B&Q Bargains

[ByronBlack]

The B&Q Warehouse in Thurrock has recently re-launched, and has a number of bargain on it's performance power range of budget tools.

I recently picked up a 150mm bench grinder (two wheels) for £7 and a powerful planer for £19.99 (3mm cut, 15mm rebate, grooves for chamfering etc..)

I know these aren't great tools, but for what they are used for (fairly basic jobs) they are a total bargain!

 

[martlewis]

Hi mate,

Don't knock them, Performance power are pretty good quality for the price. I have a couple of routers, cordless drills, sanders, etc and they're all very well made and good to use.

Granted there are more expensive brands out there but I'm happy to admit to being a fan of them.

Martin.

 

[Jorden]

I've got to agree with you Martin, I'm on my 3rd random orbital sander now in 3 years, they seem to pack up just as the guarantee is about to expire. B&Q are very good about replacing it with the current model.

Dennis

 

[Slim]

I have the PPpro 1/2" router which is a good piece of kit, but my cordless drill drives me round the bend. The chuck only grips for about 10 seconds before it has to be tightened again.

 

[ByronBlack]

I have the PPpro 1/2" router which is a good piece of kit, but my cordless drill drives me round the bend. The chuck only grips for about 10 seconds before it has to be tightened again.

I have the same problem, my other gripe with the drill, is that there is no slow start (like on my old branded ppro drill) which means it quite often just burrs the screwheads before it gets a grip.

On talking of budget tools, I seem to be in a vein of form for them. I've just purchased the Axminster router, Jet router table and cutter set deal for £99 I have to say, the Jet router table is certainly a sturdy bit of kit, pictures and review to come in the next day or so.. all i can say so far is - total bargain!!

 

[Kane]

Any pics of the router/table - been looking at that offer myself

 

[LeeElms]

Is the 'Axminster router, Jet router table and cutter set deal for £99' somewhere on the Axminster site ... ?

 

[ByronBlack]

Lee

Here's the link to the offer http://www.axminster.co.uk/product-Axminster-AW635R-1-4-Router-21373.htm

You have to scroll down the list of options, it's at the bottom. As far as I know, it's not 'advertised' much anywhere on the site, and it's not an option on the actual Router Table.

I think the JET RT-1 Is quite a new product, and maybe they are bundling it with their small router package as a tester, as normally they bundle there own budget table, so this is a nice upgrade.

Kane - I've taken some photo's during the 'construction' of the table and will post these either tonight or over the weekend, with detailed descriptions.

 

[Kane]

Cheers mate

 

[ByronBlack]

Ok A little update on the JRT-1 Router Deal from axminster.

Here are some photo's:

Basic table, with legs and NVR switch installed:

Table completed with fence and mitre gauge, and feather board:

However:

It looks nice, and first impressions were good. I soon started to down the build quality as quite a few of the threads were rubbish and it was a real pain to get the bolts into the frame that held the legs on.

I was also left with a few parts missing - as usual.

There were no assembly instructions with the package so it was quite difficult working out which carriage bolts were for what etc.

Two big problems:

The first being, when the router is attached to the table, the routers plug can't fit into the NVR switch box because the three pin plug holes are facing the wrong way which means the plug cannot fit into it without fouling the leg upright!!

Second big problem. The router. Now, I wasn't expecting anything fantastic, but this was a piece of poop!! The spindle was bent, so it wobbled quite badly when spinning, the speed control wheel was very dodgy. The finish of the machine was terrible, with area's that were so sharp I had to file them down.

So, the package is going back to Axminster for a full refund, I knew it was going to be a cheap set, but with the Jet name I was expecting something half-decent, this is utter rubbish, and thats without going into the flaws of the fence!

My advice: Some bargain tools can be great, this isn't one of them.

 

[engineer one]

strange how all the router table combo's have wierd problems.

my ryobi kit seems to suggest that the router is designed one place and
the table elsewhere.

so the question is , do these guys ever try the products together. :roll: :twisted:

the ryobi nvr is in a strange place, and the router has to be held switched on with a bit of wire. also the major problem is getting rid of dust. they all seem useless at collection and having places where it all stays stuck.

paul :wink:

 

[Slim]

Hey Byron,

I bought this table/router combo a couple of weeks ago. I have had no such problems with the router. It does remind me an awful lot of my first 'Ferm' router, (think its just rebadged). However the spindle runs true and it has done pretty well on the few pieces I have put through it (bearing in mind that is probably the cheapest router you could buy).

As for the NVR switch, I had the same problem. I found that if you open the switch up, you can pop the plug socket part out, turn it round 180 degrees and the just click it back in.

Now the fence.... well.... It's a piece of ****. To make it anywhere near respectable I had to screw a pice of 18mm MDF all the way across to hold both the infeed and outfeed sides flat. So it Is now a one piece fence with a small hole cut in it for the bit. A vast improvement.

I only bought it as a temporary solution as I have plans to build a router table later in the year.

My advice? If you want a bench top router table, go for the Trend.

 

[Kane]

I gave in to temptation and picked one of these offers up last week - haven't had time to open the table yet and the router looks ok but hasn't been powered up yet - I'll update when I tried things out

<edit> Byronblack did you get the exploded diagram and parts list with the table? Also I've run the router up to speed and the spindle seems to run true and the speed control seems fine ... but I haven't cut anything yet.

 

[Alf]

'Spect someone's more familiar with it than I and can advise me if I'm talking nonsense, but that table looks awfully similar to the one in B&Q they were offering for £50 - with an equally (probably) junky router included.

Cheers, Alf

 

[nickson71]

I got the B and Q one that Alf mentioned ......... it was crap I took it back after a few days got a refund ......... used the money to go towards a Triton router

 

[ByronBlack]

I get the impression that this table is a real nasty that just gets re-badged by all and sunder, I wish I never succombed to the power of 'bargain' - what a waste of time and effort. Atleast I can re-invest the money into something more useful at a later day .. littlerat perhaps?

 

[cant-weld-wood]

i have the B&Q item and the table is smaller than the one from axminster
and the table and fence is total c### as for the router its ok.
only got as it was in a sale at the time £46.95 .
i had bought the power pro 2 days before and it had a bent shaft
changed that with another and the collet nut thread was not central to the
nut so when tightened it put the cutter off center.
that is when got B&Q table and router just got to make a table & fence for it now.

 

[OllyK]

I got my crappy table from Aldi for about £20 IIRC. Fence is equally as bad as people describe for the other cheapies, but it'll do for the next couple of months till I build something more substantial! Big downer was no mitre gauge!

 

[Kane]

How do the cutters stack up BB?

 

[ByronBlack]

Kane

The cutters seem ok, the finish is good on them and they feel quite sharp, but because of the bent shaft in the router, I didn't want to risk trying a cutter in there - the wobble would have been quite dangerous.