Couple of things at Lidl

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Quality control is not their selling point I feel. Got a small lawnmower from them a couple of weeks ago and got round to trying it today. One of the handles simply didn't have a hole for the fixing bolt so duct tape is doing for the moment. Then it wouldn't start. Fortunately I know a little bit about these briggs motors and realised the endless safety devices were shorting out the spark because the non-adjustable safety handle Bowden cable is too long. A kludge was needed to lose half an inch of cable to make it work. I wonder how many they got taken back or are still sitting in someone's shed with the owner wondering what to do about it.

[fivethou hammerParticipant @fivethouhammer12006]

Good call chaps.

went to Lidl and bought some clingfilm. only £18.59 a roll……

Gary

[Enough!Participant @enough]

Posted by ChrisH on 22/04/2017 15:18:54:

Because I looked, then decided that the magnetic tool tray at £4.99 would be far better to add to my lathe to hold things like the micrometer, digital calipers,

You want to magnetise your calipers? Good grief!

I spend hours (well, OK, minutes) trying to demagnetise mine.

[ChrisHParticipant @chrish]

No, the tray is not magnetic, I'm not quite that daft, only the tray backing plate, which is at 90 degrees to the tray, has some magnets and they are at the top of the back plate, well out of harms way, and they allow the tray to hang onto the side of the lathe stand, and as they are just magnets, the tray is not permanently fixed but can be moved about if I require it. The magnets are not close enough tto anything to worry stuff much.

The tray works really well and now at least I know where I've put things, for now anyway.

It is actually called a "magnetic tool compartment", but in reality it is just a tray with a back that extends above and below the tray by a couple of inches or so each way. Well worth £4.99 ,if only for the convenience of it.

Chris

PS – How much cling film can you get for £18.59 a roll?, you must be able to wrap pallet loads with that amount…….

[fivethou hammerParticipant @fivethouhammer12006]

yeah but it looked a real bargain………..and you haven't even seen my sandwiches….

As for the magnificent magnetic tool holder….. it fell off.

Tools all over the floor……. still, there wasn't any swarf.

Gary

[Matthew ReedParticipant @matthewreed92137]

Both Lidl and Aldi have interesting sliding mitre saws this week- slightly different specs, and Aldi have a matching stand. Very cheap!

I have had nothing but good value from Lidl or Aldi, but it does depend on expectations. I wouldn't dream of buying anything critical from them, where I need accuracy etc, but I don't need a good saw: I couldn't justify £200+ for a "real one", but £80 might just solve a couple of problems. The quality might offend the purists, but I am not interested in woodwork (and rubbish at it)- on the other hand, I wouldn't trust the drills they sell for what I do, but they will be fine for others.

These places enable me to buy "it'll do" tools for jobs that I only do occasionally, with a cracking guarantee and returns policy.

For all that, recent purchases include an angle grinder stand from Aldi that has revolutionised working from bar stock. At some point I will run the bed under the mill and clean up the threads, but works fine as it is. Frankly, for £12 I don't care if it falls apart now- it's already saved a few hours with a hack saw (a task which often stops me starting a job).

Also got a very neat digital angle finder from Lidl last month, although so far this has only been used to measure bend progress following a knee replacement (83 degrees this week!) much to the amusement of my physiotherapist.

I'm just waiting for the £30 workshop extension kit so I have somewhere to store it all (wife is planning on ridding her bike this afternoon, so will spot quite how much I have stashed in 'her' shed…..)

[Clive FosterParticipant @clivefoster55965]

Work and gardening gloves are always worth looking out for at Lidl as they are usually sold in proper number sizes so you can get a nice fit. The rough neoprene (?) palm ones are the bees thingies for liftin'n shifting as the palm is strong enough to give protection, thin enough that you can feel whats going on before the priceless (imitation) Ming vase or unobtainum cast iron part escapes and rough enough to give a better hold than bare hands even on oily or slippy stuff. Not exceptionally sturdy but at under £3.00 thats no great issue.

A real boon for folks like me with small hands, either size 6 or 7 being a good fit, where the normal Small, Medium, Large selection are actually one size. Too big and too floppy!

Clive.

.

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

They had a garden kneeling pad for 3 quid, left it in the wrapper to protect it and have used it all over the house

Wish I'd bought 3 of them now

Getting doon on me knees is no longer a pain

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

…just need a "get you off your knees" handlebar for 3 quid now and I'll have the set…

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Popped into my local Lidl this morning and no sign of the goodies you chaps are talking about. The only thing I wondered about buying was a propane weed-burner. Are they any good for brazing?

Ta,

Dave

[HacksawParticipant @hacksaw]

Funny you should say that.. Yep ! Tin box, lined with ceramic fibre , would make a neat gas forge too

[ChrisHParticipant @chrish]

Well, it's just as well that I bought that box of 127 assorted shrink tubing yesterday – today whilst attacking the overgrown vegetation invading our garden from the wood behind, I managed to chop through the mains lead of the electric hedge trimmer I was using, so shortly I will have a couple less than 127 pieces in the box, that couple will be on the mains lead.

Chris

[Matthew ReedParticipant @matthewreed92137]

I don't think the weed burners have a focussed enough flame for brazing, plus you'd have to stand three feet away! Bit slow for burning weeds to be honest, but great for lighting a chiminea!

[PaulRParticipant @paulr]

Posted by Matthew Reed on 23/04/2017 16:36:44:

you'd have to stand three feet away!

That made me laugh out loud. He'd also need a yard-long stick of solder. I would pay money to see that 😀

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

They've got an inverter welder for 70 bananas from tomorrow, would be nice to upgrade my buzzbox to something better and if it blows up then I can take it straight back

 

    Innovative inverter technology for better welds than with conventional devices with a stable, electronically-controlled, smooth and uniform welding arc
    For easy separation and homogenous joining of steel, stainless steel, galvanised metal and cast materials
    Lightweight, powder-coated metal housing with length-adjustable strap and integrated fan – ideal for mobile use
    Includes welding shield & chipping hammer with wire brush

Edited By Ady1 on 11/05/2017 00:40:39

[Ray LyonsParticipant @raylyons29267]

I will be first at the door for the Inverter Welder today. Another item worth considering is the small plunge saw. I bought one some time ago and used it when laying 3 solid oak floors and more recently a laminated floor. Much easier to handle than the usual hand held 7" saw.

[not done it yetParticipant @notdoneityet]

80 amps will not be much good for welding thicker materials but a minimum of 10 amps will be fine for tin plate rods.

Their comment about welding galvanised metal is a bit naughty, I think. It states that no-load voltage is 70, but I am wondering what the voltage is at 80A. Lightweight and good (maybe – they usually are) for thin sections. I wonder if there is a duty cycle rating that they are omitting from the details.

Photocopy the receipt and keep it with the manual (the lidl receipt will fade quite quickly in the light – becomes legible if heated, I believe, but easily lost).

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

For easy separation and homogenous joining of steel, stainless steel, etc

Separation? does it do plasma cutting or sumfink??

Anyways, we shall see

[not done it yetParticipant @notdoneityet]

 

Separation? does it do plasma cutting or sumfink??

 

 

 

Not according to the blurb, but that is not to say it could not be converted I suppose…

 

It has an indicated duty cycle of 60% @ full current and 100% @ 62A. Protected by a thermal overheat trip which presumably resets itself (but switching the supply will bring on the 'run' light but it will not weld).

 

Welding mask is not as bad I I have encountered, but is frankly rubbish. Yes, it will work but it will be kept as a 'looker on' mask. No disposable protective cover for the welding glass – they just say replace if scratched/spatte

red.

 

 

The earth clamp is up to normal naff standard, a little better than a cheap set of halford jump leads but not useful for anything more than a mickey mouse operation, I would suggest. I daresay I will change both the earth clamp and the elecrode holder before long (just got to be careful of the warranty, I suppose).

 

It indicates it will weld 2.5mm electrodes – but not for long at a time, perhaps.

 

I bought some 2mm rods to try it (currently £3 a kilo at lidl), as my smallest rods are 3.2mm.

 

 

I might have a play with it later today, if I have any charged cells for my auto welding hood.

 

 

 

Not a single paragraph inserted, so not as I keyed it in.  Sorry chaps, but out of my control!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited By not done it yet on 11/05/2017 13:19:07

[pgk pgkParticipant @pgkpgk17461]

I'd be interested to hear if it has an effective anti-stick function.

pgk

[richardandtracyParticipant @richardandtracy]

A fair bit of my welding has an anti-stick function, why should other people not be able to replicate the effect with more modern equipment?

Regards,

Richard.

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

Did a 10 minute noob test, busy today. It sticks just like my buzzbox but you soon learn not to

The arc seems a lot nicer though once you get going, you can watch the spray and it runs pretty cool compared to a buzzbox, a lot less smoky too

Busy today but will give it an hour or so before the weekend, just to make sure it's not a conk out quick one I've chosen

Edited By Ady1 on 11/05/2017 15:12:31

[pgk pgkParticipant @pgkpgk17461]

Posted by Ady1 on 11/05/2017 14:52:39:

Did a 10 minute noob test, busy today. It sticks just like my buzzbox but you soon learn not to

The arc seems a lot nicer though once you get going, you can watch the spray and it runs pretty cool compared to a buzzbox, a lot less smoky too

Busy today but will give it an hour or so before the weekend, just to make sure it's not a conk out quick one I've chosen

Edited By Ady1 on 11/05/2017 15:12:31

That's a shame. I've got the lidl cheapy buzzbox from a couple of years ago and can run quite decent beads with it.. have fixed some of my farm stuff by multiple passes with that low power unit but I do usually get a stick or two before getting going each rod. For what i need I'll stay with it.

[Conrad FraterParticipant @conradfrater38159]

A lot of Lidl tools were originally manufactured for theGerman market,and so to a much higher standard than tools made for the U.K. and offered by other retailers. I've certainly found with Lidl power tools they are remarkable value for money (and I speak as a now retired s/hand and antique tool dealer!)

Conrad Frater

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

Did an hour with it tonight. Sometimes it sticks, sometimes it kicks off great time after time.

I can run better neater looking beads with this than with the buzzbox and it hasn't overheated at all

It's quite a clever and surprisingly light bit of kit, I get the impression that it will do quite a bit more work than the buzzbox could before tripping out

Definitely an upgrade, a buzzbox plus

[Author]

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