Axminster price increasing

[Blackswanwood]

I think it was really unfair that the prices went up as much as they did this time. Just means we have to be more creative with what we have got.

I like their products but 10/15% price increases are just not fair. Now they also charge £60 for their heavy goods delivery.
I get that there is a lot of demand but it’s not fair for people entering the world of woodwork.

I’m struggling to follow the logic of it being unfair. Unwelcome maybe but presumably they are doing what most businesses do - covering their costs and a Margin for profit. There are other suppliers we can all choose to buy from.

EDIT sorry - same point as previous post - AJB must type quicker than me!

 

[Hsmith192]

I’m struggling to follow the logic of it being unfair. Unwelcome maybe but presumably they are doing what most businesses do - covering their costs and a Margin for profit. There are other suppliers we can all choose to buy from.

EDIT sorry - same point as previous post - AJB must type quicker than me!

What other suppliers would you suggest that you think are similar?

 

[marcros]

What other suppliers would you suggest that you think are similar?

it depends what you want to buy. record power or Charnwood are probably similar for the hobby machines. There are others. Best option would be to start a thread saying what axi product you are looking at and ask for opinions.

 

[Blackswanwood]

What other suppliers would you suggest that you think are similar?

Handtools ...

Workshop Heaven, Classic Handtools, Woodworkersworkshop, Turning Heaven, Toolnut etc

Powertools ...

Powertoolworld, FFX, MTMC, Kelvinpowertools etc

Machinery ...

Scott & Sargeant are a good place to start

There really are loads of other suppliers competing with Axminster!

 

[Hsmith192]

Thank you, I’ll have a look at them!

 

[TRITON]

I notice record power pricing is better and whats more they seem to have pretty much everything in stock.
Looking through the different ranges a stark comparison is the 16" bandsaw.
Axminster its £1600, and in RP its £1100
Pretty much identical capacities, and spec.

 

[Starflyer]

I haven't read all the way through this, I apologise if this has already been covered. As part of my day job I buy a fair amount from China and export it to the EU and US.

These price increases have little to nothing to do with Brexit, we've got that to look forward to later next year. The RMB is at it's weekest against the USD for a long time, the world buys from China in USD, the factories pay for components in RMB. Every factory I deal with is pushing big price increases and this will continue.

China has been pushing manufacturers to be less polluting for a while now, this is also pushing up prices. The Chinese gov needed to tackle this; think annodisers running at night to avoid gov inspections and dumping tonnes of toxic chemicals into rivers / drains. The increased gov inspections have halved factory capacity and so their prices have increased.

Covid has had and continues to have the biggest effect on prices. There are severe equipment (empty container) shortages in China now, the world has been exporting truly massive amounts of PPE from China and empty containers haven't been going back. There's far more demand for all types of freight than there is capacity.

Last week I was quoted a four month wait for container space on my normal shipping line, usually ~ USD 2k, or a sailing mid January for USD 8k. The price quoted was only an indication and I expect it to increase further.

 

[Misterdog]

At last, someone gets it and can see beyond the end of their nose.

People quoting GBP V Eur exchange rates, (only since 2016 obviously) then giving cumulative totals for inflation rates (only since 2016 obviously) for dramatic effect.
Have little notion that the world's economy is not based on Brexit.

I suspect that we will look back in awe at the days of cheap borrowing and low inflation.

 

[Droogs]

I look in awe of it now, I remember my parents having to pay 15% a month on their mortgage as a teen in the 80s and this taking nearly all their salary. Only reason my father could afford to travel to work was he ran the bus repair garage and had an employee bus pass which he used for 3 years to get there before he started to use the car again

 

[Misterdog]

I notice record power pricing is better and whats more they seem to have pretty much everything in stock.
Looking through the different ranges a stark comparison is the 16" bandsaw.
Axminster its £1600, and in RP its £1100
Pretty much identical capacities, and spec.

Though with a cast iron table, variable speed drive and precision blade guides
the Scheppach machines look better quality to me.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/scheppach-basa-3-0v-205mm-electric-bandsaw-240v/15401
I have a Record Power one which is OK.

Screwfix selling machinery !

 

[billw]

At last, someone gets it and can see beyond the end of their nose.

People quoting GBP V Eur exchange rates, (only since 2016 obviously) then giving cumulative totals for inflation rates (only since 2016 obviously) for dramatic effect.
Have little notion that the world's economy is not based on Brexit.

I suspect that we will look back in awe at the days of cheap borrowing and low inflation.

It's also quite weird to live in the times of negative interest rates.

 

[Misterdog]

I look in awe of it now, I remember my parents having to pay 15% a month on their mortgage as a teen in the 80s

Then house prices dropping 10% or more in a bad year of the boom and bust cycles we had then.

 

[billw]

Then house prices dropping 10% or more in a bad year of the boom and bust cycles we had then.

An interesting argument can come from this - should people see their property as an investment or a home? Everyone needs somewhere to live so what does it matter what it is worth at any point in time?

Yes, from the point of remortgaging etc I guess. I just don't see the obsession with people saying how much their house is worth. It's relative, so if you sell yours at a high price you'll have to buy another at the same high price unless you move to a cheaper area, but how many people base their location on where they think they'll get the most capital appreciation?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Screwfix selling machinery !

Or not. They haven't got it.

 

[Misterdog]

Houses are investments though, they are something to sell to pay your nursing home fees of £ 1000 per week.

Though in the 'bust' years with high inflation, the negative equity caused many to loose their homes.
Thankfully the economy has been more stable since - touch wood..

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Then house prices dropping 10% or more in a bad year of the boom and bust cycles we had then.

Boom and bust? Gordon Brown put an end to that when he saved the world, surely?

 

[Misterdog]

Or not. They haven't got it.

Christmas holidays cause shortages - shock horror.

Due to supplier shutdown, dispatched within 15 day(s) on a next day service
Estimated delivery by 15 Jan, 2021

 

[Misterdog]

I was talking to a friend of mine the other day who works for Evolution power tools, he said they have had no price increase for the last 2 years. Though because of the huge increase in container costs there will be one in the spring.
Some will just say Brexit has caused it though..

 

[Doug B]

I look in awe of it now, I remember my parents having to pay 15% a month on their mortgage as a teen in the 80s and this taking nearly all their salary. Only reason my father could afford to travel to work was he ran the bus repair garage and had an employee bus pass which he used for 3 years to get there before he started to use the car again

It wasn’t just the 80’s either I remember buying our first house in 1990 & interest rates were 16.5% & house prices had peaked, five years later the house next door which was the same design etc to ours sold for 1/2 what we’d paid for ours, it took another five years for prices to get back to where they were when we first bought & we were able to sell finally having got out of negative equity

 

[Mike Jordan]

Ive just looked at the exminster site to price s forstner bit and got a shock! Same Chinese carp but very new prices.
It seems that a wind of change has hiked them out of my reach.