I would suggest that it might be happening because the likes of B&Q, Wicks and Homebase etc. are attempting to attract trade customers rather than the general populous becoming more DIY savvy - of course the wild-cat in all this is what influence the various DIY programmes have in all this, it's possible that some of the general populous are buying the same as what they see their "Hero's" using on the TV...
It might not work out with a cheaper jigsaw and any old blade on one attempt, but it doesn't mean it can't be done.
OK the right blade and a little technique are needed but it's quite possible to get very good results.
cheers, Pete.
Thats exactly it John. I can't be arsed to look at every make & with a
165mm circukar saw there aren't that many about anyway. I know if I buy Makita - based on the router, jigsaw, drill driver, impact driver I already have, it's going to do what is says on the tin.Agreed 100%. I smile every time I use it, worlds apart from other jigsaws.
made:
what is wrong with that?
Some people in here are glowing in their praise of Makita tools. I am saying that some of those tools have design problems which in some cases are dangerous and need to be recalled, just like most brands. In the case of the sander, the part that the sandpaper is attached to simply fell apart and shot out at high speed. That probably would have broken safety glasses. The operator was not misusing the tool, it simply was dangerously defective, and had been recalled in the US six months earlier than the accident. Not enough effort was made to notify buyers of the sander in New Zealand.
Initially, on the Fair Go TV programme, a Makita executive refused point blank to offer any compensation whatsoever for the loss of an eye.
NZ Accident Compensation law means that nobody can be sued for damages in an accident. There's not time to explain it all here. The State will compensate for injury. But the State will often prosecute people who caused an accident and fine them heavily, which did not occur with Makita.
It would not break the type of safety glasses recommended for use with this type of tool.
He was misusing the tool because he was not wearing the correct type of eye protection. Had he been doing so, the injury would not have arisen,.
Quite rightly so. The customer had not used the tool in accordance with the maker's instructions.
Would you expect them to compensate a user of a drill who sits a piece of wood on his lap and then proceeds to drill into a major artery in the leg?
Clearly the state did not consider that there was a case to answer on the part of the manufacturer. Had there been one, as you say, there would have been a prosecution and a heavy fine.
You are confusing misuse of product with product liability and using emotional arguments to justify an untenable argument.
The tool did not fall apart because it was being misused. It fell apart because unsatisfactory materials were used in its construction. That is why all of the sanders have been recalled to replace the faulty part.
Makita have since compensated the one-eyed man with an undisclosed amount. They at last came to their senses. But rather too late for people with long memories like me.
Which if you read carefully, you will note we agreed with. I would not suggest any one brand is perfect, and no one brand has a monopoly on the best tools. However I would say that you could quite comfortably get away just buying one quality brand for all your tool requirements and you will end up with a collection of tools that should last well, and will do the job. more careful research may however identify alternative tools that will outperform some of them, however if you don't want to invest the time required to do that research the "buy one brand" solution seems quite workable at this level.
Going for Makita seems to be a reasonable choice since they are usually better value than blue Bosch, and seem more consistent in quality than DeWalt. The range of tools they make is also bigger than most of the others.
If the user had maintained the sander correctly then it should not have been spinning at high speed. The instructions for random orbit sanders typically explain that the maximum rotation speed is limited by a friction clutch. Should the speed rise too high when not in contact with the work, then it is time to replace the clutch.
Which would suggest the state supported the notion that Makita did not contribute to the accident by there (in)actions.
I hope they made a proportional reduction if he failed to wear eye protection.
I didn't say that it was. I said that the injury resulted because the tool was being misused.
Probably true, but that was not the cause of the injury. Whether or not the tool fell apart, he should have been using eye protection according to the manufacturer's instructions.
A sander with a broken component is not a lot of use. However, this does not detract from the user not following the instructions. Had he done so, he would not have lost an eye. There were no other reports of serious injuries and it is highly unlikely that there would be from a small component from a sander.
I am quite sure that that was a PR exercise - that would be the only basis of "coming to senses". Frankly, the guy didn't deserve to get anything. Clearly, the government body involved didn't either, or it would have mounted a prosecution.
I doubt whether they will lose too much sleep over that.
Yes, a 99.9% one would be appropriate.
True. And I will be quite curious to see if they make the same splash in the diy market when they do.
I was referring to Dave trying a professional tool brand and finding it worthwhile to pay the extra. I thought that was an impact driver, but as he pointed out it was actually a Mak jigsaw.
The State
That would have been a bummer, loose an eye through ones own actions (in not wearing eye protection) and then get prosecuted!...
Have you got a good van vault or similar? I have the vault and an alarm and also CCTV when at home to protect the van and it's contents.
Adam
One doesn't normally expect to wear body armour when using a radial arm saw and neither do the manufacturers recommend it.
They already are in the DIY market. Screwfix have a Makita 12v one for £139 and an unbranded one for £100.
Wickes have a three ranges: DIY (1 yr guarantee), semi-pro (3 yr) and full pro (5 yr). Then the Hitchai range at 1 year. I know of no other pro tool with a 5 yr guarantee.
I recall one assisteant a few years back when they only has pro and DIY saying that most tools sold were DIY; professionals would buy them. Now it appears the pros will buy the semi-pro if cutting back on costs.
The outlaw bought cheap budget PP drill for extensive re-work in the house. It failed of course - he does use it like a hammer though and if treated right probably would have been OK. He then went out and bought the pro range from Wickes and has been well chuffed as it can take the abuse.
The PP drill is fine for occasional use - its intended market. It does the job very well and as good as any top brand. It just can't take abuse and sustained daily pro use. Horses for courses - get the right tool/quality for the intended use. On price even if the outlaw had to replace the failed PP drill, it would still be cheaper than buying a pro drill as thety are so cheap. So don't slag off the cheapies as they can be very cost effective, even if you have to buy two of them to get a big job done.
I would not call £139 in the DIY price range.
It is the Sparky. Sparky are a big pro brand in Germany and Eastern Europe - very common there. Just because you have never heard of it does not mean it is "unbranded". There again I would not call £100 in the DIY range for a drill.
That's because the manufacturers of professional tools don't need to give a 5 year guarantee in order to sell them, rather suggesting that these are wannabee products aspiring to a market.
The offered guarantee periods are irrelevant in any case if one is buying as a consumer.
No it isn't. These products are cheap generic junk built down to a price with design and manufacturing quality to match.
There is far more to the purchase and use of tools than duty cycle.
- Accuracy
- Controllabilty
- Speed and torque control
- Mechanical or electronic clutch
- Battery quality
Of course it is. DIY is not about price.
It's unbranded and is not a professional range.
Of course it is. DIY does not equate only to cheapness, or for that matter to cheapness at all. The purpose is to achieve an outcome better than a professional at the time and convenience for the individual. It may also result in a cost saving depending on how one costs one's time. In addition, it may be an enjoyed pastime. Given all of that, if the correct tool is required to achieve all of these objectives, the difference in cost between a professional tool at £140 and a grotty one at £100 is neither here nor there; as indeed would be the difference between real junk with a possible price tag of £40 vs. the proper thing at £140.
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