Axminster or Arceurotrade

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SPSlick

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Looking at the Sieg C4 engineering lathe and Arceurotrade are a third less for the machine and the accessories.
I've never dealt with Arc before and wondered if their after sales care was as good as Axminster.
It puzzles me how the price can be so different.
 
I haven't bought any big budget items from Arc Eurotrade, but loads of "bits & pieces" varying from a few quid to, probably about fifty or sixty quid. Always found their stuff good value for money, very helpful with queries before sale (never had to return anything), have a very sensible policy for out of stock items (a message saying "X is temporarily out of stock, expected again in Y weeks. We suggest Z as an immediate alternative, or would you prefer to wait or will you just cancel your order?"). Their delivery service is reliable and sensibly priced and they even know that customers in Switzerland don't have to pay UK VAT.

Overall I'd rate them highly as a supplier. AND you get a useful printed catalogue free of charge with your goods.

Mind you, my own experience of Axi is just the same - an excellent supplier in all the above respects, except that they charge I think an extra tenner if you want their catalogue (and IMHO, since they've "upgraded" their web site it's much worse than before). The Arc web site is very good.

I have no connections with either of them except as a satisfied customer.

One other point, if you're buying a big ticket item like a lathe or a mill, ARC offers (used to offer?) a pre-delivery cleaning/fettling/set up/upgrade service. Extra cost (about 100 quid I think) but IMHO, well worth it with some Chinese-sourced machines. AFAIK, Axi do not offer such service.

HTH

AES
 
are they actually like for like. I briefly looked 12 months ago, but somewhere there was a checklist of features to look for- locking levers rather than nuts on the tail stock for example. I am sorry, I hae no idea where that checklist was, but there must be some buyers guides out there. I would be surprised if there was really that much difference between the two suppliers.
 
Hate to say it, but having done a lot of research into similar lathes last year my money would be going to warco, I visited their showroom down south to look more closely (along with many axminster stores) but the axi stuff is definitely over priced. The arceurotrade stuff looks good and is well priced, i've bought some other gear from them but not sure I'd want to buy a lathe unseen, the warco lathes are generally better priced, better finished and have excellent back up. I haven't actually bought one yet, apparently I have to save for the baby on its way instead, but I will be buying a warco lathe at some point in the near future.

Cheers, Tom.
 
arghhhhhh

why did you show me that website!!!!!!!

looks like yet another website that will be draining my bank ac when the workshop is up and moving!!!!!

adidat
 
I've had the c4 for seven years and it is a nice lathe. Go for the long bed version. It was not available when I got mine.
I have had good experience with both axi and Arc but it is the same lathe so go for the cheaper option.
Yngvar
 
I thought the OP was asking for experience of Arc Eurotrade v Axminster Tools as suppliers! But it seems that the thread subject has changed to comparing different "Mini Lathe" offerings.

My own was bought about 10 years ago and is badged Einhell, but after a lot of research it seems that unlike most others, my machine is actually NOT sourced from Sieg (apparently by far and away the biggest Chinese manufacturer) but by a Chinese company called something like "Red Dog" (not Red Bull!!). Very similar to the Sieg machines, but maybe (maybe??) a little better (e.g. induction hardened ways). Dunno.

So I have no hands-on experience of the Sieg machines, BUT it does seem from all that I've read that not even all Sieg machines are exactly the same - the EXACT specification, finish (not just colour), and amount of careful at-factory assembly, and what's included/not included apparently varies between the various suppliers.

For example, my own machine was not properly cleaned before despatch, so had odd lumps of casting sand, grinding dust, etc, inside, AND was covered with a protective brown "grease" which was very difficult to remove (referred to by many as "brown chicken fat" I believe). And as another example, the tailstock was NOT correctly aligned with the head stock.

But once properly prepared and set up - not difficult for anyone with a bit of nouse, normal hand tools, and access to the internet - it's turned out to be a VERY good little machine that does all I want it to.

So what I hear you ask?

It's not just the colour and the supplier that makes a difference to the prices. You must consider the full spec, and most especially, what's included/not included with the base machine as bought. For example I had to add a tailstock drilling chuck, bigger 3 jaw chuck, 4 jaw chuck, steady, mod kit to change to lever-operated tailstock (you'll soon get fed up with the bolted down type!), and IF it had been available at the time, I would have bought the long bed version (I've managed up to now, but it's been a bit tight for length sometimes - it's NOT just the length of the work piece you have to think about, you also have to allow for clearance all around the job, e.g. drilling from the tailstock).

I've often read that by the time you add the various bits & pieces like the above list, AND some cutting tools of course, you're budgeting for about double the initial cost of the machine.

I found the above to be very true, so any supplier who is offering a bit more in the initial package is well worth considering IMHO.

I THINK I'm right in saying though, that apart from "just" the price (!!!), any machine that you buy these days will end up being able to do all that you want it to - assuming of course you're not trying to machine a crankshaft for the QEII engines :D

Finally, there's a sticky listing all sorts of suppliers, web sites, magazines, etc, at the top of the Metal Working section of this Forum. I'd strongly recommend further research within those links before making a final decision about which supplier to choose finally.

HTH

AES
 
I was in the North Shields store for some stuff today so asked one of the guys about it. After checking the arc website he said he would talk to the head office on Monday to see if anything could be done.
 
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