Buying HPR Motors

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Pinetree

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I'm new to High Power Rocketry. While I have enough B,C, D, and F motors to last the Summer.. I only bought one AT DMS motor to certify (which I did), and the plan is to get into reloads soon.

Now comes the question - In light of HazMat/Shipping charges, do you buy just a few motors at a time, or like a thousand dollars worth all at once?

The field I fly at has no vendors, so that's not an option as of now.

Thanks.
 
I'm new to High Power Rocketry. While I have enough B,C, D, and F motors to last the Summer.. I only bought one AT DMS motor to certify (which I did), and the plan is to get into reloads soon.

Now comes the question - In light of HazMat/Shipping charges, do you buy just a few motors at a time, or like a thousand dollars worth all at once?

The field I fly at has no vendors, so that's not an option as of now.

Thanks.
You'll typically find three camps:

One will buy the bulk of what they intend to fly in any given season from someone like Wildman during his Black Friday sales. That takes careful planning.

The other will support their local vendor no matter what, if they're lucky enough to have a local vendor. That relies on HAVING a vendor and them actually having, or being able to get, stock to support your desires (many can't for a variety of reasons).

The third group will basically buy as much as they can at discount with Black Friday sales, then augment with spot purchases from their local vendor to fill in any holes, which is the best of both worlds.
 
Be aware that many Aerotech reloadable H’s and one(?) I and J are hazmat free. Same for Loki, if you have a source with motors in stock.

If you’re planning on getting into reloads, consider that when buying your hardware. Aerotech’s Master Motor Matrix notes which motors require hazmat.
 
If I am buying hazmat loads, I will normally do a 500 to a 1000 dollar order to help cover the hazmat fees.
 
I also don't have a local dealer anymore, but I fly with a club. Occasionally some people in the club will go in together for a bulk order, and then we can split up the HAZMAT fees. Also, I will go to a regional launch or two a year, where they do have vendors. I'll stock up on what I can when I go to those launches, so that I don't have to pay the shipping fees.
For L1 motors, there are quite a few options for USPS shipable motors. When you get into L2+ they don't have many options. but by then, you are paying $100+ per motor, so a $50 hazmat fee isn't as big as a chunk as it would be for a $20 F40 reload....
 
For Aerotech...
The absolute lowest cost HPR motors I've found online have been during the Wildman member sale(s) at Thanksgiving. The membership costs $30/year but if you are ordering more than a few hundred dollars of motors it pays for itself. So the cheapest option is to plan ahead and submit a bulk order then. You will pay one hazmat fee for the entire order. Great prices on MPR reloads as well for the 24mm and 29mm hobbyline motors.

Outside of that the two options I'd recommend are buyrocketmotors.com and Balsa Machining Service. BMS has the lowest prices I've seen outside of the Wildman BF sales if you preorder but that takes longer. Buyrocketmotors.com has free hazmat shipping for orders over $400 but the prices are about 5% higher than BMS pre-order.

For Loki...
I'd just buy directly from Loki. I believe all of the Loki H & I impulse reloads are hazmat free but the reloads are normally more expensive than Aerotech. Loki is a great motor supplier and makes high quality stuff but it does cost more. FYI, Loki does not sell any 29mm motors, only 38mm and larger motors.
 
I have started stockpiling motors as I know my local vendor is moving eventually. Just be aware that some motor formulations do not age as well as others and can become harder to light as they get older.
 
This is a pertinent question, as I am also trying to decide how much to load up on motors to reduce the sting of the Hazmat charge. I'm only doing mid-power, up to G80s, no level 1 certification. I only have 2 rockets that use motors that are Hazmat (mainly G74/79, may snag an G80 or two); the rest of the composite motors are non-Hazmat. Dropping $400+ to get free Hazmat from buyrocketmotors is a chunk of money for only 2 rockets that'll need hazmat motors. :(

No local dealers, haven't attended any launches that have a vendor, so it stinks. :(
 
I'm new to High Power Rocketry. While I have enough B,C, D, and F motors to last the Summer.. I only bought one AT DMS motor to certify (which I did), and the plan is to get into reloads soon.

Now comes the question - In light of HazMat/Shipping charges, do you buy just a few motors at a time, or like a thousand dollars worth all at once?

The field I fly at has no vendors, so that's not an option as of now.

Thanks.
Definitely buy large quantities at once. If you can’t do a large order for yourself it helps to see if other members of your club want to do a group order. When I have done that I typically spend about $3000 per order and then deliver the motors at the next launch.
 
I'm new to High Power Rocketry. While I have enough B,C, D, and F motors to last the Summer.. I only bought one AT DMS motor to certify (which I did), and the plan is to get into reloads soon.

Now comes the question - In light of HazMat/Shipping charges, do you buy just a few motors at a time, or like a thousand dollars worth all at once?

The field I fly at has no vendors, so that's not an option as of now.

Thanks.
Doesn’t Performance Hobbies support a number of PSC launches at the Grove City site? Ken has been there in the past with a whole trailer full of goodies.

Or make the trip to Tripoli Pittsburgh’s Dragonfire Field - I think they typically have a vendor on site.

It’s a long drive from Western PA but Tripoli Mid-Ohio usually has one of the Merlin Missile guys at their launches.Their launch fees a bit high but they’re a great bunch and have a nice flying field.

Wright Stuff Rocketeers out Dayton have their HPR field just a few minutes from TMO’s site - contact Randy at eRockets and you can most likely make arrangements to have your motors brought to the launch site.

Finally, depending on what kind of MPG your daily driver gets it’s worth the trip to Dayton for some quality retail therapy at eRockets itself - go on a Tuesday for build night then to the Air Force Museum the next day 😎
 
Well, like I said, I'm new at this. There wasn't a vendor there at my last launch but maybe that'll change this weekend.

The Tripoli field is actually quite a hike from here, but then again I'm retired...
 
Well, like I said, I'm new at this. There wasn't a vendor there at my last launch but maybe that'll change this weekend.

The Tripoli field is actually quite a hike from here, but then again I'm retired...
Hopefully Performance Hobbies is at the June launch - at least one of the two days - I’m planning on stocking up. And hopefully the weather forecast holds up, as of right now it looks like two perfect (hot!) days with calm winds!
 
Ordering on the Black Friday sales is a must.

Being on the East Coast, you have some options for launches to help you out.

Tim from Wildman usually attends Red Glare (https://mdrocketry.org/), so you can save on shipping costs by ordering a bunch of stuff on Black Friday and heading to Red Glare in the Spring to pick up all your stuff. The shipping savings can be huge, especially if you also buy large items like rocket kits. Since the BF motor orders are pre-orders, Wildman usually gets the motors right before Red Glare anyway, so it really works out well all the way around.

Tim or Jackie from Wildman also usually attends URRF (https://urrg.clubexpress.com/) in the summer, which gives you another chance to get an order in that can be delivered to you.

Kenny from Performance Hobbies (https://performancehobbies.com/launches.asp) attends a whole bunch of launches on the East Coast, including some of the Tripoli Pittsburgh launches, so he is someone to get to know - you can setup buys from him and figure out where to best link up with him to avoid shipping costs.

Teddy from Onebadhawk (http://onebadhawk.com/index.html) attends Red Glare, most METRA launches and all the URRG launches - he carries Loki and Aerotech, so you can setup buys with him and possibly link up at a launch to avoid shipping costs.

Balsa Machining (https://www.balsamachining.com/) offers pre-order prices all the time. This can save more than enough money to justify the HAZMAT fees. The caveat is that you have to wait for your motors for a long time (lead time is probably months right now)

BuyRocketMotors (https://www.buyrocketmotors.com/) usually has some of the best non-sale internet prices around on Level 1 and 2 motors. And they offer to pay the HAZMAT fee on orders over $399, which is a great deal.

Finally, treat motors like any other investment. Motors only go up in cost, so stocking up when you have the opportunity never hurts you. Motors I bought in 2021 now cost about 20% more than they did then. The point is, aggregating large purchases is a good investment (assuming you believe investing in your rocket hobby is a good thing... Your significant other my beg to differ) since the cost of the motors will be more next year, and so on.

Eventually, getting into EX is a fun way to augment your motor availability. Many people will tell you that cost is not the real factor in EX motors, although, eventually, EX can be cheaper per motor (after you eat the up front costs of equipment, bulk materials, etc). However, there is something immensely satisfying about mixing your own propellant and watching your rocket fly successfully on your creation.
 
Hopefully Performance Hobbies is at the June launch - at least one of the two days - I’m planning on stocking up. And hopefully the weather forecast holds up, as of right now it looks like two perfect (hot!) days with calm winds!
Do yourself a favor and call Ken to make sure that he has, and will bring, what you're looking for.
 
Now comes the question - In light of HazMat/Shipping charges, do you buy just a few motors at a time, or like a thousand dollars worth all at once?
When not buying D motors at my LHS, it is usually $1k+ orders. Oz is painful for motor costs and shipping.

If you know of a club member making a purchase you can negotiate with them to get in on their order and share the Hazmat and freight.
 
As someone mentioned, there are some motors/reloads that can be shipped without hazmat.
 

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Bulk order black friday. Buy spot motors as needed at big launches and group order with fellow flyers when possible. Avoid wife knowledge. Lol
This is what we do, except the last statement.
Sharon is L3, and buys most of our stuff. We also make our own, and save 80% doing that.
Chris’ Rocket supply was at NSL, and was fully stocked with AT and a fresh order of CTI motors...
Buying at a launch is a great way to support the vendors.
 
Well, like I said, I'm new at this. There wasn't a vendor there at my last launch but maybe that'll change this weekend.

The Tripoli field is actually quite a hike from here, but then again I'm retired...
PSC does not have a motor vendor on site. I am the only vendor that comes there, and I do not have motors yet. Ken does not go to PSC launches but does come to tripoli pittsburgh launches.
 
Thanks. I have only been there once, and didn't know the vendor situation other that there weren't any the time I was there.
 
PSC does not have a motor vendor on site. I am the only vendor that comes there, and I do not have motors yet. Ken does not go to PSC launches but does come to tripoli pittsburgh launches.
He must have been at a combined launch when Dragonfire was being worked on - could have been in 2021 or earlier and not last year like I misremembered, getting older isn’t all bad but having things run together is definitely one of the downsides 😆

Sorry for getting mine and Pinetree’s hopes up.
 
I'll figure it out somehow..

One of the guys who helped me with my cert launch said he has a stash of motors that he'd be willing to sell some.

I'm still at the "this is a lot to take in" stage, and I don't have any cases for reloads yet.

Thanks again.
 
Definitely buy large quantities at once. If you can’t do a large order for yourself it helps to see if other members of your club want to do a group order. When I have done that I typically spend about $3000 per order and then deliver the motors at the next launch.
I'm having a difficult time finding CTI motors - but even MORE difficulty finding CTI hardware. It seems most casing listing on the Wildman website are OUT OF STOCK - and wondering if anyone knows who had stock in Pro29, Pro38 and Pro54 casings and hardware? Thanks! Stephen on Wednesday 31 May 2023
 
I'm having a difficult time finding CTI motors - but even MORE difficulty finding CTI hardware. It seems most casing listing on the Wildman website are OUT OF STOCK - and wondering if anyone knows who had stock in Pro29, Pro38 and Pro54 casings and hardware? Thanks! Stephen on Wednesday 31 May 2023
CTI is going through a ..........tough time......... right now. EVERYONE is low on stock of most of their stuff. I recommend checking via direct email to the various large CTI vendors like Wildman, Chris, AMW, etc. and see when, or even IF, they're expecting what you're looking for to be delivered.

I know for sure Tim(Wildman) said at Red Glare (April 1st) that his CTI shipment from November 2022 wasn't due until June/July at the earliest, although that may have changed some since.
 
I am lucky enough to have AMWPRo here in Phoenix. They have AeroTech and CTI, and a really good stock of motors. HazMat is just part of the game we have to play unless you have the options listed above. Go to a big launch with vendors or team up with club members and bulk buy.
 
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