Loctite or Draper? Much difference?

[pgrbffParticipant @pgrbff]

I would like some Loctite 542 but over here a small 50ml bottle is around £40. I can get Draper from the UK much cheaper, will there be much difference?

[pgrbffParticipant @pgrbff]

[Clive FosterParticipant @clivefoster55965]

In our world probably no practical difference.

At the higher end where specification details matter Loctite probably has the edge.

Have you checked Amazon prices. Draper and Loctite appear pretty similar in the UK.

On a side note I opened one of the inexpensive LiDL "Pattex" own brand (?) bottles of cyanoacrylate adhesive because the delivery tube appeared to have become blocked and found a tube of a good specification Loctite adhesive inside. The "bottle" turned out to be a well thought out tube holder with an effective squeezer mechanism.

My delivery tube wasn't blocked. The tube was completely empty.

Clive

[DiogenesIIParticipant @diogenesii]

542 is a high spec. hydraulic / pneumatic pipe sealant, if you just need a 'general purpose' thread lock and sealant for machinery assembly, use 243 which is (much) cheaper.

If you need it for HP pipework in an extreme environment then you can check the suitability of equivalents from the manufacturer's datasheet.

If you do just need it for general assembly, then as Clive says, any similar medium strength ('blue' ) lock'n'seal type products ought to do the job.

Edited By DiogenesII on 11/04/2021 18:28:39

[Chris Evans 6Participant @chrisevans6]

ArcEurotrade list equivalents in small bottles.

[Mark RandParticipant @markrand96270]

There are sellers on fleabay who will ship 50ml of loctite 542 to italy for £25. I would have thought there would be local sellers who could match/beat that price.

[Les Jones 1Participant @lesjones1]

If you are planning to use it to try to remove the bearing I think it is not the correct grade. For that i suggest 638

Les.

[pgrbffParticipant @pgrbff]

Posted by Mark Rand on 11/04/2021 20:31:34:

There are sellers on fleabay who will ship 50ml of loctite 542 to italy for £25. I would have thought there would be local sellers who could match/beat that price.

No, remember I live in Italy. Many suppliers still have a min. charge and most don't have websites. Easier to buy from UK or Germany, even Japan.

[pgrbffParticipant @pgrbff]

Posted by Les Jones 1 on 11/04/2021 20:45:57:

If you are planning to use it to try to remove the bearing I think it is not the correct grade. For that i suggest 638

Les.

It's for pneumatic connections. I could go back to tape but 542 so much easier.

Edited By pgrbff on 11/04/2021 21:29:36

[pgrbffParticipant @pgrbff]

Posted by Mark Rand on 11/04/2021 20:31:34:

There are sellers on fleabay who will ship 50ml of loctite 542 to italy for £25. I would have thought there would be local sellers who could match/beat that price.

Since Jan 1st buying anything from the UK, except maybe Amazon, who no longer ship a vast number of products to the EU, has been a nightmare. Parts ordered from Ebay and major online suppliers can easily take 6-12 weeks.

[VersabossParticipant @versaboss]

Posted by Clive Foster on 11/04/2021 18:12:37:

On a side note I opened one of the inexpensive LiDL "Pattex" own brand (?) bottles of cyanoacrylate adhesive because the delivery tube appeared to have become blocked and found a tube of a good specification Loctite adhesive inside. The "bottle" turned out to be a well thought out tube holder with an effective squeezer mechanism.

Just to remember, if someone doesn't know: Pattex is a brand from Henkel, and Loctite is (today) also a brand from Henkel

Regards,
Hans

[Nick WheelerParticipant @nickwheeler]

Posted by Clive Foster on 11/04/2021 18:12:37:

In our world probably no practical difference.

At the higher end where specification details matter Loctite probably has the edge.

Have you checked Amazon prices. Draper and Loctite appear pretty similar in the UK.

That.

When we did the nose wheel modification on a Cessna Caravan, £20 on a new bottle of the specified Loctite was a trivial part of a £5000 job on a £1.5 million aeroplane. It also meant the paper trail was correct.

When I made an fitted a new headstock bolt for this clapper

fitted to a 250kg bell, the gudgeon pin and bolt got a smear of the generic £3/bottle medium-strength stuff that I've had for years.

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Posted by pgrbff on 11/04/2021 21:27:41:

Posted by Mark Rand on 11/04/2021 20:31:34:

There are sellers on fleabay who will ship 50ml of loctite 542 to italy for £25. I would have thought there would be local sellers who could match/beat that price.

No, remember I live in Italy. Many suppliers still have a min. charge and most don't have websites. Easier to buy from UK or Germany, even Japan.

Surely the local car parts stores in Italy carry threadlockers and sealants etc in various brands same as anywhere else? Or are you in lockdown?

[pgrbffParticipant @pgrbff]

Posted by Hopper on 12/04/2021 08:58:48:

Posted by pgrbff on 11/04/2021 21:27:41:

Posted by Mark Rand on 11/04/2021 20:31:34:

There are sellers on fleabay who will ship 50ml of loctite 542 to italy for £25. I would have thought there would be local sellers who could match/beat that price.

No, remember I live in Italy. Many suppliers still have a min. charge and most don't have websites. Easier to buy from UK or Germany, even Japan.

Surely the local car parts stores in Italy carry threadlockers and sealants etc in various brands same as anywhere else? Or are you in lockdown?

It is a very different world. To some extent it is because I am in a fairly remote area, I do a 70km round trip to go to the supermarket, but mostly it is just different.

I needed a backplate recently for a Mitutoyo gauge. I found it online, which is rare enough here, and the price was less than £1. When I called them I needed both a VAT number and minimum order value of 50 euro. I found a pulley I needed for my bandsaw online, on the manufacturer's website, I asked them where I could order it and whilst they did answer, they couldn't tell me who to go to. I could go on.

I'm fairly fluent in Italian but there is much less of a culture of DIYers. If you want silver steel you won't find anyone who'll sell you a short piece, you need to buy a length. Same with copper pipe for plumbing, 6m is minimum length.

It's easier, quicker and cheaper to order from abroad. Unfortunately, Brexit has now ruled out the UK as shipping is taking months and you get charged a minimum of 18 euro or 2% in charges on top of VAT and duty.

I found the Draper 542 on Amazon and they are still shipping non-food items to Italy at reasonable cost.

[pgrbffParticipant @pgrbff]

People in Italy are far less likely to do things for themselves.

For a driving licence or car tax there is an agent in virtually every town who will apply for you. When I bought my first car here the dealer used an agent for the paperwork. The agent wouldn't sign off because I hadn't registered for residence in Italy, but was registered as an Italian living abroad, which is enough to own a car registered in Italy. Although the vehicle tax office was only 4km from the dealer, I had to drive 140km to check it out. Having paid for the car in full they still wouldn't give it to me.

Same for property tax, even if you have no income or retired you need an accountant or "union" to work out what you owe in taxes.

The rules are so complicated and changing constantly. Ask 5 Italians the same question and you will get 5 different answers.

[Clive FosterParticipant @clivefoster55965]

Posted by Versaboss on 11/04/2021 23:05:16:

Posted by Clive Foster on 11/04/2021 18:12:37:

On a side note I opened one of the inexpensive LiDL "Pattex" own brand (?) bottles of cyanoacrylate adhesive because the delivery tube appeared to have become blocked and found a tube of a good specification Loctite adhesive inside. The "bottle" turned out to be a well thought out tube holder with an effective squeezer mechanism.

Just to remember, if someone doesn't know: Pattex is a brand from Henkel, and Loctite is (today) also a brand from Henkel

Regards,
Hans

Thanks Hans. I certainly didn't know that.

What got me was that the Pattex version in its nice little squeezer "bottle" was about half the price of the same tube of Loctite from the usual sources.

Crazy world.

Clive

[HollowpointParticipant @hollowpoint]

While we are on the subject, it's worth noting there is a LOT of fake loctite around at the minute. I'd be wary of buying from ebay or amazon!

With that in mind what other brands do people prefer?

[egaParticipant @ega]

Posted by Clive Foster on 12/04/2021 09:43:52:

…

What got me was that the Pattex version in its nice little squeezer "bottle" was about half the price of the same tube of Loctite from the usual sources.

Crazy world.

Clive

Your intriguing revelation reminds me of the supposed practice in the old fashioned grocery trade of offering Ordinary and Best Paraffin both supplied by pipe from the same tank in the roof.

[larry phelan 1Participant @larryphelan1]

EGA Business is business, my boy ! What they dont know wont bother them.

[pgrbffParticipant @pgrbff]

Posted by Hollowpoint on 12/04/2021 10:01:47:

While we are on the subject, it's worth noting there is a LOT of fake loctite around at the minute. I'd be wary of buying from ebay or amazon!

With that in mind what other brands do people prefer?

I agree. There do seem to be too many variations on eBay and Amazon. One reason I thought the Draper might be safer.

[HollowpointParticipant @hollowpoint]

Posted by pgrbff on 12/04/2021 13:46:16:

Posted by Hollowpoint on 12/04/2021 10:01:47:

While we are on the subject, it's worth noting there is a LOT of fake loctite around at the minute. I'd be wary of buying from ebay or amazon!

With that in mind what other brands do people prefer?

I agree. There do seem to be too many variations on eBay and Amazon. One reason I thought the Draper might be safer.

Oddly enough, the last threadlock I bought was "Loxeal" brand. Made in Italy. Might be worth a look.

[old martParticipant @oldmart]

I have had no trouble using lesser known brands of threadlock and bearing fit. Just be sure you can assemble the joint quickly if using 638, the 620 gives you much more time

[egaParticipant @ega]

I have no experience of the Draper product but can report an unexpected result from using Loctite 638.

I wanted to fit a 16mm diameter component into a 0.750" hole and used as a basis for the necessary sleeve some 3/4" PGMS which fitted the hole nicely. A sleeve was duly turned up and Loctited into place but when tried for fit after curing the result would not enter the hole and my micrometer revealed the job was now 0.0005" oversize.

I assume that the adhesive swells on curing and that the thin walled sleeve was unable to contain this.

I would add that the Loctite was several years old, that I used an accelerator/ cleaner on the surfaces to be joined and left it on a warm radiator to cure.

I shall try to lap this to size.

[pgrbffParticipant @pgrbff]

The Draper was no longer available from Amazon, many marketplace sellers will not post out Of UK. After much online searching found Loctite from large online store for less than £20 including shipping.

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