This is a major step forward as we continue building Xcat into a trusted marketplace for quality tools, batteries, gaming consoles, workshop equipment, refurbished stock, and other DIY and trade-related products.

Rather than being an open marketplace for anyone, Xcat focuses on approved sellers only — helping maintain stronger buyer trust, better quality listings, and a more reliable shopping experience for everyone.

🔹 Lower selling fees
🔹 Less competition from poor-quality listings
🔹 A focused UK marketplace built around real products people actually want
🔹 Trusted seller approval and long-term growth opportunities

We are starting with a simple fixed 8% seller fee and manually reviewing every seller application to ensure the right fit for the marketplace.

If you sell products that match the Xcat marketplace and want a better long-term platform than the usual race-to-the-bottom marketplaces, we would love to hear from you.

You can learn more and apply here:

👉 https://xcatalogue.co.uk/become-a-seller/

This is just the beginning — and another important step in building the long-term Xcat ecosystem.

Xcat Team.

👉 “I’d like to get into DIY… but where do I start?”

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be rolling out the Xcat DIY Workshop Series — a step-by-step set of practical guides designed to take you from complete beginner to confident DIYer.

🔧 What to expect

Each guide focuses on real, practical DIY — no fluff, no overload:

• 🟢 Getting started with DIY
• 🟢 The essential tools you actually need
• 🟢 Budget-friendly starter tool kits
• 🟢 Simple repairs you can do yourself
• 🟢 Step-by-step projects
• 🟢 How to use tools properly and safely

📅 New guide every 2 weeks

A new article will be published every two weeks, so you can follow along at your own pace and build your skills gradually.

📍 Where to find the guides

All articles will be available on the main Xcatalogue site:

👉 Main Menu → DIY Den → All Posts → DIY Workshop Series

This will be your central hub for the full series as it grows.

💬 Join the discussion here

Each guide will have a matching thread in the DIY Den forum so you can:

• Ask questions
• Share your own tips
• Show your projects
• Help others getting started

🚀 First guide launching soon:

“Why Start DIY? Benefits, Savings & Real Reasons to Get Started”

Whether you're fixing small jobs or planning bigger builds, this series is designed to give you the confidence, knowledge, and tools to get it done.

👉 Stay tuned — this is just the beginning.

— Terry @ Xcatalogue

If you had to choose just one tool for everyday jobs, would it be a cordless drill or an impact driver?

I’ve seen a lot of people say once they start using an impact driver they hardly touch their drill for screw driving anymore.

But for DIY work around the house I still find myself using the drill most of the time.

What’s everyone else’s experience?

I’ve been sorting through some of my workshop tools recently and realised I’ve accumulated quite a few dull drill bits over the years.

Some people say it’s worth resharpening drill bits on a grinder, while others say modern bits are cheap enough that it’s easier to just replace them.

I’m curious what others here do.

Do you:

• sharpen drill bits yourself
• use a drill bit sharpening tool
• or simply replace them when they go blunt?

I mainly drill wood and mild steel, so nothing too extreme, but I do notice bits getting dull after a while, especially when drilling harder materials.

Also, for those who do sharpen bits — is it easy to keep the correct angle, or does it take a lot of practice?

Would be interested to hear what methods people use and what tools... guides i might need?

This might be a bit different from the usual tool questions, but I thought I’d ask in the general chat section.

I’ve recently been thinking about trying to make some homemade wine. A friend of mine mentioned that it’s actually quite easy to start with basic equipment and a simple kit, and now I’m curious to give it a go myself.

I don’t have any experience with brewing or fermenting anything though, so I’m not really sure where to start.

A few things I’d love to know:

• Is it better to start with a wine kit or try using fresh fruit?

• What sort of basic equipment do you need for a beginner?

• How long does it usually take before the wine is ready to drink?

• Is it easy to mess up your first batch?

I quite like the idea of making something at home and experimenting with different flavours.

If anyone here has tried making their own wine or other home-brewed drinks I’d really love to hear how you got started and whether it’s worth trying.

Thanks!

Liv

A Few Simple Rules (important)

It’s worth pinning a small rules post to avoid problems:

Example rules:

• Private sales between members only

• No commercial advertising

• Always include price and location if possible

• Use PayPal Goods & Services or other safe payment methods

• Xcatalogue is not responsible for transactions between members

I’ve noticed there are quite a few replacement batteries available for DeWalt 18V / 20V MAX tools that are a lot cheaper than the genuine DeWalt ones, my 3Ah DeWalt battery has decided to stop charging!

Some of these third party battery listings claim the same capacity (for example 5.0Ah or even higher) and say they’re compatible with the whole XR range of tools. The price difference can be pretty big though — sometimes less than half the cost of the official batteries.

I’m curious what people’s real-world experience has been with non-OEM batteries.

A few things I’m wondering about:

• Do they actually deliver the same runtime as the genuine batteries?

• How well do they hold charge over time?

• Are there any safety concerns or reliability issues?

• Do they work properly with DeWalt chargers and all tools?

I mainly use my tools for DIY projects and occasional repairs around the house, so they don’t get heavy daily trade use, but I still want something reliable.

Interested to hear if anyone here has tried them and whether they’re a good alternative or if it’s better to stick with the genuine DeWalt batteries.

Thanks!

I’ve always had a bit of an interest in tools and fixing things, so when something stops working I usually end up taking it apart to see what’s going on inside. Over the years I’ve repaired a fair few drills, grinders, chargers, and other bits of kit, sometimes successfully and sometimes not!

I joined the forum because it’s always useful to share advice and pick up tips from other DIYers and tradespeople. There’s always something new to learn, whether it’s tool maintenance, wiring questions, or general workshop know-how.

If anyone has electrical or tool-related questions I’ll do my best to help where I can.

Looking forward to reading the discussions here 👍

I’ve never actually sharpened a hand planer blade before, so I’m wondering what the best method is.

A few questions I had:

• What angle should the blade be sharpened at?

• Is it better to use sharpening stones, sandpaper, or a sharpening guide?

• Do you need to hone the blade after sharpening?

• How often do people normally sharpen planer blades?

The blade isn’t chipped or damaged, just not cutting as cleanly as it used to.

Any advice from people who regularly sharpen their hand planes would be appreciated.

When I pull the trigger the LED light comes on, but the motor doesn’t spin at all.

I’ve already tried:

• checking the battery on another tool (works fine)

• reseating the battery

• trying a different battery

Since it’s a brushless drill, I know there aren’t carbon brushes like on corded drills, so I’m wondering if the problem might be something like:

• the trigger switch

• the electronic controller

• or something else inside the drill

Has anyone had this happen with a brushless DeWalt drill before? Any suggestions on what to check first would be appreciated.