Very disappointed with Parkside/LIDL.

[Nicholas123]

Anyone who has read any of my recent posts will know that I have praised Parkside up to the hilt for the wonderful product that is their multi-grinder but I have to say that now respect has diminished considerably as a result of buying their Multi-tool.

I was'nt sure that it would be useful in the work that I am doing on my boat but I took the risk believing that the battery would at least be compatible with the multi-grinder that I had to buy of theirs recently on Ebay.On that basis the outlay would be reduced however in that I have been sadly disappointed.They have seemed to have gone out of their way to make it not compatible by changing the dimensions ever so slightly in an entirely unjustified way.I can only think that this is to deliberately make sure that you have to buy more of their batteries....an ethic that goes counter to all the other leading suppliers like De-Walt Makita Metabo you name it.
A mean & miserable move in my opinion Parkside!

 

[AquaholicM31]

or that they used a different manufacturer to keep the prices so low? No thought on cross compatibility, all about price!

 

[Seajet]

What would you think of a professional engineer or Test Pilot who turned up with ' we use LIDL tools ' on the side of their vehicle ?!

 

[Richard10002]

and there was me thinking you had probably been let down on a warranty/repair/replacement issue - "Buy cheap", and all that.

You have to be very careful to buy the right models to get compatibility within the other brands you mention, so all isnt as rosy as you might think at the quality end of the market.

 

[Nicholas123]

or that they used a different manufacturer to keep the prices so low? No thought on cross compatibility, all about price!

I had'nt thought of that,you might have a point there in which case I think LIDL have just shot themselves in the foot.(although in other regards the quality seems as before,really quite impressive).

 

[Nicholas123]

What would you think of a professional engineer or Test Pilot who turned up with ' we use LIDL tools ' on the side of their vehicle ?!

That seems a curious question to me as I think real craftsmen don't feel the need to advertise.

 

[Nicholas123]

and there was me thinking you had probably been let down on a warranty/repair/replacement issue - "Buy cheap", and all that.

You have to be very careful to buy the right models to get compatibility within the other brands you mention, so all isnt as rosy as you might think at the quality end of the market.

I agree that it's all a hornets nest but I had a very high regard for the quality & design of those Parkside tools.I don't feel a genuine Engineer would make such a cheap compromise.It is a bit like finding out that the bird you have fallen for has got false boobs

 

[Seajet]

and there was me thinking you had probably been let down on a warranty/repair/replacement issue - "Buy cheap", and all that.

You have to be very careful to buy the right models to get compatibility within the other brands you mention, so all isnt as rosy as you might think at the quality end of the market.

This issue extends / extended to top level aerospace tools and equipment; up to the 1980's all British aircraft such as Hunters, Harrier Mk1's, Lightnings etc were pretty much hand made with panels and fasteners to suit each individual aircraft !

Hence foremen like my Dad writing aircraft numbers on any bit removed - in the Argentinian film of the first Harrier shot down by ground fire in the Falklands War ( fatally for Lt Nick Taylor sadly ) the wreckage showed my Dad's handwriting clearly with ' XZ450 '.

NATO came up with a scheme to make every aircraft bit interchangeable with all the others in the fleets, so the American McDonnel - led Harrier II had interchangeable panels etc.

They also instituted standard fasteners and special tools, which was a spiffing idea if the fasteners and tools had been better, not made with the prime aim of being especially difficult / impossible to use normal tools on - those ' normal tools ' had evolved for a reason, so screwdrivers with semi-circular ends and fasteners to suit didn't work so well, funnily enough...

 

[roblpm]

Well surely lidl will now be sent packing and we will return to the glory days of International Stores and Gateway.

Happy days indeed.

 

[Nicholas123]

This issue extends / extended to top level aerospace tools and equipment;up to the 1980's all British aircraft such as Hunters, Harrier Mk1's, Lightnings etc were pretty much hand made with panels and fasteners to suit each individual aircraft !

Hence foremen like my Dad writing aircraft numbers on any bit removed - in the Argentinian film of the first Harrier shot down by ground fire in the Falklands War ( fatally for Lt Nick Taylor sadly ) the wreckage showed my Dad's handwriting clearly with ' XZ450 '.

NATO came up with a scheme to make every aircraft bit interchangeable with all the others in the fleets, so the American McDonnel - led Harrier II had interchangeable panels etc.

They also instituted standard fasteners and special tools, which was a spiffing idea if the fasteners and tools had been better, not made with the prime aim of being especially difficult / impossible to use normal tools on - those ' normal tools ' had evolved for a reason, so screwdrivers with semi-circular ends and fasteners to suit didn't work so well, funnily enough...

I think that's a bit of an exaggeration,you are confusing general manufacture with detail fitting/final assembly.
We used to make batches of components.I have lost touch with the number of batches of 30 this for Harriers & 40 that for Hunters etc that I made for dozens of different types of aircraft.

When the components were then transferred for assembly they required fine tuning so to speak because when you are dealing with thousandths of an inch you then get variations within the tolerance range.Hence the need to fine tune them individually.I'm sure if your father was taking off panels to replace them at a later date he did'nt want them mixing up with another from a different aircraft for that reason,hence the need to individually identify them.

 

[Nicholas123]

Well surely lidl will now be sent packing and we will return to the glory days of International Stores and Gateway.

Happy days indeed.

I think I detect a disgruntled romanian

I'm sure LIDL/ALDI will shortly one way or the other face competition from the likes of China now that we can't seem to make anything for ourselves & we will then get even more confusing shody incompatible products.........but the consumer will then benefit according to our masters because everything will be cheaper

 

[ghostlymoron]

I've been quite satisfied with Lidl tools. I started up my hedge trimmer this morning after standing for a year and it went first pull once I remembered to do the choke. If I were a professional gardener, I'd use professional tools.

 

[Richard10002]

I think I detect a disgruntled romanian

I'm sure LIDL/ALDI will shortly one way or the other face competition from the likes of China now that we can't seem to make anything for ourselves & we will then get even more confusing shody incompatible products.........but the consumer will then benefit according to our masters because everything will be cheaper

I would have thought they are actually sourcing their cheap tools in China or similar.

I bought a Bose Solo 5 soundbar last week, and it says it was made in China - the usual very solid feeling and good sounding quality I have come to expect from Bose... so nothing wrong with China... everything wrong with some design, specification, and quality control.

 

[Nicholas123]

I would have thought they are actually sourcing their cheap tools in China or similar.

I bought a Bose Solo 5 soundbar last week, and it says it was made in China - the usual very solid feeling and good sounding quality I have come to expect from Bose... so nothing wrong with China... everything wrong with some design, specification, and quality control.

I think that's it.There seems to be a lack of joined up thinking somewhere.

 

[LadyInBed]

What would you think of a professional engineer or Test Pilot who turned up with ' we use LIDL tools ' on the side of their vehicle ?!

I'm not sure about Test Pilots, but I judge a workman by the results of his work, not the brand on his tools.

 

[Nicholas123]

I'm not sure about Test Pilots, but I judge a workman by the results of his work, not the brand on his tools.

What a wise & sensible comment! :encouragement:

 

[stevd]

To be fair, the last lot of lidl tools I have bought have said on the box which batteries from other parkside tools are compatible, for example, I have a 18v Jigsaw, circular saw and drill/driver which use the same battery. It is a shame that the parkside impact driver that I bought isnt compatible, but I knew that as the pics on the box said the batteries are compatible with the angle grinder and something else.

 

[Nicholas123]

To be fair, the last lot of lidl tools I have bought have said on the box which batteries from other parkside tools are compatible, for example, I have a 18v Jigsaw, circular saw and drill/driver which use the same battery. It is a shame that the parkside impact driver that I bought isnt compatible, but I knew that as the pics on the box said the batteries are compatible with the angle grinder and something else.

No mention on the Cordless Multi-Purpose Tool I bought about battery compatibility at all.The Multi-Grinder I bought was second hand so no box.They look identical in photo's & it is only when you remove the batteries that you can see any difference.I am very tempted to write to LIDL & express my disgust.