Just Sharing This Something useful for the garage/workshop

[Ghostleader]

I've got far too many tools, but I saw it as a gadget and quite quick to use, yeah not great for "tight" spaces but perfect for most things if you need a tool quickly or don't want to carry many.

The sockets are not removable, so nothing to lose

Got one of those fixed multi fit ratchet wrenches from Aldi, handy thing has came in to use a good few times about the house, I have a full set but for a quick grab this is really nice to have and tightens as well as a "proper" one. I love Aldi..........but Lidl has swayed me more recently......."The Germans are coming, the Germans are coming" lol

 

[jeallen01]

Tomorrow - as I said!

Sorry!
Been a "busy" week w.r.t. other things which are not over yet - so it might be next week before I can post photos of the Lidl grinder "in action".
PS: all I would say ATM is that if a Lidl local to "you" still has some on the shelf then seriously consider getting one if you think you might need to cut some " serious metal" - like a 50mm /2" scaffolding pole (but it might be necessary to spend a few more quid on a better blade - I think I have found one, and will report in due course)!

 

[RustySpoons]

Got one of those fixed multi fit ratchet wrenches from Aldi, handy thing has came in to use a good few times about the house, I have a full set but for a quick grab this is really nice to have and tightens as well as a "proper" one. I love Aldi..........but Lidl has swayed me more recently......."The Germans are coming, the Germans are coming" lol

I frequent Lidl and Aldi weekly, I also have the apps for both stores installed on my phone so I can see what the offers are.
It's an addiction, talking of addictions Lidl Bellarom Colombian Supremo Roasted Coffee Beans are incredible, I'm yet to find a better bean for this price and above!

 

[Lazarus]

Time to stop calling them "Discounters" and instead refer to them as worthy competitors.

I love 'em.

 

[RustySpoons]

Time to stop calling them "Discounters" and instead refer to them as worthy competitors.

I love 'em.

Been going there years, past few years I don't bother with the big supermarkets. I find Lidl and Aldi produce better and more consistent.

 

[TJExcalibur]

I stopped buying tools I do not really need years ago. When I retired I cleared out my workshop and found dozens of tools I had never or rarely used, unlikely to use in the future. I decided to much clutter is frustrating and often spent ages looking for that tool which I knew I had but time consuming to find. Aldi and Lidl tools are OK for occasional use but as I found out with a 24 volt drill, the gears were knackered after some serious work. Bosch used to be good but the parts are mostly made in China and no better than Aldi/lidl. Now I only use DeWalt and Karcher are absolute rubbish..

 

[jeallen01]

@TJExcalibur
As far as portable tools are concerned, I agree with you (and would not buy them!)- OTOH, I hope the bench-mount tools will be "better", especially those that get relatively "occasional" use because they appear to be from (unknown to us in the UK!) small European manufacturers.

 

[RustySpoons]

I stopped buying tools I do not really need years ago. When I retired I cleared out my workshop and found dozens of tools I had never or rarely used, unlikely to use in the future. I decided to much clutter is frustrating and often spent ages looking for that tool which I knew I had but time consuming to find. Aldi and Lidl tools are OK for occasional use but as I found out with a 24 volt drill, the gears were knackered after some serious work. Bosch used to be good but the parts are mostly made in China and no better than Aldi/lidl. Now I only use DeWalt and Karcher are absolute rubbish..

I had a Lidl Li-Ion Drill, was good for £29 but the gearbox went on it, the grease had overheated and gone hard, but was handy for occasional stuff when it worked.

I bought DeWalt brushless 18v 5amp drill the other day and it's replaced my mains drill and SDS! Blown away by it.
Karcher is JUNK, I won't buy their pressure washers any more, same story with each one they split and leak, even tried the metal pumped ones.

 

[jeallen01]

3yrs ago, I bought an "end of line" deal of a Bosch " Pro" spec 18V Li-ion drill and impact driver combo deal from Screwfix, and they've been fine so far (and they've taken a real hammering at times).
BTW: my neighbour's equivalent Makita 14V drills are very poor by comparison.

As far as Karcher is concerned, the "low end" (K1) stuff is real total "cr*p" but the higher end stuff isn't too bad. The only problems with the latter have been wheels that don't rotate (!!) and a detergent dispenser that doesn't. The motors are pretty good, and especially the water-cooled ones which don't cut out (due to the thermal cut-outs on the air-cooled versions tripping) with prolonged use.

 

[RustySpoons]

3yrs ago, I bought an "end of line" deal of a Bosch " Pro" spec 18V Li-ion drill and impact driver combo deal from Screwfix, and they've been fine so far (and they've taken a real hammering at times).
BTW: my neighbour's equivalent Makita 14V drills are very poor by comparison.

As far as Karcher is concerned, the "low end" (K1) stuff is real total "cr*p" but the higher end stuff isn't too bad. The only problems with the latter have been wheels that don't rotate (!!) and a detergent dispenser that doesn't. The motors are pretty good, and especially the water-cooled ones which don't cut out (due to the thermal cut-outs on the air-cooled versions tripping) with prolonged use.

The older 18V Bosch Drills are great, most have a 10mm chuck, the one that is out at the moment is absolute junk.

I had a K5 ecologic, was rubbish, had it replaced twice and got a refund in the end. Went for a Honda petrol pressure washer with an Intermotor pump/gearbox.

 

[jeallen01]

The older 18V Bosch Drills are great, most have a 10mm chuck, the one that is out at the moment is absolute junk.....

My 18V Bosch drill/driver has a 13mm chuck and both it and the matching impact driver have been hammered unmercifully over the 3yrs I've had them because (apart from other jobs) I replaced/repaired about 25m of fence panels where I screwed the panels to the posts (much easier/quicker to remove and replace when they or the posts need further repairs/replacements!); and some of the panels needed the fence feather edge boards to be screwed to the supports to correct age-related distortion - so hundreds/thousands of 35-60mm screws and no sign of damage/wear so far.

 

[RustySpoons]

My 18V Bosch drill/driver has a 13mm chuck and both it and the matching impact driver have been hammered unmercifully over the 3yrs I've had them because (apart from other jobs) I replaced/repaired about 25m of fence panels where I screwed the panels to the posts (much easier/quicker to remove and replace when they or the posts need further repairs/replacements!); and some of the panels needed the fence feather edge boards to be screwed to the supports to correct age-related distortion - so hundreds/thousands of 35-60mm screws and no sign of damage/wear so far.

I wasn't saying the 13mm ones were bad, the new model is. Just that most of the Bosch ones were 10mm for some reason.

 

[jeallen01]

.... Just that most of the Bosch ones were 10mm for some reason.

Same was true of most battery-powered drills until NMH, and then Li-ion batteries, came along because the older batteries were simply not powerful enough to effectively drive the motors within anything bigger than a 10mm chuck and matching bits fitted.

 

[RustySpoons]

Same was true of most battery-powered drills until NMH, and then Li-ion batteries, came along because the older batteries were simply not powerful enough to effectively drive the motors within anything bigger than a 10mm chuck and matching bits fitted.

That makes a lot of sense. I've binned so many NiMH drills over the years!

 

[RustySpoons]

Not Lidl, but something useful for the Garage/Workshop

Today I went out and bought 2 sets of 3.8m Telescopic ladders, wasn't sure which one to get so got them both and returned the ones I didn't like (I asked the store first)

Ended up trying Xtend and Climb Pro 3.8m and Youngman 3.8m, the Youngman are actually made by Telesteps and you can find them under the name of Zarges too.

Also I ended up getting a Dewalt Brushless Impact Gun, how have I managed without one of these!

Verdict is, I kept the Youngman (Telesteps), the steps are MUCH deeper and far more comfortable, a much better locking system which makes all the difference putting them up and taking them down. Also little things like rubber bumpers instead of plastic and they feel so much more stable than the Xtend and Climb when climbing them.

 

[jeallen01]

That makes a lot of sense. I've binned so many NiMH drills over the years!

What I would never buy for longterm use are cheap "house brand" drills or any current "B&D"-branded tools because they will fail and/or you can't get replacement batteries.

NB: the B&D brand name is now part of the Dewalt "empire" and is used for "consumer" products, whilst all the "good stuff" is Dewalt-branded (and I certainly can't in the least recommend the B&D "Scorpion" mains-powered tenon saw - bought 2 a few years and the g/boxes failed on both of them!)

 

[RustySpoons]

What I would never buy for longterm use are cheap "house brand" drills or any current "B&D"-branded tools because they will fail and/or you can't get replacement batteries.

NB: the B&D brand name is now part of the Dewalt "empire" and is used for "consumer" products, whilst all the "good stuff" is Dewalt-branded (and I certainly can't in the least recommend the B&D "Scorpion" mains-powered tenon saw - bought 2 a few years and the g/boxes failed on both of them!)

DeWalt power tools have always been made by B&D, the only thing DeWalt made was a chop saw a long time ago, B&D bought the name to badge tools to appeal to the professional market. I guess people thought it sounded German or something.

I've given up buying cheap or crap tools now, it just doesn't make sense.

 

[jeallen01]

DeWalt power tools have always been made by B&D, the only thing DeWalt made was a chop saw a long time ago, B&D bought the name to badge tools to appeal to the professional market. I guess people thought it sounded German or something.

I've given up buying cheap or crap tools now, it just doesn't make sense.

You are correct about the relationship between "B&D" & "DeWalt" - but I didn't want to complicate the picture by trying to explain it!

In that context I have a (probably nearly 30 yr old) B&D "Alligator" dual-reciprocating blades electric tenon saw which was great for jobs like lopping trees and tree roots - but that was discontinued and replaced by the Dewalt "Alligator" version which is heavier and has longer blades. I converted the B&D version to take the longer DeWalt blades as the shorter B&D (especially the rough cut) blades became virtually unavailable - unfortunately the "balance" is not right now and there is a hell of a lot more vibration .

As for "cheap" tools, there is a place for those that you won't use very often and are of generally good/robust design - but not if you are going to use them regularly and hard, like in the workplace or in a variety of roles (as we here generally do).

 

[PaulR]

You are correct about the relationship between "B&D" & "DeWalt" - but I didn't want to complicate the picture by trying to explain it!

You might be interested in this web site.

Tool Brands: Who Owns What? A Guide to Corporate Affiliations

 

[gap30]

Just my twopence worth!!

When it comes to drills IN MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE you cannot beat Hilti I have 10 year old Hilti's that refuse to die and they get abused daily

My one gripe with the Hilti's is the chucks which do go faulty after a few years but they are readily available to buy

Had every drill under the sun and killed every one of them Dewalt, Makita, Milwaukee, Bosch (professional) only the Hilti laughs in the face of abuse

The TE7c is my favorite small, light but very powerful