Silverline Tools?

[Baconsdozen]

I used a silverline sander today and it lasted ten minutes before it actually caught fire.The crappy switch simply melting,it joined the equally useless angle grinder in the bin. The power tools they sell are simply chinese crap or should that be cLap.

 

[JohnD]

receipt, guarantee, complaint, refund?

 

[BuilderTed]

I hear what people are saying about Silverline stuff - they started out with some poor quality products in the range which were pretty much single use.

But I have been using there stuff for the past 3 years and on the whole is been good quality - they are still really cheap but when you look at the tools and compare them to stuff from Draper you find they are just as good but you dont get ripped off. Ive got a 48 peice spanner set which I cannot fault and the price was lower than anything around.

 

[JohnD]

you joined this forum just to recommend Silverline tools?

 

[grimep]

I got a set of silverline 1/4" socket extension bars. They're so poorly made the socket gets totally stuck on the end, you have to lever it off with a screwdriver and risk damaging the socket and injuring yourself.

That was enough for me to mistrust the entire brand. If you shop around you can usually find Sealey Premier or Draper Expert tools for bargain prices and they're more than good enough for DIY

 

[skhudy]

Poor quality is an understatement. Not fit for purpose most of them. Luckily amazon stock a lot of their tat, and from the reviews even if you buy elsewhere you can see the 5% which are o.k (for DIY use!) some of the products are rebranded by other companies too, these are the ones that seem to be better

 

[StevieV1]

I bought Silverline site lighting tripod (500w x 2) and its been OK. It is starting to look a bit sorry for itself now as its been knocked over a few times causing bits to fall off etc, but is still fit for purpose, if a little flimsy, but then it cost £20.

On the other hand I bought some £2.99 Silverline wire strippers and when I tried to remove the sheath on some 1.5mm cable, the handle snapped - first time Id used it.

Personally I would avoid and pay a little extra if it matters.

 

[Baconsdozen]

I've had no problem with their hand tools,sockets and the like but any of the electrical stuff is a disaster.
The problem is that these days people tend to buy on price,the lower the better.As a result we are flooded with cheap,Chinese junk. I still use tools that I bought years (too many) ago as an apprentice,most made by English firms no longer trading. I've lost many over the years,broken a few but worn out none.
I sell quality tools as well as the DIY range but educating the public is I've found a waste of time,oddly I sell more English made tools abroad than I do here.

 

[RogerMellie]

I've got a Silverline carpenters square. It's perfect for marking 93 degree cuts.
The Silverline stuff is disposable, I buy their cheap drill bits from Toolstation. If they blunt or break just chuck em away.

 

[Nozzle]

When you buy from toolstation they don't always make it obvious it's a silverline product from the catalogue, as soon as the guy places it on the counter if it's Silverline brand I reject it... even for the DIYer it's tat. I once had the misfortune of buying a hand operated drill from a local hardware shop and the chuck couldn't even centre the drill bit. What use is a drill with an eccentric chuck!

There used to be a touring car team (still is???) that was sponsored by Silverline... It's a fair bet they didn't have silverline gear in their toolchests!

Nozzle

 

[Threadjacker]

Those Toolstation Silverline bits are an absolute joke, they don't even snap they just bend!

On a different note I bought some Silverline branded adjustable props for drylining ceilings and they are decent enough.

 

[Burnerman]

Just to confound things....I ordered some 10 and 13mm twist bits from Toolstation - when they arrived they were Silverline so I thought they would be rubbish.
In fact they were fine, much to my surprise.....definitely HSS.
John

 

[GaryGarden]

I do the same as Nozzle at Toolstation, as soon as I see it's Silverline I tell them to pop it in the bin and save themselves the time of having to refund it. All the lads behind the counter say that's it a regular occurrence of people not wanting the product when they realise it's Silverline. In the past I have had a head snap off a hammer, a mitre block with the guide mitre 10mm from the bottom, and many other tools that are just not up to the job. I now drive the extra miles to the nearest other supplier and pay more for good quality, job takes longer but if I wanted a hammer that snaps then i could buy a packet of Chessestrings from the supermarket for less.

 

[cajar]

Well toolstation know what they're doing, it's called bait and switch. They don't show the silverline brand in the catalogue.

 

[Nozzle]

Evening all,

I wrote some feedback to toolstation, and in pretty good time I got a reply:

Good evening,
Toolstation is great! I just wanted to say, unlike Screwfix, it's good to be able to go into Toolstation and they usually do have in stock what is in the catalogue - it's very common to get the response "Sorry, we don't have it in but we can get it in by tomorrow for you" from Screwfix. It's no good since I live 25 miles away from both you and the competition! Your range, though more compact seems to cover most things I need. However, please see this topical link of a DIY forum I visit now and then:

//www.diynot.com/forums/tools-materials/silverline-tools.201780/

Please do something to retain your reputation and ditch Silverline! Or have the Silverline logo on the catalogue pages so people know what to avoid from the outset.

Dear xxx
Thank you for your email.

I can confirm that I have forwarded your comments to our buying department for their consideration.

I am pleased you are satisfied with the service provided and we look forward to your continued custom.

Thank you for taking the time to provide us with your feedback.

...now if only the buying department would do something...

Nozzle