If you found this article, you may be in need of parts for your heavy construction machine. Maybe you have an excavator, wheel loader, backhoe, or some other type of machine. While there was a time it made sense to get parts from a company near you to save time and money, the ease and convenience of buying parts on the internet has made it less important and cost effective to buy from a local supplier.
According to Lisa Gevelber, Google’s VP of Marketing for the Americas, the number of people looking for products online using the term "near me" to help them find what they are looking for is growing exponentially. Search terms such as "where to buy near me" or "places near me" is what you may have used in your search for construction parts.
Buying parts at a location near you obviously can help expedite the process of getting the part you need quickly. If you need a part as soon as possible because you can't have your machine down for a few hours let alone a few days then getting your part close to your physical location is the obvious choice. If that's your situation, the cost of the part probably doesn't matter. In that case you'll probably end up paying top dollar at your local dealer.
However, if you can wait a few days, the "near me" in your search can actually end up costing you time and money in the end.
In the heavy construction industry, parts originate from thousands of locations around the world. The company near you that sells construction parts most certainly has inventory from many of the same suppliers. Again, if you need the parts immediately going to one of those companies to get the part you need makes sense, assuming they actually have the part in stock. However, if time is not a factor, you may be able to pay less for the same part if you order from another supplier outside your area.
- Your local company of course is selling the parts retail. Because they have a physical location with overhead they need to charge a certain percentage more on parts to turn a profit. This usually means the part will cost more than what you will have to pay from other companies, specifically ones operating on the internet such as ConEquip Parts.
- For instance, a set of aftermarket track chains for a Caterpillar D5H dozer from a parts supplier near you could very well cost about $2,600 each side. That is definitely a nice savings off of what CAT has for their OEM chains for a D5H. However, you likely can get those same chains from a company like ConEquip Parts for about $2,000 each side. The only difference is they will need to be shipped to your location. The one question you need to ask yourself is if waiting a few extra days is worth saving hundreds if not thousands of dollars.
- And here's a kicker; there's a good chance the local company you end up dealing with based on your "near me" search also has to have the parts you need shipped to their location. Once they have you on the phone or inside their place of business and get you to commit to a sale, they could turn around and reveal the parts actually have to be shipped to their location because they're suddenly "out of stock". All along, they were drawing from the same supply line dozens of other companies are pulling from except now you're paying significantly more for the same parts.
The "near me" search result can really get costly when trying to locate used parts. The reliability of used parts from salvage yards is already a risky proposition. Even with strict standards, used parts can be hit or miss. If you limit your search to only companies near you, there's a really good chance you are not going to have success with the used part you get. It's not common for a salvage yard to have a reliable return policy if they have one at all. The chances are good if you end up with a defective part you will be stuck with it.
Fortunately, the internet makes it possible to search salvage yards across the country to pull parts from. Although it's true, you won't be able to see the part first hand before buying it, you will have more options of who to trust. Many salvage yards actually do have a reliable return policy, a good reputation to back them up, and a process in place to make sure you get the right part at the right price. Getting photos and even videos of the part in question can also be delivered over the internet in seconds to your email or via text. Depending on the part in question, this may be enough. You can get a good lock at gears to make sure they're not chipped, video of a running engine to make sure there's no blow-by, or a photo of a bell crank to ensure it's the right one to fit your loader frame.
Using the search term "near me" certainly comes in handy for many internet inquiries such as a good mechanic to take your machine to, but when it comes to your construction parts, searching "near me" is much less important than making sure you find a reliable company ready to sell you the right part for the best price available.
