On Sun, 20 Sep 2009 16:54:32 +0000, The Medway Handyman wrote:

Steve wrote:
On Sun, 20 Sep 2009 12:13:50 +0000, The Medway Handyman wrote:

Bertie Doe wrote:
New catalogue compared with previous shows an increase of 25% on bulk
screws and fixings. It's not SF's fault - with the £ in freefall,
anything that's made abroad is rocketing in price.

If you're planning a major project, you may strike lucky an find a
warehouse with old stock at last years prices.

Quick check on a popular (with me anyway) size 1.5" x 8 twinthread c/s
pozi, box of 200;

SF £1.50

TS £1.14.

Hmmmm. And Toolstation have free delivery over £10.

I like Toolstation and have moved most of my purchases there from
Screwfix.


I hadn't realised how much cheaper they were, those screws for example
are 24% less. Nothing to worry about on a box of screws, but in general
worth keeping an eye on.


Strangely though, despite generally cheaper prices, the trade counter
here in Crawley is normally very quiet indeed and I have never had to
queue up. I'm not complaining though!


Alas our nearest TS is in Dartford, fair bit further away than SF and
not in my normal operating area. I've ordered a few bits to be
delivered though now its only a £10 order. And it might be silly, but I
like getting parcels :-)

I suppose I'm lucky then :-) Toolstation is about 2/3 of the distance of
Screwfix, but as that is only a couple of miles it makes little
difference. Parking does though, as well as the prices and the service.
Our SF is located in an industrial park where people double-park all over
the place and is inhabited by other companies that drive fork-lift trucks
around unloading HGVs with little or no regard to other traffic!

Whilst Toolstation is in a similar estate, there is always somewhere to
park with the only occasional hazard being "white van men", but you get
them wherever you go.

I don't think I mentioned that beverages are free, apparently. I've never
sampled them though because my orders have taken so little time to
complete!

In case anyone thinks this is a plug for Toolstation - it is! But from a
satisfied customer with no other reason to promote them other than what I
have written.

I wish them well and hope that they don't slip into making the same
mistakes as Screwfix.

Steve