Open Association of Landscape Industries
Rubbish Chinese made tools- Who still makes in Britain??
Anybody else sick of poorly made tools made in China that are ruining their makers brand names and wasting our money when they cant be returned!
I bought a Hayter mower a couple of years ago for occaisional use at home (not in the business). I chose Hayter because it was a British brand (used by the royal family no less!) and their base is close to where I grew up in Hertfordshire. When it arrived i was dismayed to see that it was made in China but thought, ok, lets see how it lasts.
Now, guess what? Despite having it serviced every year and only ever being used on a smallish lawn it has a bent crankshaft and smokes like an old Ford transit and its just out of the warranty period. I am really getting sick of tools just not being up to the job then noticing that almost without fail they are made in China. Who still makes good quality tools here in Britain that last more than a year or too before becoming useless???
Sorry for the rant! Stephen
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by stephen anthony ryan on -
I just googled the mower to see if I am alone in thinking that the Spirit is a piece of Junk....
http://www.reviewcentre.com/reviews167480.html#Reviews
Hayter, are you proud of yourselves???
-
Permalink Reply by Paul Woolley on -
Are Fiskars (Wilkinson Sword) made in Scandanavia?
-
Permalink Reply by Gary, GS Grounds Maintenance on -
I try and stick to the following :
Etesia
Honda
John Deere
Stihl
And komatsu before they were bought out (but most Japanese makes are pritty good)
They are all made well and not made in China as far as I am aware
-
Permalink Reply by AndyCharles-EnborneGardeningCo on -
Much as I try to buy British when I can - and there are some great British toolmakers still struggling on - any tool I buy has to do the job I want it to do, and has to last. There is such a lot of rubbish out there - both cheap and expensive - that may look the part but either cannot do what it is supposed to do, or falls apart before you've got it out of the package. And whilst most of this rubbish comes from overseas, some of it I'm sorry to say is Made In Britain.
But like most of you, I expect, I visit reputable dealers who supply professionals, know what we need from our tools, and sell us kit that works and lasts. At least they used to. Increasingly they're pushing the likes of Chinese chainsaws that last 10 minutes, are about as effective as a blunt butterknife and twice as dangerous. High margin for them, waste of money for us. So now I stick to buying powered tools from the internet, doing hours of research first (LJN being invaluable) and inevitably ending up with the usual suspects. Handtools I get direct from small UK suppliers or makers (or the occasional junk shop and auction).
I'd love to see a return to the days when you could always buy British and be sure of availability, price and quality, when there was a proper ironmongers in every high street (half-pound of 2" round wire nails and one 3/4" cardboard washer, anyone?), when you could get a saw sharpened, and when tools were handed down through the generations, not binned because they broke after a couple of uses.
But it's not going to happen - at least, not until after the collapse of the world economy and a return to the dark ages. On second thoughts, roll on 2013.
-
Permalink Reply by Colin Hunt on -
You are not alone in mourning the loss of British manufacturing. 10 years ago I decided to get rid of my massive 700cc Howard Gem and pension off my trusty Howard 350 rotorvator as the rotor shaft had lost its splines - it was gonna be the hire shop for me from now on!
Having hired many a Cammon and never been really happy with the their performance and awful balance, one rainy day last year, I rescued the old 350 from the far corner of the tool shed, had the rotor shaft welded up and the old gal fired up for £100. The best ton I have ever spent - walking behind my 40 years old 350, I'm as happy and the proverbial pig in muck - its a real rotorvator! How many Cammons will still be running after 40 years I wonder! Probably why Howards went bust - their gear never wore out!
-
PRO MemberPermalink Reply by Stuart Diprose Land-Scape.co.uk on -
After complaining to my supplier about the drop in qulaity of Wolf tools, he told me that they had outsourced their manufacturing some time ago, their tools got so poor in comparison to what they were 20 years ago that when i remarked to the same supplier a few years later how the quality seemed much bettert, he told me that they are again being made in germany.
I don't know if my information is accurate or even true, but it made sense when i was told.
-
Permalink Reply by Jonathan Nex on -
Well from a chippies point of view the Bosch Jigsaw which I bought twenty years ago that was made in Switzerland still works as well as the day it was bought. The Bosch reciprocating saw I bought 9 months ago and made somewhat further east of Calais packed up after six months.....
Apparently Makita stuff is made in the UK.
-
Permalink Reply by Chris @ Tidy Garden Company on -
this made me laugh :)
Geoffrey King North Yorkshire said:wait I hear noise, it's the Etesia fan club rolling in.
-
Permalink Reply by Chris @ Tidy Garden Company on
-
"Did you know? Many Hayter lawn mowers are still designed and made at the company’s headquarters in Hertfordshire to this day. "
Quote from hayters website,
shame they fail to mention that the briggs and scarpem engines they use are made in china
***edit just checked briggs's site and they make 85% of there mowers with american parts (not sure how many american parts though) then again america isnt exactly renowned for it s engine building
-
Permalink Reply by Fenlandphil on -
"america isnt exactly renowned for it s engine building"
I think they make some pretty fair engines, Cummins are reckoned to be very reasonable for a start.
- ‹ Previous
- 1
- 2
- Next ›
© 2013 Landscape Juice ® Limited - Registered in England 08356644
Badges | Report an Issue | Privacy Policy | Terms of Service
