Loadsa useful tools coming at Lidl

SDS-Plus Hammer Drill for 29.99. How do they do it?

Amazingly enough they rarely buy direct. Several years ago I got friendly with a family who ran an export business in HK and they supplied Lidl & Netto. They (L & N) had a pool of exporters and just had a standing request from approved factories that whenever the factory had a shortage of orders they could supply goods at cost so that they could keep their factory running. They showed me some of the Lidl orders and the quantities were not as huge as you would have thought - units in tens of thousands rather than hundreds of thousands. They would pay the factory direct and rebate either a half or one percent to the exporter.
 
I can say from extensive experience that the sander is great value... Buy a few packs of sanding sheets though, as they are only available from Lidl I think. I've had one for a few years and it's been used on doors, boats etc etc.
 
The wood chisels bought some time ago have proved to be surprisingly good quality. It must have been a recent offer, because I just picked up a 10.8 volt rechargeable multi tool (Fein Multimaster type tool) which looks very useful for cutting new ventilation slots in the casing round my boat fridge compressor.

P.S. Noting Storyline's post Lidl manage to get most of their tools branded for them as "Parkside", and not just on labels, but even moulded into cases.
 
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The wood chisels bought some time ago have proved to be surprisingly good quality. It must have been a recent offer, because I just picked up a 10.8 volt rechargeable multi tool (Fein Multimaster type tool) which looks very useful for cutting new ventilation slots in the casing round my boat fridge compressor.

P.S. Noting Storyline's post Lidl manage to get most of their tools branded for them as "Parkside", and not just on labels, but even moulded into cases.

Not sure how the power tool side works as the products i knew about were giftware/handicrafts. Should imagine any factory making power tools would happily badge any of their products. Talking of volume retailers I once dealt with a factory who supplied Ikea. They bought huge volumes, there was a picture frame with a gerbera flower in it and every month this factory shipped 10 x 40' containers of them. The annual order was in millions - no idea where they all went !
 
Lidl tools fit a type of customer: no point spending big bucks on tools if you use them once per month or less OR MY Snap on tool kept letting me down so I know buy tools that work for me. get Chrome Vanadium as standard tho. They have served me well on board a boat.

Get the socks while your there :-)
 
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Lidl tools fit a type of customer: no point spending big bucks on tools if you use them once per month or less

Yep. The thing about working on boats is that we tend to need a wide range of tools (engine to woodwork, plumbing to sewing, electrics to taps and dies) but don't make heavy use of any one of them. So Aldidl grade is fine for most stuff.

I do have a decent Makita drill and a good router as well though; these get the most use and were worth going up a few notches on.

Pete
 
SDS-Plus Hammer Drill for 29.99. How do they do it?

Doesn't look very heavy duty to me, although I have no complaints about the two heavier cheap SDS drills I have had from elsewhere.

The dehumidifier looks like it might be reasonable as it appears to me to be a compressor type rather than Peltier effect. I bought a Peltier effect one last year for about £40 from Aldi but it was not brilliant on the boat as the ambient temperature was too cold. There is no mention of working temperature for the Lidl one.
 
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Amazingly enough they rarely buy direct. Several years ago I got friendly with a family who ran an export business in HK and they supplied Lidl & Netto. They (L & N) had a pool of exporters and just had a standing request from approved factories that whenever the factory had a shortage of orders they could supply goods at cost so that they could keep their factory running. They showed me some of the Lidl orders and the quantities were not as huge as you would have thought - units in tens of thousands rather than hundreds of thousands. They would pay the factory direct and rebate either a half or one percent to the exporter.

Yes, their (Lidl/Netto/Aldi) business plan is destroying the US out-of--town supermarket business plan.
Comparing our local Aldi, their food is fresher, less expensive and frequently higher quality than the local Tesco Extra, Morrisons or Sainsbury.
People have given up the weekly trip to an out-of-town supermarket and the grab for "name" convenience foods, for a 3-5 times a week shop and trying lots of German, Italian and Spanish specialities.
Their special buys are usually good quality, sometimes outstandingly stylish - I bought 2 tops (because they were cotton and she is suffering shingles) for the wife - they turned out to be Italian couture, the closest (inferior) imitation was in M&S, Per Una @ £25 each, these were £9 the pair.
I've bought a few tools from them, reasonable quality and prices but not as outstanding as their food and clothes (if you're selective).
No Aldi in Greece so I frequent Lidl...
 
Doesn't look very heavy duty to me, although I have no complaints about the two heavier cheap SDS drills I have had from elsewhere.

The dehumidifier looks like it might be reasonable as it appears to me to be a compressor type rather than Peltier effect. I bought a Peltier effect one last year for about £40 from Aldi but it was not brilliant on the boat as the ambient temperature was too cold. There is no mention of working temperature for the Lidl one.
Looking at the weight, must be a compressor. I'd say you really want a dessicant for a boat in winter.
 
Doesn't look very heavy duty to me, although I have no complaints about the two heavier cheap SDS drills I have had from elsewhere.

The dehumidifier looks like it might be reasonable as it appears to me to be a compressor type rather than Peltier effect. I bought a Peltier effect one last year for about £40 from Aldi but it was not brilliant on the boat as the ambient temperature was too cold. There is no mention of working temperature for the Lidl one.

My son brought one it works just fine with three years to bust it and get your money back
Their belt sanders are great you can fit it to a bench or just use normal, I brough 6 packs of paper so I dont run out however it is such good quality grit the first one I had lasted over a year
 
I do have a decent Makita drill and a good router as well though; these get the most use and were worth going up a few notches on.

Today I bought a new De Walt drill to replace the Aldi one whose battery charger has failed. I have to say that the difference in feel and quality is very apparent, not that it really matters when all that is needed is the ability to drill a hole. However, my other De Walt drill, a right-angled one bought in Holland in about 2001, illustrates the benefits of buying a quality item. It is not used a great deal, is usually charged once or twice per summer and sits unused in Greece for six months of every year. Despite this treatment it shows no sign of failing on its original battery.
 
I do have a decent Makita drill and a good router as well though; these get the most use and were worth going up a few notches on.

Pete

I recall meeting a chap who worked in Steel and his mind view of how tools are made something like "If you had any idea how a tool or even a fork was made and the amount of R&D that went into making it, you might look after it a bit better".

Lidl or Snap on - It is what you can afford. We all want Snap-on (or equiv), not because it is expensive but it is perceived to be the best and most reliable.
 
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