50 or 55 gallon water heater cost ??

Reliance 50 or 55 gallon tall or short water [electric] heater, so called 6 year warranty, supposedly USA made, $289 at True value and perhaps 300$ at big boxes....

Can someone tell me how that is possible? What is dealer cost on that standard rig?

100 x $239/$300 = 80%. You can get 10% off by just asking and this is 20% off.

They're overstocked?
The boss, on a whim, said to dump these things?
They need room?
There's some bad news out there about this heater that you haven't heard yet?
This?
http://www.investopedia.com/terms/l/lossleader.asp

I've gotten a better than average studfinder for a less than average price because the thing just wasn't selling for WhoKnowsWhatReason?, and there is a cost associated with keeping things in inventory.

You missed a few numbers: This is to my far off DOOR. The next cheapest was 279 or 289$, but to ship it added 95 to 125$ To go and suffer picking it up I would addd another $75 and the liability of wrecking it.

THEN another 50 bucks off for using their credit card rebates makes it $189 and less sales tax makes the final to door cost @ $164 work that number!

I understand 10 and 20% off, but this is like an auction price.

I think I pulled their AVERAGE profit down that day.

ballvalve said:

I think I pulled their AVERAGE profit down that day.

Click to expand...

Then they need someone to pull it back up.
I hope that person doesn't turn out to be me.
I've already helped out too many price-gouging CEOs.

Reliance is a State Water Heater brand, and both were basically ran out of Arizona because of certain problems with quality. Home Depot originally was the Reliance heater seller, but they also dropped it., and as far as I know NO other big box store has taken their place.

If we can Trust the internet, AO smith bought EVERYONE, and they make reliance. As you know, its hard to "downgrade" a production line, so one may assume they are just "dressed" differently. Perhaps you get a cheaper drain valve, which I toss anyway.

ballvalve said:

If we can Trust the internet, AO smith bought EVERYONE,

Click to expand...

A.O. Smith owns the Reliance, State, American, Apolloa, GSW. US Craftmaster, maker of the infamous Whirlpool brand, is division of American. The Sears and Kenmore brands are made by one of the division.

Pulled the anode on the bargain water heater, only about 24" tall, aluminim, .700 diameter. Changed to a 48" for 13$, .900 magnesium.

Removed the POS "drain" valve, which broke apart in the process and added a ballvalve. Now its a 700$ water heater.

Went to change a 7 year old drain valve [plastic] on another heater, Shattered on the first part of a gentle turn. after digging that junk out, got about 2 gallons of calcium out of the rig with a dowel and the water running slowly.

The guy that starts a water heater tune up campaign would make a lot of money and really help people save their existing machines.

I was crushing some water heaters with a backhoe recently for the scrap yard. New ones flattened out like tin cans. Older ones took some work. Galvanized well tanks can only be punched in a bit in the center. No wonder they lasted 50 years.

Cost will vary by location and difficulty of installation. Even with shipping, it should be less than $280.

quote; Even with shipping, it should be less than $280.

NOT if I sold it to them. I am NOT altruistic, and I DO like to make a profit on my sales.

Our area farm chain store is running a sale on Reliance right now- the electric 40 gallon is 189, the gas is 269.

Be sure to add a real anode to that electric rig.