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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
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    Australia
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    Default "Toolmaster" branded tools from Machinery House

    Does anyone know what the quality is like of the Toolmaster tools from Machinery House e.g. collet chucks / collet sets etc.? https://www.machineryhouse.com.au/C105#

    They look very similar to Vertex branded collets, anyone know if they are or perhaps made in the same Taiwanese factory?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
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    NSW
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    It's all just the same Chinese/Taiwanese stuff everyone else sells, with 50% more markup, and 'Toolmaster' laser etched on it.

    The only benefit to buying from HAFCO is that you have somewhere to physically take it back to if it's out of spec.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
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    NSW
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    You can't lob Taiwanese stuff in with China it is better made than Chinese stuff in my experience .
    I think Toolmaster is a Hare & Forbes in house brand . They just get the name put on existing production items but where it is made I don't know .
    The volume of a pizza of thickness 'a' and radius 'z' is given by pi z z a.

  4. #4
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    Apr 2016
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    Australia
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Retromilling View Post
    You can't lob Taiwanese stuff in with China it is better made than Chinese stuff in my experience.
    I agree!

  5. #5
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    Feb 2016
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    NSW
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    Default

    I also agree, and I wasn't; I was merely pointing out that the origin will be one of those two locales.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
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    Sydney
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    Default

    I've purchased the Toolmaster ER40 collet chuck and collets, and they seem OK for the money, completely useable.

    Can't say the same for the Toolmaster mag base and indicator set. It is complete crap. The base was about 1.5 degrees out of square and 1mm out of flat on two sides, and the indicator sticks badly at half travel. A quick lick on the mill made the base useable, but that's not the point.

    Graham.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
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    Athelstone, SA 5076
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    4,255

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Retromilling View Post
    You can't lob Taiwanese stuff in with China it is better made than Chinese stuff in my experience .
    I think Toolmaster is a Hare & Forbes in house brand . They just get the name put on existing production items but where it is made I don't know .
    face and end mills are made by Marox Tools logo.png
    how do I know... the MR logo and the TM logo are on a carbide insert end mill
    Thats when I looking as to who owned the logo and was able to get some direct at a fraction of the price.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Melbourne
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    Default

    I'd be really interested in how the "Toolmaster" brand stacks up against other Chinese stuff sold by places like CTC tools etc or the multitude of Chinese/HongKong offerings on eBay. My guess would be that the quality is probably about the same but you are paying extra at H&F for their advertising, large bricks and mortar warehouses and refund policy.

    Simon
    Girl, I don't wanna know about your mild-mannered alter ego or anything like that." I mean, you tell me you're, uh, super-mega-ultra-lightning babe? That's all right with me. I'm good. I'm good.

  9. #9
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    Near Bendigo, Victoria, AUS
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    I know I'm no longer impartial, but the quality of the Chinese tooling sold by Felix Wu - M&G Productions aka MaGPro - is notably better than many eBay sellers. He has a store in Melbourne, where he lives with his family. He has an engineering background and personally knows and talks to the manufacurers and selects them as his suppliers personally when he goes to China (several times a year).
    He also has a warehouse in China, in Germany and in the USA.
    While his English is not quite up to scratch yet, he's working on it and he is happy and comfortable to speak to customers on the phone or SKype if there is any issues or questions.
    He now has a new website M&G Productions and his prices are worth looking at.

    I said I'm no longer impartial, because he arranged manufacture of my "ER Joe Blocks" and is now selling them. Current stocks are ER40 only and ER32 and smaller will become available in time.
    They are direct indexing 12 sided ER collet holders with bodies bigger than the ER nut, for ease of use on Magnetic chucks, only one needed instead instead of two for the same number of positions plus one and always sitting on and getting clamped on flats rather than corners, unlike Stevenson blocks - rest his soul (John Stevenson sadlyh died a few weeks ago).

    End of commercial
    Cheers, Joe
    retired - less energy, more time to contemplate projects and more shed time....

  10. #10
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    Aug 2011
    Location
    Melbourne
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    Hi Joe,

    Thanks for the link to that website. His prices are quite reasonable and worth a look. Well done getting your "Joe blocks" manufactured!
    I'll be in the market for some INT40 tooling soon so might keep him in mind.

    Cheers,

    Simon
    Girl, I don't wanna know about your mild-mannered alter ego or anything like that." I mean, you tell me you're, uh, super-mega-ultra-lightning babe? That's all right with me. I'm good. I'm good.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Toorloo Arm, VIC
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    39
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    1,270

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    Quote Originally Posted by jhovel View Post
    I know I'm no longer impartial, but the quality of the Chinese tooling sold by Felix Wu - M&G Productions aka MaGPro - is notably better than many eBay sellers. He has a store in Melbourne, where he lives with his family. He has an engineering background and personally knows and talks to the manufacurers and selects them as his suppliers personally when he goes to China (several times a year).
    He also has a warehouse in China, in Germany and in the USA.
    While his English is not quite up to scratch yet, he's working on it and he is happy and comfortable to speak to customers on the phone or SKype if there is any issues or questions.
    He now has a new website M&G Productions and his prices are worth looking at.

    I said I'm no longer impartial, because he arranged manufacture of my "ER Joe Blocks" and is now selling them. Current stocks are ER40 only and ER32 and smaller will become available in time.
    They are direct indexing 12 sided ER collet holders with bodies bigger than the ER nut, for ease of use on Magnetic chucks, only one needed instead instead of two for the same number of positions plus one and always sitting on and getting clamped on flats rather than corners, unlike Stevenson blocks - rest his soul (John Stevenson sadlyh died a few weeks ago).

    End of commercial
    Joe, have you had the chance to take a look at this vise he sells?

    http://www.mag-pro.com.au/goods.php?id=216

    I've been thinking about upgrading my wonky old Hercus vise to an Anglock style, but it's hard to work out which one to get - especially since even the Vertex versions have been reported to be a bit hit and miss, and anything better than that is far outside what I can justify spending for the amount I use it.

    Also, any idea on when the ER32 collet blocks will become available? I could certainly find a use for that!

    Hmmm, his cobalt drill sets look tempting too....

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
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    Melbourne
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    Default

    I just bought a pair of the 80mm toolmakers vices and had a squiz at that vice at the same time, under the cosmoline it looked pretty decent ground all over, handle looked pretty average. I'll let you know if the toolmakers vices are any good.

  13. #13
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    Nov 2017
    Location
    Geelong, Australia
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    Not the same vice you're asking about, but I bought this one from him a couple of months ago: Precision Milling Machine Vice 4" with swing base_Machine Tool Access._M&G Productions

    Its the first milling vice I've had so I don't have anything to compare against, but seems quite well made, works smoothly and I felt it was a decent price.
    Only (minor) negatives I've found are:
    - The handle is a bit of a loose fit on the hex of the vice
    - The ground faces produced edges which were very sharp and not deburred (5 mins with a file/stone when I unpacked it sorted that out).
    - The clamp bolts from vice to swivel base are marginal for length, and the washers on them could be heavier

    I picked it up from Felix at his "shop". Nice bloke to deal with.

    Steve



  14. #14
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    Jun 2013
    Location
    Tasmania
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    Default

    I just bought one of his ER32 D1-4 collet chucks for the lathe. Will be interesting to see if its much good when it arrives.

    I've been looking for some sort of collet arrangement for a while now and had ER32 collets already. I didn't really want to buy another set of collets (such as 5C etc) and still needed some sort of collet chuck. I could have adapted a D1-4 plate to take something but for the price I'll give this a try.

    His shipping is still steep if you ask me, but the prices on the items are good. My guess is shipping is where he makes up his price differences.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
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    Near Bendigo, Victoria, AUS
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    Default

    There's a simple way to find out: weigh the parcel and check https://auspost.com.au/parcels-mail/...ivery-times/#/ .... or take it to the post office and ask what it costs to send it to Williams Landing, VIC 3027
    Cheers, Joe
    retired - less energy, more time to contemplate projects and more shed time....

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