Over the past month and a bit I have been working on a Chewlix unit I picked up locally in Ontario.
There are great pockets of information floating around, so I wanted to add my expertises in hopes they help others who are looking to take the plunge into Vewlix or Chewlix ownership.
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Part 1 - Sourcing a unit
The very first part of this adventure was to find a unit. I started looking about three months ago, learning that I had just missed the infamous `fire sale` by only a small amount of time.
There were four main avenues to explore here:
1 - Buy a real Vewlix brand new from somewhere
2 - Buy a real Vewlix used from somewhere
3 - Buy a Chewlix new from somewhere
4 - Buy a Chewlix used from somewhere
During May of 2020 the world was in quite a state (and still is as of this writing in July 2020). Between the value of the Canadian dollar and concerns getting things over the boarder in any capacity I had major concerns with sourcing a new Vewlix or Chewlix unit directly from overseas.
1- Buy a real Vewlix brand new from somewhere
I sourced a few places that claimed to have brand new Vewlix Diamond Black units for sale (please note I did not follow up on these to confirm the legitimacy of their claims, so have no links to share). Prices for these were very high landed at my door, and well outside of the budget I had set for this project as a whole. For those thatt were lucky enough to get one of the Vewlix Diamond Blacks during the fire sale that happened, I expect the price of this would still have been on the upper limit of what I was looking to spend on this project as a whole before any modifications or upgrades were made.
2 - Buy a real Vewlix used from somewhere
While this may have yielded some results given a longer amount of time spent looking, the month or so that I really focused on it only resulted in a few scam listings. Had a unit surfaced that was in good condition at a price within my budget I would have pursued further. There are some well known sellers that import units semi-regularly into the USA. This was very interesting to me as that would eliminate most of the major concerns around hidden shipping fees, import fees, container fees, etc. Again being in Canada I had to consider shipping over the boarder which has been hit and miss in regards to fees since the change from NAFTA to the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement.
3 - Buy a Chewlix new from somewhere
Tons of options were presented here. One trip to Alibaba presented pages of offerings from likely only a few real suppliers. On this front it would be very expensive to get a single unit imported, but I could spread the cost across multiple imported units to either lower my cost or potentially pay for my unit with a small markup on other units. This was a big risk, and after reading some of the stories and experiences others had I decided not to with the intention of limiting my risk as much as possible.
4 - Buy a Chewlix used from somewhere
This felt like the best compared to the other options. From the research I did into purchasing a new Chewlix unit there appears to be different levels of quality associated with different manufactures. Because of this I wanted to ensure that I could see and feel the unit in person before purchasing. Since I planned on gutting most of it and re-building my major focus was on getting one with a strong frame.
There were three major contenders at this point for sourcing a unit:
1 - AC in the USA
2 - Vewlixshop in Montreal
3 - Used local Chewlix
Each of these presented purchasing options that were within the budget but each unfortunately had downsides associated with them.
1 - AC in the USA
I am sure this is a well known name to all here. If not please do a quick search to find out more. I spoke with AC a few times about the costs associated with getting a new Chewlix or a used Vewlix. Although I did not go down this route I have to say that AC was amazing to chat with and I would absolutely recommend getting in touch with him if you are in the USA.
Price from $ to $$$$$ = $$$ to $$$$ depending on boarder fees
Pros:
- Lots of options to pick from
- Very good quality units
- Excellent reputation in the community
- Major importing concerns taken care of
Cons:
- Still needs to be shipped across the boarder into Canada
- Potential for high importing fees and other fees
2 - Vewlixshop in Montreal
One of the only things that pops up when you type in Vewlix and Canada on Google. Originally I thought these were actual Vewlix machines, but after some further reading and understanding of prices they are, in fact, Chewlix units. Although my experiences with them may be unique, I had a number of red flag moments during conversations with them.
Price from $ to $$$$$ = $$$$ to $$$$$
Pros:
- Within driving distance (very long drive, but drivable none the less)
- No surprises on the pricing
- Some references to happy customers online
- Could see the unit before purchasing
- Some amount of variety for making a selection
Cons:
- Prices were high
- Ownership of the business did not look to match what was on the website
- Images of unit available were never sent
- Major concerns over the control panel and control panel overlay not fitting
3 - Used local Chewlix
One was available! Buried in a local group I found a posting that surprisingly was still available. This one was part of a small import into Canada that happened a while ago and they were looking to get something else for their games room. They were a very reasonably distance from me and the price was good! Color of the unit was not ideal, but that could always be changed later.
Price from $ to $$$$$ = $$$
Pros:
- Within driving distance
- No surprises on the pricing
- Could see the unit before purchasing
Cons:
- Price was a little higher than I originally wanted to pay for a used machine
- Had white trim pieces which was not my ideal
- Had 720p screen in it
After some more considering I decided to go with option 3 and made the trip out to pick it up.
The quality of this specific Chewlix was fantastic! Nice heavy and sturdy metal parts with great fit and no wobble.
Came with a bag of extra stuff as well! Bonus.
About an hour and a half later I had a Chewlix in my garage and whole lot of work to get started on.
Part 2 will be on prices and budgets! Spoiler - things add up quickly
