A buyer in Kenya sent us two quotes side by side last month. One was 12 percent cheaper than the other. He almost signed it, until we lined up the fine print and the cheap one turned out to cost more by the time the plant ran. The lower number was real. So was the gap it hid.

This happens often. The headline price is the easiest thing to compare and the worst thing to judge a plant by. Here are six items that decide whether the number means what you think.

Item 1: host machine vs whole line

Some quotes price the host machine only. The conveyor, the cubing line, the batching system, and the control panel sit below as add-ons. A bare host cannot make a block that leaves the yard stacked and wrapped. Ask plainly: does this price run a finished block to the stack, or just press it? The difference is often 30 to 50 percent of the total.

Item 2: mold and spare molds

The first mold is usually included, but check the material and the count. A good mold uses Cr12MoV steel with a carburized depth of 1.5 to 2.0 mm and a single-side gap of 0.15 to 0.25 mm, which holds shape through hundreds of thousands of cycles. Then ask the price of extra molds. A plant that switches between hollow and solid, or adds pavers later, will want a spare, and that cost belongs in your budget now, not after the order ships.

Item 3: pallets

Most automatic lines cure blocks on pallets. Wood, steel, and bamboo each have a price and a life. Wood is cheap and wears fast. Steel lasts but costs more up front. Bamboo sits in between. The quote should state how many pallets ship with the line and how many you need for your cycle time. Pallets are a recurring cost, and a line short on pallets simply stops while blocks cure.

Item 4: freight terms

FOB means the price covers the machine to the Chinese port, and you pay the sea freight, insurance, and destination customs. CIF means the supplier pays freight and insurance to your port, but you still clear customs. A CIF quote that looks high may actually be cheaper once you add the freight the FOB quote left out. On the India Ahmedabad plant, six 40-foot high-cube containers reached Mundra in 16 days; the customs step finished in five days because every certificate matched. That smooth landing was planned into the quote, not luck.

Item 5: installation and training

Ask how many engineer days are included and who pays the airfare and local stay. On the Ahmedabad job, two engineers plus a local electrician commissioned the line in 19 days, and the client's operators learned the touchscreen within five. Some quotes bundle this, others bill it by the day on site, where a delayed flight becomes your cost. Know which one you are reading before you sign.

Item 6: warranty and spare parts

The warranty period (often 12 to 18 months), the spare parts kit included, and the response time all belong on the page. A supplier with a nearby office answers faster. Dongyue keeps nine overseas offices, so a client in South Africa or Egypt gets parts without a long flight. A one-year warranty with no local stock is a different promise from the same warranty backed by a warehouse down the road.

A one-page checklist

● Does the price include the conveyor, cubing, and control, or host only?

● What mold material and how many spare molds are priced?

● How many pallets ship, and what is the refill cost?

● Is the quote FOB or CIF, and who clears customs?

● How many engineer days are included, and who pays travel?

● What is the warranty length, the spare parts kit, and the response time?

Run this list against every quote you receive. The cheapest line often loses once the six items are filled in, and the plant that costs a little more up front usually costs less by the time it runs.