Dewalt tools from Abroad

[samnash1]

An internet company (name removed) are selling Dewalt tools direct from the US at highly discounted rates i.e. I'm thinking of buying a Dewalt DW708 mitre saw which MaxTools are selling for £390 compared to £550 here.

The tools appear to be US spec and are 115V but come with transformers for use with 230V.

Has anyone used Maxtools or are they too good to be true?

 

[Softus]

Has anyone used ******** or are they too good to be true?

Does it seem too good to be true? If so, then it probably is.

Personally I haven't ever bought anything by post from USA that contains moving parts. With one exception, for a Sony VAIO, because Sony are such b**tards in not releasing many parts for sale in the UK.

Anyway, I would be concerned about warranty, and, inevitably, that a tool would need returning to the retailer because of an immediate fault. Unless you buy from a local merchant you face an incredibly inconvenient episode of trying to sort it out from afar - not my cup of tea when I'm so busy that I'm trying to scrape stacked up jobs off my diary like it's ice on my windscreen on a frosty morning...

 

[Thermo]

firstly your due for import duty on it which will push the price up on it

secondly dewalt wont honour the guarentee on it, as i looked into it when i was buying one.

ive bought various dewalt battery tools this way, but its not a problem and the price is so low its not an issue, but i wouldnt spend that money to do it that way. Shop around and you should be able to get one cheaper over here.

While we are on the subject though ive got a dw708 and its the dogs danglies. accurate and very neat. takes a while to work your way around all the settings etc, but its great. ive used it to do joinery work and it cuts lovely and cut oak sleepers when im landscaping. i wouldnt be without it, i just wish it was a little bit lighter!

 

[samnash1]

Thanks for your comments guys (you are guys aren't you?)

Yeah you're right about the warranties. I e-mailed them and they basically said you need to check with your local service centre whether they're covered by local warranties.

Will buy it locally but still tossing up bewtween the DW708 and the DW712.

DW708 sounds great but way more expensive and maybe more than I need

 

[carpenter les]

hi , ive got a dw 712 and i think its a great compromise , will cut 12 x3 joists and is lightweight , which is important for me as i use it for site work , highly recommended

 

[big-all]

got my dw 712 a few weeks ago for £378 at the doorstep next day well impressed

 

[Mick Leek]

Carpenter les,

Are you a roofing joiner ?

as in traditional roofing ?

Mick.

 

[carpenter les]

hi , yes mick i do , and prefer, traditional roofing over new trussed rafters ..

 

[Mick Leek]

Do you work for yourself ? or employed?

Sorry for asking so many questions it is just that i notice you arent to far from me and i need a roof (joinery work) putting on an extension i recently built.

I was talking with another member of this forum who kindly offered to help do the work but he lives in west brom

if you look at this thread you will see plans of the roof

//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=36076

does it look a simple job

 

[carpenter les]

hi mick , sorry but im a sub contractor on a two year contract refurbing apartment blocks ,so with family time at weekends ( and my own jobs around the house) ive no time for other work !! have you tried asking the neighbours who did the work on their extensions etc to see who they recommend ?? .........as you are finding out most joiners prefer the easy life ( and warmth) of second fix ...good luck with finding someone ...les

 

[Mick Leek]

Oh well, thanks les,

dont get anywhere if you dont ask

 

[carpenter les]

no worries , to be honest ive been following the posts on your roof for a while and as far as im concerned its a good project for a joiner and not as complex as its being made out. M y sister has just had an extension done in leigh and the pitch was approx 19 degrees ( for the same reason as yours) and the roof was done as per traditional , nothing complex ( i think valleys scare people ) , so why dont you have a go yourself if yuve got the timber sizes etc , it all will fall into place once you start ( considering all the work youve done so far ive got every confidence in you ) cheers les

 

[Mick Leek]

Cheers Les,

Nice to think people think i can do it. I have managed to build the entire extension myself. I laid new water mains to the house, laid the footings, built to DPC, laid the slab, and have took the brickwork to the roof level.

If it was a straight 3 sided building without having to have an overhang to create the roof for the bay window, then i probably would DIY it. the bit that worries me is the lack of information on the subject.

Everything i needed to know about all the other aspects of the build i found with a little persistance, however the roof is proving very difficult. I have heard of birdsmouth cuts ans valley boards and all sorts that is puzzling me.

Has a said earlier a very kind forum member did offer to help but he lives in west brom and like you les, he has other comitments. Its difficult trying to organise things so if he did come to help, everything would be ready. Biggest problem to date has been the weather holding up.

I think that if someone could help with the hips and the valley, then like you say the rest should slot into place easily. I cant get my head around how to cut the hips that are 10" deep so when i start adding the rafters 6" deep, they become level ? you understand what i mean ?

I presume you put a little cut (birdsmouth) into the hips and rafters so the have a flat meeting with the wall plate.

Anyway, Maybe ill get it done one day Took me three weeks to build and has been 8 weeks with no roof on now

Cheers,

Mick

 

[carpenter les]

whenever im rusty on a subject on carpentry or joinery or am unsure on a technique i go back and look at my old college books .... what i suggest to you is to buy a trade learning book that they use to teach apprentices ...or a building book that i learned from when doing my btec qualification with ...being ( presuming that ya can get them now ) as it was a few years ago ......here goes ..basic city and guilds book was carpentry and joinery by g.mitchell published by cassell ...or site practice by peter brett published by stanley thomas which is the book used for the city and guilds advanced joinery ... worth a try . cheers les ps i cant find my other building book yet