Lidl SDS Drill - Impulse Buy

[Onoff]

Maybe I've got the January blues (I have) and  in need of a tool purchase pick-me-up as on a whim I've just bought one of the £34.99 Lidl drills:

 

 

Their corded multi tool I have is excellent. Their, again 230V drywall gun is actually OK too.

 

I'd have stopped there but my own Bosch 230V hammer drill has just died after 18 years, the one before that lasted 16 years. Tbh I've been getting a bit sick of hauling in my big Makita SDS and the trannie that goes with it of late. This having rotary stop for a bit of chasing and being so light convinced me. 

 

So...it's slow start & makes a nice enough noise drilling. The selector switch could be better maybe. BUT the reason it's going back is due to the fwd/rev switch on the pistol grip. It's not what you'd call positive in its positioning and when in what must be reverse it's all I can do to pull the trigger it's that hard work!

 

Duff one maybe. Will find out tomorrow!

Edited January 9, 2018 by Onoff

[Guest Alphonsox]

I bought the same one a few years ago. Not had a chance to use it in anger yet - the Makita cordless is always more convenient for non-destructive jobs

[Onoff]

5 minutes ago, Alphonsox said:

I bought the same one a few years ago. Not had a chance to use it in anger yet - the Makita cordless is always more convenient for non-destructive jobs

 

Agree but my Makita cordless won't chisel and something stubby that does would have been the ticket. Got something this weekend when it would have come in dead handy.

[joe90]

I have bought a few parkside tools and found them to be good for the price ( three year warranty if I remember and made in Ireland?)

[Dudda]

I one I got either a year or two ago (not sure) but it doesn't have a forward / reverse. The knob also has three options; chisel, hammer drill and drill. That newer version looks to have four? It's brilliant for the price I paid for it. I've really pushed it over a variety of tasks and it's held up very well. Will get it for my Dad as he keeps borrowing mine.

[Onoff]

5 hours ago, Dudda said:

I one I got either a year or two ago (not sure) but it doesn't have a forward / reverse. The knob also has three options; chisel, hammer drill and drill. That newer version looks to have four? It's brilliant for the price I paid for it. I've really pushed it over a variety of tasks and it's held up very well. Will get it for my Dad as he keeps borrowing mine.

 

The "fourth" option is for chisel position:

 

 

I just hope they have a good one left tomorrow. This was one of the few where the box was intact and unopened.

 

[vfrdave]

They are a good job. Used mine for cutting pockets for steel and oak feature trusses and purlins. More than paid for itself now.

[daiking]

8 hours ago, Onoff said:

 

The "fourth" option is for chisel position:

 

 

I just hope they have a good one left tomorrow. This was one of the few where the box was intact and unopened.

 

 

Just ask them to put a functioning drill in your pristine box and send the broken drill and a broken box to landfill/Ebay job lot.

[Onoff]

Exchanged the drill tonight for another, again all sealed up in its packaging. Forward function feels/sounds acceptable but reverse doesn't! 

 

 

Need to find A N Other with the same drill and compare notes.

[dpmiller]

run it for a while, the brushes might need to bed in.

[Onoff]

Still not used the Lidl drill in anger. Half tempted to take it back citing unhapiness with the reverse function still, then add a fiver to the refund and buy this Aldi offering:

 

https://www.aldi.co.uk/workzone-rotary-hammer-drill/p/095035187316100

 

More bang for my buck etc.

[ProDave]

That Aldi one is what I would describe as a "generic" SDS drill. They are sold under many different names.  I bought mine from Screweys about 14 years ago and is badged Titan. 14 years of use and abuse and it's still going strong. In that time I have replaced the brushes once, and fitted a new, much longer mains flex to it.

 

It doesn't do reverse, just forward with or without hammer, and hammer only for chisseling.

[Brickie]

1 hour ago, ProDave said:

 

That Aldi one is what I would describe as a "generic" SDS drill

 

Have you seen a generic version of the plaster mixer they were doing a while back?

Theyd all gone by the time I got onto it. 

[Onoff]

1 hour ago, Brickie said:

Have you seen a generic version of the plaster mixer they were doing a while back?

Theyd all gone by the time I got onto it. 

 

Bugger! Missed that one.

[CC45]

Got one - works well.  Just doesnt look like a pro.

[Onoff]

Reckon I'll be returning this Lidl drill for a refund. Having to pull the trigger "just right" to get it to go. This is the replacement for the first that didn't sound right. As said above fwd sounded ok but not reverse. Just sounds like it's farting when it runs now and loads of sparks visible through the casing.

[Davew]

On 10/01/2018 at 19:33, Onoff said:

Exchanged the drill tonight for another, again all sealed up in its packaging. Forward function feels/sounds acceptable but reverse doesn't! 

 

 

Need to find A N Other with the same drill and compare notes.

I have the same product. I thought there was a problem with reverse, can only pull trigger a bit and goes slow. I checked with their support and this is normal though no mention in instructions. I tried a few different makes in B and Q and some have similar restriction in reverse. I think this is a feature of these types of ‘pneumatic’ type drills. It might damage pump ifgoes fast. Slow reverse just for extracting if gets stuck. 

[Onoff]

9 minutes ago, Davew said:

I have the same product. I thought there was a problem with reverse, can only pull trigger a bit and goes slow. I checked with their support and this is normal though no mention in instructions. I tried a few different makes in B and Q and some have similar restriction in reverse. I think this is a feature of these types of ‘pneumatic’ type drills. It might damage pump ifgoes fast. Slow reverse just for extracting if gets stuck. 

 

As I say I'll probably take this, the second one back.

 

Can pull the trigger now and nothing. Have to give it a damn good whack to get it to go. Brushe or some other loose connection I guess.

Edited February 27, 2019 by Onoff

[Ed Davies]

On 09/01/2018 at 22:36, Onoff said:

I just hope they have a good one left tomorrow. This was one of the few where the box was intact and unopened.

 

I reckon that's a clue in Lidl. If all the boxes are intact then it's either new in the last day or so or OK. If there's one opened box then it's probably OK, people have just been having a look. If there are multiple opened or taped boxes then there have been lots of returns, avoid.

 

Most of the stuff I've got from there has been OK or good but there've been a few bits of crap. E.g., a workmate-like thing which was very poor even though I picked one of the few boxes which hadn't been opened. I'd take more notice of that, now.

[Pocster]

Suck it up spend the cash Dewalt for sure !

 

[joe90]

15 minutes ago, pocster said:

Suck it up spend the cash Dewalt for sure !

 

 

I agree, I have bought loads of cheapies in the past but never looked back after buying dewalt.

[vfrdave]

As said above I have one of these and it has been a champion.  It has however developed an intermittent issue with the power cable, some sort of loose connection which wasnt evident on taking it apart.  I havent managed to return it yet as I use it too much at present.

[Onoff]

47 minutes ago, pocster said:

Suck it up spend the cash Dewalt for sure !

 

 

Only DeWalt I have is a GIANT router. Beast. 

[ProDave]

19 minutes ago, vfrdave said:

As said above I have one of these and it has been a champion.  It has however developed an intermittent issue with the power cable, some sort of loose connection which wasnt evident on taking it apart.  I havent managed to return it yet as I use it too much at present.

Probably a broken flex where it enters the handle.  Pretty standard for me to chuck away the orrible short pvc cables on power tools and put a much longer rubber cable on them.

[Cpd]

2 hours ago, ProDave said:

Probably a broken flex where it enters the handle.  Pretty standard for me to chuck away the orrible short pvc cables on power tools and put a much longer rubber cable on them.

Having run my own company where tools get seriously worked / abused I can confirm that this was a fault on many of our tools, it’s not obvious unless you strip the cable by which point you need to replace it anyway ! Best to replace with a decent cable and see if this fixes it.