Regrettable tools

[Tim Nott]

We've all bought stuff we've regretted. In my case, lots, but I think my personal unfavourite is the Rali Block plane 105N which you can see here:
http://www.rali-uk.com/index1.html
I bought this when I din't have a workshop - or a block plane - and read some glowing reviews. I paid nearly £90 with a pack of spare blades. - this was about 8-10 years ago, I think they are cheaper now.

Ergonomically, it's horrible. I don't have small hands but can't get a decent grip on this. It's like planing with a brick. I originally envsaged using it to trim mitres for picture frames. But the designers thoughtfully put raised-head screws on the sides so it won't work with a shooting board. The only thing I use it for now is on e.g. reclaimed or painted wood that might damage the blade of a real plane. I think I've still got eight of the ten spare blades left. Ptui!

So - what's your worst purchase? Come on, confess...

 

[TheTiddles]

curse those magic beans...

Aidan

 

[woodbloke]

I think the worst thing I bought was a Veritas scraper plane insert thingie. This was designed to fit into a standard No5 jack plane and turn it into a scraper plane. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get the thing to work :evil: ...binned it in the end - Rob

 

[RogerS]

Anything with Dakota on it.

 

[dessoman]

cheap nasty clamps

 

[Karl]

Ferm table saw - scared the living $hit out of me.... :lol:

Cheers

Karl

 

[Tim Nott]

Anything with Dakota on it.

Their planes were OK - especially the DC-3

 

[Anonymous]

digital vernier gauge designed for showing the thickness of wood after pass-through on the thicknesser - inaccurate (I mean out by mm at top of the range if set bang on at bottom) and readings not at all repeatable!!

Absolutely awful.

 

[Steve Maskery]

Rapesco Electric nail gun.

 

[chippy1970]

DEWALT :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[OPJ]

A Fox 10" table saw (my very first item of machinery) - sounds a lot like the Ferm one Karl mentioned! :?

Cheap Silverline router cutters. In particular, a trimming cutter with a bearing on the end. I was lured by the 50mm length of the cutter and, during it's first cut, the screw came lose (never to be seen again!) meaning the bearing fell off and it cut too far in to the work piece!! :x

 

[wizer]

Seeing as Roger's already done Dakota (which would have been top of my list), it's got to be my old Makita Drill\Driver which was problematic from the start and lasted about 5mins past it's warranty. Oh and the Milescraft Signwriter jig was junk in a box. Useless rubbish IMHO.

 

[Paul Chapman]

I think the worst thing I bought was a Veritas scraper plane insert thingie. This was designed to fit into a standard No5 jack plane and turn it into a scraper plane. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get the thing to work :evil: ...binned it in the end - Rob

I had one of those as well http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx ... 10&p=32635 Couldn't get on with it either and gave mine away. And the bloke I gave it to couldn't get on with it either.

Interestingly, Paul Hamler who invented it, went on to produce a much better version which was tested by Chris Schwarz who reckoned it was very good. You can read about it here http://blog.woodworking-magazine.com/bl ... oling.aspx Not sure if it's still available - apparently Paul Hamler was suspending manufacture after the initial run while he worked on something else.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[Mr Ed]

Black and Decker cordless screwdriver that came free ( so technically I didn't buy it) with a corded drill about 15 years ago. The drill was OK but the screwdriver was so weak I might as well have used the handle to bang the damn screws in - would have been quicker. Held a charge for a good 5 minutes though...

Ed

 

[big soft moose]

performance power circular saw - the blade guard didnt rotate back as it should so when i tried to use it on a sled, it cut in to the diameter of the blade then jammed on the end of the sled - £29.99 well spent then binned it

oddly their power mitre saw was okay - i still use it for site use sometimes.

also those bench drill things you get from screwfix to turn a power drill into a pillar drill - pile of crap - if you have the cable towards you it fould the workpiece - if you have it away from you or to either side if over balances

 

[Streepips]

Bosch 3 inch belt sander ( green) absolute rubbish

 

[johnf]

Siverline drywall collated screwdriver cheap and useless a waste of money

 

[Doctor]

freud 2000 router, bought 3 off them, all have had a melt down within 2 years, can't handle continual use

 

[Tony Spear]

freud 2000 router, bought 3 off them, all have had a melt down within 2 years, can't handle continual use

That's interesting - I assume you're talking about a LOT of use?

I've had one permanently mounted in a Woodrat (with occasional use in a table) for over 5 years and it's still going strong.

 

[Krysstel]

Trend biscuit joiner. Load of crap. Sloppy bearings, inacurrate fence, sticky power switch. £140 NOT well spent. Will soon be replaced with an AEG.