LIDL Sliding Mitre Saw

[McGill]

Anyone got one of these they can give advice on?

http://www.lidl.co.uk/cps/rde/SID-F4D21 ... il&id=1706

Is it sturdy and reliable enough? Can it be used for trenching? Any other advice apart from 'buy cheap, buy twice'?

 

[gwr]

Hi McGill I have not had this saw but had the cheap ones years ago.

My thinking is it won't be much use straight from the box but depends how often it will be used and what for if it will be of any value to you.

A new blade for starters I would think will make a vast difference but that will probably cost about half the price again.

One of the cheap brands I had had a so called trenching facility but in was rubbish Too much play in the sliding mechanism to be of any use but cant say about this one.

If its for hobby work it might do you fine with a little bit tweak hear n there and as I said a new blade.

I ended up using mine for cutting plaster coving and lasted a few years.

 

[powertools]

I think that this item may be a new line for Lidl and therefore no one can comment about it.
I have several hand held power tools from Lidl of the same brand and for the money you can't go wrong. Just don't compare it to a top of the range item from a different manufacturer at a cost many times more.
At the end of the day it all comes down to how much use you will give it and if it is better to have this or not have one at all.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Lidl and Aldi are ancient latin terms....loosely translated they mean....complete and utter c.r.a.p

 

[JakeS]

Lidl and Aldi are ancient latin terms....loosely translated they mean....complete and utter c.r.a.p

I don't know much about Aldi (wrong side of town for me!) I would have to broadly disagree with Lidl. Their stuff is clearly built to a price, but I've had a few of their things and none of them were unfit for purpose, unlike the rubbish some tool companies sell. Generally comparable to the MacAllister, JCB etc. stuff you'd find at B&Q or whoever, just often costing about half as much. In occasional cases - such as their digital calipers - they're leagues ahead of more-expensive competition from DIY shops.

I'm sure they don't stack up to a Festool, but I'm not sure I'd be able to persuade myself to buy any Festool kit if I won the lottery, let alone in the real world!

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

When I was young and stupid I wasted a lot of money on poor quality tools. I have a Rule now, which is to avoid the plastic fantastic stuff. I agree on Festool, it's just insane (although I do have a domino and wouldn't be without it)

 

[McGill]

Thanks for the responses guys - well, the constructive ones at least. ;-)

Looks like I'm gonna have to pop along to the shop next Monday and see if they've got one on display so I can have a proper hands-on to see how sturdy it really is.

If it doesn't have reliable trenching functionality it really is a no-goer, though. None of the reviews/videos I've seen suggest that it does, and you would think they would highlight such functionality if it exists.

I'll just have to wait and see, then.

 

[baldpate]

This product isn't new to Lidl - I've owned the same model for 2/3 years. I wrote a bit about it in an earlier thread, here:
https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/post607455.html?hilit=lidl#p607455
I've since replaced the supplied blade with a finer one (64 teeth, from Sumit) and it improved the quality off the cut no end.

It's in use right now - building a planter from decking boards.

I've only ever used it for through cuts, never for trenching. It has a depth stop mechanism (of sorts), but I would have my doubts that it would give a very accurate or consistent result (depth-wise)

 

[baldpate]

Just to add to what I said yesterday, here is a picture of the depth stop mechanism - basically just an adjustable set screw, locked off with a knurled nut, which is attached to the moving saw arm; the end of the set screw drops onto a platform on the fixed part of the sliding carriage.

As I suspected, it's not very accurate : with the screw in contact with the stop, a little extra downward pressure on the handle is sufficient to depress the lower tip of the blade by as much as a further 1mm. I could see the whole sliding assembly flexing slightly under the pressure. I imagine this is the sort of problem the earlier poster gwr was referring to.

 

[McGill]

Thanks baldpate, for the info and time you've taken. Much appreciated. =D>

Looks like it's best to look elsewhere then. 1mm play is too much to accept.

 

[dangles]

Just to add to what I said yesterday, here is a picture of the depth stop mechanism - basically just an adjustable set screw, locked off with a knurled nut, which is attached to the moving saw arm; the end of the set screw drops onto a platform on the fixed part of the sliding carriage.


As I suspected, it's not very accurate : with the screw in contact with the stop, a little extra downward pressure on the handle is sufficient to depress the lower tip of the blade by as much as a further 1mm. I could see the whole sliding assembly flexing slightly under the pressure. I imagine this is the sort of problem the earlier poster gwr was referring to.

You get this same setup on a £600 Dewalt compound mitre saw so I don't think you'll get any better elsewhere.

 

[carlb40]

Just to add to what I said yesterday, here is a picture of the depth stop mechanism - basically just an adjustable set screw, locked off with a knurled nut, which is attached to the moving saw arm; the end of the set screw drops onto a platform on the fixed part of the sliding carriage.


As I suspected, it's not very accurate : with the screw in contact with the stop, a little extra downward pressure on the handle is sufficient to depress the lower tip of the blade by as much as a further 1mm. I could see the whole sliding assembly flexing slightly under the pressure. I imagine this is the sort of problem the earlier poster gwr was referring to.

You get this same setup on a £600 Dewalt compound mitre saw so I don't think you'll get any better elsewhere.

I agree. I was in b&q a few years ago and tried a few different sliders for movement at full extension. All of them inc the top makita had similar play. The only one i tried that felt like it never moved under pressure was this metabo

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BNIB-Metabo-K ... 337f3aa7b0