Comparison of quality between sheds/screwfix and dedicated merchants?

T

teaboyjim

Manufacturers sometimes make lower quality models for the big sheds for reduced prices. For instance you might see a drill that you the same model as from Jewsons but you'll find the product code is slightly different and it's not quite as good quality as the one from Jewsons

Have you any experience with this at all? Please share.

Here is an example of how it works in the clothing industry

https://www.independent.co.uk/voice...oks-too-good-be-true-it-probably-8993940.html
 
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freddiemercurystwin said:
How do you know its lower quality?
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It's a well known strategy. That's how they get branded TV's for sale so much cheaper at Tesco than similar models at John Lewis or PC World. I've had electricians tell me that the gear at Screwfix is not as good as the gear from dedicated electrical wholesalers and the same said by plumbers about the quality of their screwfix copper pipe as compared to dedicated wholesalers
 
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In my experience, Screwfix sells decent quality products with a choice between main branded stuff and cheaper own brand stuff. If its branded, its the same quality as elsewhere. If it's unbranded, like copper pipe, you get what you pay for.
 
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Just because it's branded doesn't mean that it's the same quality.
TK Max have specially made branded items that are made to a lower spec so they can be sold cheaper.
A branded item from a shed/Screwfix is not necessarily the same quality as a similar branded item from Jewsons
 
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teaboyjim said:
Just because it's branded doesn't mean that it's the same quality.
TK Max have specially made branded items that are made to a lower spec so they can be sold cheaper.
A branded item from a shed/Screwfix is not necessarily the same quality as a similar branded item from Jewsons
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If the likes of screwfix get a branded product engineered to a price, its not the same part as you can buy elsewhere.

Do they actually bother to do that much though? The branded stuff i've bought from screwfix has normally been perfectly fine. I'm not a tradesman, but i've done up a few houses so bought quite a lot from them over the last 20 years.
 
Well it's certainly true of BMW's manufactured in Carolina for the US market. Lower quality plastics used and different spec engines. This is done so the US prices of BMW's aren't ridiculously higher than domestic marques.
 
as said manufactured down a bit more plastic less metal
also often end off line to clear sort off thing
batteries in pro kits are seldom less than 3ah sheds seldom above 3ah often 1.5 or 2ah
 
Lower said:
In my experience, Screwfix sells decent quality products with a choice between main branded stuff and cheaper own brand stuff. If its branded, its the same quality as elsewhere.
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A couple of times in the past I've had Bosch corded tools from SFX where the SFX model, whilst being nominally the same as the model from a Bosch dealer (e.g. GSB2-20RE),actually had a subtly different type number and in fact contained some lower spec components, such as the switch. I no longer trust SFX - good job they often aren't the cheapest in any case
 
JobAndKnock said:
A couple of times in the past I've had Bosch corded tools from SFX where the SFX model, whilst being nominally the same as the model from a Bosch dealer (e.g. GSB2-20RE),actually had a subtly different type number and in fact contained some lower spec components, such as the switch. I no longer trust SFX - good job they often aren't the cheapest in any case
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This is "exactly" the concept of what I'm talking of.

This exact same concept is done with branded clothes in places like TKMAX you may find a brand but the brand item will be specially made for TKMAX for a cheaper price and slightly lower spec/quality
This exact same concept is done with branded TV's for instance you could find an almost identical Samsung TV at TESCO cheaper than the identical model you see at John Lewis or PC World but you'll find one or two digits different in the product code and the one for Tesco has slightly lower spec components and therefore can be sold perhaps £100/£200 cheaper

Here's a link that explains more about the concept

https://www.independent.co.uk/voice...oks-too-good-be-true-it-probably-8993940.html
 
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My Screwfix Erbaur rattle gun (£60) has been hammered for the last 5 or 6 years and is stll a joy to use. Only 1 battery but it does a 4 hr shift nicely & recharge on break. Far more powerful and better battery life than the DeWalt stuff one of my employers swears by.
 
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