Cheap 150 qt coolers at Walmart

[76Red18]

Originally Posted by cdavisdb

What discount houses do is suck suppliers in with promise of big volume. Once they gear up production and get hooked on the volume, Walmart starts cutting what they will pay, and cutting, and cutting. Pretty soon the supplier can't make a decent product for what Walmart pays, but still needs the volume, so they cut quality. Hence my Igloo and Blue Heron's. Maybe Fr Frank got one of the better quality ones.

Exactly what the "Discount" home builders do to their sub contractors. Looks great to begin with but in the end the subs darn near have to pay the builders to get the contracts.

High end custom builders are the only ones worth the time now days..

[bigeasy1]

Originally Posted by cdavisdb

What discount houses do is suck suppliers in with promise of big volume. Once they gear up production and get hooked on the volume, Walmart starts cutting what they will pay, and cutting, and cutting. Pretty soon the supplier can't make a decent product for what Walmart pays, but still needs the volume, so they cut quality. Hence my Igloo and Blue Heron's. Maybe Fr Frank got one of the better quality ones.

And that's exactly what the big box home centers like Home Depot and Lowes do to their vendors.
I was a buyer for a large hardware wholesaler and when vendors tried to sell me a line,many would say "We don't sell to Home Depot".
My reply was "you mean Home depot won't give you an order"Eventually they all succumbed to the big box and mass merchant whores.The independent stores were put out of business by these mega retailers.
I never buy anything from Walmart,and try not to buy at Home depot,although it's hard not to as they in many cases are the only game around.I'd rather pay twenty bucks more at a local merchant.

AS for inexpensive coolers,I like Coleman much better than Igloo.Why does Igloo even bother putting the cheezy latches on their coolers?,they break off or don't work after two days anyway.

[DonV]

"Why does Igloo even bother putting the cheezy latches on their coolers?"

I have your answer....a smooth $8.99 at West Marine (asan example) for a lid snap.This for a piece of plastic that can be made in China, shipped to the US, wharehoused and retailed for an investment of about ninety five cents.....MAX!! They are making a killing on replacement parts!!!!!

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs...classNum=50467

[bigeasy1]

DonV,
Yeah I can see what you mean.To a slight degree,I look at all these coolers as a disposable product.I beat them up pretty bad,load em with fish,drag em up the dock to the cleaning station.I get a few years out of them, and chuck em and buy another.

I've always thought about making my own with some thick foam and glass.I would think if done right,a home built one could far outlast and have better cold retention than one of the el cheapo's.
I think the weight would be to much of a negative for my Tsunami however.It already sits low in the water.