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Ozito and Bunnings seem to be the bad guys according to the many opinions expressed in this forum. Surely Ozito would not be in business if they only produced poor quality tools? Does anybody have good experiences?
The reason for my asking is because I would like to buy an inexpensive thicknesser and have seen an Ozito planner/thicknesser for sale at Bunnings for $349.00 and I am concerned about the quality. It has a 3 year guarantee. I would only use this type of machine occasionaly.
hi Linden
IMO its not just that brand but all the cheap garbage throwaway stuff that is sold all over the place.
We are selling out quality for convenience and the must have it now mentality. I dont blame Ozito, its short sighted people like us who are happy to buy something cheap, then complain when it lasts and performs cheaply until we throw it in landfill. If we cant afford quality we should IMO save until we can.
These companies make money because we are in love with consuming....gimme gimme gimme.....forgetting that just like stuffing ourselves at the all you can eat buffet, later there is pain.
:)
Go for it. Just be aware that you do get what you pay for.:D
I bought my wife an ozito at least 8 or more yrs ago and although I use it more than she does it is still going. The chuck and shaft are worn and the variable speed is now one speed but it still works.
My metabo :2tsup:on the other hand is 20yrs old, has done a heck of a lot more work and is still fine in all respects
I find planers and thicknessers are the most used machines in my shed as I use them to machine a lot of 2nd hand timber into useable sizes so I went middle price and got Leda
The Ozito Rotary Hammer Drill is damned good value at the $69 I paid for mine.
Several people on here have one now.
I got the $300 Ryobi thicknesser from Bunnies.
I sufferes from snipe 'cos the top flexes as the timber goes through so I need to pull the lid off it & do the mod that Jake came up with.
why short sighted? If you arent going to use a tool very much then why the hell buy the US made brand, when the chinese one will suffice. I've got a classic example in my shed - a chinese airless spray gun - cost just under $500 compared to the graco equivalent of $2500. Now obviously its not as good, and wont last as long, but for the cost of hiring one for a few days, i have one for good.Quote:
Originally Posted by dazzler
For most people it has almost nothing to do with should I buy the quality unit or the el cheapo - its about am i prepared to pay $300 for the convenience of having a thicknesser available when I need it occasionaly, or not have one at all.
the extra $1000 could be spent on a nice weekend, a new TV, added to super, a gaming console - anything - so its not about what we can and cant afford, its more to do with our priorities with money we have. the wealthiest person i know has all GMC tools - when the battery dies he buys a new one - its not false economy when a replacement panasonic battery costs as much as a new drill for instance.
cheap has its place, expensive has its place - on the up side there is way more DIY projects been done these days because of the avaialability in tools.
I have no problems whatsoever with people buying cheap tools/machines.
I do have problems with these people when they think they are really smart having found a bargain machine with the same performance and reliability of more expensive machines.
Of course marketing/advertising doesn't really help. The ads don't point out that these machines are at the lower end of the range and that their performance and reliability have been compromised in order to keep the price low.
If you buy a cheaper tool/machine and you are aware of why it is cheap then you won't be disappointed. They are good value for money for what they are and for what they do.
If you think a $300 machine is equivalent to an $8000 machine and that those who purchased the $8000 machine aren't all that bright, I suggest that you take a long hard look at the fool who appears in your bathroom mirror every morning.:o
thanks for the replies so far!
If i bought only the best of everything then I would need to take up bank robbery as a profession. I cannot justify the need for an $8,000 machine for occasional use. I am not a tradesman and only need tools and equipment for hobbies and make my own furniture / projects. Surely with a three year guarantee the Ozito must be reliable otherwise the manufacturer would go broke replacing or honouring guarantees. Please do not take this as having a go at anyone. I do like to get others opinions before I purchase.
I have an Ozito router which i use on my CNC machine.
So far it works fine and it does what i want from it.
The only thing i suppose is the bushes on the collet shaft will not last, but thats what you get for $50.
/M
No offence taken whatsoever, this is a great discussion.
Just be aware though, that if you have never used a particular type of machine previously, you will probably find more uses than initially anticipated for it once you get it home and start playing/experimenting.
It is these additional uses where you might find the economy model lacking.
Bearing that in mind, go for the best that you can afford. As you say, the companies making the cheaper machines would no longer be in business if their machines didn't work.
I strongly agree with Dazzler, I do not like tools designed to be tossed after a few hours use, it is a massive waste of resources. However, I do own an Ozito hammer drill that has done well (like Cliff said).
If any company is offering a 3yr warranty on an item that continually breaks, and a lot of their stuff does, then it usually means their profit margins are higher than we think (to absorb the losses) or the warranty is not what we expect.
Dazzler, you are the man.:2tsup:
Go buy 10 router and you might get a usable one.
We are living in a disposable society and it is very sad. I reckon buyers and sellers are both guilty.
I have an Ozito random orbit sander. I think I paid about $50 for it. It broke after 12 months (the motor would start at low revs when it was plugged in with no pressure on the trigger) It had a 3 year warranty, so I took it back and got a new one. The second one I have had for about 3 or 4 years and it is on the way out. Still goes OK, and sands well, but it used to be quite quiet, and now the motor really screams when it is in use. Not sure what that means, But I know that I paid about $10 per year for a sander, which got a medium level of use. I'm OK with that, and would probably buy another one when this one finally dies. Of course, I would pay double for one that I could guarantee would last me for 10 years, but I don't know of anyone that would guarantee me that.
Peter
If it makes you feel better I have 5 Ozito angler grinders 4+5 inch for minimal use ready fitted with different diamond blades cutting stone and cleaning steel.
An Ozito welder but had to modify it as the vibration was so much I couldn't hear when it was turned on. Another screw settled the vibration.
Ozito hammer drill. Hammer worn out already.
A Ryobi concrete cutting circular saw where the RCD didn't work but the sparky that used it ripped it off and replaced with an inline so I didn't put a burn whole in my heart.
A GMC cut off saw.(First one stopped on second cut). second one noisy but does the job for home use.
2 GMC cordless drills. Batteries go flat overnight.
GMC drill press which does the job.
A Makita 9 inch that works well but it doesn't have the brake the old Dewalt one had which was better and nearly chopped knee cap off.
Old one lasted all day use for 4 years on 5 man team.
All Bunnings!
Arlec intruder hammer drill. Brilliant
The rest of electrical tools purchased elsewhere. Makita circulars, sander, Router, Planer, hammer drills
Bosch Jigsaw
Edit: Had Ozito metal cut off saw, blew up second cut, changed to GMC, loud rattley but works, does the job.
Ozito angle grinders spew metal and sparks occasionally but still good. Use them lots
GMC air compressior, good enough, love it.
I had one of those, mine blew on the third cut and spewed plastic gears and bearings in my face. Luckily I wear glasses! Bunnings just said "oh, another one?"Quote:
Originally Posted by autogenous
Same, Same but different. Freaks you out a bit. Major sparkage. Big light show in a dark shed.Quote:
I had one of those, mine blew on the third cut and spewed plastic gears and bearings in my face. Luckily I wear glasses! Bunnings just said "oh, another one?"
No they handed me a GMC which is good for home use.
Both the cheaper end products have served well. The 5 Ozito angle grinders have been fine.
I know of tradesmen who instead of driving home to get tools go and buy an Ozito product to save the time/money then use them as back ups.
Some have Ozito because they don't worry about having the tools knocked off out of the van. If they're stolen. Doesn't matter.
Went into Bunnings the other day to buy (Dewalt 2 x 18v cordless drill, Recipcro saw, large hammer drill) kit for the new job. No kit, No stock.
No deal, walk out.
Bunnings large part target market is now home handyman
https://www.woodworkforums.com/showth...ighlight=ozito
That ozwinner fella sure was smart buying that drill, and its still going strong even though he gives a good hiding now and then. :2tsup:
I bought a $69 rotary hammer drill and got what
I paid for. It wasn't an Ozito but obviously came out
of the same factory.
On it's third outing (all small, light jobs), ball bearings
started appearing on the ground as the chuck self
destructed.
I enquired at Bunnings about spare parts and when the
guy stopped laughing he advised me to buy another one,
an Ozito this time, for the same low price.
This one hasn't died yet but that's possibly because I
haven't used it yet.
I had to pull up some slate recently,
went to bunnies bought ozito jackhammer $69
Worked for day, broke at about 3.00pm
Took back under warranty, replaced
Worked for day, broke at about 3pm
Over and over for a week
My $400 hitachi was in the shed, not broken.
Good deal i rekon- cheaper than a weeks hire from kennards.
:doh: You bought the Union model, they stop work after 3....:roll:Quote:
Originally Posted by bricks
Yep that should work Barry,:DQuote:
Originally Posted by Barry Hicks
has anyone else noticed that the ink on the register receipts
(that you need to keep for the guarantee to be valid)
starts disappearing after about a week:?
I personally will only buy or use quality industrial use tools. For power, ergonomics and safety they are always on top in my experience. I am lucky, as I have a good friend that lives very close by, and he has a fantastic selection of woodworking tools like planer, thicknesser, power saw, compound saw etc. I on the otherhand have only metalworking tools like MIG, grinders, beltsander/ linisher, oxy etc. This way we have use of the good stuff. Not always suiting all people, but a great way to get to use only good tools that don't end up in landfill, even when used for a living daily for 10 years.
I've bought the odd Ozito tool on a throwaway basis when I've been out on site. (ie. I don't have all my tools at hand and an Ozito/GMC/Smiling Mongoose job down at a local Bunnies is cheaper than the fuel/time to drive home and fetch my brand-name tool)
I'm convinced that the belt sanders are utter crap. Doesn't matter which model, the tracking dies and they chew 'emselves to pieces before my next smoko. :~ But even so are often still cheaper to buy'n'bin than the long drive home. :innocent: Definitely wouldn't bother actually taking one home though. God forbid they ever pollute my shed!
On the other 'and, shortly after a certain Brickie espoused their rotary 'ammer drill I went down to see what the fuss is about. At the time Bunnies had two different models, a smallish one (in Watts) for $69 and it's big brother (about 1600W? Don't remember without going out to look...) for $99.
I bought the $99 job and to date it has been bloody brilliant! Mainly used for drilling conc founds to chemset reo starter bars and it's done a helluva lot of 'em with no complaints whatsoever. Mind you, I tossed the SDS drill bits that came included in the bundle and spent another $100 buying just one good replacement...
So, what do I think of Ozito? 'Tis a gold-mine: 99.99% crap, but there's the occasional gold nugget if you look hard enough. :)
Ozito - my experience
4" angle grinder $39 - used just about every weekend for 5 years still going strong. Would I buy another, yes.
$69 hammer drill - used extensively for a few days and now occasionally and still going strong. Would I buy another, yes.
ROS: Purchased 2002, used extensively for about 3 months. Now noisy and vvvvvibrates liiikkkeeee buggggerrry, if I have to use it for more than 20 minutes I get a buzzy arm - go and borrow brothers Festool or used Chainsaw anti vibe gloves. Would I buy another, No.
Biscuit cutter: Purchased 2003 - Noisy and also vvvvvibrates - various adjustment screws etc broke, fell off just after warranty expired- still works in a limited way. Would I buy another, No.
12V cordless drill purchased 2004? on special for $29?: broke into several pieces when it fell onto a concrete path from an outdoor table though about taking it back but had well and truly gotten my $29 worth out of it by then. Up to then was working Ok but had to replace battery after ~10 months. Would I buy another, No.
I had to demo the old verandah slab and footings for the rear extension.
Hire of the Hitachi large breaker (good for 200mm thick concrete) is $100 per day. If I hired it I knew I would have to go like the clappers all day to get my moneys worth.
This was during the Adelaide heat wave :burnt:and I'm not as fit as I once was so down to the big green store, did some bargaining and parted with $350 for the cheap rip off.
This way I could work for 15min then rest for 45min until 2 weeks later I finished.
I now have a machine that will break anything I need to and I was able to do it in easy stages:2tsup:
This time it worked. Other times I have bought the cheepie and regretted it so it just depends on your usage against cost. You have to do your own math.
I have the Ozzito thicknesser and have had it over 12 months. So far no problems with it. Of course you get what you pay for but I am not expecting it to perform like a top of the range thicknesser. Hey its got a 3 year replacement guarantee. Does any of the other manufacturers offer that? I don't know, just asking.
Regarding the receipts from Bunnies that fade off after a few weeks. If you keep them in an envelope they last for quite some time but just to be on the safe side I scan the original receipt and print a copy that wont fade.
Thank you for the replies so far.
I'm still thinking about the amount of use I would put one too.
yes, you have to hate them. its mandatory.
buy at your peril. I am of the "buy once" school of thought. the other school doesnt have thought... thats why they buy the sheet...
put it this way - the old stanley hand plane you theoretically found at a flea sale for $20.... clean it up and lo and behold - servicable... probabkly freaking ace too! it may even be 100 yrs old or more... bewtiful... now that oshito piece of sheet...... yuo'd be lucky to get a few years out of it...
now i know that you are all saying that zed wanker.... power tools v's non power tools.... well I ahve an old black and decker power drill from my old man that I use and its still great... did I mention its 35 yrs old ? and I can use it as a circular saw too....
go on... get your cheapo crap... just one more item for landfill... whats just one more... NUthin!!!!
I've got one of those B&D drills (that I still use all the time). I've also got the circular saw attachment, plus the original box it came in. I don't think the saw has ever been used.Quote:
Originally Posted by Zed
I must admit that I have a passion for well build second hand/old tools. It keeps my tool costs down, while providing me with reliable tools that easily outlast the cheapies.
Unfortunately Zed, some of us can only afford the sheet. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Zed
I had to throw my cheap Ozito 3rd sheet sander away on the weekend, went BANG (mechanically) Big Time.
The second bang was when it hit the floor after I chucked it. (About 2 milliseconds after the original bang.)
I only had the damn thing about 10 years!
My Ozi hammer drill suit me fine.
I seldom use the hammer part, but it does wake me up occasionally when I inadvertently flick the lever.
oops! forgot to sign off.
Cheers, Ernie.
Bought one of the $55 Ozito mitre saws on the weekend to mitre some architraves, and also pine for a linen cupboard. It goes alright, but I'm not expecting to still have it in 10 years. For most people, cheapo tools are fine as the intensity of use and the expectations are not very high. You get what you pay for - nothing more.
I bought a rotory hammer drill and even after dropping it ...well I was drilling a half inch plate at the time with a 12mm steel bit, standing on a stool atop a packing crate ....when it "bit in" the drill powered through so fast it almost ripped my arm off ....and it still works great, I dunno what gearbox runs this monster, but its right on the button for power ....
I also used a hammer drill .....but it failed from missuse....I used it to stir napoli sauce .....bearings gave out after 1 month ....and besides, its not what it was designed for, so no complaints.....I have a few ozito tools that I use on occasion...with care ...and use as recommended ....they still work fine ......my expectations dont exceed the limit of the tool.
The only Ozito tool that I own/have owned is the ROS. The first one died just befor the warranty ran out and I could not find the receipt :(( I then purchased another for $29. Given that I use these sanders for buffing oil and wax, I dont want to get a good ROS - they end up getting covered in the stuff. Horses for courses. I have this receipt in a safe place. But for $29 .......
:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:DQuote:
Originally Posted by Brickie
How much Napoli sauce were you making?:oo:Quote:
Originally Posted by manoftalent
Mick
about three hundred litres Mick.....of course the first one fell into the sauce by accident ......they dont seem to work too well after that, and its not like I can take it back ......
Bit late to this discussion.Quote:
Originally Posted by Zed
What you say above is incorrect. I have an old hand plane I've had for 20 odd years and it's useless. It's got pitting on the back of the blade and a new blade is almost as much as a new plane.
I'm a metalworker by trade and have been making things all my life. I am no expert with wood but I know for my trades some things should be quality and some can be cheap. As the sensible ones here have said it all depends on your use, expectations and finances.
I bought an Ozito router, 1/4" variable speed plunge with a set of bits and fence for $55. I've had good use out of it and as my first router was a great start to discovering what I might do with it and what to look for in a machine. It's copped some abuse too.
My no name sockets sit happily in my toolbox beside my stahwille spanners. YMMV.
You sicko :pQuote:
Originally Posted by damian
I needed to rebuild a private jetty on a lake a bit north of Sydney following the big storms last June.
Figuring there was a good chance the cordless drill may take a swim I purchased a $35.00 Ozito with 2 batteries.
Wel I was working away when a big stinkboat went by and a wave enveloped the poor drill.
I shook the (salt) water out and it kept running.
That was in November.
I used it today and the damned things runs as well as my Makita!
It may be cheap and may have a bad reputation but the damned thing won't die.
I bought one of their sliding compound mitre saws a fair while back and after some small tweeking of the blade to stop it wobbling its a bloody ripper... no seriously!! A bloody bottler of a saw :2tsup:
Shane