Aldi has budget Woodworking gear on sale again.

[nicguthrie]

Just for notice to others that are trying to pursue what can be a very expensive hobby on a tight budget...

Aldi has G and F Cramps in store today for £9.99 a pack - you get 5 F cramps or 4 G for that price. I picked a couple sets up, they're not perfect, the handles on the F cramps are wood, with a sort of rubberised paint over them. The main "bar" that the clamp runs along, has a rather large scale and rounded roughening to the back compared to quality ones I've seen, so I may have to file it a bit if I find it slips.

The threads on both kinds seem solid and deep, though only the F clamps have an Acme style square profiled thread, the G clamps are more V profile. The G clamps are not always perfectly centered when closed, but the moveable "shoe?" part always stays within the side limits of the head part of the clamp jaw, (not sure of my terminology here) so I can't see it introducing any twist to your work.

All in all, you get what you pay for, and they're not top end, but they're functional, will last a good while, and I got 18 assorted cramps (I'm just starting out, and had none) for about the price of 2 Bessey cramps, a little change from £40... I'm happy with that!

They are also doing a 1/4 sheet sander for £13, a belt clamp for £6 and a biscuit jointer for £30. Oh, and carpenter's pencils. I tend to stay away from cheap and cheerful powertools, but with a 3 yr guarantee on all Aldi tools, it makes them tempting.

 

[powertools]

I don't need any more clamps but that is a good heads up for a bargain.
The reason you don't get replies to this type of post on here is that many or most members will not admit to buying cheap tools even if all they want to do is hold 2 bits of wood together.
A couple of weeks ago I purchased an HVLP spraying system from Lidl for £39.00 and although I would not respray the neighbours Bentley with it it is excellent for the spraying jobs I want to do and with a 3 year warranty how can you go wrong but there is no point in posting about here as the best reply that I would have been likely to get is that I would have been better off to throw it in a skip on the way home.
My guess is that some members will have or will purchase some clamps after your post but none will admit it.

 

[Lons]

I definately admit it.

I don't need any more clamps but even though I buy good quality tools whenever I need them to last, I regularly buy cheapos and "throw aways" for one off jobs. It makes good financial sense and it's surprising just how well some of them perform though others are cr*p. If buying cheap tools is the only way a budding woodworker can pursue his hobby then what's wrong with that?

Aldi and Lidl are regularly visited although most times I come out empty handed.

Edged hand tools being the exception, oh and really cheap t/t router bits as the tungsten tips have been known to make a bid for freedom at high speed...oh and cheap "stanley" type knife blades as they don't fit stanley knives...

Bob

 

[No skills]

I have quite a few aldi clamps, they do the job intended. No problem.

Sometimes their bits are an absolute bargin - other stuff is trash, keep the receipt and take it back if you don't think its fit for purpose.

 

[alan895]

Well there isn't an Aldi locally to me - the closest one is 12 miles away but I'll be making a trip Saturday morning to see what I can find. Thanks for the heads-up.

 

[Richard S]

Bought a set of four chisels from Lidl a few years ago on a recommendation in a past thread here, best £5 I've ever spent. Take and hold a super edge, light, well balanced with nicely tapered bevels.

In fact I think it's fair to say in response to the first reply in this thread that Alde, Netto and Lidl get regular mention on this forum.

 

[nicguthrie]

Glad it went down as well as intended!

I've bought a few things there, with mixed results. The power drills I got for £15 or something from there, with variable speed etc (and as mentioned, 3 yr warranty) were a major bargain. One of them gets used for actual drilling, the other is a motor for a "Bead Tumbler" project that I'm working on to make rounded and polished beads out of my small but pretty offcuts.

On the other hand, a set of drill bits and driver bits I got (I don't recall if it was from Aldi or Lidl) are utter trash, with the quick change head for driver heads being about 15 degrees out from straight... enough to be just totally unusable. The only reason that I have kept the box is that it's the last place I look when desparate for a drill bit etc when my good ones are all out.

On the other hand, if anyone ever sees them get back in the Powerfix Profi multitool bitset that's compatible with dremel etc again, buy it as soon as you see it! It's the best bit set I've EVER seen for a dremel, and at a downright silly price - about twenty odd assorted Diamond bits, six or so impregnated rubber polishing bits, all sorts of other decent grinding and cutting parts and all for the price of about 2-3 official dremel parts. Oh, and it comes in an organiser case that is actually worthwhile, rather than the usual bulky plastic trash that you'd be better throwing away and keeping the sticky tape from.

I'll post if I ever see any really decent stuff coming up there in advance, but normally I miss the deals locally and it's not worth posting - stuff like the dremel bits normally get sold out here in about 4 hours. The "buy it and Ebay it" crowd seems strong in Elgin.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

I shop at Aldi but obviously put all purchases in a Fortnum & Mason bag before leaving...phew!!

 

[Lons]

I shop at Aldi but obviously put all purchases in a Fortnum & Mason bag before leaving...phew!!

If I did that in this part of the world, most of the locals would think I'd been abroad on me holliers :lol:

 

[JohnPW]

I got a set of each type the last time they had them, works well enough. Last week Lidl had a set of 10 diamond needle files for £5, which are apparently good for doing the irons on wooden moulding planes.