OT: Aldi tools

**I've found that their power tools are less than brilliant as well. Their hand tools, however, are another matter. Last week, I picked up a very nice socket set (4mm - 32mm), including extension bars, T-bars, spark plug sockets, along with some screw drivers, open ended spanners, ring spanners and some hex bits. All for $60.00. 3 year warranty and made in Taiwan from chrome vanadium and S2 steel. Nicely made and looks the part. I've used some of the tools and they certainly appear to be plenty strong.

Funnily enough, I didn't see the set advertised.

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Trevor Wilson www.rageaudio.com.au

**Yikes! If the Ryobi was much better than the Aldi tool, then the Aldi tool must have been absolute crap. I've found Ryobi tools to be pretty much bottom of the heap. Their latest stuff LOOKS nice, but once bitten.

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Trevor Wilson www.rageaudio.com.au

I haven't found them too bad. I did break my Ryobi reciprocating saw, but I was abusing it to cut tree roots out of the ground. Took ages to get it fixed and not too cheap either, if I had known the price and delay in advance, I'd just have bought a new one and put the old one in a garage sale for a few bucks. I suppose that I can't really complain, I've had it for 7 years and used it for everything from cutting metal to lopping trees, and sawing up hardwood sleepers.

The Ryobi sander is nicely made with a strong die cast base, and all the parts fit nicely whereas the Aldi unit was made of pressed tin and everything moved when you pressed on it. I don't know whether the Aldi unit was bottom of the heap, but, if it wasn't, I wouldn't like to see what was under it.

Using the Ryobi on some pieces of rough sawn Huon pine that I bought in Tasmania last year, its a case of so far so good.

**There you go. I won't be such a tool snob next time I'm at Bunnings. My experiences with Ryobi have not been quite as stellar. I had an old (expensive) battery drill, which had a major gearbox fault. None of my Bosch drills have ever suffered that, or any other fault (except batteries). My Ryobi Chainsaw was a real POS. A bolt broke and there was no way to substitute. Ryobi couldn't supply spares, so I swore off the product forever more.

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Trevor Wilson www.rageaudio.com.au

"Trevor Wilson" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@mid.individual.net... (snip) < My Ryobi Chainsaw was a real POS. A bolt broke and there was no way to substitute. Ryobi couldn't supply spares, so I swore off the

**That's the ticket. I have a Stihl 'whipper-snipper' (electric). It is beautifully balanced, powerful and never lets me down. It was expensive, but I'll buy Stihl again in a heartbeat.

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Trevor Wilson www.rageaudio.com.au

I have an el cheapo Ozito electric chainsaw from Bunnings that I have been using to cut up old hardwood sleepers for firewood. Apart from having to sharpen the chain after about 4 cuts (it is old hardwood) it has performed faultlessly and has more than paid for itself.

On Tue, 27 Mar 2012 12:21:57 +1100, keithr wrote as underneath:

I think generally with cheapo complex equipment, if you buy cheap you have to be prepared to repair and improve as the thing ages - it will probably work fine till the warrantee runs out! ... if you dont want to or havnt got the skills for that engineering then your better to go for the high spec item in the first place and pay the dosh to keep it serviced properly. I baught a cheap McCulloc chainsaw about 14 years ago but over the years, safety handle, fuel leaking, oil leaking, clutch etc. have been repaired; all of the above needing the strip/rebuild of the chainsaw without manuals (which dont exist for cheap lines) - if the motor goes then that'll be it, but so far - apart from sharpening and buying chains - works like a champ!! C+

I bought an 090 Stihl 30 years ago , done lots of work and still starts

2nd pull every time

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The aldi paint brushes are crap. Even my cat loses less hair.

Have had similar experiences, except for a Ryobi bench grinder I bought new in 1988, then again a bench grinder is a pretty basic device compared to other power tools, just an induction motor running at full speed without gearing with mounts on the ends for the wheels, and covers,

I very much doubt that the quality now is anywhere near back then.

Glad I read this thread, Im in the market for a new chainsaw.

. . .

I bought a set of five paint brushes from them about a week ago. They looked pretty good, but I had not actually used them, so on reading that I tried one. It was fine, it did not shed any bristles at all.

I would say that the brushes are as good as ones that cost me more for a single one that this whole set was. I guess that goes to show the real trouble with Aldi - the unpredictable quality of their "specials".

There are recurring themes in their specials, like "painting", so the chances are that they will sell paint brushes again at some time in the future, but there is a good chance that they will not be exactly the same as ones they had before.

Andy Wood snipped-for-privacy@trap.ozemail.com.au

I have an el cheapo Ozito electric chainsaw from Bunnings that I have been using to cut up old hardwood sleepers for firewood. Apart from having to sharpen the chain after about 4 cuts (it is old hardwood) it

I have a cheap electric "talon" chainsaw. I found out the hard way that it has a fibre gear wheel as the main drive. After a couple of years the gear stripped after using it to cut through some hardwood logs. I managed to get another talon chainsaw which was not working, from a lawnmower shop, and took the gear wheel from it. I now only use it for light duty firewood cutting. With cheap tools, I reckon the nuisance factor is not worth the savings. That is, you go to a the job and the thing needs fixing or replacing before you start. BTW the only thing wrong with the "not working" chainsaw which cost me $20, was frozen brushes!

I don't really care, the $99 tool has already saved me at least $120 in firewood, and when I have used up all the old sleepers that I have pulled out of retaining walls in my garden, I'll flog it for $50 in a garage sale. I bought an electric one because I don't need to use it away from the house, I don't have to buy fuel for it, it starts every time, and it was cheap. It probably has as much power as a cheap 35cc petrol one.

Its like the el cheapo jackhammer that I got off ebay for $75, when I'm done with it, I can easily get what I paid for it.

Getting a precision tool for life is one thing, getting a "Good enough" one for something specific is quite another.

**Pre-zactly. It's why I spent $400.00 on my soldering iron and $69.95 for my rotary hammer drill. In defence of my Ozito rotary hammer drill, it has lasted beyond my wildest expectations. I've even worn out a couple of chisel bits and innurable drill bits. It just keeps going. Mind you, I borrowed a mate's Bosch Blue series hammer drill, when I was ouot on a job one day. MUCH better tool. Still, difficult to justify $400.00 for a weekend warrior.

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Trevor Wilson www.rageaudio.com.au

I don't really care, the $99 tool has already saved me at least $120 in firewood, and when I have used up all the old sleepers that I have pulled out of retaining walls in my garden, I'll flog it for $50 in a garage sale. I bought an electric one because I don't need to use it away from the house, I don't have to buy fuel for it, it starts every time, and it was cheap. It probably has as much power as a cheap 35cc petrol one.

Its like the el cheapo jackhammer that I got off ebay for $75, when I'm done with it, I can easily get what I paid for it.

Getting a precision tool for life is one thing, getting a "Good enough"

I bought a Weller WTCPN soldering station around 1982 for about $80 or so, a lot of money at the time but it is still working, and I have never needed another iron. The plug/socket eventually got a bit loose so I replaced it a few years ago, but it still has the original trannie,element and barrel. These brilliantly simple Curie-point temperature-controlled irons will still be working when fancy 'modern' electronic units have long since failed.

lot of money at the time but it is still working, and I

but it still has the original trannie,element and

be working when fancy 'modern' electronic units have

**In your dreams. I've owned several Wellers (Curie point types). They're crap (poor temperature regulation), parts are expensive and they're unreliable (I've had transformer, heater and switch failures). My Ersa has been brilliant. Apart from tips, it simply keeps working. Best of all, I keep it at 150 degrees C, so it can be ready for work in a few seconds. Tips last longer. I also use a Hakko, which is also excellent and VASTLY better than any Weller. I prefer the Ersa. I have vowed never to buy a Cooper Tools product again. The company is huge and doesn't give a crap about delivering quality at a decent price.

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Trevor Wilson www.rageaudio.com.au

lot of money at the time but it is still working,

but it still has the original trannie,element and

be working when fancy 'modern' electronic units

(poor temperature regulation), parts are expensive

Ersa has been brilliant. Apart from tips, it simply

work in a few seconds. Tips last longer. I also use

the Ersa. I have vowed never to buy a Cooper Tools

quality at a decent price.

Not dreaming, f****it. You experience is vastly different from mine, then. Bad luck for you, good luck for me perhaps. Makes me wonder why you went back and bought more than one. Idiots repeat their mistakes, I suppose. I can only report that the only Weller WTCPN that I have EVER bought is still working after nearly 30 years and if you come back in 30 years with a similar report on your Asian purchases I would be amazed. I have had NO PROBLEMS with the heater, transformer or switch. Only the plug/socket became loose.