are these the same tool

UKworkshop.co.uk

Help Support UKworkshop.co.uk:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
In a similar vein, so I think acceptable to post here, I noticed some 'wurth' 10.8v (or 12v) tools which looked identical to the Bosch 10.8v (or 12v) tools, but better priced. Has anyone got any? I had a wurth sander that was a rebadged metabo sxe450, and I had the metabo too. Identical. Wurth are German, as are Bosch (Chinese German!) So likely collaborating?
 
This was what i was thinking however theres such a huge difference in price i wasnt sure. Good deal on teh cheaper one if they are both the same. Just noticed now out of stock from this morning
 
I have a colleague who runs a large tool supplier, who has told me that dewalt manufacturer different 'grades' of tools. I think screwfix, in particular, sell a downgraded, inferior, model. I don't know for sure how accurate this is, but it seems likely. And if dewalt are at it, I reckon 'they' all are!!! I'm having a bad time with power tools atm!
Atb
Www
 
woodywoodwood":3g7mh7xz said:
I have a colleague who runs a large tool supplier, who has told me that dewalt manufacturer different 'grades' of tools. I think screwfix, in particular, sell a downgraded, inferior, model. I don't know for sure how accurate this is, but it seems likely. And if dewalt are at it, I reckon 'they' all are!!! I'm having a bad time with power tools atm!
Atb
Www


Youd think they would sell them cheaper. Above, they are the most expensive option.
 
woodywoodwood":1td3pqkm said:
I have a colleague who runs a large tool supplier, who has told me that dewalt manufacturer different 'grades' of tools. I think screwfix, in particular, sell a downgraded, inferior, model. I don't know for sure how accurate this is, but it seems likely. And if dewalt are at it, I reckon 'they' all are!!! I'm having a bad time with power tools atm!
Atb
Www
Seems unlikely to me. The items have the same model number and the same illustration and other firms are selling at around the lower price.
 
Just out of interest, if it is of interest, I spoke to the 'fella who knows' who said that Kingfisher (who own Screwfix) source DeWalt tools direct from a factory, and they seem to be a cheaper alternative. Plastic gearbox ? Apparently there were two this year, or recently ; one has a metal clip, the other has no clip at all. The one with no clip is not available anywhere else, the one with the clip is, but is different.
This fella runs a large outlet, and I guess you would have to say he is in competition with Screwfix. But that does not mean this is not true. I believe this information is already in the public domain.
I did say I would attempt to find out more, and I hope this information is of use to someone.

All the best

woody

PS - but this guy did sell me a traveller Bosch saw! :lol:
 
Woodywoodwood: You might be right, but I'd love to see the contract between Kingfisher and DeWalt, if that's the case. It would make fascinating reading, and introduce nightmarish post-sales issues: "But it's your tool, you made it! Why won't you honour the warranty???" Etc., etc.

In my limited experience in manufacturing, we tried as much as possible to minimise the variants we sold branded (OEM--stuff we made with other people's names on it--was a different kettle of angry lobsters tho.). The more unique elements there are, the more expensive a product becomes to make and support post-sale.

And there are hidden costs too, for example the cost of actually saying "No. We didn't sell it with a warranty, so we won't repair it for free." That's inevitably bad publicity, and by word-of-mouth and/or the internet (the worst sort really). And you've still had the contact cost - bloke at service desk or a parcel arriving, or whatever, which costs resources just to say "no" to*. All it ultimately does is damage the brand, and any additional profit per unit, either from cost savings in manufacturing or lower cost of sales quickly evaporate. There would have to be a really, really good reason for DW to do that, and I can't see one (on the face of it).

There might be more truth to the Wurth-Bosch thing, as I can see sound commercial reasons there. In volume manufacturing you need to be able to ramp up production as fast as possible, as production processes stabilise (and quality improves). So there's an argument that some components might benefit from going into as many outlets (products) as possible, as that makes the unit cost lower, and probably improves the yield and reduces the failure rate (after they're sold). In the context, I'd guess at things like gearbox components, electronic speed control, wound motor components, switchery, turned shafts, etc. And the plastic moulds don't care much what colour plastic squirts into them.

And IIRC, there are only a couple of plants worldwide that make those 10.8V batteries: the outer shell clips on so they can't be interchanged between different brands when they're sold. That said, power cells are one of the few areas where they're tested after manufacture and quality-graded - the "failures" are sold off as cheaper brands.

E.

*Another thought occurs to me: Festo/Festool are nothing if not very clever people. It may well be that their model - build excellent after-sales support into the price - actually means they have lower per-unit support costs than cheaper brands with poorer reliability. The item itself probably doesn't cost much more to make to a higher quality, but the service interaction builds the brand rather than leads to customer frustration (generally!), and they see fewer back anyway (so the per-unit support cost is lower).
 
Hi Eric.
Having spoken to 'the fella that knows' a few times about it, I think he may be right. He owns a very large tool supplier, and did qualify his statement with some details etc. I'll ask him to elaborate more if you would like me to.
All this being said, it is only fair I should point out that he said that other brands do the same.
I think that cost cutting is becoming an art form, and I believe we are, as consumers, somewhat to blame by demanding increasingly lower prices etc etc.
I am sorry, I think I hijacked a thread. I do apologize to the OP.
perhaps I will ask, then post more details. And leave it at that. As I said, I believe the information is in the public domain, just well hidden.
Hope this helps.
W
 
There's only one way to be sure. Someone (a magazine perhaps) buys one from each source and strips them down.
 
Very confused by this thread as I can only see one add and that's from Toolstop in the OPs post?
 
Thanks Roger

No idea why I cants see the Screwfix link in the OPs post.
 
Sorry, as stated before, not sure this is pertinent to those particular models.
Will ask. Sure he'll know . may take few days. Am back at stately home this week, making scalloped units. Great.... :cry:
 

Latest posts

Back
Top