Parkside Li-on Battery Tools

She said they were made by Bosch as well.
Well, they are green, like Bosch DIY, but....

My main concern is brand snobbery to be honest, just wondering if any other "professionals use them!
Tool snobbery? LiDL tools are on offer once a year, spares are hard to get and they are DIY quality so presumably expected life is in tens of hours rather than 1000+.

I have a couple of Parkside tools at home for DIY but I doubt that they would be reliable enough or durable enough for my day to day site work.
 
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Well, they are green, like Bosch DIY, but....


Tool snobbery? LiDL tools are on offer once a year, spares are hard to get and they are DIY quality so presumably expected life is in tens of hours rather than 1000+.

I have a couple of Parkside tools at home for DIY but I doubt that they would be reliable enough or durable enough for my day to day site work.
But surely you're proving the point by having some for home use yourself? They're meant for DIY type work, and seem to be fine for that. (or at least mine do)
I like them alright, but I wouldn't expect them to stand up to daily heavy use on site. I wouldn't buy them for that sort of use any more than you would. I'd buy one of the main "professional" makes with spares backup and easily obtainable batteries etc.
Which make that would be though I don't know offhand. I've never been a brand snob. I do like "value for money" though. :)
 
It's a one way street, though, Dave. I do bring my trade tools home, but I will rarely take a DIY tool on site because it simply wouldn't last, they're not designed to run for many years and hundreds of hours these days. When I renovated our first house in the 1980s I did start out with DIY tools - very few of them survived the build. As they died I replaced them with trade tools
 
This thread caught my eye and proved to be interesting reading. I have no personal experience with Parkside power tools but over the years have seen and used a couple of different brands for drilling mostly. My honest opinion is that power tools really aren't made like they were before the early 2000s and there is now a huge gap between the trade orientated gear and gear for "home use". We've had a couple of different cordless power tools specifically Nutool, Power Craft, and another brand I can't remember and they barely lasted 12 months before the batteries gave out or they just stopped working after I would say light use. Comparing them to a Black and Decker cordless drill we had from the 90's which lasted well over 15 years of much heavier usage and only died because of the charger. It was clear that it's worth spending a little bit more for decent kit. We've had a Dewalt for the last 3 years or so and it still works like new.

Personally I would be inclined to go for something more middle of the road such as Ryobi, Worx or Bosch Green or dare I say Black and Decker.
 
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I have bought a few Parkside tools for both hobby and use on site- and I find them a bit hit and miss.

For example- I bought a parkside track plunge saw for £50 that has held up to many months of use so far on site... at that price I can buy 10 For the price of a festool one... now I dont use it every day or on every job - but its just as easy to use as the festool ones and it doesnt matter if it breaks 2 years down the line as I have already got my moneys worth out of it.

Now I bought the battery dremel type tool that parkside do - and that lasted 2 charge cycles before Completely breaking.. that was £17 in the bin

Also had a few parkside sanders that stood up to lost of abuse over the years - only 1 has worn out the velcro attachment pad.

The only issue is, that because they only come into stores randomly - you just have to take the punt as you will not know if it will be on sale again anytime in the future

Just my two cents

Cheers
Charlie
 
I came here via google, hence the thread fro, the dead, but I looked into this as part of my degree studies so thought I'd share a bit of what I learned for others!

Lidl powertools are generally made by Einhell (who usually subcontract to Positec - they make Worx, JCB power tools, Screwfix own brands Erbauer and Titan, and many others - hence the interchangeably of batteries. Positec also own the Hoover, Vax, and Dirt Devil brands among others) or Grizzly, who seem to have a sideline in power tools in addition to their core garden tools. The Bosch assosciation seems to have come from the colour scheme, though I wouldn't be surprised if some old Bosch designs were involved or even if Bosch was the OEM on some lines. Incidentally, Einhell also own the Ozito own-brand used by Bunnings and Homebase, hence the uncanny resemblance of their tools!

Parts for parkside tools should be available from the places detailed in the back of the manual, though at these prices it's probably just worth throwing the tool in the bin and getting another. It's easier to justify buying a spare part (plus shipping) for a tool that cost £100's than one that cost £30. In Germany you can order Lidl power tools year-round online it would seem.

There is much branding and marketing at work in power tools. For instance, Ryobi (except in some markets such as Japan), AEG, and Milwaukee are all owned and manufacturered by TTI based in Hong Kong. Black and Decker, Stanley, and De Walt are all part of Stanley Black and Decker Inc. The latter have been known to use Positec themselves in the past though I have no idea if this is current practice (something tells me it isn't). Of course, the specifications various products are made to vary with the most durable components and innovative designs tending to be used in the pricier brands, but part of the reason for the low price is due to standardisation and bulk purchasing of parts.

Personally I have no issue with Parkside tools and often they are cheaper than the equivalent Screwfix titan or erbauer branded item, but I wouldn't be using them if I was a contractor either. If you are looking for Hilti or even Makita durability then you will need to pay those brands prices! I will definitely be purchasing one of the parkside impact drivers next time they come in to store, though as they are made by grizzly (even says on the label) I'm not sure the battery will interchange with my Positec stuff.

There's an interesting couple of inforgraphics at this link (if I can post it) which demonstrate just how big some of these companies are (who ever heard of TTI or Fortive - look at their share)http://pressurewashr.com/tool-industry-behemoths/

Of course, who makes what and in whose factories is anyone's guess, but the varying experiences of these off-brand (and even big brand tools such as dewalt) could be explained by the rather complex manufacturing relationships in the industry.
 
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If you are looking for Hilti or even Makita durability then you will need to pay those brands prices!

Not sure what it is but I keep going back. Worth the money IMO. I've always been a fan of the idea that Makita have remained independent and rather than just make the lot in China, they have manufacturing facilities wherever their market seems to be strongest. Surprisingly a few of my tools are made in the UK and it's a very nice thought.

That said I did see the parkside cordless multitool and at that price you could burn it out and it would be worth while I'd recon.
 
Not sure what it is but I keep going back. Worth the money IMO. I've always been a fan of the idea that Makita have remained independent and rather than just make the lot in China, they have manufacturing facilities wherever their market seems to be strongest. Surprisingly a few of my tools are made in the UK and it's a very nice thought.

That said I did see the parkside cordless multitool and at that price you could burn it out and it would be worth while I'd recon.


I have the corded model (the one with the quick change accessories) and I am very pleased, especially for the price. It's quite possible of course that the cordless version is made by someone totally different. I suppose what I have been trying to say is people's mileage may vary as it will with most tool brands. Makita, as you know, are a pretty safe bet though, but for a DIYer it can be hard to justify spending that sort of money on occasional use which is where these cheaper options come in. If I hadn't already bought into the Bosch Professional line I'd stick with Makita for the important stuff myself.
 
to be honest a pro tool in diy use is just buying for future generations who will more often than not just dump it
best spend the same money on three useful tools to benefit yourself than one to be thrown away with your house clearance
just avoid the very cheap and go for midrange or recommendations but never from the selling web site recommendations
 
For those who are more technically minded (or just like watching stuff getting taken apart) the AvE channel on YouTube is worth a look. This guy basically takes apart power tools to see what's really inside and what shortcuts have been taken. He takes apart tools from right across the price spectrum, from the cheapest own brand up to Festool and Hilti via Makita and DeWalt. It's Canada based so no Lidl stuff, but gives you an idea of the difference - personally I was quite surprised that basically everyone producing consumer
/prosumer level tools uses powdered metal gears in gearboxes (I'm sure we have all heard the horror stories of cheaper brands using plastic gears). Bear in mind though that this guy isn't your average DIYer and so his standards are likely a little higher than many of us (he's certainly no fan of TTI). There's a few other channels that do similar as well.
 
For those who are more technically minded (or just like watching stuff getting taken apart) the AvE channel on YouTube is worth a look. This guy basically takes apart power tools to see what's really inside and what shortcuts have been taken. He takes apart tools from right across the price spectrum, from the cheapest own brand up to Festool and Hilti via Makita and DeWalt. It's Canada based so no Lidl stuff, but gives you an idea of the difference - personally I was quite surprised that basically everyone producing consumer
/prosumer level tools uses powdered metal gears in gearboxes (I'm sure we have all heard the horror stories of cheaper brands using plastic gears). Bear in mind though that this guy isn't your average DIYer and so his standards are likely a little higher than many of us (he's certainly no fan of TTI). There's a few other channels that do similar as well.


There's a lot of channels springing up doing the tool tear down bit and while I like AvE for entertainment value, the rest of it is pretty much bullshit.

If you're paying above average for tools at a pro/trade level you'd expect at least a return and the time you potentially save or how it makes your life easier is your profit; factor that against cost, warranty and expected serviceable life time and generally speaking if you're buying at that level it's going to last you more than long enough.

It's nice to see some of the tricks they use to cut corners but when you've seen them in one tool on the market you've seen them all.

One other thing that separates AvE from others I've seen is he buys the product so I'd consider his opinion less biased than some who have received 'samples' from big brands. To me, there's no way I can expect a completely unbiased review in this case, as if to say I could anyway because every man has his preference, as mentioned mine being Makita.

It's a good racket for those making a few quid and being able to take apart tools in the process.
 
I thought exactly the same. Work bought me the new brushless dewalt battery drill and it's really robust, but for DIY renovation of the house, I cant justify spending over 200 quid everytime I want a power tool.
I bought the cordless impact driver from Lidl a few months back and it's very sturdy. Battery stood up very well. The main reason was I found myself swapping bits from drills to bits when on installation jobs. So the impact driver is much better to leave bits in and the drill to leave drills in. Horses for courses.

Last week I bought the cordless multi purpose tool which has the same battery as the impact driver. I've used it for 2hrs sanding my garage door and so far it's died twice for no apparent reason (not the battery) Looks like the switch has an intermittent fault so I've emailed them to replace or repair. It's the risk you take but the equivalent dewalt with a battery is 180 quid as opposed to 40 quid. So times it's a tough call but as said before some of the screwfix titan ranges are just as bad if not worse.
If it was an every day power tool that earns me money, there would be no question brand snob or not you got to buy a decent branded tool that's gonna last in my view. Unless you can afford the hassle of back and forth buying cheap tools which don't last
 
Last week I bought the cordless multi purpose tool which has the same battery as the impact driver. I've used it for 2hrs sanding my garage door and so far it's died twice for no apparent reason (not the battery) Looks like the switch has an intermittent fault so I've emailed them to replace or repair.
Might just be the vibration. I've killed a Fein Multitool that way - one of then spade connectors just broke apart (albeit after several hundred hours of use) - then I found out from an American associate that remodellers in the USA sometimes open up new tools and dob a bit of clear silicone around the wires where they go into connectors to prevent this
 
My first instinct was to open it up but as soon as I do they will wash there hands of anything that potentially could go wrong in the next 3 years.

Cheers for the inside tip though, always worth noting down for future reference.
 
as an aside about 18 years ago lidl where doing a parkside 18v circular saw for about £40 which i invested in as i didnt have a battery saw at the time
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=parkside+18v+circular+saw&t=ffsb&iax=1&ia=images&iai=https://d3c67tt2e11gmk.cloudfront.net/uploads/medium_item_236572_60949aeb31.JPG
any way was never used more than twice as i aquired a 24v bosch blue to go with my drill
the battery and charger where given away perhaps 17 years ago and it sat gathering dust since
as i recently had to make room for a new 54v table saw i had to make room in the outer storage area for the displaced stuff this unearthed the lidl saw
now i dont have any batteries now apart from bosch 10.8 ryobi and dewalt18v/[54v]
now whilst playing as i do i noticed the battery aperture whilst more elongated was simmilar shape to the ryobi battery with the contacts and prongs simillary place
now with careful positioning the prongs slipped onto the contacts and worked a dream
i used it for several cuts as my plunge track saw is cutting boards at my freinds summer house at the min
the battery doesnt "clip in" but an elastic band or tape would hold in place
i off course would not recommend this idea for all but emergencies as the prongs on the saw will tend to hold the weight off the battery as all the friction holding the battery is the small amount off plastic on the column so putting a strain on a part not designed to take any weight
 

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