It’s generally understood that when you pay more for a product, it means that you will get more or a better version of it. This can come in the form of more features, additional functionality, or improved reliability. But many still consider using low-quality hinges in their build.
This is why the old phrase “you get what you pay for” is generally accepted for most products and services. For example, you would expect to get a better experience from buying a car that’s worth $85,000 compared to one that is worth $25,000.
With the latter, you would expect a car that can take you from point A to point B. With the former, expect the car to be significantly more comfortable, capable, and safe. It is easy to see in this example why paying more for a car makes sense. Simply put, the more expensive one has more bells and whistles.
But what happens when you compare two products that are designed to do one thing, such as a door hinge? Do you still “get what you pay for” when buying a superior door hinge? The short answer is: yes, you do get a superior product.
This article will give you an overview of why when it comes to hinges, investing in a higher-quality door hinge is in your best interest.
What does it mean when a product costs less than the competition?
From a general perspective, manufacturing has come a long way in the past 30 years. In many industries, even lower-cost alternatives seem to get the job done.
One of the main reasons for this is that manufacturing processes have improved due to the implementation of computer-assisted technology. This has made tolerances tighter and improved the overall consistency of most products.
But even though better manufacturing helps, there is no way around using high-quality materials and strict quality control, which will inevitably increase the cost of a product. In other words, a lower-cost product will have to cut corners somewhere.
Ways in which door hinge manufacturers lower costs
The reputation of our door hinges is based on the fact that we use the best materials, manufacturing processes, and stringent quality control. There are no compromises, which makes them a superior product compared to the competition.
Lower-cost hinges have to compromise in order to hit their price points. These are the ways in which lower-cost hinges cut corners:
The quality of the materials
Whether it’s stainless steel or some other alloy, the materials used are all tested to make sure that they can be reliably and meet their design requirements. Using suitable materials for the job is essential to making sure that the hinge performs flawlessly for many years.
The quality of materials used in manufacturing door hinges can have a significant impact on costs. Higher-quality materials may cost more upfront, but they can also result in cost savings in the long run. Here are a few ways that the quality of materials can affect costs:
- Reduced defects: Higher quality materials are less likely to fail or produce defects during the manufacturing process. This can result in fewer defective products, lower rework costs, and fewer warranty claims due to their superior tolerances.
- Improved product performance: Using higher quality materials can result in products that are more durable and perform better. This means that you’ll have a quality door hinge that you can rely on for many years.
- Regulatory compliance: In some industries, there may be regulatory requirements for the quality of materials used in products. Using lower-quality materials is not an option when your product is used in the most demanding industries.
The impact of material quality on costs will depend on the specific materials and the manufacturing process. It’s essential to consider the long-term costs and benefits of using different materials when making sourcing decisions.
Quality control during the manufacturing process
Aside from lower-quality materials, this is the area where most lower-cost hinges cut corners.
Implementing quality control measures during the manufacturing process can increase the cost of producing a product in a number of ways. For example, it may require the hiring of additional staff or the purchase of new equipment to ensure that products are being made to the required standards.
Additionally, the manufacturing process may need to be slowed down in order to allow for thorough inspections and testing, which can also increase the cost of production.
However, investing in quality control can also lead to cost savings in the long run for our customers, as it helps reduce the number of defective products that are produced. And this is our number one priority.
Outsourcing Manufacturing
Another way in which lower-cost door hinges cut corners is by outsourcing their manufacturing.
Outsourcing essentially means that they simply rebrand the products manufactured by other companies. They are no longer in control of the production process but instead trust that their manufacturing partner will uphold their quality standards. This may or may not happen.
In most cases, the most significant savings come from utilizing manufacturing facilities abroad, where the cost of labor is significantly lower.
Due to this reason, it can be more difficult to maintain the same level of quality control when manufacturing is outsourced to a third party, as the company does not have as much control over the production process.
Design and Engineering
The cost of designing and engineering a product will depend on a variety of factors, including the complexity of the product, the materials and components that are used, and the amount of time and resources that are required.
Some of the specific costs that may be involved in designing and engineering a product include
- Research and development costs: These may include expenses such as laboratory and testing fees, as well as salaries for research and development staff.
- Prototype development costs: These may include expenses such as materials, labor, and prototyping equipment.
- Design and engineering fees: These may include fees for the services of design and engineering firms or consultants.
- Testing and certification costs: These may include expenses such as laboratory fees and the cost of obtaining necessary certifications or approvals for the product.
Due to the vast amount of work that the research and development costs, many lower-cost alternatives can settle for less. Since they tend to make building to a specific price point their main priority instead of building to the best product possible.
Knock-offs and look-alikes
The previous point refers to manufacturers that either don’t have the resources or goal of creating a high-quality door hinge. But there are also manufacturers that take a different approach to creating their door hinges.
The door hinge market has started to see products that look very similar to SOSS door hinges. Some are even blatant knock-offs.
These manufacturers completely bypassed the research and development process and copied a tried and true design. The problem is that, since they are cutting costs, they don’t have the exact manufacturing expertise needed to get the same reliability we get from our door hinges.
Even though they may seem similar at a glance, you can’t expect the same reliability and performance from their products. They are made differently and can’t guarantee performance in the same way we do.
Will using a lower-cost hinge actually save you money?
Saving money is on everyone’s mind. And at first glance, the easiest way to save is by using a lower-cost door hinge for your project. But in reality, the results might be quite different.
There is simply no way to offer the same quality at a lower price. A compromise is inevitable. By choosing a lower-cost alternative, you’ll be getting a product that will either have a shorter lifespan or be more prone to malfunctions from the moment you install it.
In other words, a cheaper hinge is a lower-quality hinge.
When the lower-quality hinge eventually fails on you, you’ll end up having to replace the hinge with a higher-quality one. This means having to spend the time and money reinstalling something that should have been working in the first place.
Doing this will almost double the cost of installing the right hinge for the job would have cost.
Also, it means that you won’t have the peace of mind that knowing that you are using a product that the manufacturer stands behind. And this is the reason why we have customers that have been using SOSS door hinges for decades. You can’t put a price on peace of mind. In the case of SOSS we proudly stamp our brand name into every hinge we make. If it doesn’t say SOSS it isn’t a genuine SOSS hinge that is manufactured to our standards. Poorer quality invisible hinges will often copy our design, but not our materials, quality control, or testing standards. As a result the hinge is sold below our cost about has significantly less durability in it compared to a genuine SOSS hinge. If your project is important than demand a genuine SOSS hinge.