[Rupert the bear]

Where do you buy your equipment ?
Looking back over the years at the places that I have purchased stuff from I was surprised that most of the farm equipment and to some extent consumables have been purchased outwith Scotland. . I look for a keen price obviously  and a reasonable delivery cost , the availability of spares etc etc , for example,  I wanted a Fleming 5'   transport box , I looked on e-bay, the local dealers and further afield to N Ireland , and the Republic too. In the end I contacted a firm in NI was given an excellent price, the delivery was a bit steep but within an hour they had found a more competitive carrier , rounded down the price and the box arrived 3 days later.
Electric fencer the Rutland 902 I wanted is in the local  agri merchant £270 inc vat !!!!!  ( almost needed it to defribulate myself ) another supplier in NI £168  inc vat + DPD 2 day delivery .
Don’t start me on tractor parts …  I need a “doobury” *  for a tractor thats 50 years old , a phone call and It's “sure we'll send one out I know the bit you mean “ and another 10 mins conversation chatting about farming, useless politicians and weather.
Why then when I call an English company I get a run around  a price thats not competitive or a sharp intake of breath and “ dunno mate its not on the computer / what the “heck” is that  / Scotland ?? youre 'aving a laugh and thats an extra £60 delivery.......

So rant over
PS  * fictitious part name
PPS  stretch bale wrap film , Poland, just saying 

[Still playing with tractors]

We have bought from all over the uk over the years, but we support our local dealers as best as we can, I agree on some of the transport / courier costs from south of the border, " oh we don't deliver north of Carlisle" that will be a foreign country then.....

[CarolineJ]

I share your pain - I have the additional problem of having a KW (Kirkwall, Orkney) postcode, but being on the mainland (KW covers Caithness and some of north Sutherland), so I quite often have to convince people that I don't live on an island. 

[farmers wife]

It does pay to shop around but in most cases there is little in it.  We run JDs so our parts are local but extremely expensive.  Most of the time the we need stuff overnight so I hate OH spending hours trying to save £5. To me that a bad use of time.  I do find, and this is overall on most things, better choice on the net to the local agrishop but having an account makes all the difference.  On some RRPs it can be 50% less so worth getting an account.  It does go back to the thing of being a local big spender though. If buying tractor parts and using the main dealers these people are usually busy and know their stuff so want a quick sale and know the postage - courier saying that a pallet courier is usually £50 - £75.  Old parts will always be hard to source if you can source a manual that will help - scan the page hilighting the part will save a lot of time. On the email include all the details and address. Tell them its urgent.


We use so many people but for electric fence then Rappa, I could go on but most stuff is local.  You could set up an account with a courier but I use 3 different ones.  It can be a lot of messing to save a couple of quid. 


Be careful buying from Southern Ireland because of the different laws which are not covered by Trading standards.  Been bitten on a purchase of trailers.


Small purchases are more expensive.

[Rupert the bear]

Tell them its urgent.

= I want to be charged more !!!       except up here locally nothing is urgent , it might be " on the lorry " but wheres the lorry ? 
Most of the time I plan ahead so urgency is avoided  and keep a good supply of consumables