A lot of parts are available for purchase online or at retailers, but they are typically only available at large companies like Boeing, Caterpillar, and General Electric.
That’s because these companies require specialized hardware and software to install their products.
“It’s pretty much the same hardware and tools that manufacturers need,” says Chris Leach, an industrial parts expert and founder of Industrial Parts Holding.
“You have to know what you’re doing, what you want, and where you want to go.”
Parts are also often purchased online through distributors or through resellers, which have limited supply and are often more expensive.
Some parts are also more difficult to find in a store than other parts, which is why it can be difficult to compare parts prices online.
And, like most online shopping, some parts stores may charge a higher markup than the actual retail price.
These higher-priced parts are often not listed on the part listing site.
To try and keep prices down, parts stores often offer deals that are typically worth more than the advertised retail price on their online store.
To make sure you can find what you need online, make sure your search terms are clear.
“Be clear on your terms,” says Leach.
“For example, you don’t want to say you want a set of screws to install a window.
You want to get the parts.”
To find parts online, search the company’s name on the company search engine.
Look for the word “parts,” and search for “sold online.”
To learn more about how to search for parts online and how to shop for parts, see our article on how to find parts.
To see how prices vary across parts stores, check out the Parts Industry Data Exchange (PIDEX), a data-driven database that lists the prices of a broad range of components.
To find out how your search term is different than the prices listed on a particular part listing, look at the PIDEX page for that part.
If you want more information about a particular product, like how many parts are sold, how much the item is valued, or how much it costs, check back in a few weeks to see if any changes have been made.