube and channel and bar grate floors didn't cost a penny. The axles are all out of old P/U trucks. The only cost on the first two trailers was the hitch and jack and welding supplies. Less than $100. The third trailer we had a jack in the scrap pile, so only a hitch and welding supplies.

 

[sizzami]

I build it because I can , I buy it if its just too good to pass up, at this point my buddies always say how come you dont just build it?

 

[cowboy357]

Thats a nice looking roller there LD1 as well as the trailors quite the load You you have on them .

I,m more of an impulse buyer . I only shop on craigslist & when I see a good deal I can use for future projects I buy it , If I can get it delivered . Then I,ll build it if I have to , or use it if its allready what I need , Then resale when I,m done once the projects finished. Bob

 

[LD1]

Thats a nice looking roller there LD1 as well as the trailors quite the load You you have on them .

I,m more of an impulse buyer . I only shop on craigslist & when I see a good deal I can use for future projects I buy it , If I can get it delivered . Then I,ll build it if I have to , or use it if its allready what I need , Then resale when I,m done once the projects finished. Bob

Thanks for the complement.

We definatally aren't afraid to use them. The bigger of the two is only a few years old and has probabally hauled about 40cord of wood. The next trailer will be a dump for sure

 

[powerstroke444e]

Most of my friends and family would say that I need to take up drinking or some other bad habit other than welding.
I ussually either need something no-one makes or I see something someone else built and I try to improve on, then it gets twisted in to a full project.