FFX SHOW 2019 - REPORT
by entering them into the draws via their email addresses, but I didn’t see any disappointment in the faces of the winners when they collected their Milwaukee tools.
The new Metabo stand was impressive – being bigger and sleeker than its previous one. Launching at the FFX show was its range of equally impressive 12v tools. They look very much like slimmed down 18v Metabo tools but with all the advantages of being lighter and more compact. I am a convinced user of 10.8 and 12v tools these days because they are easier to carry around and have almost as much power as 18v ones. The truth is that many jobs on a worksite are more than adequately done by a modern 12v tool so save yourself the schlep and weight of an 18 volter.
Also launched into the UK market is a bigger range of Rockler accessories and tools. Rockler makes a number of jigs and handy items like glue brushes that make jobs quicker, easier and more accurate. The good thing is that they come in various guises that suit weekend woodworkers as well as professionals.
Increasingly on the agenda is tool security and Armorgard’s range of tool chests and safes was attracting a fair bit of attention from trades. There is no doubt that Armorgard storage is very tough, but it needs to combat the increasingly frequent threat from tool thieves.
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Verdicts and opinions Exhibitors I spoke to were very happy with the number of visitors to the show, especially on the first day. The visitors were mostly tradespeople who came to have a look around and buy a bargain they may have had their eye on before they skipped off back to work.
Show Saturday sees a slightly different dynamic: still attended mostly by tradespeople, but with many partners and children in tow too, as well as a smattering of DIY enthusiasts looking for bits and bobs to upgrade the shed tool collection.
On Sunday, the exhibitors told me that while there were still tradespeople buying,
there were many more hobbyists and serious DIYers, often with a very specific problem to solve by buying exactly the right tool. The advantage is that, by the time exhibitors want to pack up after three days of hard work, the punters have retired to the pub or home for a nice Sunday dinner an hour or so before show closing time. Let the stand break down begin…
And there you have it – the key to a successful tool show is to cater for the needs of the entire tool-using public at prices they want to pay.
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