Stanley – Quality?

[SamsarandaParticipant @samsaranda]

As an aside and a bit off topic, bought a set of small sockets that was on offer in Aldi, have had to use it already and perfect for the job I was doing, couldn’t fault the quality. When at the checkout the operator was talking about Aldi tools and mentioned that some of their power tools are made by Bosch, don’t know whether that’s an endorsement for Aldi or an indictment for Bosch, however I have a couple of Aldi power tools and again can’t fault the quality, well they haven’t gone bang yet.

Dave W

[Boiler BriParticipant @boilerbri]

Noticed on my "Stanley" tool box that it was made in Israel ✈️😩 I thought it was made in China 😋

[pgk pgkParticipant @pgkpgk17461]

Posted by Samsaranda on 02/08/2018 17:54:27:

………. Like your solution pgk, paint everything white, problem is wife wouldn’t go for it, she likes colours, I learnt a long time ago not to choose any colours, just stand back and let her choose then I can’t get it wrong. …..

Dave W

It took the last few years to finally train her … well that small triumph any rate. Lots of pouting on my part about how coloured paint costs more and if she wants colour then paint it herself… usually followed by her threatening to get a decorator in and me sulking. I think I only won because I get it done faster than a decorator using her colours and she doesn't have to bother finding one. And there's a historical argument about the time she had a room painted apricot and green……..

pgk

[Mark RandParticipant @markrand96270]

They're only a young firm (less than a century), but I like Harris brushes. I will admit that we've been living in this house for 33 years and there are still two rooms that I haven't got around to re-decorating yet (blue woodchip!).

As for Britool, some of my most recent sockets are from them, a very good set of Whitworth ones, but I guess that was a decade ago, so I don't know what's happened to the name in the meantime.

[JonParticipant @jon]

Most long established British companies out sourced products to be made in China and asia since the late 80's. Since the name now only responds to a previous long established name with no quality, theyre only box shifters that put 300% on for the privaledge of a bye gone name.

Luckily all my Stanley, Jenks and Cattel are from the 60's to mid 80's when quality was ripe.

We dont make anything in this country any more its probably been a good 30 years since its demise. 2% GDP against 60+% by the 60's and 70's and two generations on non the wiser.
What annoys me is form filling where by have to select an industry and within that a sector, nothing exists.

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

I find their tools fine, very reasonable quality. Same for Halfords Aldi and Lidl

[brickyParticipant @bricky]

Purdy brushes are excellent quality,I even use one when painting watercolours, for large washes.

[Ron LadenParticipant @ronladen17547]

Posted by Ady1 on 02/08/2018 23:59:38:

I find their tools fine, very reasonable quality. Same for Halfords Aldi and Lidl

And I bet that Halfords, Aldi and Lidl tools are all made in China, not everything from China is low quality.

[Russell EberhardtParticipant @russelleberhardt48058]

Any thoughts on foam brushes. When I had a yacht they were the in thing for varnishing but haven't used them recently.

Russell

[Mike PooleParticipant @mikepoole82104]

I was after a 3/8 drive Britool socket set in about 1977, it would have cost me about £130 which was just too much. A few years ago Screwfix had a 1/4 drive Britool socket set for £39 pounds, I bought one out of curiosity, as expected it is an import and so far it has performed well. I always think the ratchet is an indicator of quality and it has a nice action and fine teeth. The rest of the set is very well finished and the plastic case is robust and well made. A shame it was made abroad but I think there are some factories in the Far East that are making very good socket sets and the price is right. It seems that Britool are being pitched as a decent budget brand by the Facom group. Sorting out good tools by their brand name is now rather difficult. I believe Teng are a Swedish company who buy tools to their high specification from the Far East and they seem to deliver a pretty good product endorsed by many. German brands like Wera, Wiha, Knipex, Gedore, Stahwille, Hazet etc. seem to sell good stuff but who knows where it is made? A lifetime guarantee seems to be offered on many tools so perhaps we should just take them back if they break and not expect them to last a lifetime. Even good tools wear if used intensively especially 12 point sockets and ring spanners.

Mike

Edited By Mike Poole on 03/08/2018 09:33:56

[vintagengineerParticipant @vintagengineer]

I coach paint cars and the only brushes that are any good are Hamilton and Purdy brushes. A 3" Purdy will set up back about £45.

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

I think some brands just buy off the shelf stuff while others get involved in the quality control process and demand a certain level of specification

Edited By Ady1 on 03/08/2018 09:23:34

[Brian GParticipant @briang]

Posted by Mike Poole on 03/08/2018 09:05:51:

… It seems that Britool are being pitched as a decent budget brand by the Facom group…

Mike

Which brings us right back to Stanley, who took over Facom in 2006. Tools themselves are branded "Expert" and appear to be sold as either Expert, Britool or Facom depending on the market.

Brian

[RevStewParticipant @revstew]

Bought a small Record/Irwin vice the other day. The jaws and the anvil had been powder coated, and the jaws were out of true in every dimension. It took me about 3 hours with a file to get it scraped back and trued up. I just took the view that it was a rough casting, and just cracked on and finished the job.

My old boss used to have a saying. 'Stew' he'd say, 'It is EXACTLY what it is son'. And then he'd walk off. Can't argue with that can you.

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Posted by Boiler Bri on 02/08/2018 21:11:12:

Noticed on my "Stanley" tool box that it was made in Israel ✈️😩 I thought it was made in China 😋

It has come to the point that we think nowhere apart from China has any manufacturing industry left. Well except for India trying to take the quality standard even lower.

However there must be some things still being made in the UK? I just heard a radio 4 report on Yeovil being the centre of glove-making 80 years ago now only mfr is what used to be the tanner using leather from Ethiopia. What happens to UK leather?

So is there a website that lists actual UK industry still genuinely producing in the UK from UK materials?

[RevStewParticipant @revstew]

A company I deal with at work, 'Supply Plus' near Cambridge manufactures great quality traditional ladders for the Fire Brigades under the old Bayley and AS brands amongst others. They export worldwide. I visited the factory last year and they have some ancient machines still doing a good job every day. It was very pleasing to see apprentices bent over a lathe in blue coats, and each having a proper wooden tool chest too. Top quality gear, made in Britain.

Edited By RevStew on 03/08/2018 14:29:40

[Russell EberhardtParticipant @russelleberhardt48058]

Posted by Bazyle on 03/08/2018 14:05:52:

However there must be some things still being made in the UK?

1.67 million cars made in the UK last year, 1.34 million of which were exported.

Russell

[SamsarandaParticipant @samsaranda]

So we do still have manufacturing industry here in the UK in spite of what the doom merchants would have us believe.

Dave W

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Posted by Samsaranda on 03/08/2018 16:29:15:

So we do still have manufacturing industry here in the UK in spite of what the doom merchants would have us believe.

Dave W

What's left is in good order fortunately, but it's proportionally much smaller than it was.

Dare I ask forum members who worked in industry during the worst years of collapse (1975-2010) what they think caused the problem? Whatever went wrong, it happened on our watch.

Dave

[Barnaby WildeParticipant @barnabywilde70941]

Posted by SillyOldDuffer on 03/08/2018 16:51:02:

Dare I ask forum members who worked in industry during the worst years of collapse (1975-2010) what they think caused the problem? Whatever went wrong, it happened on our watch.

Dave

That's a too broad timeline. A lot of what's happened in that period can be put down to progress.

IMO, the absolute worst period of decline in manufacturing was Thatcher's 2nd term.

[SamsarandaParticipant @samsaranda]

I think decline in manufacturing industry was due to both the Thatcher philosophy and the greed of the financial markets who wanted to acquire companies in order to liquidate their assets and feed the greed of the very loosely regulated financial institutions. The Thatcher philosophy seemed to enable the wholesale dismembering of manufacturing companies, she clearly was of the opinion that the wealth of our markets should revolve around the so called service industries. I worked for an engineering group that owned many well known manufacturing organisations, the group turned over a billion pounds a year, now long gone thanks to the beancounters, accountants should not be in charge of engineering groups, the remnants of the group I worked for are now owned by a large voracious French group hellbent on acquiring anything with any assets that can be stripped. They haven’t yet assumed full control and are already tampering with the pension schemes that they have acquired, for the moment my pension appears secure thanks to the foresight of the group I worked for placing legal safeguards in the pension fund articles. Sorry about the rant but this something that I feel very strongly about.

Dave W

[Brian GParticipant @briang]

When the interest rates peaked, many companies changed their capital expenditure policy from three-year payback to two, immediately cutting investment. When rates fell, this remained at two-years. One firm I worked for set the limit at one-year payback as the owners didn't expect to keep it that long before selling it on.

Brian

[Barnaby WildeParticipant @barnabywilde70941]

Posted by Samsaranda on 03/08/2018 17:46:05:

I think decline in manufacturing industry was due to both the Thatcher philosophy and the greed of the financial markets who wanted to acquire companies in order to liquidate their assets and feed the greed of the very loosely regulated financial institutions. The Thatcher philosophy seemed to enable the wholesale dismembering of manufacturing companies, she clearly was of the opinion that the wealth of our markets should revolve around the so called service industries. I worked for an engineering group that owned many well known manufacturing organisations, the group turned over a billion pounds a year, now long gone thanks to the beancounters, accountants should not be in charge of engineering groups, the remnants of the group I worked for are now owned by a large voracious French group hellbent on acquiring anything with any assets that can be stripped. They haven’t yet assumed full control and are already tampering with the pension schemes that they have acquired, for the moment my pension appears secure thanks to the foresight of the group I worked for placing legal safeguards in the pension fund articles. Sorry about the rant but this something that I feel very strongly about.

Dave W

Much of what you describe was actually the invention of an Englishman. Lord Hanson. James Edward, Baron Hanson.

Whilst he made himself of lot of money by making very many others much poorer, he cannot be accredited with perfecting the technique. That would be down to a businessman who is still very much alive, probably the 3rd wealthiest person in the country & a name that practically no one has ever heard before.

Thatcher was a puppet of a cartel, they created her & ultimately sacrificed her.

If I wanted to rob you I would at least have the decency to wear a mask. These people robbed you of £1000's & you don't even know they did it.

[SamsarandaParticipant @samsaranda]

Mick, trouble is they are still getting away with it and who is supposed to police any system that is devised, those who are doing the robbery!!!

Dave W

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

This is rapidly getting political.

If it keeps this direction, it will be locked.

Neil

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