Thread: Aldi clamps

I can only speak to the quick release functioning clamps. I got a few from when they had them some time back. Mine are yellow and black, but same brand. I think they are ok, depending what you want. Fairly quickly after I got them from one the handle broke, but the rest are ok. Maybe I went just too hard. I also have a few Craftright ones and the Aldi ones I like a bit more. But both I guess you get what you pay more.

Interestingly enough I still also like them more than my Irvin quick release clamps. Somehow they seem to have more clamping power. But my Irwin ones are much older so maybe they need to be replaced anyway.

Dunno about the clamps, but I see they're also doing their hole saw kit again....BUY ONE!

I got the bi-metal kit years ago and they are easily as good as Sutton, but you get 6 sizes for half the price of one Sutton.

I know this doesn't answer your question, but the best clamps I have ever seen are the parallel clamps from Timbecon. I got 6 of them when they were on special. They are brilliant. I bought the 2 footers.

https://www.timbecon.com.au/torquata-parallel-clamps


Paul

Originally Posted by elanjacobs

Dunno about the clamps, but I see they're also doing their hole saw kit again....BUY ONE!

I got the bi-metal kit years ago and they are easily as good as Sutton, but you get 6 sizes for half the price of one Sutton.

They certainly are a good unit and good price but I had to go through quite a number of kits with the store manager to get a mounting adapter that didn’t cause the hole saw to be off centre. Still not perfect, as we ran out of kits (must have been a bad batch) but they work well.

Don't know if I got lucky or you were unlucky, but I didn't have any issues with my set

I know that just occasionally some Aldi tools actually work but I have been sucked in too many times. I would no longer support an organization that sells such junk. Many of their tools are not fit for purpose out of the box. You can tell from the price. The cost of manufacturing and quality control is at best 40% of RRP. Do the maths - they can’t possibly be high quality. Even if they do work at first, most are destined for landfill within a year!
I am not saying this about all Aldi products, just tools.
I took a load of stuff to the tip last week and half of my metal recycling Tub was Aldi.
Bruce

One of the local earthmoving swears by the Aldi socket sets, for the price he has a set in every piece of plant and said he hasn’t broken a socket yet.

Oh they have the little bandsaw as well! I still have mine, it still works.
I liked the band saw, their telescopic ratcheting loppers (those were actually really really good), some black timber screws and metal cutting disks, but everything else I bought was hit and miss.

For the bandsaw.

Originally Posted by Spyro

Oh they have the little bandsaw as well! I still have mine, it still works.
I liked the band saw, their telescopic ratcheting loppers (those were actually really really good), some black timber screws and metal cutting disks, but everything else I bought was hit and miss.

I have a pair of those ratcheting loppers and I agree that they are very good, powerful and strong.

A lot of their stuff is dearer than you can get the same quality on ebay etc.

Some of it is worth buying for convenience. Easy returns and no online banking etc.

Some of it is cheap and good. That stuff goes quick.

I was looking at the bimetal holesaw kit and the F clamps. Has anyone tried the F clamps before ?

I have a 3 wheel bandsaw that needs tyres. Tyres are almost as dear as a saw...

I may get flamed for this but in my experience there is really only 2 types of sockets, and spanners for that matter. Accurately made chrome vanadium and the rest. If teh socket is made properly from CV you will have no problems. I bought a no name set, 3/8 in fact, when I was an apprentice working on F series ambulances. I've never broken one. Mind I do use them properly. I've never broken one of my stahwille spanners, but I've also never broken one of my no name spanners either. In fact I can't remember breaking a drop forged spanner. I did buy quality ratchets though. Cheap ratchets are useless.

I don't think they've sold those particular F clamps before. I bought a set of the ones with the black wooden handle and yellow plastic pads, I think there was 5 or 6 in the set. One the top fixed jaw arm fell off every time you touched it; one the top and bottom clamping faces were badly misaligned; one refuses to grip the bar; two are usable. They have a sticker on the handle, 'VPA GS' supposedly supplied by Ovibell GmbH & Co, Mulheim s.d. Ruhr. The current offering look different, they'd want to be a lot better to justify a purchase.

My experience with Aldi's quick-release clamps is that they are a bit hard to release. Pressing the button doesn't always release the clamp.
On the other hand, I think the F-clamps are exceeding my expectations. They are much stronger than those from Supercheap. My biggest complaint was always that tightening the screws tend to push the workpiece off centre (like aldav said, bottom clamping faces misalignment). an hour or so of time together with some scraps of timber would improve the usability of these clamps. I will probably buy a few sets. You never have too many clamps. By the way, Aldav used the sell some of the best parallel clamps.

Originally Posted by justonething

My experience with Aldi's quick-release clamps is that they are a bit hard to release. Pressing the button doesn't always release the clamp.

The button on the black and yellow clamps I find hurts my thumb to release at times but I noticed that the new ones are blue and black and have a new release design. My daughter likes mine and will buy a few of these new ones. Maybe I can then borrow her new ones and forget to return them. Hmmm. Even with the release issues on mine I really like them.

Jane