ALdi spanners, Lidl compressor

[Steve Maskery]

I've just been to Aldi and bought a set of 16 spanners for £7.99. Bargain! Given that over 16% of that is VAT it does make you wonder of the economics of it all. Still, unless they turn out to be made of putty, I'm happy.

The other thing that has caught my eye is the compressor and air tools soon to come to Lidl:

Link

Now I have never bought any power tools from Lidl or Aldi, but I know a man who has and I was not impressed. A mate bought a cordless drill for 23p or something ridiculous and it was rubbish. The batteries didn't last five minutes. I don't mean the charge, I mean the lifetime of the tool. So I'm well aware of the pitfalls and normally I only buy good quality stuff, because I do understand the difference.
However, in the case of compressors I do not know the difference, I am an air tool virgin. So what unpleasant surprises do I have down the line? What is the difference between this and a proper branded version?
I don't like sounding cynical, but I don't want to waste my money. It's unlikely to get frequent use, but I want it to work when I do use it.

Actually, I've just realised whilst typing this that, given that the bulk of what you see in the picture is an empty tin box, I'm not sure it is that cheap!
Thanks all.
Steve

 

[nev]

FWIW
I bought a used aldi/lidl compressor for 30 quid. the hose is pants, it doesnt coil easily and is stiff, the rubber seal keeps popping out of the tool fitting, but they can easily be replaced with after market types. The compressor itself is quite loud for a littl'un and most importantly the pressure shut off valve, for when the tank is full to shut the compressor off is/ was not working when I bought it. so its no so automatic now. But it pumps the car tyres up and I can use an airbrush with it, for 30 quid its acceptable.

 

[Steve Maskery]

LOL!
I don't want to spend that much money to pump up my tyres!
Thanks very much., Nev.
S

 

[powertools]

Steve.
The choice of air compressor for a home wood work workshop comes down to what you want to run from it and how often you are likely to use it.
I fail to understand why people at home want to run things like air drills and sanders from a compressor but for low consumption tools like nail guns etc you can't go wrong with a compressor like the one at Lidl.
Just don't buy it and then do a comparison with the likes of an Ingersol Rand designed to power a commercial workshop 6 days a week

 

[MMUK]

As far as spanners goes, I've used the Aldi specials before and they are indeed made of cheese.

I can really recommend Silverline. Very reasonably priced - I picked up a complete metric set 6mm - 24mm for just over £18, 1/4 the price of Halfrauds Professional and the Silverline stuff also has a lifetime guarantee.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I bought a Silverline machine vice, and it's the first and last thing by Silverline that I shall ever buy. I broke it the first time I used it, but because I was trying to finish a job I bodged it rather than taking it back. It was cheap, but I did expect it to work for a while.

 

[RogerS]

Rule 1. You get what you pay for.

 

[bugbear]

Rule 1. You get what you pay for.

Rule 2. No you don't. Conmen like to charge high prices for junk.

Good stuff is always pricey.
Pricey stuff isn't always good.

BugBear

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Rule 3. Get your stuff from a reputable source...then if it turns out to be rubbish...the supplier took the risk...you get your money back. In a word...Axminster!

 

[Vic Perrin]

Hi, I brought the Lidl 24 lt compressor last week to replace the Aldi 6 lt version that went knack on me after 5 years of regular use.
I use it for many jobs both in the workshop and about the house ( 25 fence panels sprayed last week). The 24 lt model is a vast improvement on the old 6 lt model and at £89 with a 3 year guarantee you can't go wrong. Fair enough it is a bit noisy but for an hobbyist like me I find it spot on.

Regards

Vic

 

[Harbo]

My Axminster nail gun played up the other week so I went to borrow a friends Aldi/Lldl one (he cannot remember?).
Annoyingly it wouldn't fit my airline connections so I finished up borrowing his compressor as well.
Noisy but worked well.
Had Wolfe stamped on it - which years ago used to be a reasonably reputable German make - now made in China.

Spanners - I bought mine over 40yrs ago - Sheffield made and still going strong!

Rod

 

[fluffflinger]

I've brought more than a few things from Aldi (three year warranty as standard) most recently some excellent f clamps and if you are careful there is some value to be had. Probably not the stuff to buy if you are a pro but good enough for most of us humble amateurs I'd say just use your common sense.

 

[graduate_owner]

I bought a new Wolf air compressor off ebay last year. It cost £200, but it is a 3HP, belt drive type with 100 litre cylinder. I know it's made in China and I was a bit unsure (I try to keep away from cheap tools usually) so I looked at the seller's feedback details. This allowed me to scroll through and find people who had bought the same compressor. Then I contacted about 20 of them, choosing the older ones so they would have more experience of the compressor, and asked their opinions. All were favourable, though some mentioned damage in transit. Nobody minded responding to my request, which I thought was very decent of them.
So I went ahead and bought one and it's been great so far. I've used it for tyres (obviously) - land rover, car, trailer, horse box etc., and I've used it with a 1/2" and 3/4" impact wrench with no problems (although the O-ring on the drain valve didn't last long, but was trivial to replace). I have an air drill and a few other air tools but have not had occasion to use them yet.

Before buying a compressor I was undecided - either a small cheapie, or one with more guts. I'm glad now I bought a 3HP one. Friends told me even a small compressor is a useful tool for cleaning things off. blowing things out etc. Well now I have one (not so small), I have to agree. Things like blowing through carburettor jets, cleaning filters, clearing dust and debris from the vents of power tools, and oily wood dust clogging up my chain saw vents. It does jobs that are not easy using other means.

Anyhow, the main point of this rather wordy posting is that my Wolf compressor seems fine. And I can really recommend impact wrenches for stuck nuts.

K

 

[defsdoor]

I bought the twin cylinder Parkside from Lidl on Friday - they still had some in. Whilst some parts seem too plasticky for their own good (air filter and oil plug) the important bits seem very well engineered. It's made in Germany also.

 

[MMUK]

I bought the twin cylinder Parkside from Lidl on Friday - they still had some in. Whilst some parts seem too plasticky for their own good (air filter and oil plug) the important bits seem very well engineered. It's made in Germany also.

Made by Einhell :wink:

 

[cambournepete]

My aldi/Lidl spanners are fine.