Amazon relaunched their Denali tool brand a few years ago, and then around the 2022 holiday season they launched a new line of Skil-compatible battery-powered cordless tools.
So, Denali is an Amazon brand, and their current line of cordless power tools is compatible with Skil’s cordless battery systems.
A reader wrote in a few days ago (thank you, Mark!), saying:
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Got an email today from Menards about Denali tools. Never heard of them, then I thought of your site and searched. Not too much info here either, other than Amazon has (had?!?!) them a while back.
Heard about any reviews or info about them? Compatible with Skil batteries, which I find a bit questionable. $49.99 for a kit for circ saw, oscillating tool, hammer drill or jig saw, among others.
I checked, and yeah – Menards is selling Denali cordless power tools now.
Amazon described the Denali tools as being “Amazon Brand – Denali by Skil.”
So what this means is that Menards is selling “Denali by Skil,” Skil, and MasterForce tools all next to each other.
Menards has the Skil 20V Max 2-tool cordless power tool combo for $69, and the Denali combo for $61.79 before 11% rebate. Other than that, there’s not a lot of overlap.
It seems that most Denali cordless power tools are no longer available at Amazon.
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Amazon has the “Amazon Brand – Denali by Skil” cordless rotary hammer kit for $117.02, and it’s eligible for 10% coupon. The nearly identical Skil version is $108.10.
Menards looks to have the same Denali rotary hammer tool kit for $56.17, or $49.99 after 11% rebate.
In other words, unless I’m missing something, Menards is selling the Amazon-branded tool for less than half the price Amazon is selling it for.
The tools are compatible with Skil’s battery system, which means they’re mostly a safe buy – in my opinion.
I might have missed it, but I checked a couple of the product pages and can’t find mention of the warranty. I guess you’d have to go through Menards. Or maybe you’re supposed to contact Skil?
The Denali tools are all priced really low, from $50 to $55 after Menards’ 11% rebate, and so I’m not sure warranty consideration or confusion is a big concern here.
It’s not clear what’s going on here, or what led up to this situation. Maybe Amazon is dropping the line of Denali 20V cordless powers tools and Chervon – Skil’s parent company and the OEM that makes many Masterforce cordless power tools for Menards – offered remaining inventory to Menards at a great price.
See Also:
Amazon Relaunches Denali Tool Brand
Amazon Launched New Skil-Compatible Cordless Power Tools
Jason M
Amazon Brand – Denali by Skil, available at Menards
Troy
Jacobs by Marc Jacobs for Marc by Marc Jacobs in Collaboration with Marc Jacobs for Marc by Marc Jacobs
Mopar4wd
I’m guessing Amazon might be giving up on them. There is a list of Amazon house brands and their current status here
https://www.ecomcrew.com/amazons-private-label-brands/
If you look at the list Amazon does not seem to give a brand more then a couple years to be succesful before they kill it.
Scott K
My understanding is that the house brands and Amazon Basics products are meant to leverage their data on what’s popular and profitable – it makes sense that they don’t fully commit to something if it doesn’t prove worthy. Not a big deal if you want to move away from their pens in a few months but obviously a huge frustration if a cordless power tool platform disappears.
Tom
The Menards website for my store says “while supplies last” for all Denali cordless tools. They also list several items “out of stock”, like the 4 AH batteries.
Farkleberry
Is Menards drawing people back to the rust belt at this point?
Many items are significantly cheaper there, even without the rebate.
Champs
It has definitely come up that Menards has something I want but the national big boxes don’t even stock, much less compete on price. One of the dozens of local independents might have it, but who knows which one, and they don’t really care unless I want to buy the whole pallet.
Too bad I’m living hundreds of miles away from the nearest Menards these days.
Stuart
I am nowhere near any Menards stores either. I think I have only ever placed 2 online orders with them.
Brad
I love my local Menard’s store with the rebates and return policy but there online store is horrid. Returns are nearly impossible unless a local store manager takes pity on you and they make Amazon packaging look like angels.
Ted
Menards is far superior to Home Depot at least in the midwest region (from my personal experience). Only reason to go to HD is because menards doesnt carry Milwaukke, Dewalt, Makita etc.
JoshP
Menards has a better selection normally, but I feel like a lot of stuff they don’t have the nice name brand, just a lot of second tier options. I have 3 home Depots closer than 2 Menards so I’m normally at home Depot every other day and Menards every couple of weeks. I’m in a Lowes dead zone so I have 2 further than the Menards. I feel like they have nicer stuff but you definitely pay for it. Although they can have better sales that HD on tools.
Pricing is competitive but Menards has a lot of stuff in store home Depot never will.
The big seller for me is the stuff I can buy online and just drive in the yard to load straight in the truck. way better than having to load it all on a cart, push it through aisles you can barely walk through because of all the cardboard stantion ‘sale’ crap, then load it into the truck. The exception is you can’t get drywall from Menards in the middle of summer when it’s humid because it definitely gets softer, and takes a lot more care to not damage and install nicely after sitting outside without tone to dry back out.
Doresoom
It depends what the product is. I bought all the insulation for my basement finish at Menards, and it was half the price that Lowes and Home Depot had for the same R value.
But trim boards were significantly more expensive. So it’s hit or miss in my experience.
Nick
It really depends on the item. I’ve run into a number of times where I can get things for the same price at Home Depot and Menards, but only if I factor in the Menards 11% rebate. I can get the same price at Home Depot without the rebate nonsense.
I’ve never bothered with the rebates at Menards. I probably should, but to me it just seems to be a hassle especially considering it’s only store credit not actual cash.
TomD
Menards has really good prices on some things (insanely good, how do they do it style) and many things at just whatever prices, and some things quite overpriced.
They also have large segments I won’t touch – power tools is one of them. I’ll buy from harbor freight before I buy Menards power tools.
Luis
I’d buy a Hercules power tool before a Masterforce (in fact I owned a couple, nothing to write home about, though).
Good thing is Menards also sells other brands like Metabo HPT, Bosch and Skil. I’d buy 2 out of those 3 before going with Hercules
MattT
Most of those tools are coming out of the same factory. If I’m going cheap, I’ll go with the longest warranty.
TomD
Yeah, it’s just that Menards return policy on power tools and appliances is pretty bad compared to others.
Tom
Menards is always looking for great deals on excess inventory from suppliers that they can then use to pass along savings to consumers. I’d be willing to bet that’s what we’re seeing here, and it’s likely a sign of either the end or significant scaling back of the Denali line at Amazon.
Big Richard
It is, they’re all online only and “While Supplies Last”, which is what they do when it is the excess inventory flash sale stuff.
Jeremiah D
This is my take, im on the Menards mailing list and nearly daily get an email with 3-6 items on sale, often for significant discounts id assume come from buying closeouts.
They are nearly always for order online, but im in menards territory so can get delivered to pickup in store for free.
They recently had a number of toughbuilt tools, bags, kneepads and related products on sale for closeout pricing. A few of these they had in store, most were half to 1/3 of regular retail or better.
A year or two ago they sold a bunch of circular/miter/table saw blades in store. Crescent branded, about 1/4 of retail.
At times they had nearly every size from 5-1/2 thru 12″ and often a couple varieties of each. For reference i think a 12″ 60 or 80 tooth blade was around $20.
Another example i
Saulac
Don’t expect any brand that Amazon hesitated to put their very own “Amazon” name on it to last.
eddiesky
Here we go, throwaway cordless tools.
LE
Since they are compatible with an already established battery line (skil) and made by a real tool company, I wouldn’t call them throw away. Probably close in quality if not the same to the Skil branded items I would guess. These are/were definitely a better option then the countless tools with unpronounceable brand names you can find on Amazon
Luis
Agreed, my dad owns 3 Skil cordless tools and they’ve outlasted one of his Ryobi tools (an OMT) of similar vintage. 3 years and running
Goodie
Skil is slept on. They have great tools. I am not on that platform, but I recommend it to new homeowners and relatives. They’re pretty high quality, and they punch above their weight.
KG21Unth
Agree with comments – probably a get rid of excess inventory situation being facilitated by the vendor (Chervon based on the similarities with Skil). They likely have an existing relationship building one of the Menard private label line.
Vendor Rep: “Denali!!!!!??”
Menard Buyer: “Denada”
Christopher
These are definitely a limited-time ‘special buy’ promotion. Generally with Menards, if you get a product-specific email that isn’t a house brand (Masterforce tools, Klearvue cabinets, etc.), it was a special, low-cost purchase. These tools are also online-only and not in any store, stating “X available for immediate shipment” instead of how many are in the local store. That’s a dead giveaway to me that these aren’t going to be carried beyond the current stock.
Regarding the warranty, you don’t have to worry about anything you buy from Menards, at least if you’re in their region. They take absolutely anything back and will give you store credit at minimum. Incidentally, this is why most major brands like Dewalt, Milwaukee, Weber, Big Green Egg, etc. refuse to sell at Menards. The return policy is very customer-friendly, but Menards tries to roll over on the manufacturer and demand money back for ‘defects.’
Brad
The thing that surprised me is Amazon has Denali listings for sockets and wrenches .. I would never buy Amazon basics hardline tools (wrenches,sockets,ratchets,screwdrivers), let alone impact’s that’s insane.
NoahG
Menards always had weird close out deals, and times when the same product is on the shelf under 5 different names. Its part of the fun of shopping there, that, and the 11% rebate on commodity goods I need anyway.
John
Menards will buy all sorts manufacturer closeouts and blow them out at great prices. I’ve received e-mails from Menards featuring some really oddball closeout items. According to their website, all the Denali products are ship-to-store and not in stock locally. A couple of the OPE items like the pole saw and blower are already sold out. The 20V, 4 Ah battery was sold out too. It was listed at $24.99 before their 11% rebate, so that’s no surprise. The Denali products are all marked while supplies last and will probably disappear quickly.
TomD
This is exactly what we see here – Menards buys truckloads of ‘clearance’ merchandise from suppliers and other stores, and liquidates it online. Some of it is very strange, and very cheap.
RzorroK
Looks like most of these are brushed tools from Skil. Most of them have been replaced in the Skil lineup with brushless tools. In most cases I think you’d be better off spending $10 more to get the newer Skil versions and their 5 year warranty.
Stuart
In some cases the Skil version is 2X the price.
JasonW
Pretty typical for Menards to have “special buys” on products that they don’t usually carry. I recently bought a shower head there that was made specifically for Bed, Bath and Beyond. Guessing the Denali tools are closeouts and will disappear once they run out of inventory. I was in Menards this past weekend and they didn’t have the Denali tools on the shelf.
Stuart
Bed Bath & Beyond stuff has been flooding Amazon as well. I ordered kitchen spoon holders and they were marked as such. But that’s because BB&B went out of business and closed all their locations. Amazon’s still around of course, which makes this unusual.