Fittings - which are the best
Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: Dinghy classes
Forum Name: Dinghy development
Forum Discription: The latest moves in the dinghy market
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3107
Printed Date: 14 Jul 25 at 2:55pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.665y - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Fittings - which are the best
Posted By: glewis
Subject: Fittings - which are the best
Date Posted: 20 Jun 07 at 9:06am
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Morning, Friend of mine is buying a new Phantom and has the option of which type of fittings he can have - at a cost obviously.
So, which are the best nowadays, or are they all pretty much similar? Giles Solution 414
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Replies:
Posted By: craiggo
Date Posted: 20 Jun 07 at 9:09am
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Harken every time, although if you are on a budget Ronstan are next in line.
Never touch HOLT. Cheap, nasty and horrible and they dont last very long |
Posted By: jeffers
Date Posted: 20 Jun 07 at 9:18am
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I agree Harken or Ronstan, I would not touch Holt with a bargepole (had a Holt auto ratchet, it lasted 2 days then broke so i took it back for a refund).
------------- Paul ---------------------- D-Zero GBR 74 |
Posted By: timnoyce
Date Posted: 20 Jun 07 at 9:36am
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Not that I want to show any bias but there is a cracking video on the Harken site! http://www.harken.com/harkenvideo-lg.php - HERE ------------- http://www.facebook.com/bearfootdesign - BEARFOOT DESIGN Cherub 2648 - Comfortably Numb |
Posted By: Crafty
Date Posted: 20 Jun 07 at 10:09am
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I reckon that harken is the best, just wondering what are your thoughts "fredirekson" , ive heard they do good racthet blocks ------------- Laser Radial/4.7 144929 |
Posted By: JimC
Date Posted: 20 Jun 07 at 10:17am
| I think there are good and bad fittings from all suppliers. I tend to mix and match. Ronstan seem a good compromise for price against durability for blocks. Holt's basic metal work is all plenty good enough and they have the best range, Harken don't have much of a choice in that area and are horribly expensive for what are basically strips of pressed steel. Holts blocks tend to be shortest lived, although their new range looks pretty neat and I have no long term experience of them. |
Posted By: combat wombat
Date Posted: 20 Jun 07 at 10:31am
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Holt aren't bad blocks despite what other people say. I would fit my boat with Holt over Ronstan as they are crap. On the B14 we have Holt autoratchets for the kite sheets, they are about 5 hard racing seasons old and still work just fine - and anyone who has sailed a B14 will know the kite sheet loads aren't insignificant. Blocks just need maintenance ie lubrication occasionally and wash the salt out of them each time you come off the water. Having said that, if I had the choice I would fit out a new boat in Harken throughout. I've almost got rid of all the Ronstan rubbish on my boat although Ovi's insist on using it on their masts and booms. ------------- B14 GBR 772 |
Posted By: Scooby_simon
Date Posted: 20 Jun 07 at 10:34am
Harken and Freds all he way  ------------- Wanna learn to Ski - PM me.. |
Posted By: FireballNeil
Date Posted: 20 Jun 07 at 12:13pm
| I sailed a 29er at the weekend with freddies instead of harkens which are what I am used to and they seemed really good, the non carbo harkens seem really heavy for no real reason, these freddies were quite old and had been used to death but the still seemed really good |
Posted By: gary
Date Posted: 20 Jun 07 at 12:22pm
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Any of Harken/Holt/Ronstan/Freds should do the job. As combat wombat says its all about boat maintainance. I've seen many a harken equipped boat retire due to gear failure when they're not looked after. I sailed a couple of seasons in a boat that was Holt throuout and never had a problem, BUT the owner was mad keen on boat maintainace - as soon as anything started showing signs of wear, of it didn't work quite right it was sorted out. Its the same with my boat now, there's all sorts of different makes of fittings on there but it always gets checked over and de sanded/salted after use, then sorted out if its not right. We very rarely have any probems.
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Posted By: Jack Sparrow
Date Posted: 20 Jun 07 at 12:30pm
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don't forget Spinlock not masses of lines but what they make is good quality ------------- http://www.uk3-7class.org/index.html" rel="nofollow - Farr 3.7 Class Website https://www.facebook.com/groups/1092602470772759/" rel="nofollow - Farr 3.7 Building - Facebook Group |
Posted By: Smight at BBSC
Date Posted: 20 Jun 07 at 1:00pm
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Well there's 2 types of holt there's the cheap nasty all plastic blocks and then there's the new range "dynamic" range which are very good and affordable ------------- RS600 988 |
Posted By: BBSCFaithfull
Date Posted: 20 Jun 07 at 9:20pm
The expensive holt blocks are ok. Ronstan are ok but harken ARE the dogs nuts. Never had a harken fail on me. Where as ive had plenty of holt and ronstan blocks give up the ghost! Even if you cant afford harken, buy harken . Especially for high load boats like 14s and 49ers etc i wouldnt use anything else.I dont think there is one holt fitting on my boat! ------------- Greatfully Sponsored By www.allgoodfun.com Int 14 GBR 1503!! |
Posted By: combat wombat
Date Posted: 20 Jun 07 at 9:24pm
I think there are some blocks that don't need to be expensive and gucci... in which case RWO (gasp) does me fine, eg control line take ups, tackline/kite halyard take ups. The important thing is to spend money where it is needed. ------------- B14 GBR 772 |
Posted By: Lukepiewalker
Date Posted: 20 Jun 07 at 10:08pm
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As CW says, spend the money where it is needed... That said I go Harken meself. Then Ronstan. Don't have any Holt kicking about but I haven't been impressed with what I've seen (specifically a Holt wire frame mainsheet jammer thingy that I saw self destruct on a GP14 last year, the replacement for which has also self destructed.....) |
Posted By: Granite
Date Posted: 20 Jun 07 at 10:18pm
I don't think you have been trying hard enough. spiniker halliard blocks just do not last, even harken. I have a full range from Harken where it matters to cheap plain bearing ones for elastic takeaways and probably most things in between. ------------- If it doesn't break it's too heavy; if it does it wasn't built right |
Posted By: timeintheboat
Date Posted: 21 Jun 07 at 10:59pm
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Ronstan stuff is OK by me - their blocks seem to the the right size. Harken cleats every time though. As others have said use what is needed for the job.
------------- Like some other things - sailing is more enjoyable when you do it with someone else |
Posted By: Skiffman
Date Posted: 22 Jun 07 at 10:51am
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ronstan are rubbish, they are heavy and do break! Harken and Holt are both good but holt is better. Spinlock cleats break all the time, tryed and tested on the 49er and tornado and they always can't hold the load. But if used in low load areas then they are better than a standard cleat. In the 49er use almost completly holt blocks along with the best like Draper/Hiscocks, Stevie/Ben, Iker/Xavier the list goes on and on. We go sailing at least 4 days a week for more than 3 hours each time so we put lots of time on our blocks and they never break because we make sure they dont. also the old holt blocks are the best blocks in the world for the top of 49er masts for the kite halyard and if anyone has any lieing around because they think they are rubbish then please send them this way. ------------- 49er GBR5 http://www.teamfletcherandsign.co.uk - teamfletcherandsign.co.uk Team Fletcher and Sign campaign site |
Posted By: andy_cherub
Date Posted: 22 Jun 07 at 11:13am
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HAHA so anything goes - harken high load, ronstan everything else and jus FORGET about holt! I have, every time I fitted one it litterly just exploded! started to see a pattern! Never used them since nor will I ever again. I have a freddy main ratched, is pretty but wears down quickly - so back on the harken! ------------- -12ft skiff, Team 'CST Composites' -Many thanks goes out to all of my sponsors. Ignore my user name, my views are of a 12ft skiff |
Posted By: glewis
Date Posted: 22 Jun 07 at 11:17am
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Thanks for everyone's input, intersting to see, wonder if the manffacturer's in quesiton are reading this forum?
Playing devil's advocate with this question so don't have a go - when people say that fittings explode, are you buying the correct fitting for the job?
Giles Solution 414 |
Posted By: andy_cherub
Date Posted: 22 Jun 07 at 11:38am
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Typical example of Holt - got some for noyceys cherub spinny halyard believe it was (long time ago). Marked as capible of ALOT of force, so they werent on the edge or anything, yet, hoist - BANG! GRRRR Needless to say there are none on my 12fter! ------------- -12ft skiff, Team 'CST Composites' -Many thanks goes out to all of my sponsors. Ignore my user name, my views are of a 12ft skiff |
Posted By: Jack Sparrow
Date Posted: 22 Jun 07 at 12:44pm
I think as you have a 3ft wide HOLT sitcker on your 49er and are no doubt needing all the sponsorship you can get for your Olympic bid we can take the HOLT love with a pinch of salt.  It would seem from the majority of posters that there Holt gear doesn't stand up. Maybe you have HARKEN with Holt logos on As for Spinlock I've always found it's good gear that lasts. ------------- http://www.uk3-7class.org/index.html" rel="nofollow - Farr 3.7 Class Website https://www.facebook.com/groups/1092602470772759/" rel="nofollow - Farr 3.7 Building - Facebook Group |
Posted By: FireballNeil
Date Posted: 22 Jun 07 at 3:06pm
| Similar story with the RMW 18footer, on the smack down under DVD thye plug the holt blocks but a shot of the hull clealry shows freddies on all the high load ratchets! |
Posted By: glewis
Date Posted: 22 Jun 07 at 3:09pm
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Must watch my copy of Smack Down Under again!
Would anyone who works for these manufacturers care to respond? |
Posted By: combat wombat
Date Posted: 22 Jun 07 at 3:32pm
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I have a feeling that blocks are all part of the "my boat is better than yours and I have more money than you" type argument. Holt blocks work and aren't crap. All this "my holt block exploded before I even took it out the packet" and "I sail my boat so hard I always break stuff" is just ridiculous. It is against the law to state that products do something that they do not and products must be "fit for purpose". Holt cannot sell stuff that is claimed to be better than it is so it is extremely unlikely that they do so. If my blocks kept on breaking, I would start looking at other parts of the boat (ie myself) as the reason why. If you have a case, read s.14 Sale of Goods Act 1979. For a Solution, Holt blocks will do you fine. Low loads and minimal line speed means you will not notice the difference between Harken and Holt. ------------- B14 GBR 772 |
Posted By: JimC
Date Posted: 22 Jun 07 at 4:01pm
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There's no doubt that fittings do vary in quality but I would never say one supplier is better than another. I might say supplier one's XXX is better than supplier two's , but supplier two's YYY may well be better than supplier one's.
Its also fair to say that some jobs seem to exceed what most suppliers kit can cope with. I used to find that Cherub masthead kite halyard blocks were very short lived and I slaughtered some Harkens in that application. I can't remember what the best option was now, but frequent replacement was wise. The suppliers would probably spec some enormous solid thing to take the loads and speed, but who would want that at the masthead? I have good evidence that the old Holt black and white blocks were shorter lived than Harkens in moderate load conditions, and at half the price that was fair enough. The latest Holt blocks are an entirely different design and look pretty good: it would be foolish to assume that the same applies. |
Posted By: glewis
Date Posted: 22 Jun 07 at 4:05pm
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Something I have noticed as general trend in this thread, and it may just be me, is that when people say that blocks fail they are referring to their use on high performance boats.
I would have thought that given these types of boats have been around for some years now that manufacturers would have solved the issues around the high loads prevelant and block failure.
Giles Solution 414 |
Posted By: FireballNeil
Date Posted: 22 Jun 07 at 4:06pm
I watched it the other night and noticed it, somewhere near the beginning I think where they are introducing the team ------------- Neil 
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Posted By: Smight at BBSC
Date Posted: 22 Jun 07 at 5:05pm
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Some very good points but it seems to me the most sensible cause of blocks spontaneously "exploding" is that ropes with high loads like spinnaker haliards and the like make very effective saws and will quite happily saw through plastic. I'm sure once your rope sawsthrough you block it would give the impression of exploding because everything, such as bearings etc, would fall out . ------------- RS600 988 |
Posted By: Granite
Date Posted: 22 Jun 07 at 6:12pm
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Spinnaker halyard blocks on high performance boats have a hard life, they have to cope with running fast on the hoists and drops, some times under high load when things get stuck. Then there is the shock loads when the kite flogs not to mention doing this full of mud and sand after you have stuck the mast in the mud. some seem to cope much better than others. On sheet loads if you cut the weight of the boat you cut the loads(keeping sail area the same) ------------- If it doesn't break it's too heavy; if it does it wasn't built right |
Posted By: Chas 505
Date Posted: 22 Jun 07 at 10:20pm
------------- Life is too short. Work Hard; Play Hard; Sail a 505 |
Posted By: spin cycle
Date Posted: 22 Jun 07 at 11:19pm
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Having hammered through harken ronstan and holt ball bearing blocks on the 14 the biggest lesson I learnt is to go for the best block for the job ie harken or ronstan high load blocks on the kite halyard rather than the standard ball bearing blocks and check it reguarly. Rachets holt are okay if they work but i have heard to many problems of them not working but when one failed on my wife's new 200 i just told the dealer and got a replacement next day no quibbles. For high load wire or dyneema (shrouds or jib halyards) holt or proctor wire blocks were definetly the only blocks I used. as for why smods use holt it was normally due to them being cheaper and at least supporting some british industry. For the orginal question which was for a phantom my recomandation is for the main sheet harken carbo blocks and ronstan rachet. kicker block at boom holt wire block rest of system harken 16mm air blocks. Out haul and cunningham, harken airs as them are the lightest. adjustable shrouds holt or proctor. Cleats harken or spinlock depending on set up of your controls The best thing is to go to a class open meeting and look at the top boats and speak to the sailors to see if they have made any mods to the standard option and ask for that. p.s due to the weak dollar at one stage rs were willing to do a harken fit out for the same price
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Posted By: Paramedic
Date Posted: 23 Jun 07 at 8:41am
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My boats have had mostly Holt blocks - 0 breakages in 7 years. Of course that's probably because they are not loaded above their rating, and the fittings that are highly loaded (jib cascade or top kicker block) were the wire version and designed to carry the load. Fittings can receive severe shocks in gusts and waves especially in high performance boats. The spinnaker halyard block really ought to be a wire block i would have thought for an assymetric kite that would get around the saw problem. I'm not a fan of the Holt alanite cleats, though the metal ones are better. I actually prefer the RWO servo 11 if the control doesn't warrant the super £ching Harkens. As an aside has anyone else tried the Clamcleats with cages? I've got some on my boat and they are fantastic (Spinnaker halyard, and pole vangs). |
Posted By: Merlinboy
Date Posted: 23 Jun 07 at 8:46am
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A holt block literally exploded on the 14 downhall a while back, but i just think it was a friday afternoon job, and wouldn't stop buying holt because of it! Was quite interesting big bang and ball bearings every where i should imagine if we sent the block back to holt they would replace it ------------- |
Posted By: Guest
Date Posted: 25 Jun 07 at 1:35pm
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When the Musto Skiff was first launched it had Holt fittings, these were then changed to Harken. When we did a survey in 2003 there were similar numbers of Holt & Harken equiped boats and here is a link to what people thought. Scroll down to question 14 http://www.mustoskiff.com/survey/survey-results-2003.htm - http://www.mustoskiff.com/survey/survey-results-2003.htm
------------- |
Posted By: Jack Sparrow
Date Posted: 25 Jun 07 at 1:54pm
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well that sort of says it quite clearly. but what power Brand? Afterall VW do make Skoda and how many on here would buy Skoda? ------------- http://www.uk3-7class.org/index.html" rel="nofollow - Farr 3.7 Class Website https://www.facebook.com/groups/1092602470772759/" rel="nofollow - Farr 3.7 Building - Facebook Group |
Posted By: carshalton fc
Date Posted: 25 Jun 07 at 2:19pm
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i have always found ronstan very good for blocks, harken auto rachets for the spinni sheets, expensive but very good and a standard hraken rachet on the mainsheet. ------------- International 14 1503 |
Posted By: Guest
Date Posted: 25 Jun 07 at 2:19pm
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Quite ... however a Skoda is not VW with a different badge, whilst there are components in the Skoda that have Audi & VW markings a friend who works in the industry told me whilst they often use the same tooling for components they don't use the same grade of materials ... ------------- |
Posted By: mike ellis
Date Posted: 25 Jun 07 at 2:39pm
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i have a harken ratchet block on my laser main sheet, the cleets for downhaul/outhaul are holt, the blocks on outhaul are standard holt same for downhaul, and im reasonably sure that the kiker is holt. no problems on any of them yet. apart from the mainsheet block at the back of the boom which comes from laser (i think) and has been worn alot where it is connected to the boom (plastic casing, metal eye, work it out). does anyone know if you are allowed to change these blocks on boom and horse for something that wont wear itself out? ------------- 600 732, will call it Sticks and Stones when i get round to it. Also International 14, 1318 |
Posted By: BigFatStan
Date Posted: 25 Jun 07 at 2:40pm
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Well some of the manufacturers are watching this thread... It does occur to me that when a block keeps "blowing up" in a given application then just possibly there may be something wrong with the block selection process... Most people will select a block by
You also need to consider
If a block needs high line speed (asymetric sheets, spinnaker halyard etc) then the bearing system needs to be designed for that in order to optimise low friction while still giving decent strength. A bigger diameter sheave will always turn more freely, all else being equal, and a smaller line will run freer, again all else being equal. If the block carries a high static load (top block of a kicker cascade, genoa halyard blocks etc) then the bearing needs to be designed not to deform under those loads. You can't use wire through a plastic sheaved block, and consider how the block has to turn and move with a shifting direction of load - if the line starts wearing on the cheek of the block something will give eventually - line or block. You shouldn't use a triple block to lead three control lines to the cleats because the loads on the lines are not equal and the block will tilt - friction and wear follow. Sometimes you need a block that is good for a high static load but also needs to be relatively easy to spin (49er kite halyard anyone?). There are blocks out there which will perform in that application (lets face it - an America's Cup boat has a much higher load and a much higher line speed and they survive....) but they tend to be heavier and more expensive.... So... having realised that you make a choice - one block to live for a while, accepting the extra weight, or accept that you will be changing that block frequently. Whichever manufacturer you choose make sure the block is the right type and it should perform to its specification - if it doesn't, consider the above. Then go out and buy the coolest ones... |
Posted By: Smight at BBSC
Date Posted: 25 Jun 07 at 7:46pm
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I think it was said earlier spend money were you need to there's no point buying harken carbo blocks for a boat breaker for example but you need decent blocks on your masthead spinny or a nice rachet on the main to make your life easier. ------------- RS600 988 |
Posted By: getafix
Date Posted: 25 Jun 07 at 8:59pm
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Harken are the best, the reason you pay all that money is because they're well made, with good materials, by a privately owned company that has had the right mentality for the business since they started out making ball blocks for ice yachts. IMHO they still have the same philosophy as they did when the brothers started the company - they just want to make good products they'd want to use on their own ice yachts or boats, and they listen to what good sailors & designers ask them for and put that into practice. Yep, they don't have the massive range Holt do and yes, Ronstan/Freddy make some nice products (for years the Fred micro track was the business, till Harken made one), and yes I'm biased..... but, I'm still using a #019 hexaratchet I bought more than 15years ago and have transferred from boat to boat in that time, all 15yrs in salt water sailing with regular clean water wash out but not much care beyond it and I'll never use a different cleat on any dinghy... there is only one you can cleat and un-cleat, hiked or trapezing under no load or full load, nice and easy time after time... yup, the harken #150
------------- Feeling sorry for vegans since it became the latest fad to claim you are one |
Posted By: WildWood
Date Posted: 27 Jun 07 at 1:25pm
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Any advice on using rope through a wire type block, for example if replacing a wire cascade kicker with rope (dynema) and still using the same blocks. Presumably if the rope diameter is the same as the wire was there shouldn't be a problem? ------------- |
Posted By: BigFatStan
Date Posted: 28 Jun 07 at 10:34am
There will be no problems running dyneema through a wire block - you will probably find that the manufacturer quotes a bigger max rope size than max wire size - this is due to the greater strength of wire - a one inch wire block might be stronger than 2mm wire but big enough for 4mm dyneema (but the block will not be stronger than 4mm wire - hence if you put larger wire through you'll be out of warranty - and also thicker rope will happily go round a smaller sheave than the same thickness wire). My vang top block is a one inch wire block with 3 mm dyneema through it - works a treat. |
Posted By: WildWood
Date Posted: 28 Jun 07 at 11:57am
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Thanks Stan, that was what I thought. I've just replaced the wire with 3mm dynemma and it seems to work fine. 3mm dynemma should be plenty strong enough as well - probably stronger than the wire block max load infact.... ------------- |
Posted By: gary
Date Posted: 28 Jun 07 at 1:18pm
| Be careful that the rope you use isn't thin enough to slip down between the pully and the sheeve. I have change a wire cascade to rope on my boat and upped the diameter a little to stop this |
Posted By: chic
Date Posted: 28 Jun 07 at 1:40pm
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I have had experience with what Gary notes and it is a real issue - in the attempt to lower friction by using smaller diameter spectra there's a real chance that the line will jam between sheave and block, pulling the entire block apart! Neither are Harken blocks immune, I have broken a couple of high-load blocks this way. |
Posted By: timnoyce
Date Posted: 28 Jun 07 at 1:57pm
| But surely the diameter of the dyneema isn't thinner than that of the wire is it? I would have thought that 3 or 4 mm would be perfect for a cascade, no point going any thinner. |
Posted By: MainlySwimming
Date Posted: 28 Jun 07 at 2:02pm
| Anyone tried the new Ronstan Orbit ratchet blocks yet? The ones that have on / off and auto settings? |
Posted By: timnoyce
Date Posted: 28 Jun 07 at 3:33pm
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We've got a pair but they've yet to make it onto a boat. First glimpse is a definite WOW, they look very trick and are very light. I'll give you an update once I've tried them out on the water as I think that is where it actually counts
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Posted By: gary
Date Posted: 28 Jun 07 at 4:58pm
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True, but dyneema and lightening rope can be flattened into much thinner than the diameter, and can then slip down the side of the pulley.It can be a big probelm when using rope on blocks meant for wire. With wire this is much less of an issue. It happened on my strut mid race and totally jammed it up. I've got thicker rope on there now and it works a treat. |
Posted By: Smight at BBSC
Date Posted: 29 Jun 07 at 4:36pm
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That happens on our 200 outhaul we had to get a new wheel for the back of the boom as the rope had sawed through the last one.
------------- RS600 988 |
Posted By: bovlike
Date Posted: 29 Jun 07 at 8:08pm
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yup i got a pair just before the musto skiff worlds. very cool looking, very very light, they work realy well i was using the in auto mode. and they are not to expensive. about £45 each but i do have a large ronstan logo on my sail. ------------- Ian (Bov) Turnbull 18ft Skiff Ronstan UK http://www.ianturnbullmarine.co.uk - Chandlery, tapered ropes and specialist solutions for sailors who demand the best - BovBoats.co.uk |
Posted By: Graham T
Date Posted: 29 Jun 07 at 8:43pm
| Bah humbug - I liked the look of the Ronstans but my chandler told me they were manual switching so I have ordered a pair of harken carbo ratchomatatics instead for a lot more money....... And I still have no blocks for the weekend! |
Posted By: MainlySwimming
Date Posted: 02 Jul 07 at 8:55am
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Just looking at the Orbit Ratchet on the web and saw this: http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1118103371311571833317&id=833019 - http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|118|103371|31157 1|833317&id=833019 Yes - those lovely blocks that bovlike happily paid £45 for are available mail order in the US for $43 (or about £27).... I wonder how much LDC / P&B pay for theirs..... |
Posted By: mike ellis
Date Posted: 02 Jul 07 at 9:45am
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they probably get another discount for buying in bulk too. ------------- 600 732, will call it Sticks and Stones when i get round to it. Also International 14, 1318 |
Posted By: timnoyce
Date Posted: 02 Jul 07 at 10:46am
Don't forget that LDC and P&B are businesses though. Their workers do like to get paid at the end of the month just like everyone else! |
Posted By: 7BOS
Date Posted: 02 Jul 07 at 11:49am
| I guess from that defender.com is a registered charity without any workers then. |
Posted By: Jack Sparrow
Date Posted: 02 Jul 07 at 1:17pm
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You will need to pay import duty and tax. That always changes the maths.
------------- http://www.uk3-7class.org/index.html" rel="nofollow - Farr 3.7 Class Website https://www.facebook.com/groups/1092602470772759/" rel="nofollow - Farr 3.7 Building - Facebook Group |
Posted By: MainlySwimming
Date Posted: 02 Jul 07 at 1:40pm
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Worst case 3.5% customs duty plus 17.5 % VAT = 21% or about £33 vs £45 in the UK. I don't want to sound like a Daily Mail reader but I think we're being ripped off a bit...Prob not worth the hassle for one block, but if you were planning a refit then importing would start to make sense. Does anyone privately import sailing kit from the US and know which companies are good / bad at it? From previous experience with other stuff I know some US companies order system come to a grinding halt if you try & order without a US ZIP Code.... |
Posted By: 7BOS
Date Posted: 02 Jul 07 at 5:03pm
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Saving of £12 on that block. Depends on what the UK companies can offer regarding the softer issues. How quickly do you want the item? If the item goes wrong, who is best placed to replace it under warranty? How much additional time is spent of your own time trying to import one item? Personally, on a ratchet block, knowing their history (ratchets in general i mean, not a manufacturer), then I would pay the extra for UK supply. Other items, not so sure. It certainly doesn't enter my head that I should buy from the UK at a higher price because 'P&B and LDC are a business and must pay their workers'. You buy the product based on your judgement on where the best deal can be had with all factors included. You don't spend 2 hours of your time to save £2, or do you? 7BOS |
Posted By: m_liddell
Date Posted: 02 Jul 07 at 6:47pm
Most good deals in the US are because of the current exchange rate. Enjoy it  |
Posted By: mike ellis
Date Posted: 02 Jul 07 at 7:53pm
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what is special about the history of ratchet blocks? ------------- 600 732, will call it Sticks and Stones when i get round to it. Also International 14, 1318 |
