Where can I buy quality woodworking tools in the UK

[wallace]

If you want big boy machines I would steer clear of scott and sergeant, yes they have a massive range but they are hugely over priced and after sales service is poor.

 

[lurker]

Axminster have a shop in Nuneaton which is not far from you, never been myself.
Also Charnwood is about 5 minutes from junction 22 of the M1
Their stuff is considered by many here to be inferior but it seems ok to me so long as you go in with your eyes open. The folks there are very pleasant and knowledgable. Worth a look even if only to compare and contrast.

 

[Eric The Viking]

You are probably getting the idea that we think it's horses for courses. There are some extremely good (world class) specialist suppliers, but very few good generalists -- you've already seen the names mentioned. I'd +1 for Peter Sefton and Axminster particularly, but add a few more specialists:

- Tuff Saws for bandsaw blades.
- Wealden Tools for router cutters and similar tooling (I've found Axminster's own brand good, too, but not quite as good).
- Chronos for engineering tools (they specialise in model engineering, but their measurement tools, etc., are useful generally).
I've also had good mail order service from D+M tools in Twickenham.
Power tool spare parts: Miles Tools and Machinery Centre (MTMC) now in Yeovil, Somerset, and Power Tool Spares (Southampton, I think)

And finally, if you like owning vintage and antique tools that still work well, our own Bristol Design, here in Bristol. I don't think they have a web site though. It's hard to (a) walk by without going in, and (b) come out again without buying something!

There are others, but these are the people I know from personal experience.

E.

PS: Rutlands is a conundrum - opinions are sharply polarized. My own experience has not been at all good, but recently people have been reporting better service. They have no shop nor trade counter you can visit, and their company address doesn't seem to be their actual operational base, as far as I can tell (where the latter is, I have no idea). They're off my list because of quality and service, but as I said, opinions vary...

 

[user22161]

If you want big boy machines I would steer clear of scott and sergeant, yes they have a massive range but they are hugely over priced and after sales service is poor.

I've found just the opposite. Their 01332 saw was around £300 cheaper than the SIP badged one and after sales service was excellent.

 

[MartinCox]

So what is Harry supposed to take from all of this. Almost without exception, every potential supplier has its advocates and its detractors. Wherein lies the reality?

Adding to the points that Custard raised elsewhere about peoples’ views, I would add something about peoples’ differing expectations about equipment (what person A expects from something might be very much higher or lower than person B) and customer service ( person C expects perfection and instant rectification whilst person D is more accommodating of delays or faults).

Perhaps the reality is that every customer has those differing expectations and every (well, most) supplier has moments of great service with occasional lapses.

If I were looking for suppliers, I don’t know that this thread could help. Is the answer to make contact with an experienced, renowned contributor and rely upon their knowledge?

 

[johnnyb]

To me it suggests rutlands are inconsistent, axminsters good but a bit pricier. Specialist suppliers tend to be good in there field selling niche products not available elsewhere.

 

[Eric The Viking]

There are quite a few "experienced, renowned contributors" to this thread already (and I don't mean me!).

In my case I've made recommendations (with the exception of Rutlands). So have others and there is consistency between them. These are dependable suppliers, mostly known for quality of product and service. I can't imagine what I might recommend B+Q for, exactly, nor most of the other "sheds". The specialists' quality, OTOH, tends to be evident.

As always one needs more to go on really, by which I mean budget, type of woodworking, etc. Again, this has come up.

Why don't you contribute yourself, rather than criticise people trying to be helpful?

 

[MartinCox]

I might accept your view if there were one word of criticism in my post. If you believe there is, then please quote them.

I went out of my way not to be at all critical of any contributor but rather to seek to suggest that:

- there are almost inevitably differing views of the same supplier
- individuals go into transactions with differing requirements and expectations and therefore come out with differing views
- each view is valid for that person
- establishing a relationship with an experienced contributor, perhaps local to Harry, might well result in an understanding as to what is going to best for Harry taking into account issues such as space, budget, experience, hand versus machinery, expectations.

I could indeed add my own views. Except that it is just one additional maker putting forward personal experiences and I think there is a better way for Harry.

 

[MartinCox]

Establishing a relationship with an experienced contributor preferably local to Harry. At worst, you might then be liable to going with that person’s experiences but you should be able to understand better that person’s expectations and evaluate them against yours.

In this thread and other very recent ones, you can have read very different views about Axminster and Tuffsaws, Record Power, Workshop Heaven, Scott & Sargent. How does someone who has not had personal experience of companies decide if they should buy from them or just ignore them?

Harry indeed may not want to go down the route that I have suggested but it seemed an interesting alternative

 

[Woodmonkey]

If I were looking for suppliers, I don’t know that this thread could help. Is the answer to make contact with an experienced, renowned contributor and rely upon their knowledge?

What a strange suggestion, that it's better to ask just one person than have a group concensus. Most of the suggestions have been in general agreement, I would think this thread has been very helpful for someone coming in from abroad.

 

[Sawdust=manglitter]

Generally the cheapest source for Veritas products i’ve found in the UK is https://www.canadiantools.co.uk , hope this helps

 

[large red]

I feel a need to defend Rutlands, I had an issue with my worksharp 6 yrs after buying it, orang up explained what was wrong, 2 days later I received the parts I needed in the post FOC. Great service.

 

[wallace]

If you want big boy machines I would steer clear of scott and sergeant, yes they have a massive range but they are hugely over priced and after sales service is poor.

I've found just the opposite. Their 01332 saw was around £300 cheaper than the SIP badged one and after sales service was excellent.

I'm pleased you had a good experience, I only base my opinion on a machine some one sent me to be restored. It came from them at considerable cost, when I dismantled it I found the bearings shot and they had been pumped full of grease to try and hide it.
Another instance was a guy I know paid £6k for a saw bench and the table was warped, when he contacted them they said tough.

 

[ColeyS1]

Malc over @ thewoodhaven also had a rough time with Scott and Sargent.

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