Not another "new boiler recommendation" thread...

[bernardgreen]

Each month we survey thousands of members from Which?, Which? Connect (our online member community) and the general public on topics that range from how people feel about

Thousands of members of Which could be a non typical group of survey subjects.

What motivates people to become members of Which ?

Could that motivation be a factor that makes them non-typical of the general public.

While our lab tests give us independent assessments of the products we test, your views are just as important to help us shape our work.

Testing a boiler in a laboratory can give excellent results for the boiler simply by creating the perfect working environment for the boiler. It is what manufacturers do to be able to claim high efficiency values.. In real life few domestic homes are laboratories providing a perfect working environment for the boiler.

Maybe Which should conduct some trials by data logging a few boilers already installed in domestic properties, they may then get some more accurate information.

 

[JohnD]

Thousands of members of Which could be a non typical group of survey subjects.

That's right.

And therefore, when more than eight thousand of them, and the general public, are asked, year after year:

What boiler do you have?
When was it installed?
How often has it broken down?

Do their aggregated responses lose their value?

Should we instead put our trust in random individuals?

Or advertisements by manufacturers?

 

[Captain Nemesis]

What motivates people to become members of Which ?

This particular member was after product review and testing which is as unbiased and professional as possible.

He doesn't regard their word as gospel, or their results without flaws, nor does he use them exclusively.

He recognises that they are necessarily generalists, and that for tech items like phones or computers, audio/TV, they can be a bit simplistic, and specialist sites can provide better in-depth reviews.

But sites like those have to be regarded with a bit of caution, because where do they get the funds to run them?

Then again, Ive never seen magazines like What Dishwasher, or Fridge/Freezer Monthly, or Microwave Buyer, so...

As an aside - how about this for an absolute hoot of an incompetent review site?

https://simplehandyman.co.uk/best-portable-workbench-reviews/

 

[bernardgreen]

I started with the No.1 ( in the list ) and now have a No.5 ( A Screwfix promotion about 7 ~~ 8 years ago. )

I would disagree with the pros for No.1 and agree with all the pros for No.5

 

[Captain Nemesis]

I've had two workmates.

That they should appear in any Top 10, let alone in the top slot, beggars belief.

I'd looked at #5. How well does it like clamps? I was concerned that the top(s) might deform if things were clamped really hard to them. Plus I wonder if customising it with extra holes to mount things might not be easy. I've got one of their sheds, and it's good and sturdy, but you cant srew things to the wall like you can with a wooden one.

Sometimes it's not only 15mm pipe where plastic isn't as good.

I've currently got one of these:

which is getting a bit tatty. Biggest problem is that the tops are in a poor state. Apart from the usual "Oh ******" nicks from the jigsaw, they've inevitably got wet a few times, and MDF doesnt like that at all. Of course, what is the only spare part they dont have any more?

And Wolfcraft dont make it, or one like it anymore.


Thinking I might make new tops, only using marine ply.

Probably going to buy one of these as well

I know - MDF again. But I've got the circular saw, the jigsaw, and the router, already, so I keep telling myself it makes sense.

 

[Razor900]

If youre in the market for that sort of thing he Triton Workcentre 2000's are going for silly money nowadays on ebay.

Great bits of kit and the supajaws doesnt have the table of a workmate but the clamping is awesome!

 

[Captain Nemesis]

Lol do the jibe I'm not easily offended.

As often happens, on revisiting it it no longer seemed witty enough to bother.

Although I can heartily recommend seeking out a recording of today's I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue (which may have been a repeat) where the team struggled to fabricate pronouncements from Joey Essex which were more ridiculous than the originals.

Sorry I kept asking but sometimes it helps, see muggles post above,

It does - NP - it was a case of "why does that matter" not "MYOB".

 

[Captain Nemesis]

If youre in the market for that sort of thing he Triton Workcentre 2000's are going for silly money nowadays on ebay.

Great bits of kit and the supajaws doesnt have the table of a workmate but the clamping is awesome!

Wasn't looking to spend silly money.

Looks like I should start a new topic in the tools forum. Essentially this is what has happened.

After some years of having B&D Workmates, bought or inherited, I bought the Wolfcraft workbench.
Because of carelessness and neglect Wolfie needs some refurbishment.
Can't get the spares I need for it, so I started looking at alternatives.
When I looked at the current Wolfcraft range I saw the Mastercut 2500 table, and thought "that looks like it might be handy".
I've not really looked into alterntives, except that I've seen a few skeletal things for mounting mitre saws.

 

[Razor900]

Wasn't looking to spend silly money.

Looks like I should start a new topic in the tools forum. Essentially this is what has happened.

After some years of having B&D Workmates, bought or inherited, I bought the Wolfcraft workbench.
Because of carelessness and neglect Wolfie needs some refurbishment.
Can't get the spares I need for it, so I started looking at alternatives.
When I looked at the current Wolfcraft range I saw the Mastercut 2500 table, and thought "that looks like it might be handy".
I've not really looked into alterntives, except that I've seen a few skeletal things for mounting mitre saws.

Silly money as in silly cheap!

Since the new versions came out the older models have dropped massively in price

 

[dilalio]

I used to have a studio in Hoddesdon, in an old brewery/malting loft that was converted to a smart commercial building... Out of my window, next door was an old shed which had a sign on it, reading "birth place of the Black & Decker Workmate".

Nowadays, I think you'd be better off getting yourself (or making yourself) an MFT!