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+-- Thread: Woodpecker Over Priced? (/showthread.php?tid=7359805)
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Woodpecker Over Priced? - jeffss - 12-30-2020
Hey all . I'm looking for a good set of measuring rules. Woodpecker seems crazy high. Any suggestions?
RE: Woodpecker Over Priced? - Admiral - 12-30-2020
(12-30-2020, 02:35 PM)jeffss Wrote: Hey all . I'm looking for a good set of measuring rules. Woodpecker seems crazy high. Any suggestions?
Harry Epstein, PEC blems, PEC makes good stuff, good, even more than good for woodworking, incredible value; here's the link:
https://www.harryepstein.com/closeouts.html?brand_for_product_detail=2702
RE: Woodpecker Over Priced? - JohnnyEgo - 12-30-2020
I have a lot of Woodpeckers measuring stuff. Some I bought myself, like my very much loved 851 square. But most of it came from my father, who spent a brief but high-burn love affair with tool collection, er I mean woodworking, right before he retired. So I have a shop full of MDF encased measuring sticks, rules, and straight edges, but I don't have the emotional investment most folks would have had to fudge over the cash for them. Just by way of context.
Personal opinion is they are red, pretty, and useful, but not particularly durable. A fair number have nicks, dents, and bumps from occasional unanticipated trips to the shop floor. Woodpeckers replaced my carpenter square when I managed to drop it on the concrete floor on it's point, and I am sure they would treat me very nicely about the other items I have dinged up myself, if I asked. They truly have excellent customer service.
Were I to have to spend my own money on their gear, I'd probably go with their stainless steel line to help mitigate my own clumsiness. But where I have actually spent my own money to date is with Harry Epstien, for the PEQ squares Admiral mentioned, and I have been very happy with them.
RE: Woodpecker Over Priced? - stav - 12-30-2020
(12-30-2020, 05:43 PM)Admiral Wrote: Harry Epstein, PEC blems, PEC makes good stuff, good, even more than good for woodworking, incredible value; here's the link:
https://www.harryepstein.com/closeouts.html?brand_for_product_detail=2702
1+ on this. I got some nice blemish squares reasonably priced there. They had some minor scrapes on the blade and that is all.
RE: Woodpecker Over Priced? - jeffss - 12-30-2020
Thanks. Checked them out and looks good. Have a 6", 12" and 24" coming. Prices more in my range.
RE: Woodpecker Over Priced? - cputnam - 12-30-2020
I have a few Woodpecker's items - all purchased many years ago when their prices were less unreasonable. The two most useful are the 6" square and the mini-square. I use the mini-square to confirm that I have various tools squared in sharpening jigs. WP has developed a base of fans who I believe are mostly machinist wanna-bes. They have lately produced a lot of stuff that does not work as well as the competition.
Where their product lines overlap, Chris Vesper's tools are superior in all respects and Lee Valley's tools will get the same job done for pennies on the WP dollar.
RE: Woodpecker Over Priced? - jeffss - 12-30-2020
(12-30-2020, 09:22 PM)cputnam Wrote: I have a few Woodpecker's items - all purchased many years ago when their prices were less unreasonable. The two most useful are the 6" square and the mini-square. I use the mini-square to confirm that I have various tools squared in sharpening jigs. WP has developed a base of fans who I believe are mostly machinist wanna-bes. They have lately produced a lot of stuff that does not work as well as the competition.
Where their product lines overlap, Chris Vesper's tools are superior in all respects and Lee Valley's tools will get the same job done for pennies on the WP dollar.
Just checked out his stuff. Beautiful!
RE: Woodpecker Over Priced? - Handplanesandmore - 12-30-2020
Overpriced? Yes, and that's why none of the WP products can be found in my shop. Some of its products are more gizmo-like than practical tools. It sells mostly to its base. For that reason, it doesn't need to lower its prices. Think Bridge City Tools in John's days -- making and selling products to a small market while keeping prices high.
Almost none of the woodworkers I personally know has a WP thing.
RE: Woodpecker Over Priced? - Ray Newman - 12-30-2020
Handplanesandmore is on to it! Back in the early to mid 1990's I bought some Bridge City Tools, then later stopped as it seemed Bridge City was turning into a boutique type seller of tools that weren't very useful to me. Speaking from personal experience, previously owned Bridge City Tools(even their blemished) sell quickly and easily for 80%+ of initial MSRP.
Same with Woodpeckers, but no idea as to resale value. The only Woodpeckers I have is a 16x26" framing square. Bought on a whim as I doing some plywood projects. Accurate, but all the weight is in one end, which makes it feels ungainly and clumsy. Have not utilized it in a while and have gone back to a Lee Valley stainless steel (Shinwa??) framing square and when needed a lee valley framing square fence.
I follow some of the woodworking pages on Facebook and this week there have been two threads about Woodpecker's value, cost, and accuracy. My SWAG (Scientific Wild Arsed Guess) is Woodpeckers and Bridge City are a small operation catering to a small/niche market and not producing and selling in large numbers with resulting costs higher. And what I am starting to see are ads on Facebook for Chinese copies. Will be interesting to see how that works out as well the sale of Bridge City to Harvey a Chinese manufacturer....
RE: Woodpecker Over Priced? - Rob Young - 12-31-2020
(12-30-2020, 05:43 PM)Admiral Wrote: Harry Epstein, PEC blems, PEC makes good stuff, good, even more than good for woodworking, incredible value; here's the link:
https://www.harryepstein.com/closeouts.html?brand_for_product_detail=2702
Usually a good value.
As I live within an hour drive, I've been inside a few times. Currently I don't believe they allow customer visits though.
But when you do get the blemish stuff, check it over. I had one blemished 4" adjustable square that had to go back. The blemish was pretty obvious, the little U-track down the center of the rule was absolutely NOT parallel to the sides. So the rule couldn't be adjusted. It would just jam.
They exchanged it no problem though.
All the other blemished items I've seen have been minor things like a gouge in some part of the rule or head that could be stoned down or a sligh miss-alignment in printing or some of the engravings didn't get fully filled with black.
Checked against Starret and Brown & Sharpe versions, never had reason to complain so far as woodworking accuracy goes.