I need three, five-foot lengths of 7/8″ x 0.065″ 4130 Chromoly tubing, so here’s a price comparison:
| Seller | Per Foot | Price | Shipping | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wicks Aircraft and Motorsports | $4.93 | $73.95 | $51.12 | $125.07 |
| Stock Car Steel | $6.54 | $98.18 | $37.30 | $135.48 |
| Aircraft Spruce & Specialty | $7.60 | $114.00 | $49.74 | $163.74 |
| Applied Racing Technology | $7.65 (est) | $114.75 (est) | $51 (est) | $165.75 |
| Online Metals | $10.70 | $160.50 | $23.60 | $184.10 |
| TW Metals | $19.80 | $297 | $17.42 | $314.42 |
The lines containing “(est)” are estimates because their online stores don’t offer five foot lengths.
Online Metals has the highest per-foot pricing, especially since there’s a custom cut charge for five foot lengths ($10.70/ft vs around $8.33/ft for a standard six-foot length, a 28% increase). However, they’ve also got many more locations (Portland, Seattle, Toledo, Wallingford, Los Angeles, Dallas, and Atlanta), making shipping cheaper and pickup possible.