Love it or loathe it, Bunnings has become an instantly-recognised part of the Australian landscape.
Whether you're after a hardcore power tool, some pretty flowers for the garden, or just the much-loved sausage sandwich, most of us have set foot in the DIY giant's warehouses.
Our CHOICE experts have put dozens of products from Bunnings through their paces in our labs. Some performed better than others. Here's what you need to know before your next trip to the temple of DIY.
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BBQs
One to buy? – Maybe
While you're no doubt dazzled by the vast array of products and brands for sale, you may not know that several brands the hardware giant stocks are exclusive to Bunnings.
For instance, Jumbuck and Matador barbecues are only available through Bunnings. But how do they stand up in our testing, and should you buy a barbecue from Bunnings Warehouse?
There are two Jumbuck barbecues in our current review and while they're not terrible, they're also not going to set your world on fire – they're ranked as 'OK' by to our experts.
Jumbuck and Matador barbecues are only available through Bunnings
And while there's only one Matador BBQ in our review, when we've tested them in the past they've performed adequately – scores ranged from 67% through to 80%. Bunnings also stocks barbecues from Beefeater, Everdure, Gasmate and Pit Boss.
"Most of the Jumbuck and Matador barbecues we have tested seem to be flimsily made and difficult to assemble with thermostats that may not be accurate. They're basically poor quality and may not last the distance," says CHOICE kitchen expert Fiona Mair.
We put each barbecue we test through its paces, cooking steak, sausages, whole roast chicken and marinated chicken wings. Plus, we assess how easy each model is to use. Check our expert barbecue reviews before you buy to get the best barbie for your buck.
Bunnings has one of the most generous returns policies when it comes to pot plants.
Plants
One to buy? – Yes
When we compared plant return policies from several hardware and nursery businesses, Bunnings had one of the most generous returns policies.
As long as you have your receipt, the home improvement giant will let you return your plant (in or out of a pot) to any branch for a refund or exchange for up to 12 months.
The exceptions to this are plants like vegetables, flowers and potted colour, which "are short-lived plants that are not expected to live for more than 3–5 months in the garden," Bunnings says.
Garden tools
One to buy? – Maybe (but buy carefully)
If you've ever set foot in a Bunnings store, you'll be familiar with Ozito – another brand that's exclusive to Bunnings. We've tested a range of Ozito products, including electric mowers, line trimmers, lawn edgers, blower vacs and hedge trimmers.
Click through to see how the Ozito PXC 18V PXCLMK-1418 performs, and the Ozito PXCLTK-218 cordless line trimmer and the Ozito BLV-2401 blower vac.
While a few of them impressed our experts, unfortunately the rest of them were among the lowest scoring in their categories. But they're also the cheapest in each category, so make of that what you will.
If you're keen to save money without sacrificing performance, check our lawnmowers and trimmers reviews and our garden tools reviews.
Carpet cleaners
Bunnings hires both Britex and Rug Doctor carpet cleaners for 24 or 48 hours, and also sells some carpet cleaners outright.
We've tested two of the Vax carpet cleaners sold at Bunnings – the Vax Platinum Compact Power Carpet Washer and the Vax Platinum Power Max Carpet Washer VX100. One performed very well and is recommended by our experts; the other was okay but didn't wow us.
Read our full review to find the best carpet shampooers for your money.
Not sure whether to hire, buy or just DIY? We talk you through the best products to get stains out of carpets.
Flat-pack kitchens
One to buy? – Maybe (but you might need some help)
If you're planning to DIY your kitchen reno, a flat-pack kitchen is one way to save some serious coin. Bunnings supplies Kaboodle Kitchen, which has many styles and modular size options, plus a 'cut-to-measure' service that costs extra.
You can use an in-store or online 3D planning tool to design your kitchen, or if you need some help, Bunnings has an instore service for $49 or a home visit for $99. These charges are redeemable off the kitchen purchase.
Installing a flat-pack kitchen is not for the faint-hearted ... if your skills aren't quite up to the challenge, have a professional install it
Depending on size and the materials you choose, a Bunnings flat-pack kitchen can cost anywhere from $5000 up to $10,000.
There are a few things that can affect the price: size and number of cabinets, the finish of the cabinet fronts, and the type of hardware you choose (hinges, drawer runners and handles). And don't forget to factor in costs for electrical and plumbing works.
Installing a flat-pack kitchen is not for the faint-hearted, so if you feel your skills aren't quite up to the challenge, you can opt to have a professional install it. It'll obviously add to the bottom line, but could save you time and help you avoid wobbly doors and off-kilter benchtops.
Cleaning appliances
One to buy? – Maybe
If you're after cleaning appliances like steam cleaners, Bunnings stocks a range of steam mops and cleaners from brands such as Karcher, Vax, and Black & Decker. Some of these performed better than others in our tests, and our experts recommend some products from these brands.
But with prices for steam cleaners running as high as $1299, you'll want to do your homework before you buy. Check our steam mop reviews to see which ones will get the job done, and which ones are better ditched in favour of an old-fashioned mop and bucket.
It may not be the first place you'd think to go to buy a vacuum cleaner, but the DIY titan does stock a range of stick, handheld, barrel and robot vacuums
Bunnings may not be the first place you'd think to go to buy a vacuum cleaner, but the DIY titan does stock a range of stick, handheld, barrel and robot vacuums from Vax, Karcher, Black & Decker, Ryobi and Makita. They range in price from $39.99 for a basic handheld vac through to $1999 for a brushless cordless vac.
So how do their products perform? We haven't tested all the products sold at Bunnings, but there's one stick vac in particular that our experts recommend. Check our stick vacuum reviews to make sure you're picking up a winner.
Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.
