# Forum Home Renovation Plumbing  Spotted this today at Bunnings - this really scares me what they sell.

## METRIX

Why bother doing your Gas qualification, - DIY GAS   :Eek:   :Eek:   :Eek:   :Eek:

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## phild01

I know they had the water type, which doesn't scare me, but whoa, does this even have AS approval!

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## METRIX

Water push on's fair enough, for a caravan or similar no problem, the worst that can happen is you get water everywhere, but GAS, are you serious ? 
Yes it does have approval, http://www.gastite.com.au/user-guide/

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## phild01

The push on Shark water connectors are absolutely fine, use high quality pipe and identical seals to Vega or whatever else, just that they stay connected in a different but proven way.
If compressed connectors are approved for gas then these could also be ok, but who knows how the uninitiated *could get a connection wrong and that really is the scary thing*.

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## barney118

I just had gas installed and it's only 1 kpa pressure so it can't be that bad  
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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## plum

Hopefully wont be on their shelves for too long after some bozo kills someone. Maybe it will take a death to stop these knobs selling this stuff.

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## phild01

> I just had gas installed and it's only 1 kpa pressure so it can't be that bad  
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  Not sure.  If the fixing method is like water ones, then low pressure could be a problem as the bite needs pressure to establish a hold.

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## plum

> I just had gas installed and it's only 1 kpa pressure so it can't be that bad  
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  I hope your joking?

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## METRIX

> Not sure.  If the fixing method is like water ones, then low pressure could be a problem as the bite needs pressure to establish a hold.

  It uses a crimp tool, irrespective I don't think this should be available off the shelf, have you seen some of the people who shop in Bunnings. 
I would be afraid if they were going to connect up a garden hose, let alone do their own GAS,  :Shock:   No doubt someone will kill themself.

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## METRIX

> Not sure.  If the fixing method is like water ones, then low pressure could be a problem as the bite needs pressure to establish a hold.

  Not entirely true, the push on will not let go even with zero pressure, even not connected to anything it wont come off, the teeth bite in like a fish hook as you push it on the copper or PEX.
Tthere is a special tool which is used to get the fitting back off. 
Next time your there, push one on and try to get it back off, I bet you can't get it off without the tool.

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## phild01

Surely Bunnings aren't selling something that doesn't have Aust Approval!
I wouldn't have it and would feel very uneasy about anything that wasn't at least silver soldered in the wall.

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## OBBob

> It uses a crimp tool, irrespective I don't think this should be available off the shelf, have you seen some of the people who shop in Bunnings. 
> I would be afraid if they were going to connect up a garden hose, let alone do their own GAS,   No doubt someone will kill themself.

  
Yeah,  you could connect your garden hose to the gas and then run it round to your bbq!      
I'm joking.

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## r3nov8or

Of course, they only sell it so you can give it to your plumber to use ... 
Anyway, walk into a dedicated plumbing specialist and they will sell it to anyone too. Never been asked for a license etc, anywhere.

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## plum

> It uses a crimp tool, irrespective I don't think this should be available off the shelf, have you seen some of the people who shop in Bunnings. 
> I would be afraid if they were going to connect up a garden hose, let alone do their own GAS,   No doubt someone will kill themself.

  Ebay sell a variety of crimping tools which are not compatible with different systems. Just saying in the wrong hands, especially bozo's with a little knowledge, it is a real problem.

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## plum

> Surely Bunnings aren't selling something that doesn't have Aust Approval!
> I wouldn't have it and would feel very uneasy about anything that wasn't at least silver soldered in the wall.

  It is approved

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## METRIX

> Surely Bunnings aren't selling something that doesn't have Aust Approval!
> I wouldn't have it and would feel very uneasy about anything that wasn't at least silver soldered in the wall.

  It does have AUST approval, if it didn;t nobody could sell it, that's not the issue, its that any joe blow can now easily muck around with GAS, where before unless you knew how to solder or braze then they just kept away from it. 
There's nothing wrong with crimped fittings, these have been around forever in hydraulics and water and have proved themself reliable time after time, it's the concern it's now in the hands of every unlicensed person.

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## phild01

> Not entirely true, the push on will not let go even with zero pressure, even not connected to anything it wont come off, the teeth bite in like a fish hook as you push it on the copper or PEX.
> Tthere is a special tool which is used to get the fitting back off. 
> Next time your there, push one on and try to get it back off, I bet you can't get it off without the tool.

  True, I understood the teeth bite better with the water pressure. Trying to pull it apart imparts a similar pressure. They can actually be pulled apart without the special tool, the plastic nail clips can be used instead.

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## plum

> True, I understood the teeth bite better with the water pressure. Trying to pull it apart imparts a similar pressure. They can actually be pulled apart without the special tool, the plastic nail clips can be used instead.

  
same principle

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## Bros

> Of course, they only sell it so you can give it to your plumber to use ... 
> Anyway, walk into a dedicated plumbing specialist and they will sell it to anyone too. Never been asked for a license etc, anywhere.

  Electrical is the same.

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## r3nov8or

> Electrical is the same.

   Yes, exactly.

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## Eastwing

Whats the problem? You can buy timber at Bunnings. People take out load bearing walls with no idea how, at least with gas you can smell a leak. Decks fall down, walls collapse and people get killed. 
Plumbers and sparkys jump up and down every time DIY is mentioned. They should try and view it from a Carpenter/ Builders point of view. (pun intended)

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## phild01

> ... at least with gas you can smell a leak.

  Can you smell gas when you sleep!
If there was anything that concerns me about DIY plumbing, it would be gas.

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## plum

> Whats the problem? You can buy timber at Bunnings. People take out load bearing walls with no idea how, at least with gas you can smell a leak. Decks fall down, walls collapse and people get killed. 
> Plumbers and sparkys jump up and down every time DIY is mentioned. They should try and view it from a Carpenter/ Builders point of view. (pun intended)

  Geeze buddy, without trying to jump up and down,  it's the installation side aswell, improper fluing resulting in C.O. which is a silent killer. But you probably know best.

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## Eastwing

My point is lots people are killed each year by structural failures, Just look at some of the DIY decks on here, that people so proudly post pictures of. Anyone who uses post stirrups as stumps, do you really think they are qualified to make structural modifications to a house. The use of bright nails and treated pine. The list goes on and on. One mention of plumbing and people jump up and down, do you really think someone is going to drown because a 90 mm down pipe leaks? Badly installed windows leak, leading to rot, mould, and termites issues, how is that not just as big an issue? 
Electrical, plumbing, and structural work needs to be regulated.

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## Eastwing

> Geeze buddy, without trying to jump up and down,  it's the installation side aswell, improper fluing resulting in C.O. which is a silent killer. But you probably know best.

  Did you miss this bit (pun intended)

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## plum

Actually, I've looked for the pun, but I can't see it. But I'm sure there's one there.

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## phild01

> Actually, I've looked for the pun, but I can't see it. But I'm sure there's one there.

  I admit to this as well.

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## METRIX

> Whats the problem? You can buy timber at Bunnings. People take out load bearing walls with no idea how, at least with gas you can smell a leak. Decks fall down, walls collapse and people get killed.  
> Plumbers and sparky's jump up and down every time DIY is mentioned. They should try and view it from a Carpenter/ Builders point of view. (pun intended)

  
Mate I am a Carpenter / Builder, I see dangerous builds and shoddy work done by the punter all the time and agree 100% that punters should NOT be touching structural walls, nor should they be building illegal decks and other structures, I have been shot down many times by others justifying that a punter will tend to build something better than a tradie because they take their time, investigate and actually "over engineer" blah blah blah. 
That's a load of rot I don't care how much time you take to do something or how much time you spend investigating something it does not automatically give you the right to simply go out and build a deck or rip down some structural walls full well knowing that you are NOT qualified to do this nor is the modification you are doing in any way legal without consent from the proper authorities, what might seem like good building practice or "good enough" to a punter is not necessarily the correct way to build something and I freely say this on this forum time and time again. 
Yes I do agree that the electrical and plumbing sides do get a bit touchy when their work in mentioned to be done by a punter, and yes I do agree that structural work is just as important to be done correctly and safely, this is why there is a process in place that take 4 years minimum to achieve a basic licence to build limited structures (carpenter) or around 6 to achieve your unrestricted builders license,4 years for electrical and 4 years for plumbing plus an additional approximately 12 months for your gas fitters license. 
I personally don't care if a punter decides to do their own plumbing for water, each to their own if they want to take the risk of a leak developing at a later stage with the potential for causing thousands of dollars damage then good luck to them, that's the risk they take if they want to do some electrical work with the potential of putting themselves, family and friends lives at risk from electrocution or fire then fine if they want to rip down a structural wall also putting their family and friends lives at risk if it collapses while in the progress or at a later stage, go for it. 
You can't stop them doing any of the above because they have done a lot of investigation and therefore will do a better job than a trade qualified person (and some possibly will) they simply go to the green supermarket, and pick up everything they need and go for it, after all the punter spends a lot of time investigating what's the "correct way of doing something" by getting on forums and asking someone to explain "how do I do this" or "am I doing this correctly" or "does this abide by AU Standards" or "is this the correct sized timber to use for this" or any number of other questions which are taught in the apprentice process or on the work site so the punter must be building their structure better than a tradie (or so I've been told) because they have a lot of knowledge, but what would I know. 
And yes we all know Bunning's and the others sell electrical wire, plumbing fittings, timbers and a whole host of other things that we all know is being bought to build illegal and most times dangerous structures or plumb their own water and connect up illegal lights and points but I do draw the line when it comes to GAS, as I said above if the punter wants' to plum up their new bathroom and run the risk of potential problems, do it, but with GAS it's not just you that might suffer from the consequences of a faulty connection but your neighbours, when your gas leak gets ignited by a source such as a illegal electrical fitting you installed which is arching while you are away on holiday and not able to smell the leak. 
When the GAS gets ignited it won't just be your house or family that gets hurt or killed but also your innocent neighbours, personally I don't see the need for Bunning's or other supermarkets to sell this type of stuff, sure it's a free market and this supplier must be over the moon their product is available via the biggest hardware chain around, instead of via a specialist outlet, think of the potential sales they will get. 
Don't justify it by saying you are purchasing it for your plumber, are you serious your plumber will have all his or her own superior stuff in their truck, they won't be using this DIY stuff, and this IS targeted at the DIY market, This cheap Chinese made DIY system is simply a copy of a proper system such as the iplex K1, which not only do you need to be a licensed plumber and also a licensed gas fitter but you also need to have successfully completed the iplex installation course and be accredited by iplex. 
The accreditation covers identifying improper crimped connections, why silicon can be detrimental to the K1 system, how to protect the piping when brazing copper fittings connected to K1,how to protect the piping in corrosive environments, how much to allow for thermal expansion, where to use rubber grommets, etc etc., 
Even I sound like a K1 expert now, because I've read some freely available information on the product, I feel confident I can now safely go and install this because I have read what's required, that' all it takes isn't it  :Wink:  
Being able to walk into their local green shed supermarket and buy this system, there is seriously something wrong with that.

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## ringtail

Agree 100%  
Here's  some food for thought. How many rotten, perished, leaking gas hoses and regs are out there right now on thousands of back deck BBQ's ? How many people turn the bottle off after a BBQ I wonder.

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## r3nov8or

> Agree 100%  
> Here's  some food for thought. How many rotten, perished, leaking gas hoses and regs are out there right now on thousands of back deck BBQ's ? How many people turn the bottle off after a BBQ I wonder.

  well, mine gets turned off for sure, coz my reg leaks and I don't want to waste gas.   :Smilie:

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## cyclic

> well, mine gets turned off for sure, coz my reg leaks and I don't want to waste gas.

  Is a new Regulator worth more than your life, let alone the lives of others. 
What don't you understand about leaking Gas.

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## phild01

> Is a new Regulator worth more than your life, let alone the lives of others. 
> What don't you understand about leaking Gas.

  _....kidding, I think!_

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## r3nov8or

I did firstly write "(joke)" after my little quip, but thought a smiley would suffice...

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## r3nov8or

...and now I guess I'll get "it's no joking matter..."  etc. sheesh 
Well, dumb people will find many ways to die. It's called Natural Selection.

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## woodbe

> Is a new Regulator worth more than your life, let alone the lives of others. 
> What don't you understand about leaking Gas.

  In open air on a breezy back deck? I wouldn't want to waste the gas, but that is nothing like a gas leak in an enclosed space. 
Bunnings sells electrical, plumbing, timber and even TOOLS! People are going to kill themselves!  :Doh:

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## ringtail

> In open air on a breezy back deck? I wouldn't want to waste the gas, but that is nothing like a gas leak in an enclosed space. 
> Bunnings sells electrical, plumbing, timber and even TOOLS! People are going to kill themselves!

   
That's true but LPG is heavier than air so it sinks, goes under the deck or any other number of places waiting for an ignition source. Plenty of still breezeless days. :Wink:  1 x 9 kg bottle will do a fairly good job of levelling a house.

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## woodbe

I won't argue that gas is not dangerous or that it is heavier than air, but if you have a small leak from a bad seal on the reg, outside the gas will dissipate faster than it is leaking. It will take days or probably weeks to empty the cylinder. Inside a house, that is a potential catastrophe. Out on the deck it will only pool until it spills downslope or a breeze moves it along. 
9kg of gas will make a big mess but only if it is contained. My back of the envelope calculations tell me that 9kg of LPG equals 4.7 cubic metres of unpressurised gas. Under the deck, things are usually pretty flat and most decks are open on at least one side, how are you going to hold all that gas under the deck so you can blow the whole house up? 
Sure, lets fix the reg and close the cylinder valve when the barbie is not in use.

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## SilentButDeadly

> Bunnings sells electrical, plumbing, timber and even TOOLS! People are going to kill themselves!

  
Perhaps Wesfarmers is a terrorist organisation?  Maybe we should ban them (and their death dealing retail arm) and seize their assets?

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## wonderplumb

Oh well, more work for me in the long run fixing people's stupidity.

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## METRIX

> Oh well, more work for me in the long run fixing people's stupidity.

  Same for us with all the shoddy DIY building work going on, someone has to end up fixing it up  :Wink:

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## METRIX

> Perhaps Wesfarmers is a terrorist organisation?  Maybe we should ban them (and their death dealing retail arm) and seize their assets?

  Im sure you will see AK47's on the shelf at your local green shed soon, I happen to be at Castle Hill today, and spoke to the guy in Plumbing, he just shook his head and said heaps of plumbers have seen this, and could not believe what they were looking at, the just walked off in disbelief.

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## Aaron1973

Im sure it will have a disclaimer somewhere stating - must be installed by a qualified gasfitter. PS - I was at castle hill Bunnings today too!.

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## Micky013

I love bunnings - it sells everything i need to diy. EVERYTHING!!!!  :Smilie:

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## r3nov8or

It all started with No More Gaps. Of course now known as No More Trade.

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## Micky013

Now you can wire up AND do the gas connection to your BBQ area

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## METRIX

> Im sure it will have a disclaimer somewhere stating - must be installed by a qualified gasfitter. PS - I was at castle hill Bunnings today too!.

  Of course it does, on the back of the packet, but this is the same as all electrical components, but this doesent stop anyone, but interestingly no such thing is stated on sticks of timber, perhaps they should.
What time were you there, I was there around 8:00 the store was empty.

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## OBBob

The problem with my Bunnings is that there's now a Masters opposite... It's VERY hard to not end up going to both each trip!  
On the upside, they are trying to consider planning a way to gradually develop a trickle down culture of reasonably basic customer service.  By that I mean,  they sometimes say hello. I hear the next stage may be occasional eye contact.

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## METRIX

> Now you can wire up AND do the gas connection to your BBQ area

  HA HA HA HA HA my thoughts exactly - Read on  http://www.renovateforum.com/f196/ga...-nails-113851/

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## Aaron1973

I was framing my extension at cutting my eaves off 8am , didn't get there til after lunch. Trade desk was a nightmare!!!.

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## METRIX

> The problem with my Bunnings is that there's now a Masters opposite... It's VERY hard to not end up going to both each trip!  
> On the upside, they are trying to consider planning a way to gradually develop a trickle down culture of reasonably basic customer service.  By that I mean,  they sometimes say hello. I hear the next stage may be occasional eye contact.

  I have yet to frequent a Masters, not many in Sydney yet, but I believ it's much the same same.

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## METRIX

> I love bunnings - it sells everything i need to diy. EVERYTHING!!!!

  Not everything, as soon as they start stocking surrogat mothers, and small children for sale then you can say they sell everything, and trust me they are probably working on getting these on the shelves as we speak

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## Aaron1973

> I have yet to frequent a Masters, not many in Sydney yet, but I believ it's much the same same.

  Masters staff are no where near as knowledgeable as Bunnings, however I found Masters are cheaper for framing timber. I did the compare quotes between masters,bunnings & stockwells building supplies. Masters were cheapest. Bunnings had to price match & give a 10% discount. Winner for me!

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## OBBob

> I have yet to frequent a Masters, not many in Sydney yet, but I believ it's much the same same.

  Hmm... They're a little different and you can see Bunnings scrambling to catch up.  I'm told Masters is supposedly targeted towards the female consumer.  
Their customer service is very good (well compared to Bunnies). The stores are air-conditioned. They use colour advertising. They have a much superior website and app and you call buy online,  check stock locally etc. They're clearly American backed and stock a lot of products you'd see in the big US chains (many different brands to Bunnings).   
However, they don't stock as much hardcore trade stuff.  So for example,  the plumbing area would probably not have your gas connectors and less copper fittings etc. but it would have a bigger focus on taps,  toilets,  vanities etc. 
Competion is good though.

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## OBBob

> Not everything, as soon as they start stocking surrogat mothers, and small children for sale then you can say they sell everything, and trust me they are probably working on getting these on the shelves as we speak

  Jeppers... what sort of diy are you referring to? Lol.

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## phild01

Masters,  they hardly exist in Sydney and their on-line delivery is over-priced from what I have looked at :Annoyed:

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## Micky013

> HA HA HA HA HA my thoughts exactly - Read on  http://www.renovateforum.com/f196/ga...-nails-113851/

  Haha classic! 
Seriously some of the people that go there should not be allowed in certain aisles! And some of the questions .... Sheesh!

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## OBBob

They're taking over Melbourne,  I'm sure you're next.  Keep your eye on blocks of land near Bunnings stores,  they buy and build very quickly. 
Yes, your unlikely to use there online delivery ... but checking stock is great!

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## Smurf

There's a bit of a difference between a leaky BBQ outside versus a leaking cooktop or heater inside. 
One has a slim chance of going "boom" and doing some damage. Most likely, worst case is just a fireball outside but no major destruction as such. A gas leak in the kitchen however...... 
Water plumbing might cause a flood if someone gets it wrong but it won't likely kill anyone. Not so with gas, and I'd never attempt DIY gas for that reason. It's not about the probability of going wrong, it's the CONSEQUENCES if it does.

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## METRIX

Hmm... They're a little different and you can see Bunnings scrambling to catch up.  I'm told Masters is supposedly targeted towards the female consumer.  That's funny, I know an ex con covered in Tat's and he swears by shopping there, LOL. 
Their customer service is very good (well compared to Bunnies). The stores are air-conditioned They must be small stores, Can't see Bunnies fitting Air con to their mega stores like Castle Hill at and 19,000Sqm and Alexandria at 20,000 sqm  
Competion is good though Of course im all for it

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## Micky013

I know theres some people that bag bunnies but IMO i think theyre great. Good for basic tools, hand and power AND they beat any price online or comp store - cant complain about that.  
I saved nearly$200 on some baileys trestle ladders cos i could get the cheaper elsewhere. Made me smile  :Smilie:

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## OBBob

> I know theres some people that bag bunnies but IMO i think theyre great. Good for basic tools, hand and power AND they beat any price online or comp store - cant complain about that.  
> I saved nearly$200 on some baileys trestle ladders cos i could get the cheaper elsewhere. Made me smile

  We all still go there. I hate the place but I couldn't live without it either.   :Wink:

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## METRIX

> They're taking over Melbourne,  I'm sure you're next.  Keep your eye on blocks of land near Bunnings stores,  they buy and build very quickly. 
> Yes, your unlikely to use there online delivery ... but checking stock is great!

  Masters are having real trouble in Sydney getting sites, Bunning's had future sites stitched up years ago (obviously knew the competition was coming), and where a lot of their newer stores have opened they are near newer estates, and there is no land left within a reasonable proximity at a reasonable price for the competition. 
I just had a look at their website (or tried to) as they had where the new stores will be opening, I remember a little while ago there was not really any in NSW that were or any interest, seemed to be in the rural areas not the city, but there seems to be a slight problem with their website, Houston we have a problem

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## OBBob

> Hmm... They're a little different and you can see Bunnings scrambling to catch up.  I'm told Masters is supposedly targeted towards the female consumer.  That's funny, I know an ex con covered in Tat's and he swears by shopping there, LOL. 
> Their customer service is very good (well compared to Bunnies). The stores are air-conditioned They must be small stores, Can't see Bunnies fitting Air con to their mega stores like Castle Hill at and 19,000Sqm and Alexandria at 20,000 sqm  
> Competion is good though Of course im all for it

  The stores are big. Bunnings have put enormous fans in down here but their buildings were not constructed to be suitable for full aircon I suspect.

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## OBBob

Oh no ... I've obviously done to Masters what you did to the Franklin stud finder!

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## METRIX

> I know theres some people that bag bunnies but IMO i think theyre great. Good for basic tools, hand and power AND they beat any price online or comp store - cant complain about that.  
> I saved nearly$200 on some baileys trestle ladders cos i could get the cheaper elsewhere. Made me smile

  Nothing against Adelaide, but with only 15 stores across the state, they have a better chance or employing better staff.
NSW has 83 stores with 59 classified as large format stores so the quality of staff is a real hit and miss, and this is what people tend to bag out, but at the end of the day the staff are the face of the company and if they are unhelpfull that's what you remember. 
In Sydney they slowly put all the smaller hardware stores out of action, they simply could not compete on choice or ease of parking etc, initially their prices were good and they stocked good quality stuff, this is what helped put their competition out of business. 
As the competition disappeared so did the lower prices, these started to be jacked up and up as profits became more important than customer service, and the good quality stuff disappeared gradually replaced with low quality homebrand rubbish, and at higher prices that the previous quality components. 
Their advertised 10% price match was not always honoured, and part of the procedure was to ring the competition and confirm they had the item in stock, I don't have a problem with this apart from the following. 
1st they would say, Hi its bob from Bunning's I would like to check if you have such and such in stock, well the obvious answer from the competition was either p#** off, or simply hang up on them. 
2nd the competition was not open after around 4:30, so if you turned up at a store after this time of course the competition would not answer the phone, and don't even think of getting a Bunnings team member to call the competition on a Saturday, that was not going to happen. 
3rd make you wait and wait and wait while they mucked around in hopes you would just give up and walk away 
The above 3 scenarios were played out to me many many times by Bunning's, and eventually the answer was, Sorry we cannot price match as we cannot confirm the product is in stock, this was irrespective if you had the current competitions flyer showing the price, they would say yes I see the flyer, but we need to call them, OHH FORGET IT. 
They also would not accept any form of electronic website advertising, it HAD to be printed, this has since been revised and they are now much better at price matching, understanding that things like websites actually exist. 
You have to remember they have been in NSW for longer than Adelaide and have a lot more outlets, with a lot more silly games played by the various stores over the years, this is why people in NSW and Vic probably bag them out more than Adelaide, with only 15 stores state-wide it is probably a better shopping experience than either NSW or Vic. 
I must admit now they are fairly lax with price matching, but this is still dependant on the store and how the management allow price matching to happen.
You say you saved nearly $200 on some ladders, this is proof their prices are not always the lowest as they advertise to be.

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## Danny.S

I've built a few decks (bloody good ones!), installed my own in ground pool including all plumbing and solar heating, water tanks, assembled a large prefab shed, built my own extension (except electrical), a couple of verandas, lots of stormwater pits etc, replaced a few light fittings, removed bearing walls, external water plumbing (not inside), but I will never, I repeat, never do anything with gas as long as I live. Why, because I plan to live for a long time. 
Before anyone gives me a lecture, my building work has always been done under the advice and supervision of my very qualified and very experienced father.  He reckons I over engineer everything.  
Danny

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## phild01

> 1st they would say, Hi its bob from Bunning's I would like to check if you have such and such in stock, well the obvious answer from the competition was either p#** off, or simply hang up on them.

  Yes they played that trick with me as well, so I got stuck into them for sabotaging the price match.  As a result they ended up doing the price match.

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## METRIX

> Yes they played that trick with me as well, so I got stuck into them for sabotaging the price match.  As a result they ended up doing the price match.

  I just gave up on them, and refused to buy any power tools from them, I found other cheaper better service places to get my stuff from,.
if your going to advertise heavily about price matching and lowest prices, then stick to your advertised claim. 
As mentioned they are better at this nowadays, but it can still be hit and miss depending on the store and product you want matching.

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## ChocDog

Like everyone else i hate having to use the place and prefer to give local guys my money, but like everyone else, they are bl00dy handy to have around and always end up having to use them. I prefer Masters just because their website is EASY to find stuff on and check stock allocation on. Bunnings is next to useless and frustrates the hell out of me. How can you be a massive business like this, but get your website so wrong???

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## OBBob

> ... How can you be a massive business like this, but get your website so wrong???

  haha ... it's actually improved! I think it wasn't until Masters popped up that they actually started to look at their internet presence. Agree, they have a long way to go.

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## phild01

> Like everyone else i hate having to use the place and prefer to give local guys my money, but like everyone else, they are bl00dy handy to have around and always end up having to use them. I prefer Masters just because their website is EASY to find stuff on and check stock allocation on. Bunnings is next to useless and frustrates the hell out of me. How can you be a massive business like this, but get your website so wrong???

  It's a very bad website and never use the search or index.  I usually just google bunnings and the specific item and hope for the best.

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## ChocDog

> It's a very bad website and never use the search or index.  I usually just google bunnings and the specific item and hope for the best.

  Exactly what i do. Shouldnt have to though...

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## David.Elliott

I still really like my local little hardware store, but they fall down on sheetgoods, and timber, and I use quite a bit (relatively) of both... 
Initially I was a big fan of Masters...
When the nearest one to us (still a 40min round trip) opened and we went there a lot, all the staff were older ex somethings like plumbers, or tilers or chippys and they hung out in the right areas,,,
I even had a bloke by the name of Murray, an ex californian, who became my personal shopper. When I went in I'd give him half my list, and we'd meet a bit later at the checkouts with all my stuff.
Then he'd wave his card over the machine at the checkout and I got 5%, not much but...
looking to fit a small kit kitchen to a friends place for her. I've been to M three times now and cannot get a call back. So I went elsewhere.. $8000.00 all up with appliances, gone! They're not going to turn the business around if that keeps up!
Plus I need a replacement drawer slide that got broke...fat chance. 
Now that it's full of younger kids and folk that I feel don't give a toss, I'm ambivalent...

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## Uncle Bob

> That's funny, I know an ex con covered in Tat's and he swears by shopping there, LOL.

  Is it easier to shoplift from?  :Smilie:

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## David.Elliott

both the two biggies seem to be easy to lift stuff from... 
I was at the B tool shop and the fellow in front had a Dewalt something, in the box...think it may have been one of their new lithium nailguns. 
When the sales assistant opened the box and the case...nada. No Gun - No battery...apparently it felt wrong to him... 
At this point the SA said something along the lines of 'this happens all the time' 
At the M shop one day when I asked for a tool and said it was listed online as in stock ...he tells me "you will not believe how much goes walkabout here..."

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## LordBug

> They're not going to turn the business around if that keeps up!

  
Might please you to know that they're something like $170 million into the red. 
Either way, I love to hate both the big ones (And soon Aldi, whenever they build their first store in WA). Each time I go in with a list of what I want/need, I never leave with everything ticked off, they're always lacking one or two items. Frustrating really.

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## plum

> Might please you to know that they're something like $170 million into the red. 
> Either way, I love to hate both the big ones (And soon Aldi, whenever they build their first store in WA). Each time I go in with a list of what I want/need, I never leave with everything ticked off, they're always lacking one or two items. Frustrating really.

  Until you try Aldi, I wouldn't knock it. We love Aldi......

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## phild01

> Until you try Aldi, I wouldn't knock it. We love Aldi......

  I like Aldi as well but geeze they have some lousy quality food items and you need to be selective.

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