CTC Tools - know anything about them?

[magpens]

I was looking for ER-32 collets on the net today and came across CTC Tools.

Just wondering if anyone has done business with them and where they ship from.

Their prices on collets and collet chucks (MT3 and MT2 arbors) are incredibly cheap. The collet chucks are $19 each and the collets are $4 - $5.

But the clanger is that their shipping charge is exhorbitant.

Would appreciate hearing from anyone who knows anything about this company.

 

[dogcatcher]

I never dealt with them. But if you chose to go with the MT type chuck, step up to the ER40 size collet set up. The collets sizes will go up to 1" instead of the 3/4 of the ER32. I don't use ER40 set up very often, but the 1" collet is left in the chuck and usually what I do use. The chuck is $22 and the collets are $4.75 each

 

[Wct3]

Well they're really cheap because you're buying direct from Hong Kong. I've not purchased from them, but have from a number of chinese manufacturers... I'd say I'm about 50% satisfied. The stainless steel set screw assortment came pretty quickly and seem to be good quality. The LED christmas tree light replacements were a disaster. Some whistles for hiking were a no show.... Some replacement light fixtures had a 3/8-24 thread instead of the standard 1/8 inch pipe thread: 3/8-27.
Resolving problems can take a long time.

 

[dnaman]

Bit late to the party here - sorry about that (just joined).

I have used CTC Tools a fair amount - I have a small metal workshop in my basement. The company is run, out of Hong Kong, by a Scandinavian guy (Danish I think). He sources parts from the better Hong-Kong and Chinese manufacturers. All of the stuff I've had has been excellent and reasonably priced. (Of course shipping costs from anywhere to anywhere are out of control these days, but that's not his fault).

I have absolutely no qualms about recommending CTC. Usual disclaimer ..... no connection whatsoever - just a satisfied customer.

(Actually right now the website is shut down because they are moving the warehouse and recreating the website. Should have been back up at the beginning of May. Emails from others have apparently gone unanswered. Very worrying this. I do not want to lose this source.

 

[arose62]

I've bought from CTC a few times - very happy with quality, speed of shipping, and of course, the price.

I was working at a small engineering firm, and took in the set of CTC ER32 collets, to get the opinions of the full-time real-engineering guys, and the boss went and got the latest "high quality" set of ER32 collets he'd just bought (at about 10 times the CTC price) to compare.

No-one could fault the CTC ones, and the boss got me to purchase a few items for him, from CTC, as a result.

Cheers,
Andrew