Forrest Woodworker II

[Pat O'malley]

In the last 8 days I picked up two suppose to be new Forrest Woodworker II table saw blades from my local Woodcraft store. The first was definitely used the label was so worn you could hardly read it; the second appears to have some wear marks on the sides, some rust spots and is wrapped in Saran Wrap. My question is for those who have bought one of these. How are these package from Forrest and do they look as new as a blade I would see at HD and other big box stores? Thanks for any info…

[Joe Jensen]

In the last 8 days I picked up two suppose to be new Forrest Woodworker II table saw blades from my local Woodcraft store. The first was definitely used the label was so worn you could hardly read it; the second appears to have some wear marks on the sides, some rust spots and is wrapped in Saran Wrap. My question is for those who have bought one of these. How are these package from Forrest and do they look as new as a blade I would see at HD and other big box stores? Thanks for any info…

The labels are clearly legible, and the teeth are dipped in a protective plastic. They come back that way from every sharpening service I've used, including Forrest. Those do not sound fresh from Forrest...joe

[Mark McGee]

I got a WW 2 from Woodcraft a couple of months ago. It too was rusted and had faded print on it and was wrapped in plastic wrap. I called them and they sent me a replacement. Ask them to make sure they send a blade that is not rusted. They will make it right for you. Ask them to send a call tag for your return shipping so it does not cost you.

[peter de tappan]

I bought a WWII blade from Rockler the sides of which were covered with a pitch like substance and several of whose teeth had carbide shards hanging down into the gullets. Of course I returned it to Rockler but they were never given an explanation from Forrest.

[Jim Becker]

All the new Forrest blades I have ever purchased came with the tips sharp and dipped in a protective coating and the blades were in a white cardboard mailer sleeve-box with green lettering. This is regardless of the source I purchased them from.

[Larry Fox]

Same as Jim for me. Dado King also had the protective plastic goo on the tips.

[Russ Massery]

Ditto on Jim's reply.They even came back that way. When I've gotten blades sharpen by them. Something doesn't sound right.

[Gary Lange]

I would think that if someone wanted a used Forrest Blade they would go to a Woodworkers Flea Market and buy it. I am wondering if these blades are shipped straight from Forrest or if they are coming from the Woodcraft Store. When I pay for a new blade I want a new blade not something that has been reconditioned or just sent in for sharpening.

[Brent Smith]

Wasn't there a problem with Woodworker IIs coming from Amazon a while back?

My Forrest blades have always come as Jim described.

[Pat Germain]

I'm wondering if people are buying the WWII blades, using them, then returning them. I personally witnessed a guy doing just that with a Freud Dado set at Lowe's. He was in front of me at the service desk line. I asked him if he had a problem with the dado set as I had recently purchased the same set. He said it just wasn't what he wanted after all. It was pretty obvious he bought the dado set for one project, cleaned it up and returned it. Dollars to doughnuts, Lowes put that dado set right back on the shelf. Whomever bought it next actually got a used dado set.

I don't know if Woodcraft would accept a returned blade with obvious use, but maybe some retailer is doing just that and Woodcraft and Amazon are getting the returned blades. Or, maybe it's Amazon getting all the returned blades. It's likely whomever accepts returns at Amazon knows nothing about saw blades and doesn't bat an eye. That would explain why people who purchased a WWII at Amazon ended up with a used blade. But I'm not sure how that would happen at Woodcraft; unless the staff just doesn't care and throws a used blade back on the shelf.

I also have a WWII which I purchased at Woodcraft. It had clean, legible packaging and the blade edge was sealed; just as the other folks have described.

[Eric Larsen]

I believe we have a winner!

I'm seeing a LOT more of this lately -- Tap sets where one die has obviously been used, blades that aren't really "new."

As the economy continues to crater, I think this will become more and more prevalent -- people using Lowe's and HD as their personal tool-rental solution.

And Lowe's and HD will naturally (and reasonably) be required to raise prices to compensate.




I'm wondering if people are buying the WWII blades, using them, then returning them. I personally witnessed a guy doing just that with a Freud Dado set at Lowe's. He was in front of me at the service desk line. I asked him if he had a problem with the dado set as I had recently purchased the same set. He said it just wasn't what he wanted after all. It was pretty obvious he bought the dado set for one project, cleaned it up and returned it.

[Ross Ellis]

I had the same thing happen when I bought T&G router bits from Lowe's. I ordered online. Went to store to pick up and the box had a big sticker on it. I didnt think much until I opened it later and it was obviously used. I'm not so sure the store didnt realize it was used. This is why I use my local Hardware store for everything I can. They don't carry many tools and I am forced to subject myself to shopping at Lowe's or Home Depot.

[Tom Henderson2]

I believe we have a winner!

I'm seeing a LOT more of this lately -- Tap sets where one die has obviously been used, blades that aren't really "new."

As the economy continues to crater, I think this will become more and more prevalent -- people using Lowe's and HD as their personal tool-rental solution.

And Lowe's and HD will naturally (and reasonably) be required to raise prices to compensate.

Honestly, I think this has more to do with a lack of personal responsibility than economics. Many folks seem to think that anything they can get away with is OK.

Darn shame.

-TH

[Rusty Elam]

Isn't a lack of personal responsability the reason the economy is in the mess its in? A whole lot of people buying things they could not afford?
Just my 2 cents

[Joe Jensen]

Just one more input. When the thread on Forrest from Amazon started here I assumed it was returns being resold. I would be shocked if Forrest quality control were so bad that they were sending blades out without the tips coated.

Now, what percentage of Amazon.com warehouse employees know how blades are supposed to be packed when said warehouse employees are accepting returns?

I'd be willing to bet and give odds that this is a Woodcraft problem and not Forrest's...joe

[Michael Stanley]

I too purchase a wwII from Woodcraft that had faded print. Having not owned any Forrest products I had no reason to believe that this was not a new blade but considering its performance maybe it was. It never cut as well as several Freud blades that cost half as much. I have always been disappointed with this blade and will most likely never purchase another Forrest product.

[Vic Castello]

These days, whenever I buy something from Lowe's or HD, I almost always carefully open the boxes and check the content before even going up to pay for it, or in my experience, there is at best a 50/50 chance that it is a return, or a part will be missing when I get it home. It seems that sometimes the individual department employees pick up returned items from the refund area, and nobody asks why it was returned. Then, some part time kid tapes the box up later on, and puts it back on the shelf with the manual, and half the screws still missing!

[Pat O'malley]

Thanks for all the info, I debating between calling Forrest or returning it to the Woodcraft store...

[Joe Jensen]

Thanks for all the info, I debating between calling Forrest or returning it to the Woodcraft store...

It seems very likely to be woodcraft selling blades that were used. I doubt this is intentional, just the workers there not knowing any better..joe

[Tom Veatch]

... there is at best a 50/50 chance that it is a return...

Last time I returned something to Lowes, a couple of light fixtures with bad ballasts, I wrote "BAD BALLAST" on the containers in large letters with a felt tip permanent marker to prevent that sort of thing happening. I ususally don't return things if they are servicable.

Six 8' dual lamp HO fixtures and two of them had unservicable ballasts. 33% DOA is simply unacceptable. I guess QA is a thing of the past.:mad:

[Don Bullock]

Thanks for all the info, I debating between calling Forrest or returning it to the Woodcraft store...

I wouldn't hesitate to take it back to Woodcraft. Part of the reason we pay their prices is that we expect a quality product from them. They need to know that's not happening and you're not a satisfied customer. It doesn't sound like a Forrest problem to me unless they have changed their packaging. Even when I bought one of their blades on Amazon a couple of years ago it came packaged like Jim described. I won't buy one from Forrest if this is no longer the case.

[Vic Castello]

Last time I returned something to Lowes, a couple of light fixtures with bad ballasts, I wrote "BAD BALLAST" on the containers in large letters with a felt tip permanent marker to prevent that sort of thing happening. I ususally don't return things if they are servicable.

Six 8' dual lamp HO fixtures and two of them had unservicable ballasts. 33% DOA is simply unacceptable. I guess QA is a thing of the past.:mad:

We could probably start a thread on our negative experiences with Lowes or HD, and it would end up with multiple pages! And, we all know it's the fault of managment, and not the "rank and file", most of whom would do their jobs correctly if somebody only properly taught them how to.

I would think that Woodcraft could be "spotty" because most are individually owned. I've only been to one way out in Allentown, Penn (almost two hour ride for me), and I've never had a problem there. One time they sent me a "birthday" card in the mail, saying that I'd get a 10% discount on my purchases during November. I didn't read the fine print which said this offer excluded power tools, and I went out there for a dust collector. The salesman said I couldn't get the discount on it, but when the woman who owns the store found out I had travelled so far, she gave me the discount anyway. That's how you keep customers!

BTW...she did asked for proof that I really came almost two hours to visit the store!

[JohnT Fitzgerald]

I agree with all the comments about people 'using' items once and returning them as a cheap way of 'renting'.

there was an article in the paper not too long ago about people doing that for pretty much everything - winter boots, clothes, jewelry, electronics. They interviewed one guy that had bought some sort of portable DVD player so he could use it on an upcoming trip - fully planning to return it when he got back, since he would never buy something that expensive. Maybe I was raised wrong, but I don't know if I could ever do that.

[Brian Backner]

While I had heard of people doing that at the local BORG, there is a serious problem with the situation you describe - at least here in good ole "Taxachusetts."

Here, it is illegal to sell anything returned to a store as new - unless the box/container was clearly never opened by the original purchaser. I once bought something as new that clearly had been a returned item (looked like it had been through a war or two). The store gave me a hard time - until I called the state's attorney general's office of consumer affairs. When I threatened the store (I gave them a copy of the state's pertinent law), the manager grumbled a little, but gave me a full refund - I didn't want a replacement and made him aware that he had lost one customer for good. None of my friends go there now as well.

Anyway, check with your state's consumer protection division if they won't make it right.

Brian

[John Schreiber]

I wonder if these might be counterfeit. I keep reading about knockoffs made illegally and then sold into the US market as real.

[Neal Clayton]

Wasn't there a problem with Woodworker IIs coming from Amazon a while back?

My Forrest blades have always come as Jim described.

last one i got from amazon came as described. plastic dipped and set in a white cardboard box. this was about ~5 months ago.

[Joe Jensen]

I wonder if these might be counterfeit. I keep reading about knockoffs made illegally and then sold into the US market as real.

Interesting thought. Apparently the top designer brands did a sweep in Japan for conterfeits. They found an average of 40% of the product in their "AUTHORIZED MERCHANTS" was counterfeit. Pretty sad...joe

[Dave Lehnert]

I wonder if these might be counterfeit. I keep reading about knockoffs made illegally and then sold into the US market as real.

I purchased a "Forest" brand blade at a discount store for 1.99. China junk.


Are you sure it is a name brand "Forrest" and not a china "forest" (as spelled in your title line) brand

[glenn bradley]

Mine came from Amazon and was dipped and in cardboard as described.