With all due respect, you sound like an idiot that hasn't ever built anything..your over simplified cost analysis and lack of understanding on what it takes to actaully make something is entertaining to say the least. If your comparing the two as a means of prices comparison it DOES have to be the exact same you retard..that was the whole premis of your post, it is an apples to apples comparrison...period
Go source and build one because you are obviously still not even gettin close to truth yet...whats your time worth, mine is about $100/per hour and has been for about 20 years now, so that basically gives me 4-5 hours to research, source, order, recieve, drive around, and figure out and build the entire thing. It takes 3-4 hours to build one once everything is sittin right there and ready to go maybe. It takes 3-4 hours to assemble when you get one in the box from UC and literally everything is there ready to go.
I use mag drive or Wayne pumps and not Danner, which I think UC already made the change and I would use these in a DIY setup.
Rio pumps? really?? you should just grab a cheap ass ecoplus or activair pump since quality and reliability don't seem to be a concern, RIO pumps are dicounted cheap pumps.
Get Home depot to make a ton of cuts at angles in PVC? on their gear at the store,?your lost, they do not cut PVC on their saws at the store and deburr, they do not have that much freedom to do silly shit on their equipment. Plus they can only make I think 2 actual cuts for free and then it can be as much as $2 per cut, they do fudge alot on this but not much, they sure won't sit there with a cut list of different sizes and lengths of pvc pipe and cut them on an angle, your dreamin. I actually think it would be against their OSHA and local safety rules to cut PVC with a power tool due to the toxic fumes and hot molten plastic it throws in the air and melts to the blade. Yea, have HD make all your cuts and head home to find that your off a little or the cut doesn't really match what your trying to do, back to Home Depot. Have you ever actually bought or done anything at HD or was it just with your Dad? they don't really work like that
With the lid and at quantity, the 13 buckets are $20 each plus frieght, the lids themselves are not $1-$2, more like $5-$7 bucks each, where do you get your prices?
Really, go do the actual research or better yet put your money where your mouth is and build a real cheap knockoff and show us how its done. would love to see it cuz I love DIY projects, I am just more realistic because I have done many many DIY projects in the past and know what it takes.
You agree with JK? but you couldn't build a tank like he does or even one panel at all in a million years, he custom fabs them and they are not even remotely cheap to produce. You think $12 buck pvc shears are expensive, get a plastic welder on line and kickin and see how much your in. Do you even know how much 1 of JK's buckets would be? My guess is you would pass out my friend. Ask JK how much would 4 of his buckets would cost ya and be sittin down..lol
Wayne and Mag drive pumps are better than Danner IMO, I think UC already made a change to mag drives but i am not for sure
No one is saying you can't build one cheaper, just saying the actual savings is neglegible in the big scheme of things, UC makes a good, well thought out product, it is a conplete plug and play kit that is competetively priced in the market and it works.
Good luck with your project, if there actually is one.
Tex