A word of warning about Aliexpress super cheap stuff

[mikemex]

Hey fellas,

I made the mistake of ordering some replacement HDD caddies off Aliexpress. Both 7mm and 9.5mm versions, for my old stuff (X220, T420s, W530... you get the idea). I thought: "maybe they are so cheap because there is low demand by now?"

NOPE.

This cheap knock-offs are nothing like the original ones. The trays are made of stamped aluminum, unlike the original ones, which are steel (stainless?). They bend with the slightest pressure. The rubber rails are a joke; they get in the way when you're trying to get the drive in.

Of course, with a bit of tinkering you can install the drive, but the truth is that I wasn't expecting much of a simple drive caddy and they still managed to disappoint me. I won't bother to tell the seller; I know I didn't pay much. But this is another iteration of "you get what you pay for".

[TPFanatic]

the quality of the cheapest caddys has always been that bad. i think i first encountered them around 2016-17 when i was a bottom feeding reseller. didn't like em. "splurged" on OEMs ever since for around $5-8/ea. Lenovo marketed the rubbers as passive shock absorbance for hard drive protection, the stiff cheapos surely fail at that. but who runs spinners anymore anyway?

[dr_st]

My experience with Aliexpress has been unusually poor. I've only ordered from them twice, some ultra-cheap stuff. It arrived completely unusable, with mechanical faults preventing the proper installation, similarly to what you mentioned, just worse.

Ever since, I stopped ordering there. My experience with eBay sellers, even of the cheap stuff has not been so poor. Some things actually work.

With that said, I know many, including friends and family, who have had more reasonable experience with Aliexpress.