B&Q Why even Bother

[harryc]

Popped into my local B&Q today after a quite a while and was very surprised to see they have started to stock some top of the range tools like metabo, triton etc. However on closer inspection Triton 2000 workcentre for £299!!, Triton 2000W router for £240!!!
They are obviously trying to move into the higher priced and more profitable tools but at those prices I would be suprised if they manage to shift much stock which would be a shame because it will mean there shelves will be full of that pro power rubbish.

Harry.

 

[Jake]

They aren't cheap for anything compared to specialist retailers, but they are kind of convenient when you need a few of these for this, some of those for that, and one of those for the other.

 

[Lord Nibbo]

Triton 2000W router for £240!!!

Harry.

I went in B&Q Plymouth about three months ago and I'm sure they were doing the 2000W for about £179 ish, I know I wasn't dreaming cos I got told off for getting one out of it's box :lol:

PS... I know there are two or three B&Q's in Plymouth, I'm on about the Mega store near Derriford Hospital.

 

[harryc]

Might be a bit difficult for me to get down to Plymouth from Wolverhampton!

 

[Paul Chapman]

Triton 2000W router for £240!!!

Harry.

I went in B&Q Plymouth about three months ago and I'm sure they were doing the 2000W for about £179 ish, I know I wasn't dreaming cos I got told off for getting one out of it's box :lol:

A few months ago my local B&Q were selling the big Triton router and saw at lower prices, but it didn't seem to last for long and they are now up to full price.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[lurker]

I used to be a big fan of B&Q
Was always in the mega store near me.
Either me or it have changed - I don't think they are cheap any more.
Price of Screws etc are a joke.
Gardening stuff is getting pricy too.

However they are still better than any of the other barns

Its still worth going in during January as the have some good offers on.

Unlike Harryc I found some of the Power pro stuff can be very good value.

I got a router for £16 which is near identical to my 6 year old trend that cost ten times as much ( I'd put money on them coming out of the same factory) and a Macallister Vac for £30 which is as better than Axminsters £100+ offering

 

[wizer]

unrelated to power tool prices. But I was in B&Q the other day painfully searching through their 'banana' wood trying to get a pack that was reasonably straight (hah). Another customer walked up, watched me for a bit and then asked what I was doing. After taking time to explain, he gave me a blank look & promptly picked up a pack of my rejects and walked off. I stood there watching him walk down the aisle in complete bewilderment. :-k ](*,)

 

[Woodmagnet]

The same thing happened to me on monday, i was looking for some straight pieces of wood when a bloke said" can i ask what you are doing" so i told him and he said" i never new it could bend" :roll: :lol:

 

[inventor]

Ok, I'm going to admit it. Please don't hurt me, everyone. Yes, I bought a router table package, including a half inch router, from B&Q for £49.99. Aluminium table, nice plastic fences, very nice NVR switch, variable speed soft start router.

All perfect!

Apart from the runout on the half inch collet. Which is something over 1 mm.

Oh, well.

 

[mr]

Ok, I'm going to admit it. Please don't hurt me, everyone. Yes, I bought a router table package, including a half inch router, from B&Q for £49.99. Aluminium table, nice plastic fences, very nice NVR switch, variable speed soft start router.

All perfect!

Apart from the runout on the half inch collet. Which is something over 1 mm.

Oh, well.

Thats the sort of thing I might buy to discover whether routers actually have a real world use and whether I can make mine into more than a Norm inspired doorstop. Problem is that I'd probably discover that it was rubbish like the router I have and the answer would still be no, there's no real world use for a router.
Cheers Mike

 

[George_N]

Ok, I'm going to admit it. Please don't hurt me, everyone. Yes, I bought a router table package, including a half inch router, from B&Q for £49.99. Aluminium table, nice plastic fences, very nice NVR switch, variable speed soft start router.

All perfect!

Apart from the runout on the half inch collet. Which is something over 1 mm.

Oh, well.

Thats the sort of thing I might buy to discover whether routers actually have a real world use and whether I can make mine into more than a Norm inspired doorstop. Problem is that I'd probably discover that it was rubbish like the router I have and the answer would still be no, there's no real world use for a router.
Cheers Mike

Got to disagree with you there Mike, I think that my router and home made router table are the most versatile tools in my workshop. I have a B&Q TrendTech 1/2" router and its worked really well for me (hardly high end stuff). What problems have you had with your router?

 

[mr]

Got to disagree with you there Mike, I think that my router and home made router table are the most versatile tools in my workshop. I have a B&Q TrendTech 1/2" router and its worked really well for me (hardly high end stuff). What problems have you had with your router?

In no particular order, it's noisy, dangerous, messy, prone to destroy the workpiece in the blink of an eye, the depth stop is a suck it and see type affair, the collet is a lock and spanner jobbie which makes operating the noisy, messy , dangerous piece of kit difficult to do. I can set up a plane to do the same job in a fraction of the time and still recover if I make an error before things go horribly wrong. Erm enough yet ?

Having said all that I do keep thinking that if I stuck the thing in a table I might get better results from it but as I say it's more likely a case of good money after bad.

Cheers Mike

 

[dovetail2007]

I use one of the aforementioned router table / router packages - works fine for me and is nice and sturdy.
For those of us who can't justify £200 on a router and £100 on a table / materials to make a table, it's fine - just don't expect a £300 package and you'll be fine

 

[inventor]

Actually, my £49 router+table would be a splendid bargain, if not for the runout on the collet chuck. The motor bearings run very nicely. The collet chuck is a press fit on the end of the motor shaft and something went wrong there. I've thought about trying to re-machine the collet chuck, but it's nontrivial. As it is, the whole thing is OK for mouldings or rebates, as long as I don't actually want them to fit anything.

I bought this kit for dedicated table use, because it's such a pain setting up my usual router (elu mof 177e) in a table. It so nearly worked!

 

[Chris Knight]

unrelated to power tool prices. But I was in B&Q the other day painfully searching through their 'banana' wood trying to get a pack that was reasonably straight (hah). Another customer walked up, watched me for a bit and then asked what I was doing. After taking time to explain, he gave me a blank look & promptly picked up a pack of my rejects and walked off. I stood there watching him walk down the aisle in complete bewilderment. :-k ](*,)

Tom,
The bloke is obviously a boat builder, he waits for people like you to sort out the curved stuff he needs :wink:

 

[mr]

Actually, my £49 router+table would be a splendid bargain, if not for the runout on the collet chuck. The motor bearings run very nicely. The collet chuck is a press fit on the end of the motor shaft and something went wrong there. I've thought about trying to re-machine the collet chuck, but it's nontrivial. As it is, the whole thing is OK for mouldings or rebates, as long as I don't actually want them to fit anything.

I bought this kit for dedicated table use, because it's such a pain setting up my usual router (elu mof 177e) in a table. It so nearly worked!

I rest my case, and here was I contemplating a trip over to B&Q this morning to have a look at the thing.
Phew.

Cheers Mike

 

[Green]

"the answer would still be no, there's no real world use for a router"

Eh? Thats like saying there is no real world use for a JCB because the job can be done in other ways. I use routers because I want things done accurately and dont have the time to fart about.

 

[mr]

"the answer would still be no, there's no real world use for a router"

Eh? Thats like saying there is no real world use for a JCB because the job can be done in other ways. I use routers because I want things done accurately and dont have the time to fart about.

Exactly the reasons I don't use one but each to his own as usual.

Cheers Mike

 

[White House Workshop]

And back to B&Q for a moment...

B&Q used to be cheap, but their business strategy was simple - move in, kill the competition with lower prices and variety, reduce variety, raise the prices. Now they're trying to move up-market into the higher margin areas as they've opened up the DIY arena to people who never thought of doing it before as the costs were too high, and B&Q now hope to sell them better (equals more expensive) tools - whether they're capable of using them or not! Classic strategy.

We are very lucky that just down the road we have a couple of specialist tool stores with chaps behind the counters who know what they're talking about, and for some reason they have survived!

 

[cumbrian]

........which makes the thread on Festool prices even more interesting. My nearest Festool dealer is a small outfit that specialises in tools from a handful of manufacturers. If they tried to offer the typical range found at B&Q, they wouldn't be able to get near on price without going bust. Instead, the profit they can make on Festool, Bessey etc allows them to offer good service; by way of example, I needed to find something to clean old trusses in situ, so I took a section from an old joist in similar state, went along to the dealer and we had a play. Result - I bought the Rotex sander. Okay, other tools might have done the job just as well, but the point is that I knew the Rotex would do the job (and lots of others!) because I'd just spent as long as I needed trying it out.
Anyone ever tried dropping into B&Q and asking one of the orange people if they can try out some of their tools and generally make a mess? So what happens to the helpful and knowledgeable, but very small, specialist dealers if they find themselves having to compete with B&Q on the tools they sell? Good news for the consumer? Hmmmm........