Inexpensive Tig welders

[Aliva]

FYI
Using a credit card for US purchases can be expensive because most credit cards charge a foreign transaction fee of about 2.5% this card does not.
I'm going to the US this March and I'm considering getting one of these cards.

The No Foreign Transaction Fee Credit Card for Snowbirds!

If you're a snowbird who spends your winters outside Canada you can save money with the Home Trust Preferred VISA No Foreign Transaction Fee Credit Card...

www.snowbirdadvisor.ca

 

[mickeyf]

My understanding is that welding equipment from the US is duty free. Has anyone been charged/not charged duty that can confirm this? I did my best to look it up when trying to make a cost comparison between buying from PrimeWeld or from Great Western Saw.

 

[Jswain]

My understanding is that welding equipment from the US is duty free. Has anyone been charged/not charged duty that can confirm this? I did my best to look it up when trying to make a cost comparison between buying from PrimeWeld or from Great Western Saw.

Primeweld themselves may know. UPS/FedEx are both pretty bad for throwing high $ duty on everything.

 

[DavidR8]

My understanding is that welding equipment from the US is duty free. Has anyone been charged/not charged duty that can confirm this? I did my best to look it up when trying to make a cost comparison between buying from PrimeWeld or from Great Western Saw.

If there’s duty, someone has to pay it, be it yourself directly or indirectly via the price from Great Western Saw.
I’m advocating for direct from Primeweld for @PaulL because he can get a greatly reduced shipping cost by using a cross-border shipping service like Seawings.

 

[DavidR8]

Primeweld themselves may know. UPS/FedEx are both pretty bad for throwing high $ duty on everything.

They can’t charge more than the mandatory duty and taxes but they will absolutely screw you over with a massive brokerage fee.
Using a service like Seawings is a game changer especially when a company offers free US shipping.
Seawings has an office in Blaine WA. They receive your package, bring it to their office at the Victoria airport. You go there, pick up the paperwork, walk 200 feet to the customs office, present the paperwork, pay any taxes, walk back and pay Seawings and leave with your package.

 

[mickeyf]

They can’t charge more than the mandatory duty and taxes but they will absolutely screw you over with a massive brokerage fee.

I discovered this about UPS years ago, and have avoided them ever since.
But someone who has bought a welder recently from the US should be able to say whether or not they had to pay duty.

 

[DavidR8]

I discovered this about UPS years ago, and have avoided them ever since.
But someone who has bought a welder recently from the US should be able to say whether or not they had to pay duty.

I bought a MIG180 from Primeweld last summer but I cannot remember if I paid duty. Taxes yes, but can’t recall if I paid duty.

 

[mickeyf]

I'm going to the US this March and I'm considering getting one of these cards.

Have not actually been to the US in years, but got this very card back then when we did travel, and still use it regularly. No complaints. No annual fee and cashback, what's not to like?

 

[Jswain]

They can’t charge more than the mandatory duty and taxes but they will absolutely screw you over with a massive brokerage fee.
Using a service like Seawings is a game changer especially when a company offers free US shipping.
Seawings has an office in Blaine WA. They receive your package, bring it to their office at the Victoria airport. You go there, pick up the paperwork, walk 200 feet to the customs office, present the paperwork, pay any taxes, walk back and pay Seawings and leave with your package.

Yeah anytime I've had anything shipped from UPS/FedEx a couple weeks later comes a (usually) high bill. Whether it was duty or a brokerage fee I've never looked at the difference

 

[mickeyf]

I have pulled the trigger and ordered the TIG225Xthat I've been lusting after for a few years now. (Merry Xmas to me!) I note that HomeTrust Visa did send me a text message (and an email) for me to confirm that this was not a scam on my card, presumably since my billing address and the shipping address (seawings) were not the same. Good on them I guess!

 

[DavidR8]

I have pulled the trigger and ordered the TIG225Xthat I've been lusting after for a few years now. (Merry Xmas to me!) I note that HomeTrust Visa did send me a text message (and an email) for me to confirm that this was not a scam on my card, presumably since my billing address and the shipping address (seawings) were not the same. Good on them I guess!

I’m very happy with mine. I just don’t use it enough.