Keeping Proven Equipment in the Field

StimStock is a small, independently owned business in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania specializing in professionally tested and serviced used Garmin dog tracking and training equipment and Tri-Tronics equipment.

Our mission is simple: keep good equipment in the field.

There are thousands of quality training and tracking systems still in use today that don't need to be replaced simply because they're older or have been discontinued. Many just need the right part, a new battery, a repair, or someone who knows the equipment well enough to bring it back to life.

That's where StimStock comes in.

We source hard-to-find components, repair older equipment, manufacture replacement components when originals are no longer available, and provide professionally tested used equipment that customers can purchase with confidence.

Our goal isn't simply to sell used electronics. It's to help keep proven equipment working for the next generation of dogs.

How StimStock Started

StimStock was founded in 2018 by Michael Cassatt, but Michael's experience in the dog electronics industry began several years earlier.

In 2014, Michael began working for a large e-commerce retailer specializing in new dog training and tracking equipment. Working in the industry gave him extensive exposure to the products, the customers who relied on them, and an opportunity he felt wasn't being adequately served.

There was a strong market for new equipment, but the used market was a different story.

Customers looking for discontinued systems, affordable used equipment, replacement units for an existing system, or hard-to-find components had relatively few places to turn. Buying used electronics could also be a gamble. A collar might power on, but was the battery actually healthy? Did stimulation work at every level? Did the GPS communicate reliably at distance?

Michael saw an opportunity to build a business specifically around that problem.

StimStock started small in 2018, selling batches of used equipment on eBay. For several years, Michael continued working a full-time 40-hour-a-week job while building StimStock on the side. There were many weeks where the two combined meant working close to 80 hours.

Eventually, the little side business became something more.

Michael has now operated StimStock full-time for the past two years, supporting his family through the business he built from the ground up.

Where Did the Name “StimStock” Come From?

The name came from Michael's wife.

The idea was a simple play on what the business did:

Stim — short for stimulation.

Stock — because we stock stimulation collars and equipment.

Put them together and you get StimStock.

Simple, memorable, and surprisingly fitting for what the business would eventually become.

Electronics Repair Wasn't New Territory

Long before StimStock, Michael had an interest in electronics.

During college, he built gaming computers and repaired computers. After college, he spent several years working as an independent mobile iPhone repair technician, gaining hands-on experience repairing small electronics.

That background became increasingly valuable as StimStock grew.

Instead of simply sorting equipment into “working” and “broken,” we began asking a different question:

Can it be repaired?

Today, repairing and preserving older equipment is becoming an increasingly important part of what StimStock does.

Why We Believe in Older Equipment

Newer isn't always better.

Tri-Tronics built some exceptional electronic dog-training systems. We regularly see systems that are 15, 20, or more years old still doing their job.

Some have trained multiple generations of dogs.

In many cases, a receiver that appears to have reached the end of its life simply needs a battery replacement. Install a quality replacement battery, service the unit, test it properly, and it's ready to go back into the field.

The same philosophy applies to many older Garmin tracking systems. They are often straightforward, durable, and easy to operate. For customers who already know their system—or those who simply don't need every feature found on today's equipment—keeping an existing system running can make far more sense than replacing everything.

Modern systems can offer impressive technology, but more features also mean more complexity and more potential points of failure.

Sometimes you don't need the newest system.

You need a proven system that works.

Taking the Risk Out of Buying Used Electronics

Buying used electronics from an unknown seller can be risky.

A listing saying something “powers on” doesn't tell you much about its actual condition.

At StimStock, our goal is to take as much of that uncertainty out of buying used equipment as possible.

Every piece of equipment we sell goes through a hands-on inspection and testing process before it's offered for sale.

Depending on the equipment, that can include:

• Physical inspection for damage and excessive wear
• Battery and charging-system testing
• Pairing and communication testing
• Stimulation testing
• Tone and vibration testing
• GPS acquisition testing
• VHF communication testing
• Real-world range testing
• Repair or replacement of damaged components

For GPS tracking equipment, we typically range test systems to approximately 900 yards to verify GPS and VHF communication between the receiver and handheld.

For training equipment, we test the available training functions—including stimulation levels, tone, vibration, or other functions supported by that particular system.

If we find something wrong, we repair it when possible.

Only after that process are we comfortable selling the equipment to a customer.

Tested, Serviced, and Supported by StimStock

Our involvement doesn't end when the package leaves Mechanicsburg.

If you have a problem with a recent purchase, we'll work with you to troubleshoot it and, when appropriate, repair or replace the equipment.

And if you've owned the equipment for years?

Call us anyway.

We'll still do everything reasonably possible to help get you running again at the lowest practical cost.

We want customers to feel comfortable buying used equipment because they know there's someone standing behind it who actually understands what they're using.

Keeping Tri-Tronics Equipment Alive

Tri-Tronics equipment holds a special place at StimStock.

Much of the company's older equipment was built in America and built to last. We routinely hear from customers who are still using systems that are 20 years old or more.

Sometimes they're looking for nothing more than an oddball charger or antenna that hasn't been readily available for years.

Other times, equipment needs more extensive work.

As original components disappear from the market, StimStock continues looking for solutions. We source difficult-to-find parts wherever possible—but we're not afraid to go further.

If a component we need no longer exists, we're willing to invest in having it manufactured.

We believe gaps in the market are problems waiting to be solved. When an otherwise good piece of equipment is becoming unusable because one battery, housing, contact, cable, or other component is no longer available, we'll look for a solution.

Sometimes that means tracking down old inventory. Sometimes it means developing a better repair process. And sometimes it means working with manufacturers and engineers to put a component back into production.

Our Tri-Tronics G2 and G3 EXP replacement receiver battery packs are an example of that philosophy. Rather than accepting that aging original battery packs would eventually make otherwise functional receivers unusable, we invested in newly manufactured replacement packs designed specifically to keep these receivers working.

That's the direction we want to continue taking StimStock.

Find the holes in the market. Solve the problems. Keep the equipment working.

Repairing Instead of Replacing

Our repair capabilities continue to grow.

As we develop the knowledge, equipment, and confidence to perform a repair reliably on our own inventory, we can begin offering that same service to customers.

StimStock performs an increasing amount of repair work in-house while also maintaining relationships with experienced electronics professionals who can assist with specialized work.

We're continually investing in tools, parts, equipment, and knowledge to expand what we're capable of repairing.

Have an unusual problem?

We're willing to take a look.

And if something truly isn't practical for us to repair, we'll do our best to offer an affordable path into equivalent replacement equipment so you can get back into the field.

A One-Person Small Business

StimStock isn't a warehouse with different departments handling each part of your order.

It's a one-person operation.

Michael builds and maintains the website.

He sources the inventory and parts.

He tests the equipment.

He performs the repairs.

He takes the product photographs.

He writes and builds the listings.

He answers customer questions.

He packs the boxes.

And he ships the orders.

That means when you ask a technical question about a piece of equipment, you're not talking to someone reading from a script.

You're talking to the person who may have personally tested, repaired, photographed, and packed the exact unit you're asking about.

That's something we intend to preserve as StimStock grows.

Where We're Going

StimStock has grown considerably since those first small batches of used equipment were listed on eBay in 2018, but we're still building.

Over the next several years, we plan to substantially expand our catalog of equipment, replacement parts, manufactured components, accessories, and repair services.

Our long-term goal is to become the go-to source for used and legacy Garmin and Tri-Tronics dog training and tracking equipment.

We want to provide an affordable alternative for someone purchasing their first quality training or tracking system.

We want to help existing customers expand their systems without spending thousands of dollars replacing equipment they already own.

We want to identify the parts and components the market has left behind—and find ways to make them available again.

And we want someone with a 20-year-old Tri-Tronics system to know there's still a place they can call when they need that oddball charger, antenna, battery, receiver, or repair that nobody else seems to carry.

We love business. We love manufacturing. We love solving problems.

But the best part is helping our customers get themselves—and their dogs—back in the field.

We are StimStock.

Keep it working. Keep it out of the landfill. Keep it in the field.

Professionally tested and serviced Garmin and Tri-Tronics equipment.
Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania