I never buy anything made by oldham, either their name brand stuff or their off name prouducts like “Viper router bits” made by oldham. Aparently they have noticed that other people won’t buy thier stuff either because they have released a new line of table saw blades called “woodworkers choice” That don’t have the Oldham name visable anywhere on the package. But when you take the blade out of the package you find the name underneath. That is just not right.
I can’t think of any reason a company would hide thier name unless they had something to be ashamed of. And they do. The blade sucks by the way, serves me right for trying to save a buck.
Justus
Replies
Return it, get your money back?
Do they have a satisfaction guarantee?
Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark, Professional build the Titanic.
Edited 5/1/2003 2:27:13 PM ET by CAG
That's not a bad idea. Justus Koshiol
Running Pug Construction
Hey, man, they gotta dispose of some blades. Just like Perdue chicken. He puts his name on the prime grade yardbird and the rest gets sold as "Country crock" or something. You probably got some in your freezer.
No, wait, I think its called Holly farms.
I recently bought a drill press from HD; don't remember the brand. Box was shrink-wrapped, and may have had plastic strapping. Went to set it up and it just wasn't right. Base was drilled for 4 bolts, flange for 3, that sort of thing. And it was a bit rusty, right out of the box.
Packed it back into the carton, hauled it back up the cellar stairs, out to the car, back to HD. Returns clerk spotted the problem right away: someone had bought a drill press, packed up his (or her) old one in the box, and returned it for a refund. Guy at the store says it happens all the time.
Got my money back and went elsewhere.
EllenVic
reminds me of the time we found water and used paper towels in a coupla gallon cans of paint we just bought!
Who ever it was....they musta spent more time cleaning up than money they saved.
They did a great job though. Couldn't tell from the outside of the can.
JeffBuck Construction Pittsburgh,PA
Fine Carpentery.....While U Waite
I'm usually suspicious of anything from the big boxes that has been opened or has no factory seal.
Ken Hill
Yeah, be real careful with that, always find a box that looks pristine.
I picked up a melimine cabinet unassembled in a box and didn't realize till I was home that it had been "previously assmbled" taken apart and returned with many parts missing. Who ever received it at HD just sealed the top back up and stuck it on the shelf. Quality control. Justus Koshiol
Running Pug Construction
I had the samething happen with a tool that I bought from a local well know hardware store that was having a "tool day". Tents setup with demo tools and reps for several different brands.
And I think that it came off the distributors truck.
It was the right tool and everything, but was covered with sawdust. Must have been a demo unit that got put back in the box and put back in the truck when they finished the demos at the the last place that they had been.
Just for the record, the box with the drill press looked factory sealed. It had plastic strapping and plastic wrap, I'm pretty sure. The guy at the return desk said, "Well, we're supposed to check everything that's returned..." and then he just shrugged.
Now what makes me nervous is the self-service checkout. I like it...it gets me out fast when the lines are long. But it means nobody is even glancing at the credit card or the signature.
EllenVic
It's not like they do when there is a person standing there. Most of the time they don't even ask for ID with a check. It's laziness pure and simple. Justus Koshiol
Running Pug Construction
some years ago my wife used to work security at one of the world's biggest bookstores- the tattered cover in denver- and before the owner (very nice, but very liberal and waaaaay too trusting) finally figured out she needed more "loss/shrinkage control", she just had a couple people on duty keeping an eye on dozens of customers (a couple hundred during the holidays) at any one time. since you didn't need a receipt for a CASH refund- and their inventory control was not very sophisticated at the time- crooks were just picking up expensive art, architecture and medical books off the shelves, taking them over to a cash register for a cash refund without ever even having to risk taking the merchandise out of the store!
and the other major problem was the fact that any of 100 or more employees could take any book home- on the honor system, no sign out or anything- so long as they brought it back in new, saleable condition. a relative handful of bad apples was costing them hundreds of $$ a week.
m
It amazes me they let this happen 'all the time'. Why let a thief get away with it? They should have a name, surveliance video, possibly a credit card number of who bought the drill press to begin with. It floors me that they simply accept things without looking at them, and then throw them back on the shelf and sell them. I can think of few things that would more blatently say 'we don't care about our customers.' It's too hard to look at returns closely. Much easier to waste legitimate customer's time returning crap we shouldn't have sold to begin with.
Reminds me when I bought a Diablo blade at HD, the first one I picked up had been used hard, definate wear swirls in the red coating on the side. Those SOB's were selling it as if it were new. Why do they wish to defraud another customer? I've used mine a lot, still looks new. That one looked like it was about worn out.
Really should have called the tool guy over and raised a stink. I see it again, I will. Someone who doesn't know better will get ripped off buying a worn out blade, and Freud will get a bad rap for it.
Hey guys....I can go you one better. A friend of mine and his family own a sucessful lumberyard. People would come in and shoplift tools, then take them to HD and get a full refund for them! Until recently, HD was not requiring a receipt for merchadise they take back.....the thief got away with cash.
Hadn't thought of that. Our HD still doesn't require a receipt, but you don't get cash back, just a store credit card. Guess that takes away some of the incentive for those who need drug money, but I'm sure it still happens to some extent.
That's really gotta suck as a small buisiness owner.
(Agree with everyone, no factory seal, no buy at HD.)
Justus, curious why not Oldham? I've heard OK to good things about their bandsaw blades recently, and I have a few Viper router bits, no complaints but not a tonof usage either? Anything particular?
If everything seems to be going well, you've obviously overlooked something.
Well... This last blade (right out of the package) cut so roughly that I thought I might have missaligned the fence, Checked that, no problem. Then I checked that I hadn't gotten someting in the arbor between the blade, Nope, then I installed my trusty Freud combo blade and had a glass smooth cut, Reinstalled the Oldham/Wood workers Choice and again had a sawmill rough cut. I will try and take it back tomorrow.
But previously>>>
I bought a oldham ripping blade for my table saw and had very poor results with it, very rough cut, and if I didn't feed the wood in very slowly it would bog down quickly. The same saw preformed beautifully with a Freud ripping blade installed.
Then not having learned my lesson I purchased a Oldham laminate blade for my cricular saw and again had very poor performance.
But the best was that I didn't realize that Oldham made Viper bits, I bought a 3/4 flush trimming bit and again had poor results. The bit wasn't perfectly straight, or the bearing was seizing because it left that tell tale impression on the wood that usually means that your router has too much run out. Except that mine doesn't and with a Freud or CMT bit it performs flawlessly.
That was enough for me. I don't doubt that you have good performance with yours but I'm going to stick with Freud and CMT. Maybe someday I'll get a Forrest.( Bosch makes good bits too. )
Justus Koshiol
Running Pug Construction
Edited 5/2/2003 5:27:38 PM ET by Justus
Nevermind. I replied kinda ignorantly. I was at WW store today, and saw boxes of blades with big OLSON on 'em. The blades I was hearing good about were Olson bandsaw blades, not Oldham. My Viper experience remains the same, but I heard Oldham and thought Olson. No experience with Oldham.If everything seems to be going well, you've obviously overlooked something.
I bought a couple Oldham "Trade Duty" or "Super Duty" (one of those two names) circ saw blades a while back...each barely lasted a day on my framing crew. They were bad about jumping back on you too. I'll trade 10 Oldham blades for one good Marathon (Irwin) blade any day.
I haven't tried Marathon but they look like they are quality made. I've been using a DeWalt concrete blade (the black one) for hardi plank and hardi backer. Works great and I've been using the same blade for a long time now. I know that Marathon Irwin has a blade especially for hardi plank, has anyone tried it? Justus Koshiol
Running Pug Construction
common all you complainers!
Everything had got it's uses. Ever see those clocks with a saw blade for the face?.
Excellence is its own reward!
I thought about that too, but the dang thing probably wouldn't keep good time!Justus Koshiol
Running Pug Construction
I've never heard of Oldham blades until this discussion.
Just happens I'm helping my BIL finish part of his basement. Using his Delta mitersaw, and the saw is just really bogging down cutting 2x4's. Tell him he needs to buy a new blade.
Get looking at it, and sure enough it says Oldham on it. But, I have no idea how old it is. I know his teenage sons tend to cut with the miter saw in karate chop fashion. Pull the trigger and chop down. Sometimes the blade even gets up to speed before hitting the wood. Been teaching them how too use the saw.
I told him to get a dewalt blade. I've found them to be good blades, easy to find, and lots of people I recommend them to know little to nothing about tools. Telling them to buy a bright yellow blade seems to help ensure they actually buy them. If not, and I'm helping whenever I go pick up materials on their dime I throw a new blade on the stack. Do you guys like the Dewalt blades?
Try red instead. Freud. Seem to last longer. Tougher. They use modified C4 and DeFault uses a medium C3 carbide. Marthon is better than DeFault.
Well, I use dewalt blades on my circular saw. And on my miter saw. Had good luck with all of them so far.
For my tablesaw I just bought a Freud ripping and a Freud 80 tooth crosscutting blade. Both are wonderful. Next blade I buy will probably be for the circular saw. Probably will try the Freud.
But, I'm a hobbyist, so a good blade is just about a lifetime purchase for me. Gotta get the money together to build my shop, then I can wear out some blades. <G>
Of course, in most cases these blades replaced old worn out Craftsman blades, so maybe I wouldn't know a good blade if it bit me.<G>
Didn't really say DeFault was a bad blade, but there is better to be had. Freud seems to be a very good bang for the buck. There are much better blades still.
I know there are better blades out there. Read lots of discussions on the subject.
You have to understand lately I've helped some friends and relatives with simple projects. Anything would be an improvement over the 'blades' on their saws. I try to tell them something they'll remember, see all the bright yellow tools, pick up a blade with that name on it. Ok.
One project I just happened into, and helped him redesign, he was using a craftsman skill saw with the original non-carbide blade on it. It was the only saw he owned, so I forced it through a few 2x4's so we could put the roof together. He found it hard to believe the blade didn't work well. I showed him the black ends of the boards we'd cut and told him they should still be brown. Any burn marks are a bad thing. One solid burn mark and clouds of smoke is a really bad thing.
But, judging from his skill level it might be better if he keeps using the old blade until the saw burns up. If he's smart he'll never replace it.
never had much luck with any "tool brand" blades, have sawa by makita, delta, porter cable and dewalt. found the blades that came with them to be junk
i buy nothing but freud mostly because of local stock i guess, but have found them to excellent
with a new blade in my circular saw i can cut melamine sheets perfectly on both sides
not sure what Makita you are talking about - not familiar with their circular saw blades, but, the one that came on my LS1013 Sliding Miter Saw is very good
Although I have little experience with a miter saw (being a framer) I can tell you, there are two brands of blades I recommend for circular saws for framing: DeWalt and Marathon (Irwin). The DeWalts work well until the yellow rim coating wears off, then they start to degrade more rapidly (for us that's usually one to two days). The original Marathon blade, however, cuts well for a considerable amount of time. I also wouldn't buy the newer Marathon Plus blade (with the little red circle in the middle); they work well new but degrade very quickly and can't stand any nails or unsupported cutting. I've been meaning to try the Freud 24-tooth blade, but I'll have to wait until I use up all my other blades (or until I get a raise LOL). Besides, I'm naturally against anything the sales guy from HD "recommends" to me.
Best blades, IMHO-
Circular saw- ####
Miter and table saws- Systematic, Forrest
Ken Hill
Wow, how come the censor blanked out the word '####'?
Ken Hill
Oh, I get it. It's the middle part of the brand name that contains the slang term for fecal matter!
Try again: M A T S U S H I T A
Ken Hill
A couple of years ago I bought two Oldham 7 1/4" blades and the first one didn't cut worth a darn , when I put on # two I noticed it was missing a few teeth. When I brought them back I dumped them outa the bag on the counter and the missing teeth came outa the bag too! It looked like they were just glued on. Rik