I would say doug's work is more a derivative / improvement upon the edge design..
The parts I got from doug I could NOT get from the edge. I got a dual a-arm, CV drive line for a piranha. Costs a bit more than the single a-arm, PTO design, but the improvement in durability of CV's over the PTO shafts is a no brainer. If I wanted CV's from edge, I needed the PIRCV, which of course is better, but that was out of my budget.
Of course the shipping would work out to my advantage buying local. Would you buy an item thats available in both the US and Australia from the Australia, if it was cheaper (and the same or better quality) locally? Thats why companies globalize.. Heck, I see it within the borders of the US alone, companies have multiple warehouses, east, central and west coast to minimize shipping time / cost. If given a choice, I want the company that has a warehouse closer to me because I will get my product that much faster! Thats one of the BIGGEST things when dealing with a sale thats got to be shipped. I do a fair amount of ebay sales (side job unrelated industry) and people don't want to pay $1.25 to ship something that legitimately costs me $1.75 to ship!!! Keep shipping costs and time to a minimum!
As for making money, well, we all gotta do it. Unless one of us is secretly wealthy, its part of life. If I had the skills and tools to make parts for money, why not? And whats the difference, I bought plans, for all tony cares, I could bring them to my local machine ship and have them mill / lathe the parts for me. As far as I know, there was no requirement to buy all my parts from edge. The local shop would charge me more to make these parts because of the one-time setup, and uniqueness.. Its not like you can build the machine solely with doug's parts, you still need the plans. Granted, you can find them for free on the net, but I actually paid for mine.
As for tony's demeanor, well, lets just say I didn't notice anything as long as I kept my searching and reading to strictly technical / mechanical stuff. I kinda got the cold shoulder feeling if I read anything political. Then I commented on the 4x4 buggy thread, suggesting the poster check out a post here by someone who made a one-off 4x4 buggy from a polaris 4x4. This isnt a competing post, in fact, its helping the original poster. If Tony made a 4x4, I would understand, but this guy wasnt in the market for a 2WD speed machine. Tony handed me my ass.. Then went on to proclaim that all the drug and porn spam originates from the USA. WHOAAAA.. Stop right there. What the HELL does that have to do with editing posts with relevant information?? Thats when I saw the side of tony that I didn't want to see. Not to mention, its an uneducated comment at best. (I also run a forum, one for quad racers in the NE USA, I KNOW where the porn and drug spam comes from as I combat it myself, and I'll tell you, its usually Russia / Nigeria, certainly NOT the USA!). But that comment showed me his prejudice towards Americans in one quick shot.. Time to find another forum to share my experiences on, and thats why I am here..
In the end we are here to build our own machines.. I don't look at you as an Aussie, I look at you as a fellow builder. One who possibly may help me out, or possibly may need my help.. After all, progress and development occurs as the result of people sharing ideas.. I brought some ideas to the table on the edge forum, inquiring about link suspensions for the front, etc.. If Tony designed a front end based on my idea, would he pay ME royalties? I think not.. And lets think about competition. How many car companies are there in the world? Aren't all cars essentially the same, 4 wheels, motor, transmission, suspension and steering? Improvement is made because its part if competition. In order to sell more, you need to keep improving your product.. The more open you are to others ideas, the more you will excel here.. Pigeon holing anybodys ideas except your own will only serve to speed up your own demise, as you will not keep up with the times.
Innovation is the result of competition... Without it, we'd all still be driving a Model T
