Are tool companies stupid on purpose ???

[wayneburgess]

Here are three quick examples the first is Milwaukee who make a world famous saws all reciprocating saw. ( Just try buying one if you live in the U.K) !!!!!

 

Metabo are the same try buying them in the U.S.A or getting to hear about them outside Germany !!!!!!!!!!!!

 

And finally Dewalt who I thought were a company from the U.S.A but seem to release new products here in the U.K or in Australia first. ( not complaining too much there though LOL  )

[firefighter4187]

Yeah i wish DeWalt would be quicker with releases here in the USA

[Conductor562]

Makes you wonder doesn't it

[crazyandy]

amen

[DR99]

I think the problem is tool companies forget about the little thing called the internet. Now it lets consumers be more informed about what kind of tools and brands that are out there. Look at how many brands we know about now than say 10 years ago. You were at the mercy of what a big box store stocked, or if you lived close to a store that only sold pro grade tools.

[Conductor562]

I think the problem is tool companies forget about the little thing called the internet. Now it lets consumers be more informed about what kind of tools and brands that are out there. Look at how many brands we know about now than say 10 years ago. You were at the mercy of what a big box store stocked, or if you lived close to a store that only sold pro grade tools.

There's a lot of truth in this. The Internet changed the tool landscape dramatically. I grew up with industrial brands like Proto, Blackhawk, Williams, etc. because my family drug them home from the plant, but many people have never heard of them. You go to a flea market around here and you find USA Thorsen, New Britain, etc. Go to one out west and there are tons of Plomb, Proto, P&C, etc. It's all relative to the place of manufacture. That's no longer the case though. I can get online and have any tool in the world at my door in a coupe of days. It's pretty amazing when you think about.

[DR99]

There's a lot of truth in this. The Internet changed the tool landscape dramatically. I grew up with industrial brands like Proto, Blackhawk, Williams, etc. because my family drug them home from the plant, but many people have never heard of them. You go to a flea market around here and you find USA Thorsen, New Britain, etc. Go to one out west and there are tons of Plomb, Proto, P&C, etc. It's all relative to the place of manufacture. That's no longer the case though. I can get online and have any tool in the world at my door in a coupe of days. It's pretty amazing when you think about.

I kinda knew about Hilti tools, but I had no idea about other companies like festool or metabo. It's great for them they now have a larger market now plus the other brands are not considered a premium tool like the used to. It's like black and decker older guys know of it as being company that put out some good tools, but I think of it as homeowner to light diy grade tool.

[Highdesert Splintermaker]

I don't know if they are stupid or simply unobservant. Most businesses today are holding every nickel so close to their eyes they can't see a dollar two feet away. They would all do well to look around and certainly to read these blogs as many valid observations are cited quite clearly - both here and on other similar websites.

 

My observations concern two tools - drill presses and jointer/planers.

 

Drill presses are designed primarily for metalworking and then marketed in those places we go to buy woodworking tools. There are primarily two reasons today's drill press offerings are wrong for woodworking. The speeds are too high and the work table designs are all wrong. Most drill presses, especially the bench configurations, turn too fast for many woodworking tasks. Unless you get one with 10 speeds or more you get only three (possibly 4) speeds of 750 rpm or less suitable for drilling only the smaller diameter holes in hardwood. The second problem is that most drill presses come with work tables that are great for capturing cutting fluids (used only for cutting metals) but have very poor to nonexistent compatibility with woodworking requirements. While most drill press work tables can be squared (adjusted for perpendicularity to the quill axis) or tilted to one or both sides, they lack the ability to adjust or tilt front to rear. Most are almost impossible to clamp to, won't accept a fence, are difficult if not impossible to attach an auxiliary jig or fixture to make them more woodworking compatible, and (last but not least) is that too small center thru-hole that won't accommodate even the modest sized spade or forstner bits.

The worst of all circumstances rear their ugly head  when you try to use the same drill press for working both metal and wood. Once you've used it for metal; clean it up for all you're worth and you still come away with oil and metal shavings pressed into the surface of your wood.

Seems to me a simple conversion kit consisting of a larger replacement work table and support arm assembly and a lower ratio sheave (pulley) set might be one solution. But, the real winner will be the first manufacturer that comes out with a benchtop drill press specifically designed for working wood. 

 

Jointers, and planers but mostly jointers, seem to be going through a transition. There are only two reasonably priced 6" bench jointers on the market today and no 8" bench jointers at all, reasonably priced or otherwise. The only 6" bench jointer with segmented helical heads is marketed with either granite and cast iron in/outfeed tables. Its manufacturer is currently unable to keep up with current demand. Why is that demand not being met? you might ask. I suggest the reason is; there is far too big a price gap between the 6" bench jointers and the least expensive 8" floor jointers and, once again, there is no 8" bench joiner available period. Most of us frequently work with rough sawn lumber much of which won't feed through a 6" machine. But, in order to accommodate any additional width were faced with having to pay an additional 200% price jump. How many of us will actually process enough wood wider than 6" to justify that additional $800 or more expense for an 8" floor jointer? And, if you want an 8" jointer with either a segmented helical head or granite tables - good luck! Most of us neither need nor have storage space for those overpriced "aircraft carrier" status symbols. But, the market currently appears to be more than ready for an 8" segmented helical head bench jointer (cast iron or granite) with an overall length of up to 4 feet (1.2 mtrs) that would sell for up to double the price of it's highly in demand 6" little brother.

 

Hope I haven't stepped on any sensitive toes. Let me know if you think I've missed the mark.

[Conductor562]

Hope I haven't stepped on any sensitive toes. Let me know if I've missed the mark.

 

Not at all, very good observations. I don't use a joiner but I think you're spot on about the drill press's. I use spade bits in a press quite often and I've griped about the hole not being big enough just about every time.

 

oh, and welcome to the forum

[Highdesert Splintermaker]

An update to my earlier complaint about no quality 8" bench top jointers available in today's market. I've been in touch with the power tool manufacturer that's currently playing catch up with a 6 week backlog of its helical head 6" jointers. Essentially I told their customer service rep. most of what I cited in my earlier entry under this topic. Consequently, they are apparently somewhat surprised to confirm my market assessment and are seriously looking into producing an 8" bench top helical head jointer similar to their current 6" jointers. It may even already be in the design stage. I've been advised to keep checking for product line updates. Wonders never cease!

[Conductor562]

Sounds pretty cool. Who is the Mfg?

[Highdesert Splintermaker]

Sounds pretty cool. Who is the Mfg?

 

Steel City Tool Works.

[Conductor562]

Awesome. I've been on their page at least 100 times. Looks to be nice quality stuff.

[Highdesert Splintermaker]

After patiently waiting, and occasionally pulling up Steel City's web site, I've yet to find a new benchtop 8" helical jointer added to their tool lineup. So, I dropped their cust. svc. rep. (the guy I exchanged a couple emails with last summer) and asked whether or not the idea had withered and died or might possibly still bear fruit.

 

Today I got his reply in which he said they had decided to hold off any new tool introductions until this years woodworking show in Atlanta [20-23  August]. Then he said, "I have not seen the machine but I can tell you it is not like the 8" version from the Vegas venue."

 

From that I can make all kinds of assumptions but, it does sound like there is definitely a new toy in their jointer lineup.

 

Anticipation...

 

.  

[Conductor562]

Anticipation is the story of my life. Ask me about Milwaukee's M12 Pop Rivet gun.....

[PT Custom]

Conductor where do you use all these rivets ?

Just curious

[Highdesert Splintermaker]

Okay... Tell me about that Milwaukee M12 Pop river gun.

[Conductor562]

PT: I don't use them a whole lot, but whenever I do I absolutely loath manual riveters. They're fine for a half dozen rivets, but they get old quick if you have a few dozen or more to do.

HDSM: I've been begging for an M12 pop riveters for damn near 3 years. I've posted about on every tool forum I can find, emailed Milwaukee at regular intervals, and encouraged others to do the same. There are a couple of cordless options, but companies like Marson price them way out of reason for an occasional user. Milwaukee releasing an M12 riveter has become a running joke and is the TIA version of Hell freezing over.

[Highdesert Splintermaker]

Conductor:

Just out of curiosity I checked Amazon to see what I might find. Along with the heap of manual pop rivet tools they show several pneumatic guns ranging in price from $43 to $60. The brand names of the ones that caught my eye are Rock Ridge, Astro Pneumatic, & Allstar. I've never heard of any of them. They vary in what rivet sizes they handle, some don't state their operating PSI. and I didn't see reviews on any of them. Proceed with caution.

 

Another alternative comes from HF. It's their model 66422 - a monster of a hand tool. It handles up to ¼ inch rivets and even catches the wire tails in a plastic bottle. You might want to read the reviews. It comes with five tips and the best thing is it's a hand tool and guaranteed forever. With a 25% coupon you can get one for around $15 plus tax.

[Conductor562]

Thanks HDSM. If Milwaukee doesn't do something by this years launch I'm going to go pneumatic I suppose. I've got plenty of compressor in my new shop to run just about anything I want. I always shied away from air tools before because of compressor limitations, but that's not an issue anymore.

[BK13]

There's a lot of truth in this. The Internet changed the tool landscape dramatically.

Ain't that the truth. And thank you, algore, for the Internet! I'm 3/4 German ancestry, and a fan of German stuff in general, and now I can obsess over, and buy, all sorts of cool stuff... Metabo, Fein, Hazet, Stahlwille, Gedore, Wera, Wiha, Felo....

[Astro_Pneumatic_Tool_Co.]

Conductor:

Just out of curiosity I checked Amazon to see what I might find. Along with the heap of manual pop rivet tools they show several pneumatic guns ranging in price from $43 to $60. The brand names of the ones that caught my eye are Rock Ridge, Astro Pneumatic, & Allstar. I've never heard of any of them. They vary in what rivet sizes they handle, some don't state their operating PSI. and I didn't see reviews on any of them. Proceed with caution.

 

Another alternative comes from HF. It's their model 66422 - a monster of a hand tool. It handles up to ¼ inch rivets and even catches the wire tails in a plastic bottle. You might want to read the reviews. It comes with five tips and the best thing is it's a hand tool and guaranteed forever. With a 25% coupon you can get one for around $15 plus tax.

 

Hey Highdesert Splintermaker,

I'd be happy to provide you with all the details needed.

Just drop me a line at cbarakat@astrotools.com