Yanmar 1GM10 (NOT a car) - Ship or Buy Tools

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
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Wed 9 Jul 2025 05:24
Yanmar 1GM10 (NOT a car) - Ship or Buy Tools - edlithgow

Trying to decide if its worth shipping tools back to the UK from Taiwan, The Price and Weight for 10 socket sets of a range of quality was obtained from Amazon. with a UK postcode set as the delivery address.

Amazon arent necessarily cheapest (Prime Tools seem to do Bahco better, for example) but they usually list the weight.

I dont believe one always needs best quality tools, but you might need better in the UK than in Taiwan, because rust, and nice tools are ...er...less nasty, so If replacing in the UK I MIGHT use Halfords Advanced or Sealey Premium for simplicitygood vibe//lifetime replacement/ (despite my age),

My Taiwan tools are probably not that good on average, though many are King Tony or Black Hand, both of which seem fine

Price/kg ranged from 63.05 GBP for a Bahco S138 set (bit of an outlier) to 6.67 GBP for a Pollok 216 set, with an average of 19.52/kg.

This approach could be extended to other categories of tools, but for some non-reason Amazon is now insisting on US pricing, so that'll do.

So 20 quid a kg is now my arbitrary cutoff top price for tool shipping. Shipping is expensive, but AFACT at present without specific quotes (Shippers want weight/volume before quoting, while I want their rates so that I can decide what's worth shipping, generating a bit of a chicken/egg/Catch 22) , doesnt seem to be quite THAT expensive,

As long as I dont get stuck with import duties for my old junk

Edited by edlithgow on 09/07/2025 at 05:28

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Wed 9 Jul 2025 05:35
Yanmar 1GM10 (NOT a car) - Ship or Buy Tools - Orb>>.

Are you shipping tools back or coming with them? If you are not driving when here why bother. Plenty of cheap tools in the car boot sales.

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Wed 9 Jul 2025 09:12
Yanmar 1GM10 (NOT a car) - Ship or Buy Tools - elekie&a/c doctor
I’ve got plenty of Bahco tools. Good quality and excellent value. They are owned by Snap - On corporation.
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Thu 10 Jul 2025 06:10
Yanmar 1GM10 (NOT a car) - Ship or Buy Tools - edlithgow

Are you shipping tools back or coming with them? If you are not driving when here why bother. Plenty of cheap tools in the car boot sales.

See title. Have a small (10hp) marine diesel and I think a 4hp small outboard.

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Fri 11 Jul 2025 01:46
Yanmar 1GM10 (NOT a car) - Ship or Buy Tools - edlithgow

Are you shipping tools back or coming with them? If you are not driving when here why bother. Plenty of cheap tools in the car boot sales.

Actually, now you mention it, I havn't really done car boot sales ever. I saw a couple (I think in Glasgow) which were a pretty bleak overpriced tatfest, but I cant remember ever being in one when I lived in more affluent London, which MIGHT have been a better bet..

I see there's one at Ocean Terminal in Edinburgh on Sundays, so when/if I make it back I'll have to check that out.

Thanks for the nudge..

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Wed 9 Jul 2025 14:50
Yanmar 1GM10 (NOT a car) - Ship or Buy Tools - Andrew-T

Ed, assuming that you are planning a one-off move back here, why not sell your Taiwan tools locally, pocket the proceeds and replace them back here ? At least there will be no chance of them going missing in transit, which I suspect happens from time to time ?

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Wed 9 Jul 2025 15:29
Yanmar 1GM10 (NOT a car) - Ship or Buy Tools - Chris M

Is there some form of aggregator site in Taiwan perhaps similar to the way Shipley works in the UK?

You package up what you want to bring here and it's bundled up with other packages to fill a container. May not be quick but likely to be the cheapest if available.

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Wed 9 Jul 2025 16:51
Yanmar 1GM10 (NOT a car) - Ship or Buy Tools - Maxime.

IS Ed going to come and grace our shores?

Slow boat from China ?

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Wed 9 Jul 2025 16:59
Yanmar 1GM10 (NOT a car) - Ship or Buy Tools - paul 1963

Another vote for Bahco tools, got a few bits myself, they are superb quality, although don't dismiss Draper professional, perfectly good enough for the home tinkering type.

Edited by paul 1963 on 09/07/2025 at 17:01

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Thu 10 Jul 2025 07:04
Yanmar 1GM10 (NOT a car) - Ship or Buy Tools - edlithgow

IS Ed going to come and grace our shores?

Slow boat from China ?

If I get my boat (which is in Scotland) in the water (likely not this year) Il'll be trying to avoid grazing your shores, but I havn't learned to navigate yet so its a distinct possibility.

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Thu 10 Jul 2025 05:57
Yanmar 1GM10 (NOT a car) - Ship or Buy Tools - edlithgow

Is there some form of aggregator site in Taiwan perhaps similar to the way Shipley works in the UK?

You package up what you want to bring here and it's bundled up with other packages to fill a container. May not be quick but likely to be the cheapest if available.

International shipping seems to be very complicated, acronym infested,and something of a trade-only closed shop, and some of what is posted ont Internyet (including on company websites) is complete fiction. Add to that language difficulties (I never learned and its FAR too late now)and general smoke-and-mirrors modus operandi for local agents and you got a fun time in Taiwan.

As always, its probably out there somewhere, but...

There are LCL shippers (Less-than Container Load) which may correspond to the freight aggregators you refer to above, some of which publish cheap rates (perhaps for 2 cubic metres minimum, which is quite a lot) which they say are available to punters but in practice arent, and then there are "moving agents" who wont give a price on weight or volume and just want you to commit to sending everything, probably because they are used to dealing with moves paid for by employers.

I'm talking to one at the moment that want to do a ""virtual survey'' , WHICH PROBABLY MEANS ME FILMING ALL MY JUNK.

JUST NO.

Closest I've had to actual quotes so far is 80K (about 2 grand) for a "pallet" (undefined, but probably about a cubic metre, which is uneconomic) and 80 quid for a small 25 kg package, about half airfeight rate and maybe do-able (if confirmed) for small stuff.

Quite obviously such rates are NOT paid by small traders at the prices they charge, so these are "punter" rates.

Half hearted enquiries and attempts to sell my 2.5 "classic" motorcycles for spares continue.however.

Edited by edlithgow on 10/07/2025 at 06:03

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Thu 10 Jul 2025 22:35
Yanmar 1GM10 (NOT a car) - Ship or Buy Tools - Brit_in_Germany

Sending a 25 kg parcel to Taiwan with dimensions 50 x 30 x 30 would cost € 160 (plus customs chrages). I guess it should be similar in the opposite direction.

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Fri 11 Jul 2025 05:32
Yanmar 1GM10 (NOT a car) - Ship or Buy Tools - edlithgow

Sending a 25 kg parcel to Taiwan with dimensions 50 x 30 x 30 would cost € 160 (plus customs chrages). I guess it should be similar in the opposite direction.

Source? (Just in case they ship the other way too)

Of course,I shouldn't, and dont, expect specific Taiwan shipping advice here, from a UK car forum, butt there are numerous threads on the Forumosa expat website on this topic, and a frankly baffling.lack of posted sources.I have no idea why people routinely do this.

I will eventually post a summary of my findings there, with links,They are mostly negative but may save someone wasted time, or a better negotiator, perhaps with Chinese, might get better results,

The 80 quid has gone up to 85 so may be current, maybe even real, here.

snowl.co.uk/products/tw-to-uk-by-sea

Prices do seem to differ depending on direction, I would expect them to be cheaper to Taiwan/China, cos of empty container return, but there isn't realy much point in constructing a rationale,

30 quid insurance charge but I havnt yet established coverage or whether it is obligatory

PO is 175 for 30kg, so more than double. but they only do air

.

Edited by edlithgow on 11/07/2025 at 06:40

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Fri 11 Jul 2025 10:42
Yanmar 1GM10 (NOT a car) - Ship or Buy Tools - Brit_in_Germany

That was a price from parcelabc.com but it seems to be €30 more today ...

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Fri 11 Jul 2025 13:46
Yanmar 1GM10 (NOT a car) - Ship or Buy Tools - edlithgow

That was a price from parcelabc.com but it seems to be €30 more today ...

Thanks

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Thu 10 Jul 2025 05:23
Yanmar 1GM10 (NOT a car) - Ship or Buy Tools - edlithgow

Ed, assuming that you are planning a one-off move back here, why not sell your Taiwan tools locally, pocket the proceeds and replace them back here ? At least there will be no chance of them going missing in transit, which I suspect happens from time to time ?

Would seem to make sense, except there'll be absolutely no market for second-hand automotive tools here, since there is no DIY, plus a general cultural aversion to the un-new and un-shiny.

MIGHT get a very rare expat who fancies a bit of DIY to take them, but generally they are too decadent and like to talk about "my mechanic", Bertie Wooster stylee (If one can theoretically imagine an American Bertie Wooster for a moment).

It may still not make sense to ship. though. but one gets used to tools...if I dont ship I may bury them in the jungle grave goods stylee, in case I'm back here again, a Pharoic level of self-deception.

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Thu 10 Jul 2025 05:39
Yanmar 1GM10 (NOT a car) - Ship or Buy Tools - Maxime.

Yes. But are you coming...

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Thu 10 Jul 2025 17:07
Yanmar 1GM10 (NOT a car) - Ship or Buy Tools - John F

Trying to decide if its worth shipping tools back to the UK from Taiwan,....

Almost certainly not. Try googling 'temu socket sets' when you get back here if that's not allowed from Taiwan. You'll be amazed by their low prices because they probably originate from that big land mass next door.....

I dont believe one always needs best quality tools,......

....especially if they are only very occasionally used.

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Thu 10 Jul 2025 19:40
Yanmar 1GM10 (NOT a car) - Ship or Buy Tools - paul 1963

Trying to decide if its worth shipping tools back to the UK from Taiwan,....

Almost certainly not. Try googling 'temu socket sets' when you get back here if that's not allowed from Taiwan. You'll be amazed by their low prices because they probably originate from that big land mass next door.....

I dont believe one always needs best quality tools,......

....especially if they are only very occasionally used.

Tend to agree John ( miraculous do happen ! ) however it's sensible to buy higher quality individual tools that are used most, my sockets are mostly draper but my 10mm socket, 3/8" drive rachet and breaker bar are snap-on.

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Fri 11 Jul 2025 05:41
Yanmar 1GM10 (NOT a car) - Ship or Buy Tools - edlithgow

I find the need for quality tends to decline with time, as one frees up the stuck stuff, while the kit quality tends to evolve in the other direction,as one replaces stuff.

I suppose this would be less true if one bought new vehicles.

I probably wont again bother with 3/8th stuff, though I have quite a lot of it, since I mostly only use 1/2

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Fri 11 Jul 2025 10:14
Yanmar 1GM10 (NOT a car) - Ship or Buy Tools - expat

What sort of prices do the airlines charge for extra baggage? You might be able to get some sort of deal for an extra 35kg suitcase. That won't take all your tools but it might take a fair few. Perhaps if you upgrade your seat to premium economy or whatever they call it that might entitle you to an extra baggage allowance.

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Fri 11 Jul 2025 12:35
Yanmar 1GM10 (NOT a car) - Ship or Buy Tools - Orb>>.

What sort of prices do the airlines charge for extra baggage? You might be able to get some sort of deal for an extra 35kg suitcase. That won't take all your tools but it might take a fair few. Perhaps if you upgrade your seat to premium economy or whatever they call it that might entitle you to an extra baggage allowance.

Would Ed fork out the £800 difference in fares to bring an extra bag?

Eva air round trip £1359 economy and £2145 premium economy but both have 2 x 23kgs allowance

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Tue 15 Jul 2025 23:10
Yanmar 1GM10 (NOT a car) - Ship or Buy Tools - Metropolis.
I was just about to mention EVA, incredible baggage allowance by modern standards.
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Tue 15 Jul 2025 23:09
Yanmar 1GM10 (NOT a car) - Ship or Buy Tools - Metropolis.
I am convinced that since COVID and the Ukraine war, prices have gone up whilst quality has gone down significantly, the latter partly due to manufacturers cost-cutting as a means of keeping prices from going stratospheric.

On that basis, I recommend you keep what you have!
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