Anyone know of a kitchen manufacturer /supplier that uses

cddc

donmaico wrote: »

What followed was long list of carpenters and kitchen fitters each extolling the virtues of -Howdens, BQ, Magnet and Benchmarx who i am sure you are aware ,are in the same Travis Perkins group as Wickes.its a case of recommending the tried and tested rather like many Gas safe fitters recommend the likes of Worcester boilers .I myself have an Intergas which I bought as a result of several vigorous forum recommendations .I took chance but so far i am very pleased with it .I wonder, though, how many punters would take such a chance? For them its Worcester, Baxi,Valiant and the like, all of which i have no interest in because I think Intergas produce better boilers ,especially as they carry 10 year warranties.

:rotfl: What a shock! A bunch of tradesmen singing the praises of companies on whose product they make a cut and companies who look after them first. You are quite correct to be sceptical.

For instance, a Benchmarx kitchen is a Wickes one which has been put together in the factory rather than being supplied flat pack. Those recommendations have nothing to do with quality and everything to do with companies who look after tradesmen.

That is not to say that what they are advising is a poor quality one. It is just that is no better than those they are slagging off. Their only reason for slating them is they don't make a cut, and from their point of view, that missing items or design errors are much easier to rectify from suppliers that hold stock, rather than being re-ordered.

It is not impossible to get a poor quality kitchen or get ripped off buying one, but it is probably harder now to get fleeced than it has ever been. Which is possibly why it seems so hard to get good impartial advice on which ones are better.

To be honest, in most cases these days, you will get a perfectly good product from whoever you choose, though if it looks too good to be true it probably is.

Personally, from my knowledge, would avoid Wren as they are prone to service issues, and there are a few well known rogues out there, but you do not sound like someone who would fall for one of them anyway.

Much of it after that is opinion and personal preference. The most important two things are to get a designer you can work with and a good fitter. These are more important overall, to the durability of the kitchen, and to your satisfaction with it, than the material the carcasse is made of, or which make of kitchen you choose.

donmaico

cddc wrote: »

That does not necessarily mean that you are getting tat. As long as you avoid the real basic stuff you will get 18 mm carcasses, blumotion drawers and soft close hinges and a kitchen that as long as it is properly fitted and you look after it, should give you twenty years or more of service. Which is what most people want.

The reason manufacturers don't use MFHDC or MFMDF is that they don't need to, as the market is quite happy with the standard and durability of carcasses as is, and if you are not going to gain more sales by using a more expensive product then why do it? Yes they are slightly better, but what is in it for them to use them?

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Perhaps consumers are not aware of the relative strengths of or MFMDF over standard MFC.If they were they might react differently although I would hazard a guess that most people just look at the superficials , the opening closing of drawers /doors and the various features on offer.
There a number of manufacturers, Mereway being one, that do claim using MFHDC.I suspect they are mostly at the upper end of the market though

donmaico

cddc wrote: »

:rotfl: What a shock! A bunch of tradesmen singing the praises of companies on whose product they make a cut and companies who look after them first. You are quite correct to be sceptical.

Just like Worcester Bosch fitters :0 Experience has taught me a lesson to be wary

For instance, a Benchmarx kitchen is a Wickes one which has been put together in the factory rather than being supplied flat pack. Those recommendations have nothing to do with quality and everything to do with companies who look after tradesmen.

I was aware of that .I cant say i am totally displeased with the Benchmarx kitchen i bought but lets say i was a bit annoyed when a Blum hinge on a corner unit literally came apart and putting it back together wasnt exactly easy given i had so little room to move and couldnt properly see what i was doing.Another such hinge just came away from the door so i had to use two longer screws to reattach it. To my mind this kind of things should not happen to a kitchen barely 4 years old.

To be honest, in most cases these days, you will get a perfectly good product from whoever you choose, though if it looks too good to be true it probably is.

fair comment, but surely using better quality chipboard and screws results in a better end product

Much of it after that is opinion and personal preference. The most important two things are to get a designer you can work with and a good fitter. These are more important overall, to the durability of the kitchen, and to your satisfaction with it, than the material the carcasse is made of, or which make of kitchen you choose

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agree wholeheartedly