AliExpress

[Ian]

I just wanted to post a little about AliExpress, as I've signed up earlier in the year and I've placed around 40 orders now (the vast majority under a quid, delivered!). It's a huge collection of Chinese businesses that operate online stores, similar to Amazon marketplace (a lot of the time they are on both).

I often work on little electronics projects or DIY stuff, so I'm often in need of random pieces of hardware that I can source reasonably easily from the UK, but they're quite expensive. I started planning ahead a little more and ordering the hardware direct from China, and the cost is often around a quarter of the price, including tracked delivery. It can take a few weeks for a part to arrive, but I don't really mind as it means I can build things that would otherwise be too expensive to make it worthwhile.

As an example, I bought a box of 10 bearings for around a pound including delivery, which would otherwise have been around £8 in the UK (they're almost certainly the exact same ones from China anyway). If you need to buy stuff for electronics projects, it's really worth a look . I'd be a little wary about buying tools, as I don't expect the quality would match up from the looks of things (although I did buy some ferrule crimpers from there and they were ok).

 

[TriplexDread]

Another is Gearbest...ordered some cheap watches recently but same as always...Be aware

 

[V_R]

China

cheap watches

Shudders.


That said, I used to vape, and all the hardware was about half the price from the likes of Fasttech and gearbest. So as TD says, buyer beware.

 

[muckshifter]

I use my Chinese takeaway often, am I on the right track?

I recently got a "Green Screen" including stand for £9.99 (of Amazingdotcon from China) ... the screen is huge and the stand can double as a camera mount, has all the fitting.

 

[Ian]

Most of the things I order are cheap bearings, electrical connectors, etc... that are probably always made in China anyway - so the quality seems on about a par with what I'd buy in the UK. The only expensive thing I've bought from there was some stepper motors, which seemed fine. I'd probably avoid buying anything that would be over £15 or so anyway, as it could get slapped with VAT charges (+ fee) when it lands.

These Dupont headers were the last thing I bought: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/100...Housing-Female-Pin-Connector/32328360022.html

55p delivered