Anyone here have any experience with buying large items overseas?

[PILOON]

Three of us pooled funds to purchase one of those 'weed wacker' well drills.
What a joke!
The drill bit was a 2 inch 'pipe' about as thick as a car exhaust tailpipe.
The carbide tips failed b4 even scratching the rocky surface.
Carbide chips were simply brazed onto that pipe.

Naturally the offer to sell U more chips.

I can best describe it as a glorified post hole digger with a collar to inject water.

Later we discovered that our water table is @ 400 ft.
So most of us simply pump lake water which in our case is all spring fed anyway so actually as pure as you want it to be.
Annual testing confirms the quality.
Most of us simply buy a jug or 2 for drinking just to be on the safe side, others add UV filters.
Probably works OK in loam orclay but sure not in a rocky environment.

 

[1930]

Three of us pooled funds to purchase one of those 'weed wacker' well drills.
What a joke!
The drill bit was a 2 inch 'pipe' about as thick as a car exhaust tailpipe.
The carbide tips failed b4 even scratching the rocky surface.
Carbide chips were simply brazed onto that pipe.

Naturally the offer to sell U more chips.

I can best describe it as a glorified post hole digger with a collar to inject water.

Later we discovered that our water table is @ 400 ft.
So most of us simply pump lake water which in our case is all spring fed anyway so actually as pure as you want it to be.
Annual testing confirms the quality.
Most of us simply buy a jug or 2 for drinking just to be on the safe side, others add UV filters.
Probably works OK in loam orclay but sure not in a rocky environment.

I dont know how it was when you purchased but I have not seen a portable well drilling rig yet that dosent give the disclaimer about being generally useless in rocky terrain.

I have only sand to contend with thankfully

 

[1930]

Now it looks like I will be receiving this 219 New Designed Electric Motor Water Well Drilling Rig, View electric water well rig, HT Product Details from Qinhuangdao Lulong HT Engineering Machinery Factory on Alibaba.com product from a different manufacturer.

I like this machine and its features better although I realize its not as heavy duty as the hydraulic model I had originally purchased.

I have been told numerous times by numerous vendors on Alibaba that hydraulic machine is overkill with what Im trying to drill and I like the platform/bucket/not having to dig a mud pit design and so I went with this one.

Seller also charged me half the amount the other seller wanted for shipping. Not sure how that works since now Ill be receiving 3 crates versus 2.

Seller will ship supposedly within 10 days although I notice Alibaba puts a timer on seller and that timer is counting down ( I can view that at anytime ) and Alibaba says he has 12 days and some hours.

I paid this time thru Alibaba trade assurance ( same as paypal I guess ) and so I am covered if the machine is grossly misrepresented or arrives missing part/damaged.

Paying thru Alibaba couldnt have been any easier although they did charge me an extra 76 dollars to process the order.

I could have opted to pay them to inspect factory and inspect quality of machine prior to purchase but I opted out cause its not a high dollar item.

Seller has assured me the shipping charges ( 200 dollars if you can believe it ) will cover the complete cost of shipping to Tampa Florida, no hidden transportation costs ( like Ive heard is a great possibility ) and on top of that he promised to refund me any extra shipping charges I may incur after I pressed the matter.

The guys English is much better than the other guys.

Im still gonna prob have a 1000 dollar broker/import fee when this is all saidndone.

I feel much more confident at this point about shopping Alibaba now that I have used the system.

Im gonna now start shopping for a golf cart

EDIT: I need a golf cart to get around the property, tired of walking from one end to another, I notice on Alibaba the prices even there are stupid high but if I had the money I might buy this one

Graceful Design Elegant 4 Seater Golf Cart 48v Electric Classic Car - Buy Prices Electric Golf Car,Electric Golf Cart Club Car,Mini Electric Cars Product on Alibaba.com

 

[Farmer495]

I've done tis with most of the vehicles or equipment I purchased over the last 30 years. I buy it low, use the heck out of it then sell it for near what I paid for it.

Bought a M4500 Kubota in the 80's with a 12' road grade for $4,500. Sold just the tractor for $7,500 and still use the road grader.
Bought a Cat skid steer for $29K, used for 5 years and sold it for $29K
Bought a 2006 Ford F250 4x4 with a contractor body used for $16K 5 years later sold it for $19K.

I could go on and on but you're on the right track.
Furthermore as you know you can take a HUGE tax write off for purchasing the equipment you just need a business license

Be careful with a business...while you can "write things off" technically if you paid 10,000 for something, depreciated("wrote it off") it every year ending up with a book value of 1000, then you sold it for 12000, you'd have to claim 11000 income.....your local tax codes may vary, but that is how I have to treat that.

 

[PILOON]

Be careful with a business...while you can "write things off" technically if you paid 10,000 for something, depreciated("wrote it off") it every year ending up with a book value of 1000, then you sold it for 12000, you'd have to claim 11000 income.....your local tax codes may vary, but that is how I have to treat that.

Yep, they (feds) tend to declare 'capitol gains'.
AND if U fight and lose they then apply the tax plus 2 X as a penalty.
Using a tax lawyer only increases the pain. (to your pocket book)

There is a whole lot of difference to 'personal' vs 'corporate'.

Import as personal, sell to corporate and pay the minimal tax at that time (like minimal mark up) and U should be all legal.
LOL then corporate can then do all the depreciations allowed B4 re selling.
INMHO a win/win.

 

[PA hayseed]

I don't want ANYTHING made in Italy. Especially if it's made from steel or rubber. Early Fiats used to rust out from the inside their steel was so bad. Fiat was run out of America because of their poor quality and unsafe vehicles. I am surprised they were able to buy Chrysler and sneak back in. Panteras suffered the same fate. So far my Italian made New Holland cab hasn't suffered the same but I just replaced an Italian made hydraulic hose that was 3 years old and dry rotted like it was 50.

Interesting, sorry for the late reply, but I don't log on here a lot. Italy has some of the most modern pressed metal plants in the world. I think sicma and all the rest of the rebrands are made there. Maybe they are importing hydraulic hoses.

 

[calpalmer]

I bought a 300 lb safety forklift cage for a helper to use pruning our trails up higher than reachable from the ground. It was made in China, marketed by Titan. Junk. I sent it back as the attaching rings were pot metal, one came broken on arrival. Junk. The other thing, a couple years ago,, I had a dealer replace the hydraulic hoses on an L2550 (1990). Some were US made, Parker Hannefin, and those have shown no wear. The no-label hoses that was also used all have cracked rubber coating. I don't store my tractors out of doors in sunlight. Junk.

Cal

 

[Handloader109]

sounds like you got things straight. good luck. buying thru Alibaba is somewhat between ebay and amazon..
I've bought 2 lasers direct imported from the builder in china. large co2, a 60x48x72 crate and 800 pounds for one, shipped by container, and smaller 2x3x2, 175 pound shipped by dhl. shipping for both included in price, dhl charged me the duty and about $100 for their brokerage fee. the large one I paid about $300 brokerage...in all of these, you pay US duty. the shipper cannot.

 

[California]

...while you can "write things off" technically if you paid 10,000 for something, depreciated("wrote it off") it every year ending up with a book value of 1000, then you sold it for 12000, you'd have to claim 11000 income.....

... and then pay income tax on the 11,000.

I expect this explains the occasional estate farm auction that liquidates rows of broken down equipment far exceeding what the farm needs for current operation. Its cheaper to simply retire something and let it rust for the heirs to deal with, instead of selling it for more than the depreciated 'book value' of zero and booking a taxable farm profit.

 

[dfkrug]

Its cheaper to simply retire something and let it rust for the heirs to deal with, instead of selling it for more than the depreciated 'book value' of zero and booking a taxable farm profit.

It pains me to see the seemingly abandoned excavators all over the US, when driving in the countrysides. I been driven in all 50 states, and you see them everywhere. Is this why?