Equipment: What’s the Value Proposition?
Price vs. Quality. Yes, there is a trade-off!
We’re starting to get the real data now on how the imported refrigeration equipment is being supported. What is it really like to repair an imported unit vs. a domestic?
On a previous blog post I noted that the low price point imports were becoming more popular and many folks were choosing these units over the higher priced domestically produced units.
The rubber meets the road, not when all is calm and smooth but rather when challenges come up. What happens when the unit fails and needs replacement parts and service? What we’ve seen so far is not pretty and we’re seeing the “you get what you pay for” scenario in full swing.
The support for these “cheaper” imported units is substandard and the replacement parts are also not where we would like to see them.
Poor response time, poor tech. support, long wait times for the parts and poor quality parts. The units just are not simply made to last and when parts changes are needed it is extremely challenging to perform the work. We’re seeing is a multiplier of three to four times in repair times of the domestic brands that we’ve traditionally worked on. For example: 15 minutes to replace a door gasket on a True can take as long as 45 minutes to an hour on imports in some cases. That’s significant when you’re paying refrigeration technician rates! Once the part is installed it doesn’t usually fit very well and it’s poor quality so one could expect a future failure much sooner than hoped for. That’s just the easy parts that should not even be an issue. What about when compressors and other significant parts fail? Then it starts to get really painful!
Don’t be fooled by exterior appearance!
Although the imports are tempting because of the low price point, in the end these units will cost more in the long run. The throw away economy is a bad model when it comes to commercial refrigeration equipment. Pay more up front and enjoy quality! Buy American made products for the best chances of success!
With high quality brands such as True, the tech support is as good as it gets and their parts department will send the parts out very quickly! These units will last years when properly installed, in the right applications and when preventive maintenance is performed regularly. Can’t say that about the cheap-O’s out there!
Call Ajax Refrigeration now to purchase high quality commercial refrigeration equipment, including ice machines and reach-ins made in the USA! Our “go to” choices these days are True and Scotsman Ice. We are happy to quote other brands as well!