The other day, I posted about problems with Screwfix (lack of stock).

So I decided there was one size Turbo Ultra screw I really needed - must
get them while the going is good. Looked online - what? Only EIGHT sizes
available. (There were far more the other day - including the 3x30 I
wanted then.)

Went to Screwfix counter, looked at catalogue. 24 different sizes
listed! Still not 3x30 but better than online. (Catalogue plastered with
"More available online" slogans.) Ordered the ones I wanted (3.5x40) and
passed the sheet over. No, sorry, can't do.

Also, sockets I wanted were not available. No idea of when they might
become available.

Also, insufficient staff to even have unpacked today's delivery so they
have no idea what they have had delivered.

--
Rod

Hypothyroidism is a seriously debilitating condition with an insidious
onset.
Although common it frequently goes undiagnosed.
www.thyromind.info www.thyroiduk.org www.altsupportthyroid.org

On Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:00:55 +0100, Rod wrote:

The other day, I posted about problems with Screwfix (lack of stock).

So I decided there was one size Turbo Ultra screw I really needed - must
get them while the going is good. Looked online - what? Only EIGHT sizes
available. (There were far more the other day - including the 3x30 I
wanted then.)

Went to Screwfix counter, looked at catalogue. 24 different sizes
listed! Still not 3x30 but better than online. (Catalogue plastered with
"More available online" slogans.) Ordered the ones I wanted (3.5x40) and
passed the sheet over. No, sorry, can't do.

Also, sockets I wanted were not available. No idea of when they might
become available.

Also, insufficient staff to even have unpacked today's delivery so they
have no idea what they have had delivered.

I popped into B&Q the other day, looking for blades for my Bosch jigsaw. The
blade rack was almost empty, with just a few packs left for Black & Decker.
I guess the recession is beginning to bite as people have less to spend.

Andy C

I don't think the turbo ultra screws have proved that popular. They
are very prone to snapping or the heads chewing - when compared to
spax or turbo gold (ultra's are stainless, others are plated).

I bought a trade case - and they're great for window beading for
instance - but I won't be buying more of them.

wrote:
I don't think the turbo ultra screws have proved that popular. They
are very prone to snapping or the heads chewing - when compared to
spax or turbo gold (ultra's are stainless, others are plated).

I bought a trade case - and they're great for window beading for
instance - but I won't be buying more of them.

Hmm - surprised you say that. I have found they work exactly as I have
needed. Can't think of one breaking - possibly a couple of mangled heads
with careless application of an impact driver?

With my OCD problems ( :-) ), I *hate* rust streaks on external
woodwork such as fences - so I like at least the screws I put in to be
stainless.

--
Rod

Hypothyroidism is a seriously debilitating condition with an insidious
onset.
Although common it frequently goes undiagnosed.
www.thyromind.info www.thyroiduk.org www.altsupportthyroid.org

In article ,
Andy Cap wrote:
I popped into B&Q the other day, looking for blades for my Bosch
jigsaw. The blade rack was almost empty, with just a few packs left for
Black & Decker. I guess the recession is beginning to bite as people
have less to spend.

I'd say DIY would be one of the last things to be hit. Certainly for the
sales of consumables like this. More likely people are buying that sort of
thing at more sensible prices elsewhere. I wanted a 2.5mm HSS drill -
local B&Q only had Bosch titanium at about 2.50. I usually get tubes of
'production' ones at autojumbles where you'd get 10 for that price. And
had most small sizes apart from 2.5mm. ;-)

--
*I yell because I care

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

I agree with you that they look nice on finish joinery, and when I
know I have to take the time to get each one set exactly right
(probably by hand) - but for situations where I would expect to drive
them in flush, or to take them out again, I found chewed heads or even
snapped threads happened too often, i.e. even a quite rare breakage
will take up a chunk of time to put right - when compared to no time
wasted on breakages with spax.

Andy Cap wrote:

I popped into B&Q the other day, looking for blades for my Bosch jigsaw. The
blade rack was almost empty, with just a few packs left for Black & Decker.
I guess the recession is beginning to bite as people have less to spend.

Nah, B&Q have always been like that.

I needed some cabinet legs recently - B&Q had three. I suppose if I had
wanted to make a milking stool I'd have been OK.

Rod wrote:
The other day, I posted about problems with Screwfix (lack of stock).


I noticed a big sign in my local SF yesterday, saying that they list 810
varieties/sizes of screw & sell 19 million screws a week, and that the
problems were due to the plants in China.


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

The Medway Handyman wrote:
Rod wrote:
The other day, I posted about problems with Screwfix (lack of stock).


I noticed a big sign in my local SF yesterday, saying that they list 810
varieties/sizes of screw & sell 19 million screws a week, and that the
problems were due to the plants in China.


Well I have now placed my first order with Toolstation. Last I looked,
it was packed. Not *exactly* what I wanted, but close enough. (Had to
get 4x40 rather than 3.5x40 - not much of a difference really.) With
other things, the order worked out cheaper than SF. And there is no
carriage charge. (Of course, that is also true of SF counter but I would
not quite have met the £50 minimum for SF free delivery.

The problem, as far as I am concerned, is that I have not got the screws
I need. Now I think that SF have dropped the screws I want - and I might
well not bother looking back there. If it were a temporary problem it
would be better to identify that online. (Of course the paper catalogue
is a different matter with the relatively long lead time it must require.)


They will not be selling 19 million a week if they carry on like this.

--
Rod

Hypothyroidism is a seriously debilitating condition with an insidious
onset.
Although common it frequently goes undiagnosed.
www.thyromind.info www.thyroiduk.org www.altsupportthyroid.org

On 25 Sep, 16:27, "Dave Plowman (News)" wrote:
In article ,
* *Andy Cap wrote:

*I popped into B&Q *the other day, looking for blades for my Bosch
jigsaw. The blade rack was almost empty, with just a few packs left for
Black & Decker. I guess the recession is beginning to bite as people
have less to spend.

I'd say DIY would be one of the last things to be hit. Certainly for the
sales of consumables like this. More likely people are buying that sort of
thing at more sensible prices elsewhere. I wanted a 2.5mm HSS drill -
local B&Q only had Bosch titanium at about 2.50. I usually get tubes of
'production' ones at autojumbles where you'd get 10 for that price. And
had most small sizes apart from 2.5mm. ;-)


I'm surprised you could work that out: Whenever I go into B&Q, half
the items don't have a price on them and even the ones that do seem to
cost something different when you get to the til!

Rod wrote:
The Medway Handyman wrote:
Rod wrote:
The other day, I posted about problems with Screwfix (lack of
stock).

I noticed a big sign in my local SF yesterday, saying that they list
810 varieties/sizes of screw & sell 19 million screws a week, and
that the problems were due to the plants in China.


Well I have now placed my first order with Toolstation.

They probably depend on the same suppliers (it's the same management team
that set up SF, as you probably know), so it'll be a question of checking
which one has stock of what you need.


--
Criticising the government is not illegal, but on investigation often
turns out to be linked to other offences

Steve Walker wrote:
Rod wrote:
The Medway Handyman wrote:
Rod wrote:
The other day, I posted about problems with Screwfix (lack of
stock).
I noticed a big sign in my local SF yesterday, saying that they list
810 varieties/sizes of screw & sell 19 million screws a week, and
that the problems were due to the plants in China.


Well I have now placed my first order with Toolstation.

They probably depend on the same suppliers (it's the same management team
that set up SF, as you probably know), so it'll be a question of checking
which one has stock of what you need.


At least you *can* find out if your list of items is in stock at a
particular Toolstation branch. And print off your order to take in. Two
littlke enhancements that would help SF. (Nearest SF is about a mile;
nearest TS is nearer 10 miles.)

--
Rod

Hypothyroidism is a seriously debilitating condition with an insidious
onset.
Although common it frequently goes undiagnosed.
www.thyromind.info www.thyroiduk.org www.altsupportthyroid.org