lidl tools 28/09/23

[Ian ParkinParticipant @ianparkin39383]

Lidl have metric micrometers at £7 quite servicable for that price

thread gauges metric ok but rivits a bit stiff £4

angle gauges for drills and threads£4

[Ian ParkinParticipant @ianparkin39383]

[Mark RandParticipant @markrand96270]

Thy're a tenner here. Still picked up another one, they don't get treated with quite as much repect as the 'real' metrology gear in the shed.

[Benedict WhiteParticipant @benedictwhite51126]

Yes Ian, I got myself the metric micrometer and ill review it over the weekend. (I review a lot of Lidl tools).

I will also get the other bits you mentioned together with the compass with the carbide scriber.

[Ian ParkinParticipant @ianparkin39383]

Bendict the compass did look good

[Benedict WhiteParticipant @benedictwhite51126]

It isn't much but I will do a review of the compass if they have some on Sunday.

[Ian ParkinParticipant @ianparkin39383]

Mark…..wheres "here"

[Mark RandParticipant @markrand96270]

Posted by Ian Parkin on 29/09/2023 10:10:14:

Mark…..wheres "here"

Rugby, Warwickshire. Also a tenner on the lidl.co.uk site. Where is your one?

Edited By Mark Rand on 29/09/2023 11:45:41

[Benedict WhiteParticipant @benedictwhite51126]

Mark, you appear to be confusing the digital callipers which are £9.99 (mine takes a 2032 rather than the little cell ones which are useless so is a good buy) with the metric micrometer/compass/spring balance which are all £6.99

See here.

[Mike HurleyParticipant @mikehurley60381]

Picked up the Mic at £6.99. It's ok, similar to many budget models on sale all over. Movement is smooth but there is a minute amount of play in the thimble which I can't adjust out, it's more than I would expect for free movement. So, still feel it's a bargain at the price and will keep it handy for general use, but sticking to my trusty M&W (which I've had for years) for more critical work.

Regards Mike

[Mike HurleyParticipant @mikehurley60381]

Picked up the Mic at £6.99. It's ok, similar to many budget models on sale all over. Movement is smooth but there is a minute amount of play in the thimble which I can't adjust out, it's more than I would expect for free movement. So, still feel it's a bargain at the price and will keep it handy for general use, but sticking to my trusty M&W (which I've had for years) for more critical work.

Regards Mike

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

They had a load of gear in today, all sorts of stuff

There was even a black box plasma cutter/compressor there for £150 with a 5 year warranty

[Benedict WhiteParticipant @benedictwhite51126]

I have a previous iteration of the Lidl Plasma cutter which requires an external compressor. Works well, though I now have a Simder 10 in 1 which replaces it and in fact all my other welders too.

The Lidl one I have works well. (Did a review on it).

[Ian ParkinParticipant @ianparkin39383]

Benedict

 

where are your reviews? you tube? written?

Edited By Ian Parkin on 30/09/2023 08:59:50

[Benedict WhiteParticipant @benedictwhite51126]

YouTube. The channel is here. There are various playlists, including one for all reviews, Lidl reviews etc.

[Mark RandParticipant @markrand96270]

Posted by Benedict White on 29/09/2023 11:51:32:

Mark, you appear to be confusing the digital callipers which are £9.99 (mine takes a 2032 rather than the little cell ones which are useless so is a good buy) with the metric micrometer/compass/spring balance which are all £6.99

See here.

Bangs head against wall

Yes, I was misreading the original post.

Bangs head against wall again for good measure…

[Mick B1Participant @mickb1]

I bought one today and think it's a decent tool, fit for use within its limitations. As it came, using the thimble ratchet closed it about half a line-thickness below zero, but the supplied C-spanner resolved that with a bit of careful fidgeting.

When I used it on a bit of ground 10mm silver steel it showed an estimated 1.3 divisions below nominal, while my 47-year-old Mitutoyo Imperial tenths mic showed 0.3933", so maybe a tenth discrepancy there – but I think the friction thimble of the Mitutoyo slips at slightly less torque than the Parkside ratchet. But we're in quite tricky territory here for non-metrology-lab stuff.

I'm sure the thing is good enough for the huge majority of rational engineering work, model or otherwise.

[Benedict WhiteParticipant @benedictwhite51126]

Mick B1, I have just filmed (editing now) a review. The manual claims accuracy of 0.015mm, and I make it inconsistent to up to 2 divisions so that tallies.

I compared it to my Moore and Wright 10ths micrometer and used gauge blocks to check it.

Given that 0.01mm is 0.00039" I think that is acceptable especially in a tool that costs £6.99.

[Ex contributorParticipant @mgnbuk]

I tried out a couple of the Lidl micrometers & returned both.

Initial impressions were good – nicely finished, with clear graduations. But the first one had an incorrectly machined fixed anvil – it looked like the micrometer body had moved while the face was ground, giving a partly formed face with two distinct flats (one angled).

The second was machined correctly & just required a small adjustmet to read zero. When compared to another metric micrometer (DDR made KS 0-25) and 2 digital calipers (one Aldi, the other a new Lidl item bought at the same time as the mic) the Lidl micrometer overstated the size of items being measured (various slip blocks & ground bars) by 0.03 – 0.05mm compared to the other mic & calipers & outside the quoted +/- 0.015mm accuracy. The rotation felt a little easy so I thought I would adjust the fit & try again, only to find when I wound out the moving anvil that the adjuster nut was missing. I got a refund after that.

No point having a micrometer that is apparently less accurate than a digital caliper. Maybe if Lidl had bought them to sell at a £10 price point rather than £7 there might have been enough margin for a bit of manufacturer QC.

Nigel B.

 

[Ex contributor]

On Ex contributor Said:

…No point having a micrometer that is apparently less accurate than a digital caliper. Maybe if Lidl had bought them to sell at a £10 price point rather than £7 there might have been enough margin for a bit of manufacturer QC.

Nigel B.

I agree!  Same thing applies to buying ebay ‘bargains’ in hope that an instrument of reputable make is still in good order.  That’s a gamble.  I say no micrometer is worth owning unless it’s proven to read accurately across the full range.  Good makes with worn threads or a frame bent by being dropped are as rubbish as super-market bargains with manufacturing errors!  Unless they’re collectables kept in a glass case and never used.

A few months ago my inexpensive 0.01mm micrometer had to be replaced after nearly 10 years and I was going to write up the post mortem with photos.  Didn’t have time. Briefly:

Inside the fine thread and wear adjuster were nothing to boast about, but still working well enough.  The problem was the very basic zero adjust arrangement.  It failed by not reliably holding the fixed barrel on zero.   The barrel sometimes moved up to about 0.005mm during measurements, and was getting worse.   Might have been able to fettle it, but I decided not to risk working with an unreliable instrument.

When I need a micrometer, it has to be trustworthy.  I periodically test my measuring gear, and am ruthless when they don’t perform adequately!

Dave

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

I got the micrometer and its very useable indeed

The spinny bit is 50ths of a mm, so 2 turns per mm

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