What about the rack itself - why so bloody expensive?

R

rodbox5

New member
Been looking at the price of 19" wheeled equipment racks in Australia - just a short PA rack costs around $650! Nothing more than a bunch of pressed steel parts as far as I can figure - shame Ikea doesn't make em!

Do you guys in the states get this stuff any cheaper? We'd be happy down under to import a flat pack or two!
 
rodbox5 said:
Been looking at the price of 19" wheeled equipment racks in Australia - just a short PA rack costs around $650! Nothing more than a bunch of pressed steel parts as far as I can figure - shame Ikea doesn't make em!

Do you guys in the states get this stuff any cheaper? We'd be happy down under to import a flat pack or two!
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I've got tons of unused racks but believe me shipping would kill it for you.
 
rodbox5 said:
Been looking at the price of 19" wheeled equipment racks in Australia - just a short PA rack costs around $650!
Click to expand...

You are not looking in the right places, there are plenty of budget racks around, what exactly are you looking for? Studio, live, open style, closed sides?

For example and for example2. I have bought PA road cases for under $160 for 6U with lids in Oz.

I do however make a lot of my own stuff.

Alan.
 
There are various quality of road racks as well! Like having or not recessed handles and lid latches, good corner brackets, thickness of the wood under the lament. etc.

So cheap could be real cheap.
 
This is an example of what I was looking for:
Pro Audio Stash » 24U Rack System » Flat Pack Rack Enclosures » Rack Mount Enclosures » 19 Inch Racking

Add the wheels, a couple of pans and some rack mounts and you're looking at well over $600! This kind of setup is useful though, because you can wheel equipment in and out of the studio as you need it and ramp it into a van without any fuss when you go on the road.

I have to tell you that I import industial products similar to this from China all the time (mostly tool storage systems and the like). This kind of stuff is made from low level pressed steel (with a fair percentage of unsorted scrap included in the melt) and the factories that make them will price these products by the kilo! Based on other stuff I import, I'd say one of the cabinets shown would come off the production line as a flat pack for around US$40.00 per unit

Add to that about 24 cents per kilo for shipping, import processing costs and delivery (based on full 20' containers), then add 5% import duty and 10% goods and service tax. For a couple of bucks per unit extra, they'll even throw in custom packaging!

Even allowing for generous overheads, you could put something like this on the market for around $150 and still be making quite a decent markup. I guess it just kind of irritates me that we get so used to shelling out large amounts of cash here in Aus when stuff is so much cheaper elsewhere in the world.
 
Yeah mate but even then, take a look at what our American friends would pay from somewhere like ZZounds and the variety of product on offer - and it makes you feel a little hard done by.

I'm seriously considering doing a deal the next time I'm in China and flooding the market with cheap knockoffs on e-bay - just to spite some of the greedy buggers!
 
Redbox those racks in your link are all metal ... the ones that Witzendoz link to are lighter and designed for the road.
You mention wheels. They are very important! Be sure and get the 4" rubber wheels or you'll have nothing but problems at every turn ..... believe me on this one. ;)
 
I finally found an Aus supplier who puts out wheeled metal racks at a really good price - check it out:

samson srk 21 | eBay

Just had to be an e-bay seller!

He also puts out a Phonic firefly 808 univeral at a good price, so he'll get my custom on that upgrade too (I'm currently getting by with a 302 USB)

It's good to have your faith restored now & again!
 
rodbox5 said:
I finally found an Aus supplier who puts out wheeled metal racks at a really good price - check it out:

samson srk 21 | eBay

Just had to be an e-bay seller!

He also puts out a Phonic firefly 808 univeral at a good price, so he'll get my custom on that upgrade too (I'm currently getting by with a 302 USB)

It's good to have your faith restored now & again!
Click to expand...

Yeah but I don't see any handles or doors! Those wheels look to be just 2" hard plastic as well.
 
The racks that are of the best quality and cheapest price here in the States is *EWI tourcases* see if you can find them in OZ.
 
rodbox5 said:
I finally found an Aus supplier who puts out wheeled metal racks at a really good price - check it out:

samson srk 21 | eBay
Click to expand...

There is a big difference between racks on wheels that are made to move around the studio and racks with WHEELS, covers, handles and hardware that are designed to be moved in and out of vans and trucks on the road. i.e corner protectors, recessed butterfly latches What exactly are you trying to do?

The reason road cases (for road use) are expensive is that they are designed to protect gear when being bumped up and down ramps and stairs, thrown on their side in the truck, and the use of wood in the design is to cushion the impact when they are banged to protect the gear inside. When I did live sound tours we allowed 10% of the cost of buying gear for cases. i.e console $10,000 case = $1000, $5000 of rack gear case = $500, the case were worth every cent.

In the studio I make some of the rack myself, as they only wheel around the studio I can knock up a slant face rack with wheels for $100 to $150. But no covers or hardware as it's not on the road.

Alan.
 
The case itself is solid enough as are the wheels. There are a few desirable bits and pieces that can be added for sure - but they're all readily available at our local hardware store for peanuts. The extras sure as hell won't add up to another $400!

It will get ramped into a van and put on the road - but not too much in the way of interstate travel or contracted freight - so I'm pretty sure these will do just fine.

I'll let everyone know how the product pans out and what I have to add to get them on the road.

If it costs me less than another $50, the guy is a business hero and a true patriot!!!!
 
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