I had a Boss who used to say you could pick two of three items, lowest price, service, or quality. Someone out there will deliver on two, but never all three. This statement holds true in the walkie talkie world and is discussed at least weekly. I’m going to share some biased (hard not to be, I’ve been selling walkie talkies for 25 plus years) thoughts about cheap walkie talkies in relation to the three standards above.
Are those lowest price walkie talkies good enough? You can find 24 radios online for about $250. They work. They talk and the battery lasts through the day. If you break one, it only costs $10 right? The battery goes dead because it’s cheap and it won’t last a year. That’s going to cost you at least $10. That’s assuming you can find the battery… Point is, you get what you pay for. You buy cheap you can expect cheap.
“We bought these cheap radios and the quality is great”. We’re probably working off different definitions of great. BBQ Tri-tip and Brisket are both beef. Great tri-tip doesn’t hold a candle to reasonably cooked brisket. Audio quality, battery life and durability matter as does what’s acceptable to you. I love liver… my family hates it. Cheap and quality are oxymorons.
There are many websites online like Reddit where people come to ask how to make that cheap radio they just bought work with their other radios. The question is a prime example of the lack of service you get when buying a cheap walkie talkie. You’re on your own making it work with your existing fleet. Zero customer service and/or technical support to assist with making old and new work together because they can’t afford to at the price you paid. I like to eat and I have a Team of people who like to eat too. I was in Nicaragua this year. Someone gets paid to hand you a paper towel in airport bathrooms because everyone has a job because nothing is free there either.
If you’ve made it this far… I see restaurant chains using $20 radios and I see others using $400 radios. Why… because one chain sees communication as a critical tool while the other treats their communications tool as a commodity. Statement holds true across all industries we call on including the Hammies that proudly proclaim their cheap import radio is as good as a much higher priced Motorola. More power to you… that’s why Ford sells more Mustangs than Porsche sells 911’s. You do get exactly what you pay for.
Walkie Talkies are a productivity tool disguised as a safety tool. Invest in the best radio for your budget knowing that higher priced radios will sound clearer, last longer, and deliver more consistent results. Cheap is cheap…