Welding professionals make decisions about equipment every day. Recognizing the vast differences in price, quality and delivery, welders often address these choices with their local distributor. The choices they must make about welding consumable products (consumables) are among the most frequently discussed issues in the industry — and often the most difficult to measure for a return on investment.

While they are nominally the least expensive and smallest piece of the welding system, small parts like contact tips, nozzles and filler metals, can add up to significant costs because they require replacement so frequently. With the demand for consumables on the rise, it is important to address the concerns shared by distributors and end-users alike.

Price: As a distributor, one of the most important issues to address is the cost of consumables. With the recent expansion in the consumables industry, the most competitive aspect of sales has been pricing. To help address this concern with their customers, many distributors will focus on certain brands that meet the initial requirements of the buyer and work within a price range that allows them to remain competitive. Then, the distributor may introduce the customer to the Professional/OEM series to address any future concerns, and to showcase the value and quality of the upgrade in equipment.

For end-users, price is an important part of the decision-making process, from product comparisons to final purchase. But, understanding the quality and delivery of a purchase is equally essential.

Quality: Reliability of parts is critical in any business. Both distributors and end-users rely on the quality of a product to ensure a long-lasting weld or smooth cut. In addition, end-users want a trustworthy product that will require minimal repair or replacement. By providing internal service quality standards and measurements, distributors can guarantee external quality products to end-users. Unnecessary part changes can cost welders time and money while a machine is down. But, by reducing downtime and machine-maintenance requirements and by using high-quality consumables, manufacturers are able to increase productivity.

Delivery: While many aftermarket suppliers offer copies of consumable brands, end-users must recognize the quality lost in their selection of subpar parts. In addition, these purchases often lack the customer services available with brand name products.

End-users often question delivery time and the services capabilities of manufacturers. Professional distributors realize the importance of these concerns and can assure timely delivery of all products and unsurpassed training options.

Another concern for buyers is their ability to get the best performance from consumable products. Because a welding or cutting tool is a significant investment, in order to ensure that you get the best all-around performance and value at all times, it is important to choose genuine consumable parts.

To increase your return on investment (ROI), you need to consider the total cost of operation. It is clear that using genuine consumables minimizes welding and cutting costs.

Longer life consumables will result in a reduction in downtime and increase ROI. Non-genuine consumables, with shorter life in most instances, increase downtime and decrease ROI. This is the result of more frequent consumable changes. Every time your welding or cutting tool is idle you are losing money and reducing your profits.

Consumables are a very small cost compared to overall labor/overhead cost. To be specific, they are approximately one-tenth of those costs, but these can add up quickly. Using genuine consumables will help to reduce rework or downtime. Any cost-saving realized by using non-genuine parts is far outweighed by the incremental labor cost and the possibility of downtime. Using genuine parts will eliminate the risk and increase your ROI.

In order to stay competitive, distributors must recognize the importance of addressing these concerns with end-users, to guarantee that they are receiving the best value and benefit for their business. There are a variety of choices and options available, but by understanding consumables' added benefits and expectations any professional will be able to select the right part to meet their situation.

Scott MacDonald is the Director of Technical Support for Thermadyne. Contact him at 603-298-2250 or at Scott_MacDonald@thermadyne.com.