Cheap chinese marking out tools?

[Jamied]

Hi all,
Been seeing recently quite a few YouTube videos on bang good marking out tools. Many are replica of woodpeckers and incra. I have on impulse discarded them, thinking of them as being cheap rubbish.
However some of the reviewers strongly recommend most of these tools.
Then today in the workshop using my new bridge city tools square I noticed it was stamped with there logo followed by the words, made in China!
Am I being a snob and buying tools that are overpriced because of there brand name?

 

[Trevanion]

Remember that Banggood and other sites like that are usually giving this stuff out for free to just about anyone to review it provided that it's a positive review.

To be honest, it doesn't matter where in the world something is made so long as it's built with good quality control throughout the process. Even Britain had a reputation for making pretty terrible stuff at one point, especially cars.

 

[Blackswanwood]

I don’t think it makes you a snob but I don’t think it’s automatically the case that something made in China is inferior. What someone is prepared to pay to own a particular brand is a complex question which stimulated some debate in a thread a few days ago about the value of tools - I’d summarise it as there being a variety of views!

Cheers

 

[Jacob]

Yep. It's a bit of an industry - expensive toys for boys who like shopping.
Stylistically it touches on "steam punk" https://www.google.com/search?q=steam+p ... 60&bih=511
People also buy them because they think they need them but in fact many of the tools are from the back catalogue and were never much rated to begin with.
Clues ; brand names, high price, black enamel, polished metal, brass knobs, Norris adjusters etc etc
I bought a Hock blade "made in France" :roll:

 

[Rorschach]

Doesn't matter who makes it, only the quality and if it is fit for purpose.

 

[transatlantic]

I have a few of the banggood tools, and am impressed with the quality.

Accurate, square and well milled.

Don't bother with the marking tools with the mechanical pencil holes though. Far too big to be of any use.

Sent from my SM-J510FN using Tapatalk

 

[Nelsun]

Not sure they qualify as appealing to the "expensive toys for boys who like shopping" given the prices being exceptionally cheap. I have bought a few and it's been hit and miss. Most sliding squares, as would be expected, warrant checking with a good square where absolute precision is required. The solid aluminium CNCed stuff I have is pretty nuts on and a fraction of the price of woodpecker. Knock that as you will.

Some make for real bargains to those willing to wait a few weeks like ali extrusions, the router circle cutting jig (yes, you can make one from dust and a stick) and kerfmaster knock-off.

 

[marcros]

any links to the good stuff?

 

[Jacob]

Not sure they qualify as appealing to the "expensive toys for boys who like shopping" given the prices being exceptionally cheap. ......

Not what the OP said.

 

[AndyT]

Not sure they qualify as appealing to the "expensive toys for boys who like shopping" given the prices being exceptionally cheap. ......

Not what the OP said.

It's easy to miss the names if you have not been reading about these before. The OP bought expensive tools, branded Bridge City. These used to be made in the USA but are now made in China. His were made in China.
He now sees "Cheap Chinese marking out tools" on Banggood (huge Chinese online market place of 3000+ brands, 500,000 items, often at very low prices) and wonders if they are equivalent to the Bridge City, Incra or Woodpecker ones, but cheaper. Woodpecker and Incra still make their high priced tools in the USA but copies/similar designs are available.

Although you could argue that some of the Bridge City tools superficially resembled steampunk, his question is about the Incra and Woodpecker style tools.

It's an interesting one. As far as I can see, all three brands depend on CNC machining. A CNC machine will work just as well in one country as another, so differences between similar tools will be hard to spot without buying some.

 

[Lonsdale73]

I have items from Incra and Woodpecker and while pricey they do - for the most part - ooze quality. Just being able to mark out pieces accurately was a huge help when I was starting out as was the confidence gained from the noticeable improvement of finished articles. I bought (NB: not a freebie although I'll not refuse the offer of any should Banggood wish to send me some) copies of some Woodpecker lines, notably mini-squares and a 150mm Carpenter's Square. The first mini-square was checked against existing Woodpeck and Incra Squares and found to be perfectly accurate so I ordered three more. They too are square to the other squares so I now have a set of four for about the same price as one Woodpecker. The Carpenter's Square also checked out fine at less than 20% of the Woodpecker original.

I do not begrudge the money I invested in Incra or Woodpecker gear as they have been and continue to be an enormous help to me in improving my woodworking. That said, if I can get comparable quality for the fraction of the price then I really don't care what name is on the badge.

 

[ScaredyCat]

Manor Wood seems happy with the selection he buys and does check them against some of the more expensive versions he has. I do agree though, not knowing what the quality is like or being able to handle the stuff first is an issue. You can mitigate that somewhat by buying the versions on amazon (fulfilled by) so that return is easy if you're not happy.


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[rafezetter]

Not sure they qualify as appealing to the "expensive toys for boys who like shopping" given the prices being exceptionally cheap. ......

Not what the OP said.

It's easy to miss the names if you have not been reading about these before. The OP bought expensive tools, branded Bridge City. These used to be made in the USA but are now made in China. His were made in China.
He now sees "Cheap Chinese marking out tools" on Banggood (huge Chinese online market place of 3000+ brands, 500,000 items, often at very low prices) and wonders if they are equivalent to the Bridge City, Incra or Woodpecker ones, but cheaper. Woodpecker and Incra still make their high priced tools in the USA but copies/similar designs are available.

Although you could argue that some of the Bridge City tools superficially resembled steampunk, his question is about the Incra and Woodpecker style tools.

It's an interesting one. As far as I can see, all three brands depend on CNC machining. A CNC machine will work just as well in one country as another, so differences between similar tools will be hard to spot without buying some.

"Bridge City" are now made in China? For THOSE prices? That's not cool, glad I'm not rich (or somesay foolish) enough to buy them in the first place, I'd be pinappled if I saw "made in china" on a Bridge City tool.

Banggood do look quite reasonable and some things aren't that much cheaper, I've been eyeballing thier stuff for some time - their aluminium t-track holddowns are maybe only £1 less than axminsters when on sale. Their mitre slot gauges are also not that keenly priced, but do seem to be good quality.

 

[Mooose]

On first reading about Bridge City moving production to China I had my reservations - but - John (founder of Bridge City) is still involved and has even been training the team on how to finish to his standards.

I check in to his blog once every two or three months and find the story fascinating. Try this for example:

https://blog.bridgecitytools.com/2019/0 ... ures-****/