The main reason that most businesses are out of most things, is a strange one. When china closed down at the start of last year, not only were there shortages of everything manufactured, but once delivered and unloaded, all the empty shipping containers stayed where they were unloaded, rather than being refilled and returned.
The entire world is suffering shortages now because (just like the trains after a rail strike) all the containers are in the wrong place.
Due to the slowness of sea shipping, it will still be several months before the supply line is back to normal.
I too used to visit axminster when it was JUST axminster tools. I've bought quite a bit from them then and since.
They are good as a company, but their equipment, like almost all big companies now, suffers from the same "build it cheap, get it out the door" mind set, that delivers stuff that really is not fit for purpose and lets the customer do the quality control for them.
"it doesnt work sir? Send it back sir, another will be with you tomorrow" Is actually cheaper than making the manufacturers police their own quality control.
Many machines with minor faults get either fixed or tolerated by the customer.
The bad ones that get sent back are then made to work and sold off as refurbs.
I've had good, and I've had very bad indeed from axminster tools. But as long as people want big machines at cheap prices, nothing will change.
By the way, I have a couple of planes for sale if you really cant wait