Most disappointing tool I ever bought

[Anonymous]

I hate to post a negative post, but this might help other people to avoid wasting money.

Yep, sad to say it is positively awful, and I say this after several months of ownership.

What is it? the Wixey height gauge for planer/thicknessers as discussed here https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/view ... ight=wixey

I bought one in light of the thread with an open mind as I liked the fact that it (doesn't) indicates the actual thickness.

Why is it a waste of money? It is so inaccurate as to be totally useless. I calibrated it as per the manual and thicknessed some boards to 20mm. Great. Bang on. Loving this.
So, I tried to thickness a piece of wood around 40mm thick only to find it was 0.7mm out!! I then tried lots of other pieces after this with errors up to nearly 1mm in thickness. the error is not even repeatable for a given thickness. With measurement devices, repeatability and accuracy are everything, neither are exhibited with this device.

I have remounted it over and over, recalibrated it several times - no improvement.

For info it is mounted on a Delta thicnesser with brand new blades that is in perfect working order.

 

[motownmartin]

Thanks for the info Tony, I don't think i'll wast my money.

 

[Andy Pullen]

Hope you are sending it back

 

[Waka]

Tony

We all make the mistake with tools, luckily I didn't go down the route of that particular gauge.

 

[DavidE]

Hi Tony,

I bought one a while back and have it on a DeWalt thicknesser. I haven't used it long enough yet to say I have had no problems with it. However, I hadn't used it for a few months and planed some wood spot on the other day. My only minor annoyance with it... is the tab where you can measure thickness is not bent square to itself perfectly. If you don't realise it gives a 0.2mm error. Once i sussed this though I compensated for it in the calibration and it has been good.

I wonder if yours is defective or has a bit of dirt from manufacture round the encoders or something. Is it worth trying to get it replaced and see if it does any better?

Cheers
David

 

[gidon]

Sounds faulty - mine works fine.
Mr Wixey is very helpful if you e-mail him.
Cheers
Gidon

 

[Rich]

How DID we get by without it?
Rich.

 

[Digit]

How DID we get by without it?

Simple Rich, we used a 6in rule, which will also double for stirring the coffee, something electronic gadgets don't do too well! :lol:

Roy.

 

[Anonymous]

Hope you are sending it back

The problem is that I bought it around the time of the thread I linked to above. I had just chalked it up to experience, but think I will try to send it back now that you mention it

 

[johnjin]

Hi Tony
I have just read what you had to say about this Wixey Gauge in the earlier thread, and I must admit to being very surprised that after all your comments about the fact that you had something just as good, for a lot less money that you felt the need to purchase one. As with all electronic equipment, there is always the possibility that something is wrong with it and I would have thought that someone in your position would have realised this immediately. After an initial test or two you should have got in contact with the supplier to get the matter sorted. To write such a negative post on a product that has had so many good comments makes me think that it is just a one off and you are at fault for not sorting it out initially.

Best wishes

John

 

[Lord Nibbo]

I've got one that don't work as well, changed the battery but it still looks at me with a blank face

 

[RATWOOD]

The most disappointing tool i ever bought was my poolwood lathe

 

[wizer]

I also bought one of these at the time of that thread but have yet to install it (or indeed get the dw733 out of it's box).

Hope there wasn't a duff batch at around the time of that thread!

 

[Alan Ward]

Hi Tony,

Did you purchase the unit via us (Allendale Electronics Ltd), as I have no record of any customers contacting us regarding accuracy issues on this unit,

Please drop me an e-mail at [email protected] and I will get an engineer to reply to you.

Thanks

Alan Ward

 

[HowardM]

Hi

I am using this on my DeWalt 733, the problems I had was the thing didn't slide very easily.
After application of pliers and muscle to the slide, it works a treat. no botha.

Howard

 

[jonny boy]

The thing to remember is that these devices are based on the same principle as a digital vernier gauge which can be a very accurate instrument if a good one is used, Mitutoyo make exellent electronic measuring equipment and they DO work alway's but a poor quality one such as something at buy it now off ebay for 1.99 will almost definitly be a second rate instrument giving bad accuracy and repeatability. They devices i'm afraid are a little hit and miss at this price range and you will either be lucky and get one that seems to work OK or be unlucky and get a bad one that gives you nothing but touble. Ya pays ya money, ya takes the chance.

jonathan.

 

[Anonymous]

The thing to remember is that these devices are based on the same principle as a digital vernier gauge which can be a very accurate instrument if a good one is used, Mitutoyo make exellent electronic measuring equipment and they DO work alway's but a poor quality one such as something at buy it now off ebay for 1.99 will almost definitly be a second rate instrument giving bad accuracy and repeatability. They devices i'm afraid are a little hit and miss at this price range and you will either be lucky and get one that seems to work OK or be unlucky and get a bad one that gives you nothing but touble. Ya pays ya money, ya takes the chance.

jonathan.

It is not really reasonable to compare Mitutoyo with a £30 vernier although both should be accurate to (a lot) better than 0.1mm and very repeatable as £30 ain't cheap by any means!

At the price they charge, I would expect considerably better - my main area of expertise is instrumentation and measurement, and this is not a decent measuring instrument, it is virtually useless.


£1.99 digital verniers? Seems expensive for something to open paint tins adn stir the contents with (all they are good for) :wink: :lol:

 

[gidon]

At the price they charge, I would expect considerably better - my main area of expertise is instrumentation and measurement, and this is not a decent measuring instrument, it is virtually useless.

Tony I think this may be a little unfair - a lot of people have this device including myself and certainly find it fit for purpose. I don't have any problems with repeatability or accuracy. For measuring devices £30 is still pretty cheap - maybe you're expecting too much or as we've already discussed you have a faulty unit.

Cheers

Gidon

 

[neilc]

Tony,

I think you've just been unlucky. I have one on my DW733 and it's always spot on or within a 0.001 to my digital calipers .

Neil.

 

[tnimble]

The Wixey digital height gauge was demonstrated in Stu's shed podcast recently. The device looks very usable and with a repeatable accuracy. I could be that there are lemons around of which the gauge does not slide freely.