Lidl specials.
 

On offer this week, are a soldering station at just under £10 and as the ad goes,there's nagging dought about quality. Also a cordless soldering iron . Lots of meters of varying types. Also, designed for lighting up the badly lit areas under cupboards in the kitchen, but possibly of use in the workshop to light up work areas, LED lights. What might make these of use in photo applications is that the colour can be changed from blue/red/green/white.
For those who have problems with drafty sheds etc- there's also a thermal gun which can be set from a reference warm area to locate, with an alarm, any cold areas, with set differentials.

Re: Lidl specials.
 

I bought one of the cheap Lidl soldering stations a couple of years ago when they were last in stock. It works well enough but the temperature regulation is very hit and miss and it's very cheaply made. I mostly still use my old Antex for everyday work, and a market stall 60W job when I need to get something really hot.

Re: Lidl specials.
 

I nearly mentioned before, this weekend I picked up a 3-set of Parkside cone cutters or step drills. Useful for opening up holes in thin steel without snatching. In the same basket were other drill sets, all at £3.99 and I think they did a deal if you bought several.

Re: Lidl specials.
 

I have just added the Aldi equivalent of the right hand to the steel boxed equivalent of the second right kit also from Aldi to make up a "super kit".

Re: Lidl specials.
 

I've used their cone cutters for a number of years now - still as sharp as the day I bought them and they are excellent at de-burring too.

The under counter lights are very effective, discrete and evenly lit.

Re: Lidl specials.
 

The under counter lights were better built and made of metal from both Aldi and Lidl a year or so ago. I have not tried any of the later plastic ones. They are good in work areas.

Re: Lidl specials.
 

I bought one of these also. Plenty of heat but the build quality is poor. The tips are forever coming loose and the larger one disintegrated after very little use.

Liam

Re: Lidl specials.
 

Re: Lidl specials.
 

Isn't that a contradiction in terms?

Re: Lidl specials.
 

I forgot about Lidl's outdoor mains PIRs. They have them locally in black or white at £3.99. The appear to be the same ones as sold by several retailers for as much as £20 a pop. If they're the taiwanese Everspring ones, and they certainly look like them (though they could be a copy), I can vouch for them, having had 2 everspring PIRs which lasted 20 years until one was swiped off the wall by a burglar.
I might pick up one or two just for backups.

Re: Lidl specials.
 

No worse than a 24 hour "7/11" shop Chris!

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;D

Nice point.

At least original was just a simple typo (I hope).

Re: Lidl specials.
 

Hi

I just purchased two sets, one the HSS step drill bit set and the other the multifunction drill set and they look to be very useful for sheet metalwork. Normally £3.99 per set, they take off 99p off each set if you buy any 2 sets which works out at £3 per set which is great value. Thanks for letting us know about the offer as I don't visit Lidl too regularly.

Regards
Symon.

Re: Lidl specials.
 

I went in yesterday and bought the step cutters and milling drills as well as the battery soldering iron that runs on 3 AA for £5.99, I am often caught out having to solder something that is too far from a socket.
Neil

Re: Lidl specials.
 

I think you must take into account the low price and the needs of the buyer. If you only need to drill 10 holes in a year then their drill (comes with a 3 year g'tee) will be more than adequate. If you are a professional user then a drill at 10 times the price may be worth the money.
I've bought many of their items and only once taken one back (an electric shaver) as it got too hot to handle when charging.

Re: Lidl specials.
 

Hi

I've found their tools be be quite good quality for the money. Slightly OT but I bought some telescopic garden shears in 2003 and they're still good, only occasionally needing to be sharpened. Their stainless steel garden hand tools are great as well.

Regards
Symon.

Re: Lidl specials.
 

I'd be wary of a soldering station at this price for sensitive stuff on leakage grounds. Might be a good soldering station for valve work, hence my post. I also bought one of their thermal guns to trace poor window work by our local LA contracting cowboys.
Might be a useful tool for those who have cold spots in their bottom of the garden dens. It lets you set a reference on a known area, then select a deviation and give an alarm if the temperature falls outside this.
On the other side- how long before a lot of this stuff comes in at car boot style markets. I've got an ex Aldi paint sprayer ( great for fences & sheds) , from one of these places. Aldi price =£39.99, market price =£10.

Re: Lidl specials.
 

Ah they're having a Baby accessory week next. Look what's on offer :'(

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I snuck in tonight and found some step drills left at Salford precinct Lidl. They're described as being HSS _and_ carbon steel - perhaps the big one is the latter, as they're cheap. I guess grinding the flat face back a bit will sharpen them in either case. Left the baby accessories, this time.

Re: Lidl specials.
 

Those plug covers would have been much more useful if they had been around in the days when stuff was supplied with no fitted plugs.;D