maplin, Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;

Keplar240B · 25-03-2018 11:12PM

How long are closing sale go on for?

ShRT · 26-03-2018 03:56AM

ozmo wrote: »

Went in myself looking for a soldering iron as my favorite one I’ve been using for years just died and I cannot get a new element for it- going get a decent one but the hakko 888d they had at 220 (180 closing sale price) is way overpriced- even in uk maplins the no-sale price was 135 euros.

Decided I’m going get a ts100 they seem to be all the rage at with the electronics community the moment at a third that price and topping all the reviews.

https://m.banggood.com/MINI-TS100-Digital-OLED-Programable-Interface-DC5525-Soldering-Iron-Station-Sapphire-Version-p-1211661.html?rmmds=search

Just trying find a place that sells one with the tips I like included and if I’m not waiting weeks delivery that would be a bonus.

Iron
https://m.ebay.ie/itm/100-400-C-TS100-Mini-Portable-Digit-Soldering-Iron-PR-I-Tip-DC5525-Power-Supply/372103567642

Tips
https://m.ebay.ie/itm/Original-Replacement-Solder-Tip-For-TS100-Digital-LCD-Soldering-Iron/182720381090?hash=item2a8afbc0a2:m:mHLNJngV_mBekmLJoJfU3jA

Not as cheap as from China direct but should be quick enough from within the EU

ScouseMouse · 03-04-2018 11:35PM

Went back upto maplins in Blanch to see if there was anything reasonable. Ended up buying a selection box of capacitors and some wire. I needed a few small components, transistors, stuff like that, but they didnt have them or want to even look.

Is there anywhere in Dublin you can go and get bit and bobs? I rang RS in Crumlin and they said come on down, but the stuff in it was completely inapporprate.

I just want odds and ends for experimenting with and college.

ozmo · 03-04-2018 11:54PM

ScouseMouse wrote: »

I just want odds and ends for experimenting with and college.

Get yourself a heat gun (eg. https://www.woodies.ie/rok-1500w-heat-gun-1114559) and some heat resistant gloves (home store + more - 4 euros)

And any broken PC PSU - in the open air - warm the back with the gun and tap off the ground and all the components just fall out - you get tons of Mosfets, diodes, electrolytic caps, power transistors, opto isolators - all the good expensive stuff and great for experimenting with.

ScouseMouse · 04-04-2018 11:41AM

ozmo wrote: »

Get yourself a heat gun (eg. https://www.woodies.ie/rok-1500w-heat-gun-1114559) and some heat resistant gloves (home store + more - 4 euros)

And any broken PC PSU - in the open air - warm the back with the gun and tap off the ground and all the components just fall out - you get tons of Mosfets, diodes, electrolytic caps, power transistors, opto isolators - all the good expensive stuff and great for experimenting with.

Might try that (that link is broken by the way). Last night I spent two hours putting together a gizmo from wish and put an electrolytic capacitor in wrongly biased. Broke it taking it out. Where can I find a 10uF capacitor

ozmo · 04-04-2018 12:14PM

ScouseMouse wrote: »

Might try that (that link is broken by the way). Last night I spent two hours putting together a gizmo from wish and put an electrolytic capacitor in wrongly biased. Broke it taking it out. Where can I find a 10uF capacitor

Fixed link - 10uF is a very common component in anything - eg. radios, tv boxes and power supplies- maybe start a junk parts box and ask anyone with old radios or toys to donate.
Also they generally don't oblige - but some of the Wiii Electrical Recycling shops let you take some interesting stuff if you ask nicely - the older stuff is better for parts - ie. through-hole components - tiny surface mount components are less useful for starting with.

You can also buy new from China very cheap (banggood etc) - but takes a couple months get delivered.

ozmo · 06-04-2018 01:59PM

gah! Kind of sick of maplins now - bought a soldering iron in their sale rather than wait for a decent one - 48W variable temp similar to one I had before - but this thing Buzzes - never had a soldering iron that buzzes before and it's quite annoying to have on in the room for anything but a quick solder job.

I see now it's only 17 pounds on uk - I paid 30 in Ireland at the weekend.
https://www.maplin.co.uk/p/48w-mains-solder-station-n67ef

They wouldn't take it back as all sales are final due to it closing - beware.

Ubbquittious · 06-04-2018 03:38PM

You could feel a hand going into your pocket and taking out a tenner just by walking in the door.

A pity there is nothing like the Sim Lim tower over here. Could spend days in that place

fritzelly · 06-04-2018 05:41PM

ozmo wrote: »

gah! Kind of sick of maplins now - bought a soldering iron in their sale rather than wait for a decent one - 48W variable temp similar to one I had before - but this thing Buzzes - never had a soldering iron that buzzes before and it's quite annoying to have on in the room for anything but a quick solder job.

I see now it's only 17 pounds on uk - I paid 30 in Ireland at the weekend.
https://www.maplin.co.uk/p/48w-mains-solder-station-n67ef

They wouldn't take it back as all sales are final due to it closing - beware.

No such thing as all sales are final, they're still trading, tho probably won't do you any good

ScouseMouse · 06-04-2018 05:53PM

There is no entitlement to a refund anyway unless its faulty or not fit for purpose.

ozmo · 09-04-2018 12:50AM

ScouseMouse wrote: »

There is no entitlement to a refund anyway unless its faulty or not fit for purpose.

I very rarely ever send anything back - even if its broken Id have a go at fixing it.

But I was annoyed at paying 50% over the odds the UK shop charged for something I will never use now in my office.

It works - technically - but I've never experienced a soldering iron before that made a reasonably loud buzzing noise - so unfit for my purpose anyway.

I found a coupon that got me a discount off this and ordered it -

and for an extra 6 euos its supposed to be max 8 days delivery.
https://www.banggood.com/12-in-1-TS100-Soldering-Iron-Kit-with-9pcs-Tips-1pc-XT60-Cable-1pc-Holder-p-1256069.html
I'll let you know how it goes...

eeguy · 09-04-2018 01:12AM

ScouseMouse wrote: »

Went back upto maplins in Blanch to see if there was anything reasonable. Ended up buying a selection box of capacitors and some wire. I needed a few small components, transistors, stuff like that, but they didnt have them or want to even look.

Is there anywhere in Dublin you can go and get bit and bobs? I rang RS in Crumlin and they said come on down, but the stuff in it was completely inapporprate.

I just want odds and ends for experimenting with and college.

Just buy from the RS website. Why would you go to the trade counter?

I was half thinking of going to Maplins to look for a bargain, buy ANY discount from Maplins is still bound to be more expensive than what's online.

Keplar240B · 30-04-2018 01:30PM

the websites gone.

08-05-2018 04:22AM

Keplar240B wrote: »

the websites gone.

Good riddance. Some of their business practices were just strange. Is there any other company that charges for their catalogue? And not a nominal 1 euro either but 5 euros for their catalogue!!

I went home one weekend and was tasked with setting up the new printer. Of course, it didn't come with a cable. With my parents I can't say "Just get this cable and plug one end in here and the other end in here", no. So off to Maplin we went on a Sunday afternoon. A simple USB A to USB B cable - 14.99!

Management will argue they can't compete with online sales, but a walk through Dundrum at the weekend showed 2 mobile phone/general gadget shops practically across the road from each other. As another poster said, why did they have an entire aisle dedicated to disco lights, but you couldn't buy a SIM card in Maplin, they didn't sell phones, tablet accessories or budget anything but by god you could get a micro USB cable for only 7 euros. They pretty much stopped doing components, didn't diversify into mobile and so didn't know where they were in the market and instead sold cheap RC toys, fancy PC cases and tat. They also didn't learn the lessons of Peats and Radio Shack before them who suffered the same fate.

If you've been ripped off by them in the past you won't miss them. A closing down sale of 10% off says it all really. In years to come I hope they'll become a use case in a UCD Business Management course as to how not to do things.

ozmo · 08-05-2018 10:50AM

I saw an advert in a Sunday paper once - one of those UK rags - Im sorry I didnt keep it.

It was a two page spread for a normal maplin sale.

What was really funny was one one page they printed the UK version of the advert by accident - so the disparity in UK/Irish pricing was so obvious.

You could see stuff for sale on the UK side of the advert like "Was 40 now 20" where on the Irish side you could see the same item "Was 60 now 40"

In each case the Irish Sale price was the usual UK PreSale price (after converting sterling to euros)

Capt'n Midnight · 08-05-2018 07:37PM

Deleted User wrote: »

They pretty much stopped doing components, didn't diversify into mobile and so didn't know where they were in the market and instead sold cheap RC toys, fancy PC cases and tat. They also didn't learn the lessons of Peats and Radio Shack before them who suffered the same fate.

At least Peats moved into Audiovisual and people recognise brands like Sony.

Maplin were charging top dollar for generic brands.

Ubbquittious · 09-05-2018 10:48AM

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

At least Peats moved into Audiovisual and people recognise brands like Sony.

Maplin were charging top dollar for generic brands.

I bought a pair of speakers with built in amp there a good few years ago..Lord save us they were sh1te. Brought in from Shenzhen for under a fiver surely

ozmo · 09-05-2018 12:07PM

In one of their stores...

DcBwGfQVQAEvSI-.jpg:large

Keplar240B · 09-05-2018 11:25PM

How do the chinese component sellers get away with free shipping on ebay,. eg If i order 5 bucks of stuff from RS or maplin or whatever from a block away there is a shipping charge . But i can get free P&P from China???

Capt'n Midnight · 09-05-2018 11:47PM

Keplar240B wrote: »

How do the chinese component sellers get away with free shipping on ebay,. eg If i order 5 bucks of stuff from RS or maplin or whatever from a block away there is a shipping charge . But i can get free P&P from China???

Subsidised by Chinese government.

Stuff loaded into a container. An Post empties the container when they have nothing better to do as it's lowest priority postage. Most of the delivery time is waiting for someone to empty the container.

TBH the cheapest post card is to write a message in the Address when ordering cheap crap from China

Keplar240B · 15-05-2018 07:11PM

ozmo · 20-05-2018 01:09AM

Keplar240B wrote: »

youtube

Was in last week - and they had 4 large boxes like this (bit taller than the one in the vid).
As far as I could tell (they were heavily wrapped) - each was missing one drawer which would have annoyed me.

The parts seemed to consist of not very many resistors and other parts of normally negligible value.

They were 29.99 each - didn't buy one.

maplin, Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;

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