Buying tools online

Hiya, having smashed open my piggy bank and being cashed up enough to buy a couple of planes I've been hanging out for, I was wondering what people's experiences have been like buying quality tools on the web. In particular what vendors do you recommend? I'm not necessarily looking for the cheapest price - I'm already looking at being bitten a third to half extra if I buy here in Australia.

I'm happy to pay a little extra locally, but when I'm paying retail and importers are paying wholesale, and I'm importing individually and they're importing in bulk I resent paying 50% (or more) extra than recommended retail overseas. Not to mention wanting models that aren't brought in by local agents because not enough people are interested in buying them.

In particular I'm looking at Lie Nielsen and Veritas

Also how do you get them shipped? I prefer Australia Post because I can always collect them from the local Post Office whereas some of the courier companies insist on someone being home all day.

I also noticed that some sites overseas default to USA surface mail - does that mean they don't ship to Oz?

Any advice welcome.

Tfer

Give Lee Valley a go. Besides having fantastic planes, depending on the postage you choose you can have them delivered to your door in as little as 4 days from the time you place your order - from Canada. :2tsup:

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Originally Posted by Tfer

I'm happy to pay a little extra locally,

In particular I'm looking at Lie Nielsen and Veritas

Also how do you get them shipped? I prefer Australia Post because I can always collect them from the local Post Office whereas some of the courier companies insist on someone being home all day.

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these day's I mostly deal directly with either the Australian or US Lie Neilsen web site or the Lee Valley web site

Generally, LN Australia is approximately the US $ price plus postage plus GST
With teh way teh Aussie dollar has gyrated over the past 12 months, there's been ocasions when LN Australia retail (including GST) is cheaper than LN USA plus shipping, others when there's been a substantial difference.

I only consider other US retailers when they have a special on the local (US state) sales tax or shipping. For example Japan Woodworker for one has one or two days each year where the company covers the State sales tax for over the counter sales and gives an equivalent discount for web sales. If you take advantage of this and buy enough things, shipping can effectively be "free"

I have purchased from Lee Valley and got the item shipped to the company mail room.

Of course before I got this shipped to the company mail room, I did confirm if this was ok. Apperantly others in our company have done similar, the odd golf set. :U I am not sure if I was the first to get woodworking items delivered.

Woodwork Heaven and Axminster both in the UK are not bad. Postage is usually better than from USA and the 17.5%VAT is taken off. Can make quite a saving. You need to look at a few options and do the sums.
Regards
John

Thanks guys, I'll give LN USA a go, buy direct as it were. It looks like I'll save a couple of hundred bucks after shipping.