So I needed a cheap dry cleaner machine for my small laundromat upgrade. Budget’s tight right? Started with a Google search like everyone else. Typed "dry cleaner machine sale cheap" – boom, tons of listings popped up. Felt overwhelming immediately.

First Try: Big Marketplaces

Checked the usual suspects first. Scrolled through listings, but prices were all over the place. Saw one labeled "affordable" at $3k, clicked details... surprise! $500 shipping fee hidden in small print. Noped out real quick. Filtered by "lowest price" – garbage machines flooded the results. Half looked refurbished but advertised as new. Sketchy.

Digging Into Sellers

Decided to compare sellers properly:

• Seller A: Super low prices, but zero reviews. Red flag.
• Seller B: Okay pricing, had reviews... but all 5-star with copy-paste praise. Fake vibes.
• Seller C: Slightly pricier but actual customer photos in reviews. Messaged three buyers – two replied confirming machines worked 6+ months.

The Shipping Trap

Almost went with Seller C until shipping quote hit. Their warehouse was 2 states away. Freight cost doubled the price. Asked if local pickup was allowed – "machine ships from China actually." Bruh. Wasted a week because nobody lists location clearly upfront.

Final Move & Trade-Offs

Found a regional supplier with okay prices. Machine specs:

• Capacity: 20lb (small but enough)
• Warranty: 1 year (others offered 90 days)
• Price: $2,800 including shipping

It’s slower than premium models and louder than my coffee grinder. But hey, solvent tanks ain’t leaking. Compromise? Absolutely. Saved $1.5k though.

What I’d Do Different

Should’ve asked "where’s it shipping from?" on day one. Also learned cheap machines cost more in electricity later. Next time I’ll stalk Reddit laundry threads before trusting seller sites.