TEW Apparent Closing

[KE4AVB]

Well folks looks like we or at least I have lost one of our good part suppliers. Tulsa Engine has apparent closed up shop. Now this could be a hack of their website but only time will tell.

I had been doing business with then since 2009. They were my biggest supplier of OEM parts so I hate to see them to go. Funny that for the last couple weeks they were closed down for inventory and wasn't processing new orders, now I might know why.

So kinda glad that at least my business is near a stand still right now so I can look for new sources for Husqvarna and MTD parts.

This the message when I went to login on their site this morning.

We would like to personally thank the thousands of customers over the years that have supported our business.
Due to current market conditions beyond our control, we have decided to close our store.
Thank you for 20 great years !

[acscolo]

I too have been doing business with them for a long time. Yesterday I signed on to their web site and got the message that they were closing. I hope someone takes over their business. They were a good source.

[bgsengine]

It isn't a surprise to me I'm working on plans to follow in their footsteps.. All you really need to know can be summed up in 3 things.

1) have a look on ebay and amazon and see the HUNDREDS of sellers selling knock-off chinese parts of all the more popular and fast moving components (Example, briggs plastic float carb for the new models , dealer cost $25-$30 , chinese vendors (and people that know nothing about this business and buy in bulk off alibaba from those chinese vendors) selling them (often with plug,air filter,fuel filter and stuff thrown in to a bundle) for $19.95 a pop.. common briggs air filter, OEM dealer cost $2.40 or so, and they are selling knock-off aftermarket filters in packs of 10 for $5.99 with free shipping..

2) Trade wars - tariffs hitting many OPE manufacturers (aluminum, steel, components,etc) we got a notice recently from Briggs distributor warning that annual parts increases may potentially be much greater than normal.

and 3) ever increasing costs of labor (employees) , insurance, shipping, packaging, on top of declining margins , lots of shops (their customers) closing down too (again have a look on ebay at all the sellers selling off closeout buys from closed dealerships) - razor-thin margins on new product causing many dealers to close down, (and distributors and manufacturers requiring dealers to book and order more and more,while less and less is being sold in stores,because everybody buys the cheap junk from Home Depot and Wal-Mart and Amazon) - a group I am in for professional landscapers, etc -constant posts in there for pros looking for best price on common consumables, rather than going to their local dealer.. It is no wonder so many shops are giving up on this industry.

The small one-person repair shop that runs a lean inventory and does repairs only looks to be the future of the OPE business.. just wait and see,eventually manufacturers and big box retailers give up with repairs and just give replacement units for warranty claims, and liquidate the old ones as "customer returns" for online vendors to fix up (or not, in many cases) and re-sell the units. Only the big (multi store, multi-million dollar) dealerships will see much luck.. Manufacturers will have to resort to selling their equipment in factory outlets, otherwise..

I'll tell anybody that asks, if someone came by the shop here with a couple big u-haul trucks (or a 53 foot tractor trailer) and a good bank check for $185,000.00 I'll help em box up and load the whole nine yards (almost a half million at retail including storage and tools) that very day, and call it a good deal all around.

[KE4AVB]

Yes that Chinese junk is a real problem when it comes to repairs. I got potential customers wanting to buy the parts off eBay and want me to install them for free. You can guess what suggest for them to do which is to buy their own tools and do the work themselves.

I had one customer a couple weeks that want new blade and gauge wheels. When I call when the repairs was done he hit the roof saying he could get the wheels and blade for $6 a piece off Ebay. He raise so much sand that I removed the new wheels and put his old one back on.

When came to pickup his mower he wanting to know where new wheels were as the old ones were on his mower. I said "Well sir you didn't want the wheels so I sent them back to the distributor." Actually I still got the wheels as I can't return them due they were installed. I was a little pissed for having to dig the greasy trash can to get the old wheel out.

I am kinda lucky as my inventory is down to 21K now as I have been limiting my walk behind part purchases as they are nearly non-exist repair wise. I am planning to lower it even more. And you're right about me when it come to sales now I rarely fix up any mower or other equipment for sale as they come in and low ball me right off saying they pickup a mower at yard sale for a lot less.

[38racing]

Been about a year since outdoordistributors closed?

[KE4AVB]

Actually been close to 2 yrs now. They closed November 14, 2016. The site is left up for informational purposes only. At least they thought enough us techs to leave the info available.

[38racing]

Actually been close to 2 yrs now. They closed November 14, 2016. The site is left up for informational purposes only. At least they thought enough us techs to leave the info available.

Actually some links I had to their stuff have 404d.

[KE4AVB]

It probably the suppliers that they linked to has gone offline too.

I actually expect more things like this to happen as the industry shifts sideways. As Brian said from actual customer support to non-support otherwords like a lot of Chinese equipment where you can't even get parts for current equipment. I have already seen a shift from individual parts to assemblies only. This is very frustrating to me as I usually know what wrong with an assembly and just need something like a gasket or o-ring to make the repairs.

[Arkie]

One of the TEW stores in Okla closed about 2 to 3 years ago.

TEW was really good for supplying/suggesting a new engine to replace the NLA engine. (with minimum mods to do the replacement)

and I must admit that I get lots of parts from flea bay and quite often have to just throw it in the trash.

(for example Foreign junk (not just china only) can hit when you least expect such even on seemingly minor stuff) I bought sack full of suppose to be Briggs red fuel filters from ebay and after installing one I noticed fuel slow dripping sometime later, installed another, few days later same results, Got my vac/pressure tester and started testing and every one would not hold a vac or pressure at the seam of the two halves and even worse after the plastic body was gently pressed. Tossed all in the trash can and was thankful the equipment was outside and not inside to cause a burn down.

[KE4AVB]

That when I got transferred the Fla store right after I moved to Tennessee. It just leaves me hunting a supplier for MTD and Husqvarna parts that has both good pricing and turn around times.

One of my vendors suggested contacting Husqvarna customer support but that won't work as that is Dixie Sales and their sales rep has refused to come out and he lives with 25 miles of me. Actually in Fayetteville, TN.