Collis Or Knock Offs, Things That Make You Go Hmmm...

This information is good to have guys, thanks. I haven't bought from MSC in almost 15 years (remember those beautiful big honkin books?) and had nothing bad to say about them back then. Apparently things have changed over the years.
 
Liked the big books, matter of fact I have a MSC and J&L big book. Almost too heavy to lift anymore. Ha ha.
 
I believe MSC owns ENCO I know there related somehow, I ordered a bearing from Enco with Msc part # over the phone and the lady said they are related.
 
coolidge said:
I wonder if part of the problem is that so much manufacturing has left the country.
Click to expand...

I think this is the case. Enco and MSC are part of the same company, the difference for some reason is that with MSC you pay tax in all states, and only a few with ENco. I also think it is a marketing position to have two separate storefront names. Enco sells the low end products, probably targeted at the hobbyist/weekend warrior. Over time I (and others) have seen the quality of their products and the range of name brand products dramatically decline. I am also noticing a lot of spin off generic/poorer quality products (some with names that sound familiar but have turned to crap, like Gibraltar, SPI, etc.). Enco's prices have been slowly creeping up on brand name items, so unless you are getting a heavy discount and free shipping it is no bargain. I was looking at the cost of a medium Flexbar lathe shield for someone else, Enco's prics is now $272, if you buy it from the manufacturer it is $175, and I purchased mine a little over a year ago from Enco for $135. They now stock some other brand shield for $175. MSC is targeted as one shop pricing for many businesses that just don't have the time to shop around to save a few$. Price is less of an issue when you consider your operational run costs. Many of the higher end products that Enco use to carry, or now only available at MSC. MSC prices are usually over list, so probably need a business account and/or their 20-35% discount that I routinely get notices about, and spend a few hundred dollars to qualify. They usually have stoke, so I buy from them when I need a number of expensive items items and I just don't have the time to get the parts from 3 or 4 other vendors and pay the shipping.

Specific to the Collis holders, it would seem that MSC is just passing on what they inventoried, and they have not updated their pictures. It would also seem that Collis is another company that might have been bought out by a Pacific rim company/or just no longer cares about quality and is now replacing products with cheaper C...p from "offshore". This thread pretty much say it all and reflects your experience. Unfortunately the world is selling out to the cheapest bidder. End of story.
http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/general/collis-tool-holder-off-shore-foreign-origin-yes-265088/
 
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I spoke with MSC today, at first they tried to get Collis on the phone. When they couldn't reach them they wanted me to talk to their tech engineers, they gave me the "photos are only representative" line blah blah. So I sent the person I was speaking with their web site photos vs a photo of what I received and it was so blatantly obvious not the same product they processed the return without further discussion. $90 plus each for these I don't think so I wasn't born yesterday.
 
You see that polished off area turns out both of these they sent me had the same polished off area, the part number is inked on the opposite side, what are the odds these are some other brand and they just polished off the one number and re-inked them as Collis? Yes things that make you go hmmm...
 
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Can't find it now but in the last year or so someone was complaining mightily (on youtube maybe?), about ordering Collis tooling and getting Chinese junk.

Once you let your name go down hill, it's very hard to get it back.
 
FWIW I have been using Production Tool Supply. They are the closest I have found to what J&L used to be. There is a branch close to where I work but I order mostly online because generally orders over $75 ups free. YMMV www.pts-tools.com

edit: They still have a 2" thick 8 1/2 x 11 "catalog".
 
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A number of tool suppliers all over the country including Enco and MSC, buy from a central wholesale supplier. One of these central suppliers is located in Chicago. And yeah, they have a generic catalog that they stamp their local contact information on that you get in the mail or the salesman drops off, that you order from.
 
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