Draper power tools

[ab0ajh]

I've not come across many mentions of them here, are they any good for the money?

Sliding mitre saws in particular, I suppose

for example: http://www.justoffbase.co.uk/250mm-2000 ... per-SMS250 ??

Alternatively, could I do better for anything up to £170?

Thanks in advance.

[ultimatehandyman]

I have never really used any of their powertools, but their hand tools are normally pretty good.

[dewaltdisney]

Like a lot of companies these machines are probably made on China and badged up to order. Having said this I have a Draper morticer and a router which are both well made and work well. The only point I would make about a sliding mitre saw is the accuracy of the cut. The bearings on the slide are the weak points and this could lead to inaccuracy. Having said this you can usually tinker with them to get that right of needed. The saw you show is not particularly cheap and I think that you might have a look at going the extra for one of the better makes.

DWD

[Hitch]

They do two ranges of tools, a basic one aimed at the DIyer and the Expert range.

I have a 1/4" router from the Expert line, its an identical machine to the Trend T5. Very good


I have a DA sander from the cheaper range, like most budget tools, it does the job, and has lasted very well considering how much use it gets.
Build quality is compaprable to something like Ryobi, not the best, but by no means the worst.

As DWD has mentioned, you can end up with a lot of play in some saws. I think thats something id like to try before i bought one.

[ab0ajh]

Thanks chaps,

Helpful advice. Obviously a bit of a gentle jiggle around before purchase would be helpful - but just on the off chance a couple of dozen glowing reviews for anything appeared overnight...

Cheers.