Buying Tools In South-West England

[Mike]

While I don't claim to be an expert in the field, I would recommend the following sources for tools.

First, I've had a lot of success in buying from Axminster Tool Centre (http://www.axminster.co.uk/) in Devon. They have a huge range of good woodworking tools, including economy tools for short term use and the very best available, such as Lie-Nielsen planes, which are guaranteed for a lifetime of use. Also, their delivery service is excellent. I rarely wait more than 24 hours before the purchase/s I've made are at my door. If you register as a customer, you can opt to receive emails on special offers and some of those are very good value. Much the same can be said of Rutlands (http://www.rutlands.co.uk/), similar to Axminster in some respects though with some rather interesting variations in their specialised hardware section (found some great cabinet making gear in there like brass handles). Price comparisons between these two major traders are often very interesting indeed, with each outstripping the other depending on what you are buying and when. It's a great idea to check both traders before pressing that 'Buy' button.

Another good source has been Poolewood Machinery (http://www.poolewood.co.uk/), which is a UK agent for Fox Machine Tools (http://www.foxmachinery.co.uk/acatalog/info.html) and some other very reasonably priced machine tool manufacturers. The owner is a really helpful chap called Terry. Very approachable and very friendly.

Finally, and perhaps obviously, I have found eBay UK another good source. I guess you won't need a link to this well known site. However, it is wise to do some research before bidding or making an offer. We check the manufacturer and/or a supplier website for models and prices before deciding whether or not to go ahead. It's worked for us so far and it has seen us score some real bargains. Be careful though. There are a few rogues and charlatans out there, even on eBay.

Happy hunting

Mike

[Mike]

As an addendum to my post above, I would also mention Triton Tools UK. I have bought a number of their products and the service has been first class.

However, their cordless power drill, which has been fantastically useful thus far, has developed a fault in one of its battery packs. It's strange how so many products seem to last only for around the length of the warranty period, usually slightly beyond, to then pack up. Fortunately, it comes with two batteries as standard, so I am not yet out of action with it. That said, having only one means I have to interrupt progress while waiting for a recharge.

This gives me my first opportunity to find out how good they are in backing up their products. I have contacted their retailer today and await a reply. Stay tuned for more on this always important subject of product warranty.

Here's an update: I am horrified to learn that Triton Tools UK has gone bust, presumably yet another company to fail due to the so-called 'economic crisis' (read 'second Great Depression'). I have therefore removed the link. Their distributor here advises that they have no Triton stock and cannot get any. Thus, their warranties are not worth the paper on which they are printed. I am exploring alternatives and may have some very good news on that in a couple of days. So, those interested should keep an eye on this page for further information and a new link to a small company here that handles some very useful products.

Best wishes

[Mike]

Okay, I am now able to put members onto a really good deal if you are in the market for a good cordless drill. As mentioned in my post above, I have had an 18V Triton Cordless Plunge Drill for some time. It really is an excellent product and I have used it a lot since I bought it from Triton Tools UK about a year ago. The price I paid for it was just £69.99.

As I said above, one of the two batteries that came with it failed on me yesterday. The other is still working fine. It was my search for a replacement that revealed to me that the UK arm of Triton Tools had gone bust due to the economic downturn. Sad but true. So, I thought I was left to rely on that one battery.

Not so, in fact. I managed to track down what had happened to the bankrupt stock which was sold off at bargain prices. I have just bought a full replacement drill and two new batteries for only £38.00. :approval:

Now, that is simply an amazing bargain. This drill is a ripper - powerful, versatile, and a dream to use. I thoroughly recommend it to all of you. I found a dealer on eBay who has several still in stock. Having spoken to him, I know that, as I write, he has about a dozen left. The dealer's shop is here (http://stores.shop.ebay.co.uk/MP-Tool-Company__W0QQ_armrsZ1). And the next drill up for grabs (the next auction ends tomorrow evening) can be found here (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&item=270385322398). Its price stands at just £39.00 at present. If you are interested, go for it.

I will close by suggesting the following. Compare the Triton Plunge Drill with its competition and you will find that a brand like Makita or Bosch with less features will cost you between £150.00 and well over £200.00. Okay, you would be buying from a company that can supply parts and so on. But one of their batteries would cost you more than the Triton and two batteries. And you could buy four Tritons, right now, for the same or less outlay. I have asked Jeannette to bid on the next one (our bid is the £39.00 bid that stands at present). I don't really need another one, so you can either bid against us and win it (we won't be bidding again) or wait until we win it and then take it off our hands for whatever we pay for it (hopefully, just the £39.00 and postage).

See what can be done when a problem arises? You can either have a moan about it and throw your hands in the air or you can grit your teeth and find a way to turn adversity into success. This exercise has been great fun. And Roger and Kayleigh at MP Tools were very helpful, so if you want to buy any of their products (there are about 34 pages of 'em) then keep their shop listed among your browser favourites. I have already done so. ;) I am going to see if I can find the demonstration video for this great drill and put it up here for you to see. I am one of those who tends to keep everything so it's just a matter of finding where I squirreled it away.

[Found it! I have loaded it into our Video Player (in our navbar). It's the first video on the list. Please let me know if you suffer from slow buffering when it's loading. I did and I don't really understand why. If others are having the same trouble I will try to track the snag down. If not, it's time to clean up my PC again. :)]

Best wishes