Does everybody have to hate Ozito???

[Andrew_B]

i have 2 ozito tools,

-belt sander, that my dad bought because it was cheap,
iv used my makita belt sander for 8 years or so and its never missed a beat....
first time i plugged in the ozito it broke 3 belts in a row... so it now rests up on a shelf and will never be touched again, mind you they use smaller stupid belts....

-random orbital sander, now this tool is a good one.....
i like it alot,
i own two makita random orbitals and have had constant problems with both (bad disk to motor coupling design...) have had to replace the disks about 3 times on each...
i beat the crap out of the ozito while i was restoring a 3 metre church pew and it proved itself.....
so i use it often now

as for what someone said above about launching disks...
in 15 years i have had about 4 disks launch and that was due to the backs of them being no good and/or sawdust clogging the hook-loops......

[kiwigeo]

You assume that all warranties are the same. If one of my "high end" tool craps out (it hasnt happened yet) and I have to make a warranty claim I usually just take it back to the shop I bought it from and they'll fix or replace it straight away. I dont get some spotty young nerd suggesting that the failure of the tool is my fault and I dont get sent on a trip across the other side to a service centre or end up posting the tool to another part of Australia.

As far as Ozito goes....I had an Ozito router which I only bought because it was so cheap even if it was dog (which it was) I had nothing to lose. The shaft had more wobble than a hula hoop and the machine wouldnt hold depth settings. I used it once and then stuck it where it belonged...in the rubbish skip outside my garage.

One question? all the higher end (expensive tools) what sort of warranty do they offer?

If its the same (around 3 years) then how can we trust it. I would hope that the expensive named brands have really long warranties ..

[Vernonv]

You assume that all warranties are the same. If one of my "high end" tool craps out (it hasnt happened yet) and I have to make a warranty claim I usually just take it back to the shop I bought it from and they'll fix or replace it straight away.

I think you will get a rude shock if any of your "high end" tools ever do break. Unless it failed on the first use, it is unlikely that a retailer will replace if for you on the spot ... and they surely wouldn't fix it on the spot either. Chances are it would be sent to the nearest service centre to get inspected/fixed ... probably similar to what would happen if it was a "cheap" tool.

[kiwigeo]

We shall see.....if and when one of my "high end" tools breaks down.

I do however doubt Bunnings would give the the same warranty (and non-warranty) service that you get from Lee Valley, Lie Nielson and other reputable tool suppliers.

[Vernonv]

I do however doubt Bunnings would give the the same warranty (and non-warranty) service that you get from Lee Valley, Lie Nielson and other reputable tool suppliers.

But that is not really comparing apples with apples. Bunnings is purely a retailer, while the other two you mention are manufacturers (for the most part). Comparing GMC (say) to LV and/or LN is probably more appropriate.

I know from my one warranty issue I've had with GMC, it was handled well and I was extermely happy with the outcome. I would imagine LV and LN would probably handle a warranty issue in a similar manner.

[tonygates]

I have an Ozito Belt Sander,and an Ozito Planer. $80 and $60 or something like that. I only use them occasionally and they both have a three year warranty.They work fine.

[Stewey]

Being a long way from home, I borrowed a 10" Ozito circular saw two years ago for two minutes of ripping an 8 ft bit of one inch pine down the centre.
Halfway along, it threw flames out of the air holes and died in a big 'pop'.
It was brand new, apparently.

I used to have a Ryobi 170 or 180mm circular saw- absolute junk-repetitive accuracy impossible.
It was bought to replace a well-loved Makita that died/burned out after 16 years of hard work-and the service place said it was not feasible to rewire the rotor.
Now have a little Bosch circ saw-terrific.

[fubar]

yes its mandatory
and gmc ,anything bunnies brings in , all kmart products ,target ,dimmeys stores, Amart ,chinese goods ,imported fruit and vegies I suppose I've missed a few

[Spanner69]

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.

The reason you get a three year warenty sp? is that it is a statuary requirement for this type of product.

Also with 'planned obsalecence' (sp??) most uesers of the elcheepo ( me) machines will not use the tool the required amount of time before it wears out and becomes kaput therefore requirering replacement at the owners expense. As someone else has stated we live in a consumerist mentality society. We have become brainwashed that it is ok to buy , use till broke and then buy again. I suggest that if people are really wanting to 'get into the market' of tools is to find out what tools you can 'get away with' inthe elcheepo varity to tide you over till you can afford to buy a quality tool OR realise that you really dont need an $8000 tool.

Also find out what you really need to have a quality tool as a non negotiable. For me a non negotiable quality tool are jap saws , qulaity hammer, qulaity plane, screwdrivers square. I have got away with a crappy cordless drill and sander but will be upgrading once I get a better paying job. I have a very mediocre lathe and will also upgrade tha once I can afford it.

ALSO you need not be subject to anyone elses opinions as gospel as long as you can look in the mirror and see someone who you think is a good sensible bloke(tte). If you can justify HONESTLY to your self then that is all the matters.

Getting advice is good but do not listen to those who say you MUST .... they have their own issues too deal with.

by the way ... my Ozito orbital sander lasted two weeks out of warenty and I was really pizzed off! But it was horendesly cheep.....$29. You will notice that it has no disc on the bottom ..... it just shatits self and I did try to fix it but ...... cheep is as cheep does. I have now cut of the plug end so young boyo does not plug it and zap him self and he ahs a BALL playing handy man n the shed with me.

Cheers.

[Spanner69]

I went and had a look at bunnies and saw they are having some big specials but I could not find a single Ozito in the shop.

Have they stopped selling them or do you think they just ran out??

I could not ask because the spotty face little sales 'assistant' was nowhere to be seen....as per usual with bunnies!

[Cliff Rogers]

Bunnies up this way don't seem to stock Ozito any longer either, maybe they got sick of the the amount of warranty returns that had to do.

[pal]

Still advertising them in their latest on line catalog

Harold

[munruben]

My Ozito thicknesser is still going strong after about 4 years.

[mossyblog]

Ozito and lower quality brands do their jobs, if you want precision and a brand that thinks about every single moving part like it was a swiss watch - then the price will increase given its harder to mass produce. If you want something for a quick job that has around 70% accuracy and are ok with the said item not having a long life - go for the lower brands.

I've got both, and i would say that the lower brands are hit or miss.. like this week i grabbed a Ryobi SCMS ..turned it on 2mins into usage one of the coils blew ..pop + smoke = ?

Took it back to bunnings and they swore it was the first they've seen it i said "you should check out woodworkforums.com and you'll see its not isolated?" but credit to them they replaced it no questions asked and were keen to ensure I had a good experience.

So on one hand sure, selling mediocre products is bad i guess for those who aren't in the mood to research what they just bought (ie average joe may expect laser precision cuts and a motor that lasts 20years for their $50.00 - but in reality that's just natural selection at work as they'll soon realize "oh wait, ozito etc aren't a good brand..so i didn't get a bargain afterall). Bunnings though may sell them but they are always focused on customer service - some drop the ball, but others are quickly to pick it up should you complain a little louder (not much).

Microsoft sells mediocre products (I used to work at Microsoft in US) where as Apple sell higher quality products that have a prescribed experience. Point is, some sell some don't.. you the consumer need to research thats the only ask now days..research - forums like this help that out!.

[munruben]

Ozito and lower quality brands do their jobs, if you want precision and a brand that thinks about every single moving part like it was a swiss watch - then the price will increase given its harder to mass produce. If you want something for a quick job that has around 70% accuracy and are ok with the said item not having a long life - go for the lower brands.Warranty is 3 years so you are going to get 3 years of use one way or another.

I've got both, and i would say that the lower brands are hit or miss.. like this week i grabbed a Ryobi SCMS ..turned it on 2mins into usage one of the coils blew ..pop + smoke = ? And you think something like that has never happened with the more expensive tools?

Took it back to bunnings and they swore it was the first they've seen it i said "you should check out woodworkforums.com and you'll see its not isolated?" but credit to them they replaced it no questions asked and were keen to ensure I had a good experience. I wonder if one of the top brand names would have replaced it so easily

So on one hand sure, selling mediocre products is bad i guess for those who aren't in the mood to research what they just bought (ie average joe may expect laser precision cuts and a motor that lasts 20years for their $50.00 - Please give the average Joe a little more credit for intelligence but in reality that's just natural selection at work as they'll soon realize "oh wait, ozito etc aren't a good brand..so i didn't get a bargain afterall). Bunnings though may sell them but they are always focused on customer service - some drop the ball, but others are quickly to pick it up should you complain a little louder (not much).

Microsoft sells mediocre products (I used to work at Microsoft in US) where as Apple sell higher quality products that have a prescribed experience. Point is, some sell some don't.. you the consumer need to research thats the only ask now days..research - forums like this help that out!.

Microsoft have about 96% of the personal computer software market so I guess one would expect to hear more complaints about them due to the astronomical amount of software they sell.
Ozito have sold millions of their cheap products; it is only commonsense to expect more complaints about the products they manufacture.

At present I only have one Ozito machine and as mentioned earlier has served me well. I am not stupid enough to think this machine will do the job better than one of the more expensive machines or that it will last for 20 years. I have had some of the more expensive machines in my time and like all mechanical or electrical pieces of equipment; they break down and sometimes after being in service for only a short time. I think it is unfair to compare the top name brands and cheaper brands with each other; the cheaper brands are not in competition with the more professional expensive tools.