the first order: a wall grinder starter assortment built from moq math
Twelve SKUs. MOQ 10 pcs per SKU. Four units of the wheel machines per carton. Those three numbers are the whole argument of this post: a first order from Cirelto — a wholesale power tools supplier in Wenzhou, China — does not need to be a container, does not need the full range, and should not carry the branding decision. Here is what a starter assortment looks like when it is built from the catalog instead of from guesswork.
by peter zhang · sep 26, 2026
five SKUs, ten pieces each, one mixed shipment
One shrouded wheel grinder (CI-G750), the large-disc model (CI-G180) and a three-size paddle family: 50 pcs across five SKUs. The wheel grinder alone packs three cartons at 4 per carton — the full trial still ships LCL. Samples 5-7 days ahead of production. OEM private label waits for sell-through — it opens at 50 pcs.
the range fits one shipment — and one supplier
The 2026 catalog is deliberately narrow: three wall-grinder lines (the 3-wheel CI-G750, its 4-wheel sibling CI-G750B, and the large-disc CI-G180), an electric mortar mixer in two power ratings, one M14 mixing paddle in three head diameters, the electric wall planer, and the SS-2 cordless vibrating screed. Twelve SKUs total. Because the minimums are per SKU rather than per order — 10 pcs each — a buyer can take one SKU of anything without forcing volume elsewhere, and because everything consolidates at the Wenzhou warehouse, the grinders and the mixing lines ride the same mixed shipment under one invoice and one customs set. The full mechanics are in the import playbook.
assortment one: the renovation-crew kit
The most common first order serves interior renovation crews, and it has three lines:
CI-G750, 10 pcs — the dust-managed default. Shroud and vacuum hose ship in the carton, which is the configuration occupied-site work specifies, and the three-wheel head is the lighter of the wheel models at 3.6 kg. CI-G180, 10 pcs — the speed option: a 180mm hook & loop pad on a 2.5 kg body for one-hand overhead work, covering the ceilings-and-fast-passes jobs the wheel head grinds through slowly. Paddle family, 10 pcs per size (30 pcs) — the consumable anchor: mortar, plaster and paint mixing on one M14 spindle, priced low enough to be the second thing the customer buys and the first thing they reorder.
Call it three cartons for CI-G750 at the 4-per-carton rate, the large-disc units packed alongside, and a light carton of paddles — LCL freight, samples already validated, ocean transit in the standard 15-30 day window.
assortment two: the distributor spread
A reseller stocking for an unknown mix reads the market instead of a crew: both wheel models at 10 pcs each (six cartons — CI-G750 and CI-G750B differ by one wheel and 0.3 kg, and the head-count question is exactly what the 3-wheel vs 4-wheel comparison resolves), CI-G180 at 10 pcs for the speed tier, and one mixer rating — CI-M1600 covers mortar and plaster mixing for most retail buyers; step to CI-M2100 only when the customer list pours slabs. Paddles ride along at 10 per size.
The point of the spread is that sell-through, not speculation, picks the next order's shape. Three months of data answers the questions a first order cannot: which wheel head the market wants, whether the 1400W tier earns its shelf space, and which paddle size moves fastest.
the oem step comes after sell-through
Private label — the buyer's logo on standard packaging — opens at 50 pcs with a 10-15 day turnaround; full custom packaging design runs from 1,000 pcs, and custom product specifications are a drawings conversation. The sequencing matters more than the numbers: the first order exists to produce the sell-through data, and the OEM conversation should arrive behind that evidence with a specific model attached. The three levels and their trade-offs are laid out in the OEM private-label guide.
what leaves the first order out
Three things, all tempting. The full range at minimums — twelve SKUs times 10 pcs sounds small, but every SKU added before the demand signal is shelf space and working capital allocated by guesswork. Custom colors and branding — that is the OEM conversation, and it belongs after sell-through. Market-specific details left unnamed — destination cords and plugs, packaging language, voltage-plate wording: all trivial at order time and annoying at the port, so they belong in the first enquiry, exactly as the US import playbook argues for the 120V markets.
faq
How big is the smallest practical first order?
MOQ is 10 pcs per SKU, not per order. A five-SKU starter — one shrouded wheel grinder, the large-disc model, and a three-size paddle family — has the wheel grinder alone packing into three cartons (4 units per carton); add the large-disc units and a light carton of paddles and the whole trial still ships LCL, not a container commitment. Samples of any SKU go first, 5-7 days by courier, so the production order only covers machines a crew has already run.
Can different product lines ride the same shipment?
Yes — that is what the consolidation warehouse is for. Grinding and mixing lines pack into the same mixed-container order under one invoice and one customs set, which is why a wall-grinder starter can carry the M14 mixing paddles as its consumable anchor without a second supplier or a second freight booking.
When should the OEM conversation start?
After sell-through, not before. Private label — your logo on standard packaging — opens at 50 pcs with a 10-15 day turnaround; full custom packaging runs from 1,000 pcs. The first order exists to generate the sell-through data that tells you which model earns your brand on it. Starting the branding conversation on order one is paying for packaging before the demand signal exists.
What payment terms apply to a first order?
The standard structure is 30% deposit with order and 70% before shipment, by T/T. L/C is available above $10,000. Ocean transit on consolidated mixed orders runs the standard 15-30 day window from the Wenzhou/Ningbo port complex; the quote returns within 24 hours of a procurement list.
build your starter order
send the market, the crew profile and a rough quantity — the assortment, carton count and terms come back as one quote within 24 hours.
get a starter-order quote