Anyone Been to Grizzly's Tent Sale?

[Guy Roland]

I am interested in a table saw and a band saw and was wondering if it was worth driving from Mass. to Penn. I know I will save $200 in shipping, are there any savings in purchases? Large inventory available?

If anyone has ever been, Could you advise me? Thanks.

If this post doesn't belong here, please move it to where it belongs.

[Anthony Whitesell]

I contemplated the same thing (NH to PA) for a bandsaw. I know that it is a 7 hour drive each way. At 20MPG at 60MPH that's $9 gas per hour or $126 round trip in gas alone plus tolls. Grizzly only wants $94 to ship it, I think I will let them.

[Greg Cole]

Get there EARLY. There'll be guys there all darn night waiting as it's first come first serve. Some even go a day or 2 ahead to see what will be available so they can rush in to get their hands on something specific, like said table saw you mention.
There's usually a decent inventory on hand, but this sale is mostly scratch, ding n dent (some dents much bigger than others...).
I've managed to not go to date, but know a few who have been and I'm not one for a madhouse crowds and that is mostly what keeps me from going.
YMMV.

Greg

[David DeCristoforo]

I didn't know Grizzly sold tents....

[Jeff Duncan]

I've heard pretty much the same thing, huge crowds and guys who wait in line overnight to suck up the best deals.
Yup I'm thinking by the time you drive to Grizzly and back you may save a few dollars. But then again you may go, find out they don't have what you want (I seem to remember more than a couple backorder stories) and drive back empty handed having lost a day and a fair amount of gas money.
Of course if you do get the machines they will weight down whatever your picking them up in, thereby deceasing your gas mileage on the way back. In short how much would you really save driving out there? Personally for under $200 I'd pick up the phone, but you have to decide what's important to you. Heck maybe you'd enjoy going just for the roadtrip and seeing all the Grizzly equipment up close?
good luck,
JeffD

[Guy Roland]

I was thinking road trip. I want two saws plus a piece of furniture I'm ordering in Lancaster with a shipping charge of $185. I thought $350 - $400 in shipping costs of all three items + savings on the tools themselves would be worth while. But if there is a big crowd I'm not interested in that. I may still go to the store to buy them just to see the place but not on tent weekend.

Thanks

[Paul Johnstone]

I was thinking road trip. I want two saws plus a piece of furniture I'm ordering in Lancaster with a shipping charge of $185. I thought $350 - $400 in shipping costs of all three items + savings on the tools themselves would be worth while. But if there is a big crowd I'm not interested in that. I may still go to the store to buy them just to see the place but not on tent weekend.

Thanks

It all depends if you find that scene enjoyable. I go to Hartville Tool's big sale every November partially because I enjoy watching the feeding frenzy.
Then again, some people don't enjoy that.

It would be a fun road trip to look at all the stuff.

In short, I don't think this is a monetary decision. Ask yourself if you'd enjoy the experience. If so, do it.

[Craig D Peltier]

I was thinking road trip. I want two saws plus a piece of furniture I'm ordering in Lancaster with a shipping charge of $185. I thought $350 - $400 in shipping costs of all three items + savings on the tools themselves would be worth while. But if there is a big crowd I'm not interested in that. I may still go to the store to buy them just to see the place but not on tent weekend.

Thanks

Go the same weekend. If you dont like the crowd in tent go inside and buy new?

[Chris Zenda]

I've been to several Grizzly tent sales and have come home empty handed on every occasion.

[Tom Godley]

Since I was in the market for a few tools -- I took the trip out to PA last year with a good friend of mine. I had never been out to one of the stores before.

I ended up getting a good deal on a large grinder and stand inside at the regular store as well as to actually see some of the equipment up close. I also purchased some other small items from the store.

One of the items I went out to see was a table saw -- They did not have that many on display at that time - so that was a little disappointing. They did have many of the other items I wanted to see -- it all depends on what is on the display floor at the time.

As for the tent sale -- we arrived about 30min after the official opening time - I do not know if they ever open it early -- so in 30min anything I would have wanted was long gone. If you knew exactly what you wanted and were able to be lucky enough to run directly to the correct tool -- it may be worth the effort. IMO the reductions were not worth the trouble of carting it away and paying the sales taxes.

When I factor the sales tax and gas to drive -- especially the return with a lot of cast iron in the back - no money was saved.

I ended up spending the day with an old friend - did a couple other stops Cabela's etc -- that was reason enough for me.

[Anthony Whitesell]

Thanks Tom. I forgot about the sales tax in PA.

[Bryan Berguson]

The Grizzly store in PA by itself is worth a trip but I wouldn't bother with the tent sale for a deal. Like others have said or implied, won't have what you want or it's gone before you get there (how will you know? )

On any given day, they have a section of "scratch and dent" items that are discounted. Probably won't have what you want though and the prices never were all that great.

The Grizzly store rates a 10 on my drool factor scale so it's well worth a road trip. If you are a hunter, there is a Gander Mountain next door but go to Troxells in Williamsport if you want to see a HUGE selection of firearms. If you want to bring your wife, there is a good sized mall (with lots of other stores unattached) next door as well. Basically, all of these shopping areas are in the same mall developement.

Bryan

[Robert Payne]

I went to two tent sales at the Muncy store in 2004 and 2005. We were about 75th in line and they did open on time. I could have saved about $90 on a $325 14" bandsaw that appeared to be okay, but all items are sold in "As-Is, Where-Is" and do not include any warranty. I bought a new one in the box. Of course, I also managed to buy a new 10" cabinet saw (G1023SLX), a new 6" jointer, a stationary Belt/Disk sander, a benchtop oscillating spindle sander and ... oh, 'bout $3 grand worth of stuff. It was fun and I did find a few bargains on some items like clamps and saw blades and such. Returned to NC with a truckload each time....

[Billy Dodd]

The tent sales are ok to go to for looking but I think there is a lot of people buying most of the big items to resale. I know a person that does this. He said it takes 5 pieces to make 3 work. Usually it is a grat buy on the items because the parts that are wrong with them isn't minor scratches. What I've seen is either a motor is out or a shaft is out of round. In other words I wouldn't go there for the big items in the tent sale. But the little suff that wodworkers need are plentyful. Last year I went and bought an led readout caliper for a coupl dollars that had a small crack in the lens. Works great and hardly notice the crack. Saved over 25 dollars on that. They have vendors there selling things also. I saved money on a porter cable sander and kreg jig and I don't remember what else. The main store is open then and you can go in and buy your bandsaw then and kow you have something you can take home, hookup, and use.
Some things I remember they had last year that was bargains.
Stacks of framing nail guns. $25
Trash can dc hoods $2
Fostner sets $16
Jatoba $$ cheap$$
As you can see it's worth going for some things. I can't remember all the stuff they had, but the small things are bountiful.

[John Michaels]

Items at the tent sale are "as is" with no warranty. Something to think about.