It's worth bearing in mind that though Record Power is a long established and well respected Sheffield Company, like so many others, to stay competitive it's had to outsource production of machinery to China, and in fairness, makes no secret of that, so the bandsaw in question will probably have been manufactured in China to Record's specification. Here is what Record Power say on their website:
Quote:
In addition to our UK-made products, we work with carefully selected partners from across the globe to ensure we supply only the best quality products possible. Record Power products are exported to more than 30 countries worldwide.
Recent investment in our in-house manufacturing capabilities has seen a marked increase in our ranges of UK-made products, with our strategic emphasis being placed very firmly in this area. In addition, our commitment to British-made products has been recognised by our membership of the Made in Sheffield and Made in Britain organisations. Our production department now employs more than any other in the business and continues to expand in order to meet the ever-growing demand for high-quality UK-made products.
The Record Power head office, manufacturing facility and distribution centre is still located in Sheffield and from this base we also design and manufacture a growing number of Record Power and CamVac products and our in-house quality control department ensures our standards remain consistently high.
End quote.
Recordpower - Woodworking tools
Likewise, I have a small Axminster lathe, bandsaw and belt/disc sander, which were sourced from China,
I know that is so because the 'Statement of Conformity' names the Chinese company where they were manufactured. They're quite adequate for my needs and came with a three-year guarantee, with clear instruction booklets written in plain English - not 'Chinglish'. Like Record Power, Axminster, also allude to sourcing products 'from the UK and all over the world' (a euphemism for China/Far East?), we know that they also manufacture some products in house. Their statement is rather blurry and ambiguous, making no distinction between say a chisel & chuck, (UK?) or a bandsaw and lathe. (China.):
Quote:
'Whilst we source products from the UK and all over the world, we take particular pride in the manufacture of our own products at our state-of-the art facility in Axminster. From concept, design, material selection and sourcing through to prototype development, testing, quality control and finally, full on production everything is done in house. These innovative and unique tools are made from only the highest quality materials which are sourced in the UK only, so that when we say ‘Made in Britain’ we are able to truly mean it'.
End quote.
Axminster Tools - Made in Britain
The bottom line is that wherever a company's Head Office is - Germany, France, Italy, America, UK, it's no guarantee of where its products are made, nor whether thy would be any better if made on 'home soil'. What matters most is the design specification, quality control, warranty and after-sales service. If I ring Record Power, I speak to someone with a Sheffield accent - not a call centre based in India or wherever. I'm happy with that.
David.
