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In was talking today with John Hopwood on the subject of rip – off prices for the special tools we need on a day – to – day basis.
Examples:-
Hotpoint bearing extractor kits. (especially the collets, bolts and the nut that always fail, rendering the kit useless).
Hotpoint drier belt tools – both the tube type and the long handle ‘Indesit’ type.
The Torx 40 bits – for Indesit spiders and drum pulleys. (ones that don’t snap after 10 minutes use!!).
All the above tools are extortionately priced (for instance: the drier belt tool for the Indesit type driers costs well over £35).
Would there be a market for reproduction versions of these tools? They are simple items easily manufactured by an engineering company for us to sell on. John thought this was a very workable proposition; and something the TA can add to it’s services to its members.
Also, Mark’s (Eastlmark) Asko bearing extractor that he used only once gave me an idea. For the very unusual tools that we would purchase to do just one job could the TA not have say, a tool library and rent out for example, the Asko extractor for a small fee to members? There must be loads of specialist manufacturer tools out there that can either be remanufactured or hired out between members.Any comments please!!
Steve.
Re: Specialist tool supplies and tool rental scheme.
For a start, my Hotpoint, Creda, belt fitting tool, the long bar doofer cost me nothing. 8) It was made for me by another forum member, an ex Hotpoint colleague of mine, username Hotdog ( Cliff Noble) . He still has some contacts with current Indesit engineers and they allowed him to have one to copy.
He does come on the boards now and again but no matter how much I badger him, he is still on dial up 😯 so it takes him an age to load pages etc.
I am sure that if there was enough demand he could turn them out at a decent price.Memo to self, I must ring Cliff to get him to join the TA. 😉
Jim.
Re: Specialist tool supplies and tool rental scheme.
aqualectric wrote:Hotpoint bearing extractor kits. (especially the collets, bolts and the nut that always fail, rendering the kit useless).
I worked for Hotpoint for a few Years, probably only got my bearing toolbox out less than 5 times. I don’t really see the need for this one 8)
auqalectric wrote:The Torx 40 bits – for Indesit spiders and drum pulleys. (ones that don’t snap after 10 minutes use!!).
Halfords Professional range, I believe that torx40 bits are about a tenner, but, they have a lifetime guarantee 😀 , I must have had about £100 worth in the last 2 Years for free already 😀 !
aqualectric wrote:For the very unusual tools that we would purchase to do just one job could the TA not have say, a tool library and rent out for example, the Asko extractor for a small fee to members? There must be loads of specialist manufacturer tools out there that can either be remanufactured or hired out between members.
Agreed regarding re-manufacture, but the sales road would IMO be a better option as rental (again, IMO) wouldn’t go anywhere. For a kick off, postage costs and delivery times would put anyone off renting a tool that, really speaking, with an extra X amount of mins on the job would get the job done anyway.
Adrian 🙂
Re: Specialist tool supplies and tool rental scheme.
I also worked for Hotpoint for a few years 😉 , I always use the bearing tool kit to refit bearings, at least 4 or 5 times a month. With a small modification I also use it to remove the odd 95/WM main bearing outer shell with a 75{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} success rate.
I would not like to be without it but I agree the price is ridiculous. The only part I would like to see available at a decent price is the threaded bolt.
Re Halfords, a lot of forum members use the Pro range purely for the ‘lifetime’ g/tee, however the last time I was in Halfords I noticed a sign saying that this would now only be honoured if a proof of purchase receipt was produced. I photocopy all mine. 😉
Jim.
Re: Specialist tool supplies and tool rental scheme.
The suggestions were only examples off the top of my head – the re manufacture and sale was the main reason for posting this article. The sharing of colossally expensive OEM tools was an afterthought.
The threaded bolt and nut for the Hotpoint tool are the weak spot in the kit and could probably be made cheaply and better than the original.
Steve.
Re: Specialist tool supplies and tool rental scheme.
Steve,
The problem is that the WM series Hotpoint is a dying machine – 5 years from now, they’ll all be gone apart from the “little old ladies” machines. I can see no point in re-manufacturing the puller kit for these. The Hotpoint kit was marginal. The Qualtex one just didn’t work and John Buntings’ one shared no components. And didn’t work…Now the belt tools for the current Indesit group tumble dryers is worth investigating – £38 for a bar with a couple of nobbly bits has to be done for a better price…. 😀
Chris.
Re: Specialist tool supplies and tool rental scheme.
The belt tool is exactly where my conversation with John Hopwood started and I just expanded on the idea. (I wish I’d just stuck to that one suggestion). The extortionate price of that tool is the main reason to re manufacture it. BUT.. we would need to know if it was worthwhile; supply and demand.
The ‘other tools’ that could be looked at are maybe ones that I personally don’t use – but others do. I was just trying to float a concept and see where it went.
Jim has said he has a friend that made him a copy of the belt tool and would look into it.
Other than that, if there is a perceived demand, then I will get the tool costed by the engineering company my wife Johanne does accounts for.Steve.
Re: Specialist tool supplies and tool rental scheme.
I have been thinking about this one ,I wonder if we need to rent it out (Admin ,hassles,deposit etc) why not sell them…
put them in the shop on UKW like the fault code books sell them at a reduced cost to WTA members,and perhaps a slightly higher cost to regular trade members .
Then there is a recognised benefit to becoming a TA member out in the general trade .
LawrenceRe: Specialist tool supplies and tool rental scheme.
Lawrence wrote:why not sell them…
put them in the shop on UKW like the fault code books sell them at a reduced cost to WTA members,and perhaps a slightly higher cost to regular trade members .Agreed, we could advertise them on the WTA website with a link to the UKW store? I hear that Steve has a family member who could look at re-manufacturing these tools? I think this would be a good member benefit 😀
Adrian 🙂
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