Tooling suppliers in Singapore

[krisfarm]

Hi Everyone,
We are enjoying a holiday in Europe and will be in Singapore at the end of this month for a few days can anyone recommend any machinery/tool suppliers that are good to deal with.
Regards Bob

[jack620]

Bob,
the Mitutoyo dealer is:

Regional Tech Pty Ltd
Rochor Centre #03-566
1 Rochor Rd

MUCH cheaper the Oz on most items. Email Ms Siew Poh [email protected] ([email protected]) to check prices. Cash only. They aren't supposed to sell to foreigners, so make out like you live in Singers. Make sure you get her to stamp the GST (7.5%) refund form and collect the refund at the airport.

I bought a dial indicator for SGD35 (about AUD28). Best price in Oz was $105. Magnetic stand was just over 1/2 price. The stands are Chinese now, but very well made. Have also bought digital micrometers and callipers for friends. All much cheaper than Oz.

For the biggest range of drill bits, taps, dies, reamers you've ever seen, go to:
Wai Lei Industrial, 85 Maude Rd. It's a short walk from Regional Tech. Bahco HSS hacksaw blades for less than 1 Aussie dollar. It's a tiny shop with aisles of tools from floor to ceiling. drill bits range from sub-1mm to over 2" in small increments. They also have square HSS in most sizes.

Happy hunting,
Chris

[Pete F]

Chris, did they tell you they weren't supposed to sell to foreigners? I go to Singapore all the time for work, indeed for some years was there on average 1-2 days per week, and have honestly never come across that policy. Getting a receipt stamped for the TRS instantly identifies you as a tourist anyway.

Bob, what exactly are you looking for? Unfortunately like most of Asia, the shops there tend to be small and quite specialised in what they sell. I guess they're not dissimilar to going into a trade outlet in Oz, you don't exactly browse and most things are in boxes rather than on display. However the area you probably want to head to is basically between Sim Lim TOWER (not to be confused with Sim Lim square just down the road, and as a tourist almost certainly where the taxi driver will think you want to go as it's one of the main computer/electronics areas), and Jalan Besar Plaza, just off to the right of Jalan Besar Road as you walk away from SM tower. To be honest I never take much notice of the shop names, I just know where I need to go to when I need Record products, reamers, taps/dies, etc. However if it's quality power tools you're after, head out to Homely Hardware, that's more like a miniature Bunnings ... well except it doesn't sell crap, is genuinely cheap, and isn't staffed by school kids, so I guess in fact nothing like Bunnings. Anyway, I've bought quite a bit of Metabo gear from there over the years. They sell a lot of German tools, at prices cheaper than a hardware store in Germany. Go figure! The MRT is cheap, but unfortunately is precisely between 2 stations and I'm so tight I'd rather haul 30 kg worth of Bessey clamps in a pack through the Singapore heat/humidity rather than spring the 5 bucks for a cab! Here's their web site = HOMELY Hardware Pte Ltd = The Home of Hardware : Homely Trade - Homely Supply - Homely Wholesale (http://www.homely.com.sg/retail/retail_contact.html) Come to think of it, some of the things I've hauled back from Singapore makes me giggle in hindsight. Anyone else squeezed a Record Number 52 1/2 woodworking vice in their luggage? :)

Oh I've just looked up the store Chris mentioned and yes I can see on Street View that's indeed also the place I get my taps, dies and reamers from.

Enjoy your holiday.

Pete

[krisfarm]

jack620 & Pete F,
Thanks to both of you for your detailed replys, I will check out the sites you have suggested. At the moment I am on the Rhine River in Germany on a new river cruising boat and the internet is painfully slow (too many users at once and at times dodgy satalite reception) so it will take me a while. I do have three days in Singapore so should be able to spend some time there- will have to send my better half of shopping. (this will cost me a bundle).I am looking for a set of metric drills, dial indicators, metric dial calipers and some carbide inserts for lathe tools.
Bob

[C-47]

Just to add a few more options to what has already been mentioned, Chan Man Lee Trading, 75 Rowell Rd, Sin. This is also just off Jln Besar and in the same area as the others have mentioned, they deal in drills, reamers, gear hobs etc, ask for Danny (if he's still there). Another one is Nanyang Instruments 01-37 Maude Rd, measuring gear. Also beside them is a large tool store (forget name) but dealing in power tools, lathes, compressors etc (probably too big for a suitcase though).
There are a number of other places along Jln Besar between Sim Lim Tower and Maude Rd, roughly 1.0 Km, just have to scrounge a bit. While Singapore is cheaper than Oz, Malaysia is somewhat cheaper again, its just a hassle getting across the causeway and then finding places in Johor Baru with machine tooling. KL not much better as quite spread out, but items around 20-30% lower than Singers. Happy buying, extra suitcases are quite cheap though, its the excess baggage that hurts. Alan.

[Pete F]

Pete, And I thought you picked up that stuff duty free in Mumbai!:U:U

This is to replace my "Mumbai Specials" .... not that there was anything wrong with them, it's just that, errrr, I want, ummm, "extras" of the same size :doh:

Seriously though, it seems to come in patterns, where sometimes I won't go up to Singapore for months (as is the case now), other times I'm there weekly. I find Hong Kong much better for tool shopping than Singapore, so these days head to Reclamation Street as my mother lode of choice :U

Other Bob, I'm pretty sure you should be able to find most if the items you mentioned in the area I said, but it's just a matter of walking up and down each street and looking. Wai Lei is probably a good first stop however as I recall they have at least some of the things you're after. If you don't have any luck with the calipers, try going into Sim Lim tower as there's at least one place there that sells mitutoyo and I've bought some micrometers from there in the past.

Pete

[.RC.]

its the excess baggage that hurts. Alan.

He just needs to "lose" his suitcases in Singapore and then he will have plenty of room for new goodies....

[Pete F]

He just needs to "lose" his suitcases in Singapore

No problems. The airline will happily do that for you :p

[krisfarm]

C-47 & Pete F
Alan and Pete thanks for your additional suppliers,it sounds like I will be able to find the tools I am after.
Regards Bob

[jack620]

Chris, did they tell you they weren't supposed to sell to foreigners?

Not exactly Pete. When I first emailed her she asked if I live in Singapore. I assumed if I said I live in Oz she would have told me to contact the Aussie distributor. Rather than take the risk I told her I live in Singers. I've been there a few times and I'm pretty sure she knows I don't live in Singapore.

[Pete F]

Ah yes, that would make sense, especially if you asked to post them to Australia.

Bob, when you've finished shopping, walk back up to Burlington Square, right by Sim Lim SQUARE (not the tower this time). Go in to Fatty's for some seriously good food. Ask for the "nuclear chicken" and Black Pepper prawns, wash down with copious amounts of TsingTao before the meltdown :D

Pete

[jack620]

+1. Only start with a spring roll.

[krisfarm]

Pete F & jack 620
Thanks for the food tips we will give it a go. We are being fed like Kings on this boat from daybreak till midnight, all first class food, I will have to go on a diet when we finally hit Aust.
Bob

[Pete F]

+1. Only start with a spring roll.

Ah, this man has been there before! :D Yep, gotta start with the spring rolls.

[krisfarm]

PeteF, jack620,C-47
I am back home after a great holiday and a sucessful tool hunt in Singapore, thanks to you guys for all the tips on where to go. Also had a great lunch at "Fatties" Spring rolls, Nuclear chicken and Black Pepper prawns washed down with a couple of cold chinese beers (needed).I brought a Mitutoyo dial vernier,a Mitutoyo dial gauge, a set of 50 Presto 0.1mm increment drills 1mm-6mm, about a dozen HSS metric Spiral point taps Spiral Flute taps, assorted metric dies and six various sized German/Polish files. The prices were I thought quite good for quality tooling and saving the freight was a real bonus.Pictures show most items.It would be possible to import the dial caliper/gauges.The taps, dies and files might run into some problems with language issues.
Bob

[jack620]

Mission accomplished! I'll be there next week with a shopping list as long as my arm.

[Pete F]

Good job Bob. Both Greg Q and myself use Presto bits, they're very good in my opinion. The only caveat is to be careful of counterfeits when buying them in Asia.

I'd suggest the way to deal with the language issue is to write to them in extremely clear, short and unambiguous terms. Quantities are best expressed as "pieces" eg "I would like to buy 3 pieces Mitutoyo micrometer, model number 123-456." Obviously avoid any terms that are colloquial.

Pete

[krisfarm]

jack620
Good luck with your tooling hunt.
PeteF
Hi Pete,Just to clarify my comment on buying, the Mitutoyo people would not be hard to deal with as they have a web site and use codes to identify their range. The two other shops as you know are not as well set up and this is where some confusion could develop. A great experience visiting their shops, so much stock in such a small space.
Bob

[Pete F]

Hey Bob, sorry I was just using Mitutoyo as an example, the point being if you can try to get a manufacturer's part number of whatever you want to buy and clearly state that you want x pieces of part number y. It's just one tip on breaking down any potential confusion.

Pete

[krisfarm]

Hi Pete,
I totally agree,you have to be very clear with what you order in all overseas countries as we all have different understandings of the same words.
Bob