Amazon’s Prime Day tool deals are here, and there are some surprises I wasn’t expecting.
These sales events tend to be predictable, but sometimes there are deals or changes that I find interesting and maybe even notable.
While not incredibly significant, here’s what I noticed so far, a couple of small things that gave me pause – minor “hmm, that’s different” types of moments.
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Woodpeckers Launched Prime Day Deals
Amazon offers countless Woodpeckers knockoffs, which makes it surprising that I) Woodpeckers would participate with Prime Day deals, and II) that they’d actively promote it on social channels.
There are only a couple of Woodpeckers deals, and there are a bunch of red-colored knockoffs mixed in.
Flex Stack Pack Tool Box Deep Discounts for Prime Day
Select Flex Stack Pack tool boxes are on sale with massive savings and “clippable” coupon offers.
It perhaps shouldn’t be surprising; Flex Stack Pack has been effectively squeezed out of Lowe’s retail stores, and it seems they’ve been looking for someplace to go.
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Unfortunately, not everything is on sale, and some items aren’t even available for purchase, making the promos less enticing for newcomers to the line.
SK Tool Chests are on Sale for Prime Day
It looks like the entire range of SK modular tool storage products are on sale. SK’s Prime Day offerings are rather slim, but I’m surprised and glad to see these storage chests on sale.
I find the line to be interesting, but I’m not sold on their appeal yet.
Leatherman FREE P4 Multi-Tool Sale
I think this is the biggest surprise so far. Somehow the Leatherman P4 is now an Amazon exclusive, and they slashed the price by 30%. I don’t recall ever seeing the P4 on sale, but I can say it’s a great tool and I believe my purchased copy was worth every penny.
This is not a beginner’s multi-tool, though, and I’m surprised that Leatherman didn’t opt to feature a more affordable multi-tool like the Wingman or Skeletool.
Read More: Leatherman FREE P4 Multi-Tool – Prime Day Deal!
Gearwrench Switched to Lightning Deals
Gearwrench typically has Prime Day deals, but for this one it seems the switched entirely to Lighting Deals with limited quantity counters.
We’re more than halfway into the first day of Prime Day tool deals, and there are low “percentage claimed” counters for a lot of the Gearwrench deals.
0% claimed? Why? Why aren’t other people buying this deal? That’s not very reassuring.
Impact socket set? 0% claimed. 16pc ratcheting wrench set? 1% claimed. The 7pc hook set is a particularly good deal, but even that one’s just 4% claimed.
I wish I could see Gearwrench’s performance numbers, to see if their strategy shift had a positive or negative effect on Prime Day sales.
It case you missed it, check out our main Prime Day tool deal coverage:
Best Prime Day Tool Deals at Home Depot & Lowe’s for Pros
Best Prime Day Tool Deals 2024
Pat R
Wow. I bought the flex 3 drawer this morning for 120, and its already back up to 160. Glad I grabbed it when I did.
Stuart
Yes, and no.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CT1TC3BT/?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=toolguyd-20
It’s still $119, but Amazon shoved it to the “other sellers” list since 3rd party sellers charging $160 can ship it sooner.
It looks like Amazon doesn’t have a lot of these in stock; it doesn’t seem like Flex built up inventory for Prime Day.
Pat R
Interesting. That’s the same ship date I had when I placed my order, but it was promoted to me. Maybe the algorithm is pushing the available faster one since I already bought the deal. thanks!
Stuart
I checked again just now, and Amazon’s direct listing shows up first and with 2 left in stock and a July 21 ETA.
Amazon’s algorithm has a mind of its own at times.
There are also marketplace managers who sometimes nudge things and actively try to one-up each other to get the sale.
It’s unclear what’s going on here, but Amazon’s Prime Day and Black Friday inventories tend to be very dynamic. I try not to think about it too much, beyond knowing how to tweak things as needed.
For example, the SMID part forces the Amazon direct listing to show up first. I’ll sometimes have to modify links when the algorithm keeps pushing higher priced but faster shipping options even though a deal’s still valid under backorder.
You get used to it after a while.
Smokey
The Gearwrench slide hammer kit, sensor socket set, and some of their impact socket sets are among the lowest I have ever seen them. Paid ~$90 for that slide hammer years ago and thought that was a decent price.
MFC
I still just can’t get behind a multi-tool like the Free. If you already carry around the correct tools, would it really ever be that useful?
Like you Stuart, don’t you already have tools that are better made for whatever task you have? Is it just useful if you are out and about and didn’t have tools?
Stuart
If you’re carrying around a tool pouch or bag of tools, then a multi-tool isn’t very practical, or at least not a full-size one.
Let’s say I’m doing a minor maintenance task and notice something needs twisting, tightening, filing, cut, etc, incidental to what I’m doing.
Getting another tool for the task might take a couple of minutes depending on what I need and where it is. I then have another parallel or sequential task to complete, rather than a quick minor detour.
Are multi-tools practical and useful for my purposes? Yes.
Are they a must-have for me? Not really, at least not usually.
Can I get by without one, let alone many? Yes.
Do I like the idea of multi-tools? Yes.
It’s like a watch. Nobody needs a watch these days, but sometimes I find benefit in wearing one. And even when there are no added benefits, maybe there’s a bit more joy.
Some people need a multi-tool. If you’re going hiking, space and weight can be important considerations.
For my needs, multi-tools are somewhere in between “good to have” and “should have available.”
Sometimes I toss one in the glove box when driving, other times I walk around with one in my pocket or bag.
Fewer frustrations contribute to greater convenience, practicality, and joy. I think that’s important whether one needs a multi-tool, or if they just want one.
Goodie
I used multi-tools very functionally everyday in two past roles. In the military, they are fantastic for having a functional (not optimized) set of tools with you all the time. We were issued Gerber made tools while I was in (I still have mine). Just incredibly functional to have at any time. In my teens, I carried the original SuperTool (in leather case – I still miss that one) on my belt while working on farms. It saved routinely saved me a long trip back to where tools were stored.
Scott K
There are lots of scenarios where a multitool makes sense. I love carrying my Leatherman when it isn’t practical to have a handful of individual tools. I took my son fishing tonight and used the knife, needle nose pliers, and wire cutter switching out lures and removing hooks.
Pat R
Full disclosure, I’ve always loved knives and multi tools. As in Stuarts example, they certainly bring me joy.
now the story.
I had a coworker who was always running back to the truck for tools…jamb saw, cutters…we were in telecom and the tools we carried were sometimes lacking. I talked him into buying and wearing a leatherman wave on his belt for a week to see if it made a difference. two days later, he’s walking his dog, and the dog got loose and tangled in a fence. between the sheepsfoot blade and the pliers he was able to free the dog before it strangled itself. He and I religiously carry them now.
TonyT
They’re great when you’re going to be in an area where it’s difficult to enter/exit, and can need something unexpectedly. For example, back when I went into clean rooms , I’d always take a multi-tool along.
Joe E.
Two years in a row now that the tools I want are not a part of Prime Day. Ahhhh well.