Paul
I have just taken a 10 year-old Makita 750W mains-operated drill apart to assess a problem with the brush gear/armature, prior to getting it repaired. Inside, it's built like a Swiss watch, beautiful machining and gears etc., but all the stator/armature assemblies are located by the plastic case mouldings- it's the double-insulated construction method. You can mould plastics to 0.001" with care. Cost new now about = $180US here. I can get a similar-size Chinese drill in the supermarket for =$12US, but this tool will disintegrate if stressed like a Makita or a Porter-Cable. These cheap tools are strictly for the DIY 'play' market, ( I remember my sons having those 'Junior Carpenters' Tool Kits' 25 years ago- complete crap, but still capable of sawing the legs off their beds! ), - not intended for a proper skilled craftsman to earn a living with. The market for power tools has fragmented into many sectors to cater for all users, and low Chinese labour rates ($25US a WEEK!) have enabled this to happen. To be fair to Draper, they have some excellent high end market tools as well- only sold through Pro tool shops- I have a Pro Draper 16 gauge brad-pinner, 12v NiCd with on board air-compressor & it will fire 2" brads and bury them in oak planking, hour after hour. It has operated faultlessly for 2 years. Even Makita have a DIY-type range now- (orange casings). Still built like a Swiss watch - but by far-east labour. Trumpy is dead on with his comment- you aren't going to get Robert Bosch quality for $12 US - all tools are not built equal. Mind you, the polisher does rather look like a POS inside, doesn't it!
Alan
