I noticed in B&Q that the price of power-tools is very very cheap when at the same time the price of power-tools in any trade shop is a lot more expensive. Is there a difference? Do the manufactures make low spec tools for the diy market? They look identical.
B&Q have huge, huge buying power. They can often go to makers, and almost set their own price, as they can be ordering tens of thousands of tools if they are promoting them heavily nationwide.
However, there are lower quality tools out there.
I shall probably get shot at or called many names for saying this, but I prefer, wait for it, Black & Decker power tools. Over the past few years I think the quality of their products has increased tremendously. I have tried Bosch, FERM and some other built to price makes but give me Black & Decker anytime. I have just purchased a Scorpion saw, a 18v power drill/hammer drill/screwdriver and a vac that uses the same 18v battery as the drill. Earlier in the year I purchased a mains powered drill, mains powered screwdriver and lawnmower. For general D I Y jobs I think they are great.
-- troubleinstore
I understand Ryobi make B&Q's PPPro cordless drills and other bits: the components of the recently-discontinued (heaven knows why) PPPro 4-pack of drill/driver + circular saw + jigsaw + torch + 3 batteries + quick-ish intelligent charger can be found[1] in current Ryobi offerings through Screwfix & Toolstation. Even at full price of about £150 (it came down to half that on clearance) it was about the same as the Ryobi-badged drill + circular saw costs. Of course they could be making stuff with lower-quality components than they sell under their own name, but I suspect it's the same bar the badge.
I think the PPPro stuff is a lower-spec range of Ryobi's as I can tell: they made a 'Site' branded B&Q own-brand a couple of years ago which was much higher quality.
[1] except the torch
Shock!!!.
Watch out for this one and keep the receipt. I bought one of these from B&Q not long after they were launched. I thought that it was well thought out and did a good job until the mechanism jammed. I returned it. The second one lasted a bit longer until the motor started smoking - I suspect through a shorted turn or something. That went back as well and I didn't try a third. B&Q refunded the money and gave me £15 in vouchers.
Hopefully by now they have fixed these quality problems because for what it was intended to do - essentially fairly rough cutting - it wasn't at all bad.
I bought a Bosch Scintilla saw instead which is also a reciprocating saw and a bit more accurate as well.
.andy
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lower-quality
I looked at the PP Pro £50 semi-angle mains drill B&Q Warehouse sell. It is called a palm drill. It comes with a drill and bit set and 3 yr guarantee too. Very solid and robust. If I was buying a mains drill I would go for this as it is two drills one. It can be used as a normal drill and get in tight angle spaces. Can't get in real tight spaces like a true angle drill but still pretty good. The cheapest mains angle drill I have come across is £112.
GMC make it..
I was given a scorpion a few years back - reliability seems ok, but I do find it rather uncomfortable to use. Unlike many reciprocating saws it does not have the elongated "nose" section you can hold near the blade which makes getting enough weight behind it difficult. Also the interlocks require a lot of pressure to disengage, and there is no trigger lock - so holding it on for a long cut is a pain as well.
I'm about to buy a new jig-saw and had pretty much settled on the Makita
Many thanks for the comments on power tools. I have just found one good advantage of a battery-powered drill/driver. When I had to drill some fixings in brickwork in the evening the battery powered drill is very very quiet. In fact my neighbours said they had not noticed any drilling that evening. As a D I Y ` er I have my job to go to in the day and a lot of home improvement work has to be carried out in the evening. The drill I used was a Bosch, used without the hammer on, a little slower but still does the job..
I have the 4320 - stunning bit of kit (even the joiner I am working with on my loft conversion was well impressed with it!) It is very solid (cast rather than pressed steel sole plate), and when used in non pendulum mode gives an astounding quality of finish that hardly even needs sanding. Nicely balanced and very smooth with no vibration. With pendulum full on it can rip through sheets of ply almost as fast as a circular saw. It transforms what you believe can be achieved with a jigsaw!
From what I have seen, they are are probably in the same league - not better or worse, but generally as good I would say. I only own one Hitachi tool which is one of their 9" angle grinders. Its very solid and well made again with dust proof bearings and switch gear, rated for continuous use and loads of power.
I dont know if this is any relevance to you, but of all power tools a jigsaw has to be one of the least useful I find.
Regards, NT
But have you used it?
I bought one when B&Q had 20% off power tools as I had a lot of joists to drill. It sounds like the 13th Panzer division rolling into town and the variable speed varies between fast and very fast.
It falls into that category of power tools that's not bad for the price if you don't expect to use it often or derive much enjoyment from the job, but I honestly can't imagine it proving to be "very solid and robust". Kress, it ain't.
Be grateful you're not buying a mains drill. It just about manages to be one drill in one.
Mike
Have an uncle that has a scorpion he is on his second as the first burnt out but only after along with usual diy work floorboards worktops chipboard etc etc hacking down a good 40 feet of over grown privet hedge and several small trees it finally gave up the ghost on the stump of one of the trees but he did find it had sawed thru 3" of soil stones etc in the act
Yes it is very uncomfortable to use having as mentioned by John and trying to use it in super jigsaw mode was even worse. Its one saving grace tho is the blade (very like tho ones fitted to real swiss army knives probably the saw i use most always in the pocket :_) ) certainly one of the better ones i have used in recip. saws
I used to think that as well, until I bought a decent one. There is a world of difference between a £30-40 DIY one and a professional product at £110 or so,
.andy
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So you go around cutting things with it all day for the hell of it?
No. However, if I do buy a tool, I am going to buy one that will do the job required. I am afraid that with jigsaws that does involve getting one with a solid base and decent mechanics. These do cost a little north of £100.
BTW. A jig saw isn't suitable for cutting plastic plumbing pipe if you want to do a proper job. That requires a pipecutter.
.andy
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On Mon, 10 May 2004 22:43:46 +0100, in uk.d-i-y "IMM" strung together this:
Where did you get that from, you fat alcoholic buffoon.
The point was that a jig-saw was the least used tool. You said yours wasn't because you had an expensive one. That mean you go around cutting thing all day just to use it.
Fat?
A lush?
You goy that from Monty Python didn't you?
On Mon, 10 May 2004 23:02:14 +0100, in uk.d-i-y "IMM" strung together this:
Internationallly Moronic Muppet,
Do you practice being terminally thick?
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