Cordless drill

[StephenOak]

Really???

Yes & no.

I have a number of Lidl cordless tools and when they had a cordless chainsaw I got one. On the day they came on sale I was in the car and on my way home I went to a branch two, maybe three, miles from home, and there was no sign of most of the tools nor the batteries.

I asked and eventually was passed on to the manager who found what I wanted. All of the 'hidden' tools were behind the bakery section, because there is always someone there. The stock room (where I had expected they might be) was unmanned.

I decided that I wanted another battery and that afternoon I walked to my nearest branch. There all the tools, loads of batteries and chargers were on display.

I can only assume that some branches have more of a problem with shoplifting and so they keep tighter rein on things.

Though I did wonder how someone would hide a chainsaw about their person so that it could not be seen.

 

[evdamadiynot]

Must be some stupid people around wanting to steal cheap crap.
I had the barn door ripped off a few years ago
The scumbags walked past a plethora of unbranded equipment and took a 15yr old husqvarna saw instead.

 

[GhostIntMachine]

Though I did wonder how someone would hide a chainsaw about their person so that it could not be seen.

Fat suit and long skirt... Recently watched a video where the technique was used to nick pretty big boxes - caught on CCTV

 

[PolarNorth78]

Personally I would avoid that ebay one as it looks like a cheap Chinese copy of a DeWalt. A Google of one of the companies indicates it's a Chinese drop shipping firm. I get eBay is better then Shein et al but I couldn't see any UKCA or CE markings on the images.

As for which brand of drill, screwfix and toolstation often have offers on the main brands. My dad and I bought Makita 15 years ago (when Lithium Ion was becoming mainstream) and we still have some of the original tools. I continued with Makita for my own set for many reasons and can't recommend them enough. You can get combo deals on drills and impact drivers and will last you years.

Buy nice or buy twice. Drills and impact drivers are cheap enough from the big established brands like DeWalt, Milwaukee, Bosch and Makita. Plus you get the option to expand your tool collection.

 

[big-all]

Personally I would avoid that ebay one as it looks like a cheap Chinese copy of a DeWalt. A Google of one of the companies indicates it's a Chinese drop shipping firm. I get eBay is better then Shein et al but I couldn't see any UKCA or CE markings on the images.

As for which brand of drill, screwfix and toolstation often have offers on the main brands. My dad and I bought Makita 15 years ago (when Lithium Ion was becoming mainstream) and we still have some of the original tools. I continued with Makita for my own set for many reasons and can't recommend them enough. You can get combo deals on drills and impact drivers and will last you years.

Buy nice or buy twice. Drills and impact drivers are cheap enough from the big established brands like DeWalt, Milwaukee, Bosch and Makita. Plus you get the option to expand your tool collection.

worth keeping in mind
just because its sold in the uk on an internet platform does not mean it has any protection at all

for example it can have a gtee it can have a ce mark it can have a returns policy but not within uk law so ce mark just means "china exports" the gtee will have no uk contact details and returns policy means send back to china at a far greater cost than the item bought
you will have zero consumer protection under uk law as its outside the uk
you may have credit card comeback but dont automatically expect it as transactions via a third agent in this case paypal means your contract has been fulfilled as paypal has provided services required so comeback only via paypal where the refund option via the seller at greater than cost will be probably be deemed as the solution

 

[blup]

Why get a no name drill with no back up that could easily fail within a few years when you can get a quality brand with twp batteries charger snd carry case like this for £140? My experience is that she. You buy kit you find more use for it than you first thought.

https://www.screwfix.com/checkstock?product_id=979HF&quantity=1

 

[cdbe]

Hi, for a diy er what’s your thoughts about this https://ebay.us/m/l980If, probably use it about 2-3 times a year so don’t need it to last forever.

Better off with one with a wire. I still have 40-50 year old drills - I think my corded bench drill is over 70 years old.

 

[ericmark]

The main part with any cordless drill is the battery, I find my drill are not used for ages, but when they are, they are used a lot that day, so battery recharge time becomes critical. My wife bought what she thought was a car battery charger, it was a Lidi twin battery charger, and by time I found out, bit late to return it.

So we saw a 4 in one garden tool, so got one, takes two batteries at a time, so got 4 batteries, after this point it made sense to also get Lidi drills, one is SDS the other is a multi-tool again. Not saying Lidi is the best, but which ever you go with, your then stuck, but around 1.5 - 2 hours to recharge batteries, and hard to discharge them that quickly.

Strimming the garden is about the only thing I do where I can run out of battery.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

The main part with any cordless drill is the battery, I find my drill are not used for ages, but when they are, they are used a lot that day, so battery recharge time becomes critical. My wife bought what she thought was a car battery charger, it was a Lidi twin battery charger, and by time I found out, bit late to return it.

I'm a retired professional user of tools. For battery equipment, for DIY at home, I have settled on the Parkside range, from Lidl. My 20v range, has outlasted what I bought earlier, which was Makita, at a fraction of the Makita price. I still have my mains powered drills, but they have had no use since switching to battery.

I have two mains sds drills, three jigsaws, two drills, a couple of chop-saws, mitre saw, and a sliding mitre-saw.

I have so far, limited myself to battery drills, and a battery sds. Three drills, one sds. It saves lots of time, working with more than one battery drill, one drilling, one screwing the screws in, rather than constantly changing bits.

 

[Rodders53]

I've used Lidl Parkside stuff for years as a DIY person. Other B&Q exclusive and Bosch NiMh batteries and kit long been junked. My most used drill! (Used to wind the caravan steadies as well as around the home(s).)

2012 12V Lithium drill driver still going well enough (battery life shorter than when new)... sadly battery style has changed, and I only bought one battery. Their more recent 12V drill driver designs looks to me as a less desirable design.

2015 18V Lithium Hammer Drill ditto - have two batteries (second one from Kompernass Germany online spares shop). Battery type has been superseded, again, sadly (connections/fit rather than the actual in use voltage/capacity I think).

2017-ish X 20V (peak V, actually 18V in use) Lithium battery Impact Driver. Still, unbelievably, the current battery style. Also working fine.

Biggest problem with Lidl (apart from them hiding the batteries and having no notice saying to ask for them) is that you never know if / when they are getting tools in store... so "I need/want tool x now" isn't always possible from there.

I have got 18/20V Einhell hedge trimmer and multitool which I've found pretty good as well; so may get more of their tools if the Parksides die before me.

 

[GhostIntMachine]

... I think my corded bench drill is over 70 years old.

Are you showing your age? I have some tools older than me - just not power tools.

 

[GhostIntMachine]

My 20v range, has outlasted what I bought earlier, which was Makita, at a fraction of the Makita price

I have to say that the no-name Chinese tools are getting better, especially if you pay a few quid more for a brushless tool (less to go wrong with them). The batteries, however, are a different matter.

With cheap tools and cheap batteries it pays to constantly monitor how warm the tool and battery are getting - more to avoid burning out a battery than the tool - but if you go for a tool with a big name battery connection (e.g. a tool which uses Makita LXT, deWalt, Bosch blue or Milwaukee batteries) you can at least be sure of getting replacement batteries 5 yeardown n the line, even iitthey are knockoffs

FYI the Mak LXT system came out about 2004/05 and there are still LXT tools coming onto the market regularly, so they'll be around a while yet, that's why I think battery connection is one of the most important things (although it would be easier if we had a universal battery connection)

I have so far, limited myself to battery drills, and a battery sds. Three drills, one sds. It saves lots of time, working with more than one battery drill, one drilling, one screwing the screws in, rather than constantly changing bits.

I'm with you there

 

[cdbe]

Are you showing your age? I have some tools older than me - just not power tools.

This is (a much smarter version of) mine - WW2 vintage but still works as good as new.

 

[GhostIntMachine]

Nice! I Iike old tools - they make me feel young.... er