Bahco Bypass Loppers PG-20-E - Product Review

Review by Michael Smith

I must admit that I have had this pair of loppers in question for review now for the best part of a year but it does take a while, I believe, with tools to test them properly. That I have now done.

Bypass loppers of compact design to prune in difficult-to-reach places, available in two sizes. Oval steel tube handles with comfortable plastic grip and shock absorbing plastic buffers for added comfort in use. The smaller cutting head is ideal for pruning ornamental shrubs and rose bushes. Unlike for the professional range of loppers there are no spare parts available for this one.

The PG-20-E bypass loppers which I have had for review is the smaller of the two sizes and has a cutting capacity of a maximum of 30mm. This is, in my view, all academic though and depends on the hardness of the wood. I would not like to try it or any for that matter on dead prunus branches of that diameter, for instance. I have done dead branches of up to about 20mm with those loppers and I found it hard going. Not that the loppers would have broken, maybe. I just found it physically hard and would, in such cases, rather resort to a saw.

Those bypass loppers could be, and I do that at times, for they are very light and handy to carry, referred to as “secateurs on steroids”.

The specifications, so to speak are for the PG-20-E that of a cutting diameter 30 max, with a length of 440mm and a weight 665 grams. As I have said, they are very light.

Now if someone could design a carrying holster for it, of some sort, this would be an ideal too for any Countryside Ranger and such like to take out on a patrol, especially a foot patrol, in order to remove branches and such that may encroach on a footpath, a bridleway, or such.

This is, as all of Bahco's tools, a professional tool at a reasonable price and anyone in their right mind, especially a professional, I should think, would rather invest in quality tools than to buy cheap and find them broken in a few hours or days of use.

© M Smith (Veshengro), January 2009
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BHETA VOTES IN FAVOUR OF COLLABORATION WITH BJGF

British Home Enhancement Trade Association and British Jewellery, Giftware & Finishing Federation join forces to create one powerful ‘super federation’

In a unique, forward thinking and commercially intuitive step, the British Home Enhancement Trade Association (BHETA) and the British Jewellery, Giftware & Finishing Federation (BJGF Federation) have announced their intention to create one powerful ‘super federation’.

This followed a resoundingly positive 95% vote in favour of the collaboration from BHETA members, which closed yesterday at a special briefing meeting hosted by the two organisations at BHETA’s current headquarters in Northampton.

The new super federation will bring together two of the most powerful trade associations in the United Kingdom and will provide the jewellery, gift, home enhancement and finishing industries with a united and substantial lobbying voice, stronger representation at the highest levels of government, and an upgraded membership offer.

The new entity will see the executive team at BHETA’s Northampton offices relocate to the BJGF Federation’s headquarters at Federation House in Birmingham. This merging of facilities will significantly control administrative costs and leave greater resources to invest in widening and deepening the membership services.

As David French, chief executive officer at BHETA, said, “With 2008 proving to be one of the most testing economic environments in the 50 years since our Association was formed, this initiative will create a strong and resilient super federation that will represent all our industries powerfully and decisively into the next decade and beyond. Whilst many other companies and organisations are facing down-sizing or even closure, we are making this move from a position of strength and we’ll continue to operate with a well funded financial base. This new super federation will allow each sector association within it to retain its own voice and control its own destiny, but allow us, as a group, to fund a more comprehensive range of benefits and services to all our members.”

David Metcalfe, vice president of the BJGF Federation, said, “This forward thinking initiative will bring critical mass to two trade associations that already have a formidable track record at effectively representing their members. This is a genuine and unique collaboration that will bring about greater control of costs and additional funds to invest in the super federation – ensuring that we provide a premium membership services and powerful representation at local, national and European government levels.”

The new super federation will be renamed in order to clarify its role as an umbrella trade organisation, and details of its future branding and strategy will be announced shortly.
Both associations have committed to ‘openness and transparency’ and in a thoroughly modern agreement will sign a commercial ‘pre-nup‘ which ring fences and protects the assets and interests of both associations for the first two years of the new union.

by Vanessa Fortnam, The Press Office Ltd
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LONDON MULTI-TRADE SHOW GETS FULL INDUSTRY SUPPORT

The industry’s leading trade associations and wholesale groups have renewed their support and participation in the London multi-trade show that now consists of Totally Tools, Totally DIY and the recently launched Totally Secure.

The changes proposed for the 2009 shows by organiser Brintex have won the approval of long-term show supporters, the British Home Enhancement Trade Association (BHETA), Decco, the Federation of British Hand Tool Manufacturers, Home Hardware Southwest, MICA Hardware and Toolbank who have all confirmed they will be exhibiting next January. In addition, the British Hardware Federation (BHF), which has had its own stand at the show for the past two years, has confirmed it will be back in 2009.

This year, many members and customers of the various organisations will be offered assistance with travel and refreshment costs, to help promote a visit to the show in January.

This activity, alongside a revamped floor plan which puts new products literally centre stage, the provision of free personalised invitation tickets for exhibitors to use, and a fresh approach to the idea of staging a ‘multi-trade’ show, with the introduction of Totally Secure has met with approval.

Paul Woolley, commercial director of the BHF Group, said, “With over 2,000 hardware members we see the show as a great opportunity to meet up with existing members and recruit for new ones! We’ll be offering new members a 25% discount on membership fees if they sign up at the show.

“In addition, our team from BHF Direct will be on the look out for new lines and products to offer our members – the show provides us with a great opportunity to get direct feedback on new products and our own services. We can cover a lot of ground in three days at the show!”

Simon Bicknell, sales director of Toolbank, whose support was important to the successful launch of Totally Tools four years ago, commented: “Totally Tools continues to be an important part of our marketing programme and we welcome the initiatives being made by Brintex to add energy and impetus to the show.

“The show is a great platform to update customers on our latest initiatives and plans. We look forward to meeting potential new accounts and spending time with many existing customers and are pleased to confirm Toolbank's participation in Totally Tools 2009.”

New exhibitors to sign up for the 2009 to date include Aisin Europe, AP Lifting Gear, GT 85, Isotronic Mezger, RKW Leisure, RCD and Tarax Technology. In addition, Brother UK, Saint Gobain Abrasives and Spectra Tool Company are returning to the show after a break last year and DK Tools and Tool Connection are both back at the show having doubled the size of their stands.

“More than ever, retail buyers have to be proactive in their search to find new products to sell on to their customers. Our multi-trade show will be a great sourcing platform for buyers – and should help to stimulate interest and retail sales, which the whole market needs,” said show director James Murray. “Now is the time to proactively sell and to get out and see what companies have to offer!”

This year, to mark the show’s 15th year, a high-level industry conference, addressing the key issues of DIY and home retailing, will take place on the morning of Monday, 19 January. Details of the conference theme and speakers are to be announced shortly.
Current exhibitors for Totally Tools include Abingdon King Dick, Arrow Fastener, Evolution Power Tools, Exakt Precision Tools, KS Tools KWB Tools / Ringwood Agencies, Ledco, Monument Tools, Nilfisk Alto, Northern Wholesale, Rolson Tools, SMC and Valley Industries.

In Totally DIY confirmed exhibitors include Agralan, Bulk Hardware, Centurion Europe, Coo-Var, Crown Paints, Draper Tools, Euro Showers, Everbuild Building Products, Fair & Square, Feed ‘n’ Leave, Gorilla Glue, Group 55, IBP Conex, Initial Monogram, King Cole, Liberon, London & Lancashire Rubber, Mueller Primaflow, Oracstar, Polyvine, Procter Brothers, RB UK, Route 1 Group, Sealey Power Products, STV International, Sycamore UK, Tembe DIY, Tor Coatings, Trollul and Unger Germany.

New show Totally Secure has attracted bookings from Yale Security Products, part of the Assa Abloy Group, Borg Locks, Codringtons, Davenport Burgess, Guardian Lock & Engineering, Henry Squire & Sons, Keyprint, M.A.C Solutions, Master Lock, Sentry Safes, Sterling Locks and Total Product Sales, with more names waiting to be confirmed.

Totally Tools, Totally DIY and Totally Secure will take place 18-20 January 2009 at Earls Court in London.

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QVC – SHOWING VIEWERS WHAT’S NEW

The QVC team will be attending this year’s multi-trade show at Earls Court with one aim – to find new products for its regular one hour, Sunday morning programme dedicated to DIY products.

QVC buyer for DIY and garden, Chris Gardner, will be at the show with QVC presenter Julian Ballantyne, to find as many new products as possible to show their viewers.

“We thought that our viewers would be interested to see how we track down new products and also see footage of our existing vendors at the show,” explained Chris Gardner.

Exhibitors across all three shows have been challenged to put forward their best new ideas for consideration but have been warned to take into account that they will have to be confident their product can demonstrate enough points of difference or new features to sustain eight to ten minutes of air time as well as offering value against the high street and other routes to market!

Chris explains, “We offer our customers products that have a point of difference, a story or USP and where we can demonstrate the benefits of purchase.”

The team at QVC says that their buying decisions are driven by the individual product and value against the marketplace and not on brand recognition.

One company which has benefited from being spotted by QVC is C Enterprise UK Ltd, which created the POWER8 workshop – a full cordless ‘Workshop in One’ that comes in its own armoured carry case. Chris Elsworthy, the product’s inventor will be exhibiting at the 2009 show.

He comments, “The POWER8 workshop has already benefited from airtime on QVC Germany, where it went down really well, and will have its first airing in the UK and in the US in the next couple of weeks.

“Our problem was keeping the description and product demo to within eight minutes! But working with QVC has been a good lesson in how to really focus on selling a product quickly and easily.”

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