Just priced up some planed "4 x 2" (typically 44mm x 95mm). For a 2.4m le= ngth, here's what I found:
(within a few pence) B&Q: =A34.57 Wickes: =A35.30 (=A315.29 for 3) Jewson =A36.50-ish Homebase: =A39.98 (=A319.95 for 2)
I don't know how Homebase dare.
Edwin Bath.
Is this the Warehouse or a normal B&Q. There is a difference.
(within a few pence) B&Q: £4.57 Wickes: £5.30 (£15.29 for 3) Jewson £6.50-ish Homebase: £9.98 (£19.95 for 2)
I don't know how Homebase dare.
I found the same with 2.4 x 1.2 mdf. Homebase were way ott.
I have found them more expensive, unless you are buying a bulk.
Would be interesting to compare a specialist timber yard or builders merchant as well
(within a few pence) B&Q: £4.57 Wickes: £5.30 (£15.29 for 3) Jewson £6.50-ish Homebase: £9.98 (£19.95 for 2)
I don't know how Homebase dare.
Edwin Bath.
It is totally ridiculous isn't it ? Homebase are supposed to be the posh end of the market though, aren't they ? :-))
The difference in quality between them all is what the price should reflect. B&Q may just be picking up any old pieces of timber in job lots and selling it off cheaply. Wickes are literally doing the same. Jewsons may be a bit more choosy in the timber selection because they don't want to many returns from the pro' guys.
So how about Homebase, are they taking the cream of the crop from the timber suppliers then ?
I can think of a few aspects to this:
- B&Q's timber is not that great.
Regarding Homebase, the expressions "why does a dog lick its parts" and "never give a sucker an even break" come to mind.
.andy
To email, substitute .nospam with .gl
So how do the "you get what you pay for" brigade react to this?
Makita tools are better then PPro ones (and cost twice as much), Homebase wood isn't apparently better than B&Q would but it also costs twice as much.
You are making this up.
Simple. Homebase selects their price and enough people don't bother to compare or are not bothered enough to drive the extra distance or don't want to spend the time to shop around.
They don't have to price match because one is B&Q timber and the other Homebase timber so there isn't a string of returns and price match requests to trigger them to do anything.
Another possibility is that Homebase's buying power or the skills of their buyers are not as good and they have a higher cost base.
.andy
To email, substitute .nospam with .gl
How did that 'wood' get changed to 'would'! :-)
Yes, amazing isn't it, I haven't copied it from anywhere, my thoughts are all my own work (well, ignoring all the things I've learnt from other people over the years).
So why don't these same 'reasons' apply to Makita v. PPro?
I'm not saying Makita *aren't* better than PPro, I'm just questioning the automatic price=quality that many people seem to apply to power tools but apparently aren't applying to wood.
(Chosen only because they have a large online pricelist)
You're assuming it's automatic and that Makita is recommended by some people over and above PPro simply because it costs more. I don't believe that's the case, and it's recommended by them because they find in general that they produce far higher quality tools than PPro, and that the extra cost is worth it.
If PPro produced higher quality tools than Makita and people still doggedly recommended Makita, then I think the argument would have merit.
In terms of the HB debate, I think that there are other issues here. HB is (IMHO) aimed fairly and squarely at the average homeowner who dabbles a bit in DIY. The stores are split increasingly evenly between lifestyle products and DIY tools & materials. They are often in prime locations with plenty of car park space. Products are obviously priced according to what they think their particular customer profile will be willing to pay, rather than stocking to a spec and quality and pricing accordingly.
I think that BMs and timber merchants can be pretty intimidating places to the uninitiated, and not normally geared towards the occasional DIYer that might want a single shelf-sized piece of wood (ok, I know it's not the example given, but illustrates the point). Therefore HB creates what is in effect a safe and friendly environment to find this stuff. That's what you're paying for.
Exploiting customer ignorance, proving convenience, matching products to customer's needs, call it what you will. They know their customer base (as much as it pains me to say so, having spent too many wasted hours in HB searching for a basic tool or product without success), and they know the price they'll pay to make the products and stores profitable...
-- Richard Sampson
email me at richard at olifant d-ot co do-t uk
Hmmm, similar wide variation in timber yards then - Champion catalogue shows "premier planed" about £2.90 + vat per metre.
-- Richard Sampson
email me at richard at olifant d-ot co do-t uk
Several things I think.
Value of sale
If you look at what people buy in terms of wood at DIY stores it is generally small quantities with the possible exception of decking materials. Whenever I've been to a Homebase, it is very unusual to see somebody buying more than a one to two packs of something like PAR, so maybe £20-30 at Homebase prices. At B&Q you see somewhat larger amounts but not that much. It's unusual to see somebody with an obvious trade truck or van buy a load of timber there. It could be because of the pricing, but I think that the main point is the small quantities.
For a tool one is looking at sub £100-150 for most of the PPro stuff and £100-500 for Makita.
Quality of product.
To most people, wood is wood and they are not aware of anything beyond obvious dings and warps. In other words, most people are not quality aware on timber either.
I think that the two things taken together mean that there isn't the sensitivity to price on small quantities of timber especially if it is one of a number of things needed to complete a project.
I suppose it depends on whether people are cash rich and time poor or the other way round as to whether they are going to spend time shopping around item by item or look at the likely overall cost for the project. For example, if I am going to buy a lot of materials for a large project, I'll plan it out and go the trade places and spend a bit more time. For medium sized I'd go to B&Q even though it takes longer to get there than Homebase. For an odd piece of wood at
3pm on a Sunday afternoon, I might go to Homebase and pay the extra to get the project done.Performance and Service.
These are issues for tools, probably not for wood.
I don't think that it is an automatic association of price and quality with tools in a naive way. Really the point is that people who are prepared to pay more for tools probably also know what they are looking for and what to expect and are aware of when a higher price genuinely does come from better engineering and materials vs. just selling on a brand name. There is always en element of each, but I think that in the case of tools, people are able to spot the difference between form and substance. This creates markets that are quite well defined in each price range.
..andy
To email, substitute .nospam with .gl
Hi,
Try your local BM if you have one, mine would charge £5.56, plus they will deliver reasonable quantities. Might be possible to get a discount too but I've never tried.
If it's structural eg for joists then any old 2x4 might not do, it might require at least a minimum strength grade.
cheers, Pete.
The DIY sheds are inc VAT. BMs are not.
My one (Tomlinson Parbans in High Lane near Stockport - excellent if you're local) usually come in a few pence below B&Q with trade discount. But at least they know exactly what they are talking about and will supply any length you want.
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