lidl tools: plunge saw, ultrasonic measure, multitool

[Fred]

Hi,

I went for a browse around Lidl today. They have some of those miniature (circular) plunge saws left for £49.99. I quite like the idea of them for floorboard cutting but don't know whether to wait and see if the drop the price to £39.99, if the stock lasts that long! For some reason I'm happy to pay £40 to see but £50 makes me hesitate but I can't say why! Did anyone buy one? Were they any good?

I picked up a leaflet and it says the multi tool will be on sale at the start of Feb. for £29.99. I'm hoping to get one as I missed out when aldi had them a couple of months back. I visited four at least Aldi stores but all had sold out. I did consider looking for a Bosch in the Christmas sales but never got around to it. I was hoping to use it for floorboards but perhaps the miniature saw would be better for that.

Last of all, they have an ultrasonic measure for £9.99. If it works it must be better than a collapsing tape measure! Does it work?

TIA

[Harry Bloomfield]

Fred wrote on 27/01/2012 :

I have bought three or four over the years and all have worked fine, if you understand their limitations. They are really only good for measuring to a large flat surface, easy to 'hit' surface - from wherever you have the measure. They are not precise, only good within say 1". Good for measuring things like room size or for carpets, not for measuring to fit wood in a gap etc..

[mike]

Do Lidl drop prices like this? I thought that was just Aldi.

[David WE Roberts]

For certain values of 'work' only.

I have one, and was enjoying measuring things, but came to grief trying to measure a long narrow room. The ultrasonic measuring beam fans out, so the further you are away from the object the broader the beam and the greater chance of it hitting something else and giving a false reading. Had me baffled for a while. Answers somewhere a month or so back on this NG.

Basically for accutate measuring you need a laser measure which costs £{divorce}.

Cheers

Dave R

[PeterC]

So did I - so spent £160 on a Bosch Pro. By 'eck, it do work!. Had to get up some floorboards and it's so easy to do, with hardly any collateral damage and v. little chance of cutting a pipe as it goes at most 1mm into the joist. As for putting some vents into doors - POP!

OK, I'm justifying the purchase, but there's something about good tools...

[John Rumm]

Sometimes a mm is all it takes... (DAMHIK)

Indeed. Never regretted buying any of my good ones. Can't say the same for some of the cheapies.

[mick]

I got an ultrasonic measure. It works, but don't use one if accuracy is absolutely essential. The blurb gives the accuracy as +/-1%, which is quite a bit really. Mind you, a cheap tape measure may not be much better!

[Roger Mills]

Lidl *do* do it occasionally - but you can't rely on it.

[grimly4]

There is no need; you are among friends, brother. We understand.

So my gf tells me.