Where I work we sell Silverline tools, hand as well as power. Absolute crap
they are but it's what lots of people want.
Fortunately the more discerning customers go for the better quality tools
but if we don't cater for the bottom end of the market we get the 'we can
get that cheaper elsewhere' brigade.
I'm curious to know others opinion of Silverline.

"Scabbydug" wrote in message
...
Where I work we sell Silverline tools, hand as well as power. Absolute
crap they are but it's what lots of people want.
Fortunately the more discerning customers go for the better quality tools
but if we don't cater for the bottom end of the market we get the 'we can
get that cheaper elsewhere' brigade.
I'm curious to know others opinion of Silverline.



I've bought a few silverline hand tools. I buy them if I see something for
a quid.
And for a quid or 2 they are good value.
The only other alternative at this end of the market is Blackspur and I put
these
in the pub football league when I bought some flat bits.... had
to run the drill in reverse to make it cut.

Arthur

On 2007-07-15 09:41:47 +0100, "Scabbydug" said:

Where I work we sell Silverline tools, hand as well as power. Absolute crap
they are but it's what lots of people want.
Fortunately the more discerning customers go for the better quality tools
but if we don't cater for the bottom end of the market we get the 'we can
get that cheaper elsewhere' brigade.
I'm curious to know others opinion of Silverline.

About the same as yours - a rather patchy ragbag of stuff like Draper.
There is the odd semi-decent item and an awful lot of rubbish.

As to the 'we can get that cheaper elsewhere' brigade, personally I'd
let them go to Arlidldigos and focus on the better margin items and
customers.

On 2007-07-15 09:51:30 +0100, "Arthur2" said:


"Scabbydug" wrote in message
...
Where I work we sell Silverline tools, hand as well as power. Absolute
crap they are but it's what lots of people want.
Fortunately the more discerning customers go for the better quality tools
but if we don't cater for the bottom end of the market we get the 'we can
get that cheaper elsewhere' brigade.
I'm curious to know others opinion of Silverline.



I've bought a few silverline hand tools. I buy them if I see something for
a quid.
And for a quid or 2 they are good value.
The only other alternative at this end of the market is Blackspur and I put
these
in the pub football league when I bought some flat bits.... had
to run the drill in reverse to make it cut.

Arthur

You must have bought the versions for use in the southern hemisphere.

On 15/07/2007 09:51, Arthur2 wrote:

I've bought a few silverline hand tools. I buy them if I see something for
a quid.

When replacing a flat roof the membrane supplier offered a roller with
extension handle for a few quid, within about 30 seconds of starting to
use it the extension handle buckled, and a few minutes later the normal
handle broke too, leaving me to finish applying the adhesive holding a
metal spike, quality!

The only other silverline tool I own is a sliding bevel, which looks as
nasty as it was cheap (£2), it's orange plastic with a stamped steel
blade, but compared to ~£20 for a rather nicer wood/brass one for a
one-off job it did the job adequately.

I'm curious to know others opinion of Silverline.

About the same as Rolson, Blackspur, Blackforge etc.

They really should be forced to use more appropriate names, ****line,
Ruddyuselessson, Blackdayforcraftsmanship etc.

Andy Hall wrote:

Arlidldigos

Argos as well eh?

"Scabbydug" wrote in message
...
Where I work we sell Silverline tools, hand as well as power. Absolute
crap they are but it's what lots of people want.
Fortunately the more discerning customers go for the better quality tools
but if we don't cater for the bottom end of the market we get the 'we can
get that cheaper elsewhere' brigade.
I'm curious to know others opinion of Silverline.


I bought some silverline sabre saw blades to chop some roots.. they work
well enough and only cost 60p a blade.
Bosch ones may have stayed sharp longer but there is no guarantee for
cutting in soil and one blade costs more than a pack of silverline ones.

Scabbydug wrote:

Where I work we sell Silverline tools, hand as well as power. Absolute crap
they are but it's what lots of people want.
Fortunately the more discerning customers go for the better quality tools
but if we don't cater for the bottom end of the market we get the 'we can
get that cheaper elsewhere' brigade.
I'm curious to know others opinion of Silverline.

Never tried the power tools. I have a few of the hand tools. Cheap recip
saw blades for green wood are ok. I have a twin spur tank cutter, that
was bent from new and feels crap, but it did the one job it was bought
for. I do have a hacksaw that is actually reasonably decent, solid
construction, easy to adjust and lugs for both straight and 45 degree
blade positions.

So in summary, 90% crap, with the occasional bit that is either OK, or
cheap enough to be disposable and reasonable value.

--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

Scabbydug wrote:
Where I work we sell Silverline tools, hand as well as power.
Absolute crap they are but it's what lots of people want.
Fortunately the more discerning customers go for the better quality
tools but if we don't cater for the bottom end of the market we get
the 'we can get that cheaper elsewhere' brigade.
I'm curious to know others opinion of Silverline.

Toolstation sell a lot of Silverline stuff, but you don't know its
Silverline till you get it.

Bit like a curates egg - good in parts.

I've had a couple of guide clamps, a mini shovel, and a decking board tool
which have been great. I have half a dozen of their multi packs - washers,
self tappers, e clips, split pins etc which have been a godsend in my line
of work.

But I've also had some butt hinge markers and a solder mat which were as
much use as a back pocket in a sock.


--
Dave
The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk
01634 717930
07850 597257

"The Medway Handyman" wrote in message
...
Scabbydug wrote:
Where I work we sell Silverline tools, hand as well as power.
Absolute crap they are but it's what lots of people want.
Fortunately the more discerning customers go for the better quality
tools but if we don't cater for the bottom end of the market we get
the 'we can get that cheaper elsewhere' brigade.
I'm curious to know others opinion of Silverline.

Toolstation sell a lot of Silverline stuff, but you don't know its
Silverline till you get it.

Bit like a curates egg - good in parts.

I've had a couple of guide clamps, a mini shovel, and a decking board tool
which have been great. I have half a dozen of their multi packs -
washers,
self tappers, e clips, split pins etc which have been a godsend in my line
of work.

But I've also had some butt hinge markers and a solder mat which were as
much use as a back pocket in a sock.


--
Dave
The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk
01634 717930
07850 597257

Having been short on electricity due to a surplus of water in Sheffield I
thought I might buy a generator for emergency use/gloating at the
neighbours. On discussing specs with my Father he gave me an extra £100 so
I would have no excuse for buying a Silverline one.

I have got a Silverline tenon saw which seems to be fine for what I've used
it for and have bought one of their 4.5" angle grinders & accessory packs.
I haven't used the grinder yet but I'm not expecting it to be of high
quality but as I only rarely need such a beast it only has to last a job or
2 to have earned it's keep.

This is how I rationalise my tool purchases - if it needs to be a spot on
accurate job I'll either buy a quality tool straghtaway (eg my Makita
Jigsaw) or wait to do the job until I can afford the appropriate tooling or
until Dad visits and I use his kit. If it's a job that rough work won't
damage too much (adjusting the occaisional paving slab that may well be
replaced later anyway) I'll be happy to buy a cheapey tool to do the job.
If I find that the tool breaks through overuse than I may consider buying a
quality make next time (as I did replacing a PP cordless with a nice Makita
and another PP sander with a PEX400) if I'm not likely to get much more use
then I'll just get another cheapey as and when I need it.

I would like to be like Andy and be able to only buy the best everytime but
something has to give and so I prefer to spend extra on the tools where ease
of use (*) and accuracy show the most. So far this policy has worked for
me. It may lead to extra costs in the long run but if it means that I can
get jobs done now then it is a cost I'll have to bear.

Cheers

Mark

(*) SWMBO has borrowed the Makita drill/driver and has said that she can
feel the difference in use compared to the PP version as it is lighter and
easier to control. As such she is converted to spending more when I buy
tools and I am converted in allowing her to put up shelves....

On 15 Jul, 09:41, "Scabbydug" wrote:

I'm curious to know others opinion of Silverline.


I've got a couple of their power tools.

They were cheap enough to be bought for the one job but have ended up
lasting hell of a lot longer than anticipated given their price and
(lack) quality feel.

One is a sander/polisher and the other a drill mixer so neither of
them require much accuracy in what they do. As they were bought for
the one job they haven't been treated too well so I guess I'm fairly
impressed.

Have had couple of their hand tools. They're cheap as chips and about
as durable