Setup Block set tool review, comparison, cost - Woodpeckers, iGaging and Eanosic setup blocks

So I'm the first to admit that when I go shopping for tools, I gravitate towards name brands, brands that have been around a while, brands that have a track record.
But in the recent past I purchased some lesser known brand tools at lower prices and have had good success with those purchases. Examples include a Harbor Freight Bauer sliding miter saw and Harbor Freight Bremen parallel clamps.
So I decided to go on a journey and purchase some lesser known brands at lower prices and compare them to the known brands that I have in the shop to see if lower prices equal lower quality.
This is the first of a few installments and this video focuses on setup blocks.
Amazon affiliate links help support the channel:
www.woodpeck.com/setup-blocks...
iGaging setup blocks: amzn.to/3uz2zxM
Eanosic setup blocks: amzn.to/3Fbdym3
I think you'll be surprised with the results.
00:00 Introduction
00:30 Why setup blocks?
01:04 Woodpecker Setup Block Set
01:35 What is a thousandth
03:07 Eanosic Setup Blocks
04:01 iGaging Setup Blocks
04:26 Testing and Results
05:00 Thoughts
06:27 My Choice

[@frankvucolo6249]

Thanks Dennis. Well done. I agree with you. Sometimes buying to a quality standard is important and sometimes it is not. In the case of set up blocks, it is not. If you rip a piece of wood to 4” and measure it with a dial caliper, then come back and measure it again a few hours later, it will be different. Even a Mitutoyo or Starrett dial caliper is only accurate to .001. All that said, many of us do woodworking for the pleasure of it as well as the practicality. So I understand when the value proposition is measured in joy and not dollars. If you find joy in using a tool that offers no or minimal improvement in quality, at 2 or 3 times the price but you love it in your hand and smile a little when you use it, I say it was worth every dollar.

[@DIYwithDennis]

Thanks Frank! Appreciate the feedback!

[@MagicHawkeye]

Each purchase we make is a vote within a free-market system. It is the greatest power any of us will ever wield; we should use it wisely. My decision as to what to buy depends on several factors: Budget, quality, my needs, country of origin, brand reputation, etc. The perceived value of each is always viewed through the lens of one’s budget. An unlimited budget might bring product quality or country of origin into sharp focus. The more constrained the budget, the more important cost becomes. With a limited budget, the diversity of tools one owns is constrained by the premiums paid for each. Compromises must be made. Does spending more for one tool justify not owning another altogether? All things being equal, i prefer to support local economies. I prefer products made in the USA. I prefer products made in my state. I prefer to buy from a local store. I prefer to support locally owned stores. These things all have value to me, so i’m willing to pay a premium to support each. The perceived value is, however, finite. Its value, to me, is proportional to my budget. Unfortunately, things often aren’t equal. Especially cost and quality. Often, local stores (or certain brands) don’t carry/offer the quality i’m seeking, or the premium they’re asking exceeds the value it has to me. So i may purchase online, or a different brand. Brand loyalty is usually born of one or more of the following: Consistent quality, value for the cost, customer support, or technical support. Or good marketing. Unfortunately, some companies with a loyal following price-gouge. Companies which charge 2x for comparable products are likely relying too much on their name, and not offering customers a good value for their money. They would likely expand sales, brand loyalty, and make higher profits if they didn’t price-gouge. The economics of free-markets are nonlinear and can be tricky. Although i perceive the Woodpecker brand as top tier, and i value quality tools, i don’t own any of their products. My purchases have always gone to competitors which offered a better overall perceived value for my money. Buying a quality tool generally means it may last longer, be more versatile in application, perform better, be easier (or more of a pleasure) to use, etc. That has value. The more often i’m likely to use a tool, the more valuable the quality aspect is to me. This is especially true for hand tools, which are more likely to last a lifetime than power tools (which may wear out more quickly, or simply become obsolete). But for rarely used tools, paying a premium for quality becomes far less important, provided the quality is adequate for the intended task.

[@MJHanegraaf]

Dennis - thank you VERY MUCH for the plain-speak, sensible research you did and for sharing your results. Thank you also for differentiating the needs of a machinist from a woodworker (I fall into the latter group). Your video was a great help in making my decision.

[@hirkojs]

Mega Thx for such an amazing video on the comparison of three different brands of like items showing that their are great quality measuring tools available for those of us that have a more restrictive budget and can still achieve exceptional performance in our woodworking.

[@brandenwatts2931]

Greetings, this video came on my feed, and I'll watch any video that discusses Woodpeckers, as I'm a machinist for that company. As a woodworker, I took the job primarily because I value the company's ingenuity and commitment to excellence (and the employee discount.) And I'm also one of those people who, whenever possible, prefers to buy American made tools, so while there are cheaper options available, the knowledge that I'm supporting American jobs is worth paying a premium.

[@DIYwithDennis]

Thanks Branden! I definitely have job envy LOL - seriously, it must be great to work for one of the top companies that service woodworkers and other trades - Your position is very understandable- thanks for your feedback! Dennis

[@danielwalles369]

Great vid. Clear and to the point. Thanks for the information.

[@chrischervin9329]

Great video! Thanks for the visual example of just how small the 0.001 error is and how minor that is for woodworking.

[@DIYwithDennis]

Hi Chris! Glad it was helpful - thanks for the comment!

[@NWGR]

Dennis, great comparison and I appreciate your impressions on cheap vs expensive. I'm all for supporting USA made and the original creators, but for something like this where performance is literally identical there's not much reason to pay extra for the sake of supporting a company that probably has a much larger bank account than yourself. IMHO, woodpecker rides on their name a bit too heavily. If that setup block set was $100-$110, sure, I'd give it a shot. But with an equally performing competitor at half the cost, there's no advantage to paying the extra here. I'm not a woodpeckers hater or anything, I think their multi knobs are probably the best on the market and very fairly priced. You mentioned festool, and it's absolutely true that festool has an almost cult-like following, but for some tools, festool is worth the money (domino, sanders, track saws, vacs, etc.). Others, not so much (most of their cordless lineup). I have a few festool tools and am very happy with them and consider it money well spent. But that's because they bring a lot to the table for the money they ask, and in most cases their tools are above what the competition offers, all things considered. Another example on top of the line vs medium priced would be a starret combination square vs a PEC blem. No function difference, identical accuracy, yet the PEC blem is a fraction of the cost of a starrett. In general, brand loyalty is a fool's game, where the only winners are those you're shelling out your hard-earned cash to. Catch you on the next one, great job. 👍 edit to add: I forgot to mention; the setup blocks I use are Rockler's brass set. My wife got me the master set a few years back and it's one of my most used tools. They're amazing.

[@DIYwithDennis]

Thanks NW! You make a lot of good points. I'm not anti-Woodpecker either, in fact, I have a lot of their measuring tools, and I like them - but it's worth looking around because technology is enabling other companies to produce the same quality at lower costs - thanks for watching and the comment!

[@ibitaRaptor]

It would be cool to be your neighbor so I can just reference your woodpecker set to know if the set I got is up to par. Great video, I got a cheaper set too and it has been accurate enough for me and it was a great price.

[@DIYwithDennis]

Thanks! Yup, as long as the product does the job, that's what counts - thanks for the comment!

[@PMichaels]

Awesome video, Dennis! Very informative and well organized. I loved the 1/64th demo model too. It was very helpful! Like you, I prefer name brand tools to a point. With big power tools you need to be careful because knock off tools can cause more headaches in the long run. But for most hand tools and stuff like set up blocks, why pay way more just for a name? Yes, buyer beware, but thanks to you I know these set up blocks will all work just fine. Thanks for doing this video, and keep ‘em coming! 👍🏼

[@DIYwithDennis]

Thanks Patrick! Glad it was helpful! Thanks for the comment on the 1/64th - I was on the fence on whether to include that in the video - so that's good feedback!

[@willwilliams7057]

Nice Thanks for the information. I never heard of the other brands.

[@DIYwithDennis]

Thanks Will! iGaging is a relatively popular brand and makes a lot of measuring devices. I never heard of Eanosic either but it was pretty popular on Amazon and had relatively good reviews so I decided to include them in the test - thanks for the comment!

[@ksard4142]

Great video. Keep it up!

[@DIYwithDennis]

Thank you sir! Much appreciated!

[@ethanshannon1840]

Great topic, Dennis. I like the igaging brand a lot. I have several of their bench squares, their combo squares, angle cube, and a few others. I think they are great quality regardless of price. It would be neat to see you explore that brand more in future videos. I feel like nobody knows about their tools.

[@DIYwithDennis]

Thanks Ethan! Yeah, i was impressed with the iGaging set - I found that 2 of their blocks actually measured dead-on the actual measurement stated on the block, so yes I will be exploring their brand a bit more - thanks!

[@MrTanker10a]

Excellent 😊video!

[@DIYwithDennis]

Thanks for the comment! Much appreciated!

[@SavageVoyageur]

$150 vs $40 Amazon set. The Amazon ones are exactly within .001. That’s good enough for me.

[@littlejimmy7402]

Funny that this pops up today. I just bought a 15 pc Eanosic set for $39.88 on amazon (down from $85.99). The deal is still up there, it doesn't say "Prime Day Deal". Of course I haven't seen it yet, but if feels like a deal.

[@DIYwithDennis]

That’s a great deal! I used a smaller set in the video but they were accurate so if the quality is the same you won’t be disappointed!

[@Danko88]

I have the Kreg set and I like them for everything except the table saw. Having a constant block 3 inch long sure would make getting the top tooth to match easier its kind of a pain using the Kreg setup blocks. Think I might give the iGaging ones a try.

[@DIYwithDennis]

Thanks for the feedback Chris! The iGaging is a nice set and the price is reasonable - Dennis

[@timstewart1673]

i like woodpecker and that they made in the USA and I will pay the price Great Video

[@DIYwithDennis]

Thanks Tim!

[@truth-ox3wz]

You are a fool...pay twice as much for the same accuracy.