Is online steel cheaper than a local supplier long term ??

[brewdexta]

These are prices I have been quoted.

80x40 3mm x 7.5M @ £36.00 each
40x40 2.5mm x7.5m @ £19.00 each
50x25 3mm x 7.5m @ £19.00 each
25x25 3mm x 7.5m @ £14.00 each
50x5 flatx 7.5m @ £13.00 each

What would your 40/40 at 2.5 work out at?

I haven't got direct equivalents in my quote however here's some more,
All MS
50 x 50 x 3 RHS x 7.5m = £19 each ( bought 10 lengths)
25 x 25 x 2 RHS x 7.5m = £6.87 each (bought 8 lengths)
20 x 20 x 2 RHS x 7.5m = £7 each (only 1 length)
25 x 25 x 3 angle black x 6.3m = £6 each (bought 3 lengths)
50 x 3 flat black x 4m = £5 each (bought 5)

 

[ukracer]

I'm in the process of starting to make a lot of stuff.

In the past, I'd just buy offcuts from Ebay or recycle stuff for small projects.

I'm now looking to buy in semi-professional quantities.

There are loads of so called "cheap metal" online suppliers and their prices look pretty good.

I'm also lucky to live in the Merseyside region so there is A LOT of industry and a lot of suppliers (Big ship/boat building, repair etc).

My local suppliers don't do price lists as their prices change weekly depending on the market so it's hard to gauge their prices compared to online.

Soooooo...

Any suggestions ???

I am lucky to have had a few mins to look at prices and can safely say you need to beware. Metals4U are carrying out daylight robbery in my opinion. The price I can get 40x40x2.5 is £19 plus vat for 7.5 metres but they are quoting 38.63 plus Vat for a 6 metres length. Stunning really.

 

[ukracer]

1 length of 50*50*3 = £20.75 each we pay. Free delivery

Ouch!

How much would 60 / 60 be from your guy Paul??

 

[steve.h]

It really fishes me off, why cant stockholder be more open, why the need for stupid prices for some and good prices for others, there are hardly any other places that you go and the price depends on if its a hobby or a job or if you look or if you dont sound like you know what your on about.
You wouldnt buy a car and expect to pay more for whatever reason. I understand that prices are always changing. These places would sell a lot more if hobby users were not ripped off and the companies laughing at them, it is wrong and should stop, then the rip off merchants online would be shown for what they are. I used Forest metal as they were really good for the 10 and 12 mm round and square bar and they also do the scrolls and othere items and they are part of a much bigger company, There is a big need for a few more online supplier that dont rip people off, there would be a good turnover to those companies, the postage for my order was pretty good too, it was still cheaper inc postage than my local supplier was quoting.

 

[Welderpaul]

Our local suppliers used to have one person on the front desk for cash customers, One day I went in there having already priced with my normal rep and asked him to do a price (out of a matter of interest) he quoted me 5x of what I was paying with someone else in the same building!!!

Mind they've recently replaced the fierce little Scotsman with something much easier on the eye

Always kid a stockholder that your buying BIG, Next month your pricing 20T of material etc, keeps em keener, know the correct name for all the sections your buying, ask them to invoice to a company sounding name and never ask if it includes VAT as there smell you as Joe public straight away.


Talk like trade, and you would be amazed at the price difference.

BTW Paul what was your stockholder quoting for that ERW??

Agree with that. Always helps to play one off against the other too if it is a decent order. There is always someone who wants a piece of the action to get your trade. Get a quote, knock a bit off, then when one of the others rings up, say can you beat this price. Go back to one of the others, can you beat this....worth going round a couple of times I've saved thousands that way.

I have the ERW price written on me desk pad Matt, i'll have a look next week. 25/26 quid a length from memory.

I once* tried Metal Supermarkets for some 100mm dia BDMS. I wanted 2 600mm lengths. Told him i was trade and to be sensible. Price was twice that of buying a 4m stock length. So if anyone wants a 2.8m offcut they know where to come.

*never again.