
Acme Tools’ Last Brand Standing March Madness event just went live and will close to user submissions on March 9th.
New tool deals will go live this week, and the contest is to predict the best-selling tool brand for a chance to win gift cards and prizes.
As shown above, I’m predicting that Milwaukee Tool will be the overall winner.
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If you enter the contest, please consider entering referral code TG at the top right corner. Acme is also running an influencer and affiliate contest and it helps ToolGuyd out if you submit a bracket and use referral code TG.
16 top brands face off in a series of head-to-head match-ups. Each brand selects 5 of their best products for each round, and the brand that sells the most quantity wins and advances to the next round.
You get to join the action by predicting the winners! Submit your bracket before the event begins, and earn points for every correct prediction.

Basically, there will be tool deals, and the more predictions you get correct about which brand sells better, the more points you get, and those with the highest points could win prizes.
There will also be challenges and prize opportunities for Acme Tools’ influencers and partners based on use of their referral code. So, if you submit your predictions, please use referral code TG.
The entry period for predicting the winners ends at 11:59pm CT on March 9th, 2025.
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The tool deals and discounts will be open to all Acme Tools customers. Meaning, as I understand it, you only need to predict the winners and submit a bracket if you want a chance to win a prize or gift card.
Even if you don’t have time to pick your winners, take a look, enter referral code TG, and then fill out the bracket when you can.
It’s quick to fill out – you just click the brand you think will win in each head to head, and you can change it until you hit submit. Once you do that, it locks in your predictions.

I’m allowed to participate, but I’m fairly certain I’m not eligible to win. My championship pick is Milwaukee Tool, and for fairness, I won’t show you my other picks until the very end.
Here are the matchups, which also tells us which brands will have featured tool deals next week:
- March 10
- Dewalt vs Diablo
- Crescent vs Metabo HPT
- March 11
- Bora vs Craftsman
- Bosch vs Flex
- March 12
- Milwaukee vs Gearwrench
- Fein vs Acme Outlaws
- March 13
- Makita vs Skil
- EGO vs Klein Tools
The winners of the first round will determine which brands are included in the second and third rounds.
Round 2 tool deals will take place March 18-21, Round 3 will be March 25-26, and the championship tool deals will be on March 28th.
Which is your top pick?
Do you think ToolGuyd has a chance to win against TikTokkers and the like? Enter code TG and we’ll find out. Or don’t – this is still a chance for you to enter to win one of 10 prizes, with the first place prize being a $500 gift card.
Doresoom
I saw the email, and was intrigued by the terms for the participating brands. They each pick 5 of their top tools, and the brand that sells the most QUANTITY wins. So I’d assume brands with lower priced but popular hand tools or accessories would have an advantage over higher priced power tool brands.
I would have thought a better criteria would have been total gross sales dollar amount as the metric for determining a winner.
Stuart
In the past, they’ve had deep discounts on certain brands and SKUs, which could drive impulse buying opportunities. (I remember seeing Gearwrench deals and then some event-long deals.) Spring is coming up, and a lot of folks are going to be making cordless OPE purchases.
I think it’ll depend on the exact deals.
Hand tools might have an advantage, but is Acme Tools a go-to for that? For example, if you look for “wrench,” and filter for top sellers, cordless power tool products populate the top 6 spots, with the #7 being a specialty brand and model (3.6″ pocket-sized micro pipe wrench) that’s not widely available. #12 is a Klein impact socket set for $100, and #15 is a Milwaukee 11pc wrench set for $119.
Quantity seems fair, otherwise the value of record-breaking sales for hand tools could be beaten by say the purchase of a single job box or rolling steel tool box.
I didn’t put too much thought into my selections, as there are too many variables for most predictions to be any more than guesses.
TomD
You can apparently add a referral code after you select the bracket, for those who didn’t or forgot.
Stuart
Good to know, thanks!
Al
Used the scientifically-proven Crazy Ivan technique. Good luck, all
Old Suburban Dad
Sometimes, you just gotta check the baffles
Jonathan OAF
Fun and done (with TG) , thanks.
Evan
I look forward to following! Filled out by bracket with TG code.
Scott F
Cool way to gamify tool shopping. I don’t typically check Acme unless I have a purchase in mind or they have a super sale, but will visit for this. GearWrench vs Milwaukee sounds like a good day!
Bonnie
The gamification is what feels really skeezy to me. Also encouraging the bad habits of brand fandom.
Scott F
If one had to make a purchase to participate, sure. I don’t see it the same way you do, at least not coming from a small/independent retailer who needs to put every ounce of fight into competing against the MNCs who have better scale and don’t charge shipping.