Lidl achieves Guinness World Record: a Parkside drill makes the famous London Eye move

The brand from Lidl dedicated to DIY Parkside has achieved a new Guinness World Record: a Performance 20V has set the famous London Eye, which is 135 m tall.

A new world record

Following the viral success of “The Pull” in 2025 – in which a Parkside cordless impact driver managed to tow the world’s largest passenger aircraft, an Airbus A380 – the brand is doubling down with “The Rotation”. Thanks to the power of aspecial edition Performance drill rated at 20 V, featuring maximum torque of 60 Nm (Newton metres) and embellished with the signature of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Parkside achieved the incredible feat of making the London Eye move. The famous record-breaking structure, which at 135 m tall is the world’s largest cantilevered observation wheel, was made to rotate, thereby setting a new Guinness World Record. This special and exclusive version of the drill will be available to purchase from 3 September at Lidl stores.

“The Rotation” sets new standards

The technical preparations were carried out in collaboration with theTechnical University of Darmstadt. Their calculations provided the scientific basis for creating special equipment fitted with a cable winch operated hydraulically. This engineering solution made it possible to set the record: in front of an audience of 45 content creators from 31 different countries, the self-supporting observation wheel – weighing 2.100 tonnes and standing 135 m tall – was successfully rotated using exclusively the energy of the Performance cordless drill-driver rated at 20V.

“The new record is a spectacular demonstration of Parkside’s power,” says Robin Ruschke, Head of Marketing and Senior Vice President at Lidl Stiftung & Co. “Offering the best value for money is a value deeply rooted in our brand’s DNA. Through record-breaking initiatives such as this, we once again seize the opportunity to demonstrate Parkside’s quality in an original and engaging way”.

The technology behind the world record

The extraordinary performance recorded during the operation was guaranteed by a special edition of the Performance cordless drill-driver rated at 20V, featuring torque of 60 Nm and powered by a battery rated at 8 Ah. This exclusive model stands out for its extremely compact design, thanks to a high-quality ultra-short bit holder from the Röhmbrand, a proven reliable brushless motor and an optimised gearbox. This limited edition is enhanced by Arnold Schwarzenegger’s autograph, a special-edition bit holder and an aluminium case, which also includes a battery rated at 2 Ah, together with a charger rated at 2,4 A.

Activating the London Eye using the energy of the Parkside cordless drill rated at 20 V required highly precise engineering work. First, the observation wheel’s standard hydraulic system was placed in neutral to eliminate any mechanical resistance. Subsequently, the tourist attraction was operated by a hydraulic winch that moved the wheel with a force of up to 20 tonnes, compensating for any additional loads, such as strong gusts of wind. In this context, the Parkside cordless drill rated at 20 V performed the crucial task of powering a hydraulic pump, which generated the pressure needed to transmit directly to the winch motor.

The overall stability of the structure was supported by the use of 6 guide rollers. To ensure the highest level of safety, the winch was mounted directly onto the base platform of the main drive, using specially designed steel profiles. Finally, to ensure that the observation wheel was operated exclusively by the cordless drill, the latter was precisely balanced before the test began.

This article was translated from the original Italian version with the assistance of artificial intelligence. In case of discrepancies, please refer to the original Italian version.