Anybody have a cheap source for replacement rubber tires/pickup wheels for a plockmatic 310 collator? This is also sold in the US by MBM as the maxxum 10 collator but is the same as the plockmatic 310. Retail the rubber pickup tires go for $20 each, 4 per bin which is a lot @ $800 for a full set. There must be a cheaper source for these, or maybe a non-OEM version of the rubber pickup wheel that would fit? Anyone have a pointer?

I know exactly what you mean. I needed new rubber grippers for the feed heads of an older model ABDick bookletmaker (1983). The things are probably worth about a nickel a piece but Presstek wanted about $2 each for them and I would have needed about 100 of them to replace all the feet on all the pickup heads (light weight ones, standard, heavy, double headed at 24 bins X # of gripper per type of head). Anyway I went searching and found the stuff that you line a tool box drawer with to keep your tools from sliding, a huge roll of it for $6. The 2 sided tape was about $3. I cut the stuff to size, scraped off the old ones with a straight edge razor, applied the new ones with the tape and walah!...they worked as good or better than the OEM ones and I saved about $190. But, before I found that stuff, I did contact some rubber manufacturers who were glad to help me and send me free samples of what they offered. I only contacted a few and then found the stuff I used at a hardware store, but I am sure if I kept looking I would have found one through the rubber manufactures. Google is a great tool for finding them. Also I have found similar instances with press & other equipment parts. I found some electrical components through Digi-key, and some things through Grainger. The stuff I found there took a little leg work, but I save a ton of cash over OEM Ryobi part costs and in serveral cases I got the exact same part - same brand & everything, with the others I found compatable parts usually just a different brand. These two sources are great for replacement switches, relays, lamps, motors, soilenoids, etc. Some parts there are just no alternate sources for and so you half to pay the price, but when ever I can I will buy them through other sources if the savings is significant.