Thread: Help wanted with a US tool purchase.

Try Woodcraft
www.woodcraft.com

Ive used them many times, never had any problems with them, and I think they have some specials on Makita gear right now
cheers!

I am interesyted in the answer to this. I am off to the states early next year and I was interested as to whether the chargers are universal voltage ie you just need to change the plug. Mobiles and Computers have universal supplies so I thought Battery Chargers might be the same.

Pusser

Holy SHMOLEY They've got that impact driver on sale for US$198, which is AU$215!! That's over $400 cheaper than in Altona.....and there's no international shipping fee.

However that's a good question...will there be any issues with plugging the charger into the wall?

There will be shipping fee's mate. If you place an order, they will contact you with several shipping options (fed ex express, usps etc..) you will have a choice of choosing one or cancelling the order before they charge you card.

The charger wont work in Oz either. If you have a makita charger at home, that will fit with the battery, thats the best way to get round that. If you dont, then thats another problem with buying from overseas
cheers

You will either have to buy a charger or a voltage converter transformer. It may be that the charger is universal voltage, as many are, but you won't know until you get it.

There are transformers on eBay constantly...or you can pay retail at Dick Smith's or or other electronics retailer.

If you don't have a mate over there, you can try some services like shopusa.com which are a mail forwarding service to allow you to shop at 'USA only' businesses like a local. Haven't used them, but have heard from people who have with great results. No affiliation, etc.

There is a new service from Paypal which allows you to buy from an american supplier who doesn't ship outside the US. They make use of free US shipping to their depot and then send it on to you. I haven't used them yet but it seems a fair deal.
Cheers
Graeme

Ok thanks.

Regarding the shipping, I just bought the impact driver for US$198.99 and received the confirmation email, and there is no shipping fee attached at all! I think it's an introductory offer, as that's what's currently being advertised on their website.

When I get it, I'll check the charger and if it's not usable, I guess I'll either buy another Aussie one or try and get a transformer.

Could you keep us updated on the shipping? I reckon there's no human there to catch the international shipping and you are dealing with an automatic order confirmation. Maybe when they programmed the special they forgot to allow for international exceptions to the free shipping rule. If not, let's all jump on it!

Good luck!

Greg

Looking through USA and AUS Makita websites, they don't list the same drivers but the part number for the chargers are the same, so it's a possibilty that the charger can be used here

Originally Posted by gregoryq

Could you keep us updated on the shipping? I reckon there's no human there to catch the international shipping and you are dealing with an automatic order confirmation. Maybe when they programmed the special they forgot to allow for international exceptions to the free shipping rule. If not, let's all jump on it!

Good luck!

Greg

Yep I'll keep you updated on the shipping...it very clearly states $0 for international shipping on their website, check it out. Also DJSTimber, yes for some reason the BTD142HW is not offered in Australia (the one I bought), only the earlier BTD140 and BTD140Z versions.

I'll be needing to purchase some bits for the quick change chuck, so hopefully they will be available at stores/makita outlets in Melbourne.

Hi Guys, Thanks for the lead. I looked this one up, and found on the Other items at the bottom of the page that they have the same unit, plus the companion drill with battery for US$299. That's an 18V lithium drill and battery for US$100 above the impact unit.

There definitely will be a freight charge, following is lifted from from shipping and handling FAQ in checkout.

Do you ship outside the contiguous U.S.?

Orders destined for AK, HI and any of the territories or possessions of the U.S. are shipped by standard U.S. Postal mail. Regular shipping and handling charges apply, but expect 4 to 6 weeks for delivery. Contact our customer service department if you need to arrange rush delivery to these areas.

Canadian Shoppers, please see Canadian FAQ's

If your order is to any country or territory outside of these areas, complete your order as an International Shopper. On international orders we will contact you with shipping options and costs before processing your payment. We will generally quote 2 or 3 options including, where applicable, ground, air and sea shipping methods. Should you decide that none of these options are acceptable, due to expense or timing, you are free to cancel your order without penalty. Please note: Flammable items can not be shipped by air or sea in international shipments. We accept U.S. funds only, and for your convenience we recommend you use a credit card or bank money order (if ordering by mail). Personal checks or money orders are not accepted unless drawn on a U.S. bank. Direct Ship from Manufacturer items are not available for international shipment.

Malb, yeah I saw that as well. However as I mentioned, I have received an email confirmation of my order, confirming that there is no freight charge. The website mentions 'free freight' as an introductory offer alongside the sale discount (total cost for me is $198.99).

Here's an excerpt:

SHIP TO
PRODUCT NUMBER/ (SEE UNIT
DESCRIPTION BELOW) QUANTITY PRICE STATUS

837454 1 1 198.99 WILL SHIP
Makita 18V Impact Driver

Merchandise Net: 198.99

Tax Amt: 0.00
Shipping Amt: 0.00

Total Amt: 198.99

Payments:
Charge Amt: 198.99
Balance: 0.00

Whether or not I receive another email later on remains to be seen, I'm a little confused myself but hopefully this intro. offer is the deal.

And also, yeah I saw the combo deal for the drill and driver, the thing is that combo comes with a bag instead of cases (which I prefer for protection and storage).If you bought the two items seperately, it would cost US$387.98 (total 4 batteries), the combo is US$299.99 (total 2 batteries) so US$87.99 more. However, you also get 2 batteries each if you buy them seperately, so would that actually save you more than $87?

Let us know how it goes. I've been looking at the dollar and eyeing up the prices in the states and there is a huge gulf in the prices. For the price difference of a combo kit between here and US, it cheaper to fly over and pick one up! I'd expect some shipping and customs charges but you should still be way ahead.

The list price on a 18V Makita LXT 7 tool combo set is US$595 at tools-plus.com. Less than one of the tools over here!! Can anyone explain why we are getting so rorted over here? I can understand an increase for extra handling but this is over the top.

I would be careful with 110v corded tools but cordless tools there is no difference. A stepdown transformer and you're done. I've seen bare tools even cheaper (no battery/ charger) so even in the unlikely event of a failure, buying the faulty bare means you're still ahead.

try one of these sites.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Makita-V18-LX...QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Makita-BTD140...QQcmdZViewItem