MGI Golfone of the world’s leading manufacturers of electric wheelchairs, is launching a new line of laser meters.
Let that statement marinate for a second or two.
When Motocaddy did the same thing last December, my editor posed an interesting question: Do we really need another $249 laser meter?
He asked the same thing yesterday.
And yesterday I told him the same thing as in December.
needsmy friends, it has nothing to do with it.
Oh yeah, you’re going to want to read the rest of this.
MGI Laser Beam Finders: What It Is need does it have anything to do with it?
With apologies to the late Tina Turner, this is the best question to ask.
Once a $249 laser rangefinder hits the market, technically you don’t need a second one. As someone who grew up finding the 150-yard marker and going long distances, I can argue that it doesn’t need a laser rangefinder at all.
Once we understand that, then we can get to the heart of the matter: Why MGI is adding a trio of new distance runners to its lineup? Well, the most obvious answer is, in this case, most likely the correct one.
Because it can.
And there is no weakness.
By adding the Sureshot PINLOC 7000 series (how’s that for a name?) to its offering, MGI is adding another layer to its business with what is likely to be a very low capital investment. The feature set of the Sureshot PINLOC 7000 series does not offer any paradigm-changing technological advances. They are most likely “me-too” MGI products sourced from a supplier, chose the style, feature set and finish they wanted, stamped their name, and went into the distance business.
Rangefinders are not, in fact, a new venture for MGI. Two years ago, she published SlimPRO ($299)which stands alone in the MGI offering. There is also a trio of PINLOC 6000 Distance with similar naming conventions but look dated when compared to the 7000 series.
Don’t get us wrong: there’s nothing wrong with this approach. It’s called “buy-sell” and it’s done in almost every industry. Manufacturers use buy-sell to complete their offerings with little or no capital investment. They can now capture a part of a market they weren’t capturing before and strengthen their brands as a more “complete” solution.
What are these new MGI laser meters all about?
As mentioned, the long name MGI The Sureshot PINLOC 7000 series of laser rangefinders includes nothing that will rock your world. MGI offers three levels, each with an extra feature or two.
The most basic model is the PINLOC 7000iM. According to MGI, it features advanced optics and “intelligent targeting technology.” While it’s not explained, we assume it has to do with speed. The 7000iM retails for $229.
Next is the PINLOC 7000iPM. The “P” stands for “Pulse Technology”, which means the unit pulses or vibrates once you’ve locked onto the target. It retails for $249.
Finally, there is the PINLOC 7000iPSM. This unit includes tilt technology to adjust for height changes, as well as a 1.69-inch external display. In its press material, MGI didn’t describe what the screen actually shows, you know. Since there’s no mention of a GPS function, we can only go by the image above, in which the display shows laser measurements, the same thing you get when looking through the rangefinder anyway. If so, it seems like a cool feature that could be a solution in search of a problem. MGI says the unit will display the number for 15 seconds and includes a reminder function for the most recent remote shot.
The 7000 iPSM retails for $299.
This is a curious formation. You’ll find basic units in the $249 price range that will include pulse and tilt. Slope, in fact, is almost a standard requirement, so it’s unusual MGI would only include that feature on its highest-priced unit.
The fascinating history of MGI Golf
We dug a little into MGI’s background and found that the company started almost by accident. The company is Australian and its roots date back to 1993. Founder Ian Edwards was looking to buy an electric cart for his father, an avid golfer. He contacted a small company called Caddymatic in nearby Melbourne to buy one.
That company suddenly offered Edwards the option to buy its entire inventory once it started selling the electrical boxes itself. Which he did.
Edwards renamed Caddymatic as Motorized Golf Australia (MGA) and eventually as Motorized Golf International, MGI. By the late 1990s, MGI began designing and manufacturing its own models instead of just serving as a distributor.
Our testing shows that MGI makes a stylish electric buggy (or electric buggy, electric buggy – whatever you want to call them). The company launched a simple and slim laser rangefinder two years ago and this release of the PINLOC 7000 is a clear signal that it intends to expand its offering.
“The Sureshot PINLOC 7000 Series was developed to deliver the speed, accuracy and ease of use players expect, while enhancing the putt golf experiences that define the MGI brand,” says Miranda Turner, MGI CEO and daughter of Ian Edwards. “Our focus remains on developing products that help players play with greater confidence and comfort.”
Who will buy these?
More people than you might think. While I’m sure MGI would like to sell a ton of them, my guess is that they are thinking more about market piece than market share.
MGI loyalists are a visible and integrated customer base. Then there’s anyone who wants a moderately priced meter but doesn’t want to risk buying one from some unknown, unidentified company selling them super cheap on Amazon.
MGI, like Motocaddy before it, has worked hard to build its brand and reputation. Therefore, you can be quite sure that these things are not in vain. This is also a way for MGI to get its name in front of customers who may not know it exists. Electric strollers are no longer a fad, but they are still an emerging market. If your Google search for “laser rangefinder” turns up an MGI Sureshot PINLOC 7000 and you didn’t know the company is also a leader in electric carts, that’s a big win for MGI’s marketing department.
At another level, adding laser charms to the line could allow retail customers to add ancillary products to their orders. They may do this to achieve free shipping thresholds or even quality for deeper quantity discounts. In the case of low to mid-priced laser meters, retailers only care about selling one. Which brand they sell matters less.
The MGI Sureshot PINLOC 7000 series is on sale now at MGI Golf website.
