I just came back from an outing with my daughter, who patiently visited Home Depot AND Lowes with me today.
At the Lowes, there was a display of new Craftsman cordless power tool kid’s toys – a blower, chainsaw, jigsaw, reciprocating saw, and a set of hand tools that also came with a drill.
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My son has a Black & Decker jigsaw toy, and so I thought it’d be a good idea to get my daughter a Craftsman one.
Made by Red Box Toy Factory, this jigsaw toy is amazing. First, it has a REMOVABLE BATTERY PACK, just like a real cordless jigsaw. AND it has a lockout switch, also like a real cordless jigsaw. The trigger switch activates the plastic blade and cutting sounds, and also turns on an LED light.
Price: $10
Buy Now(via Lowes)
I’ll head back to Lowes later today or maybe tomorrow, this time with my son. Judging by all the fighting that’s going on over the toy, he’s also aware of how neat his sister’s new jigsaw is, and so I promised him he could pick out a new Craftsman power tool too.
See More Craftsman Tool Toys:
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fred
Wow – they are getting pretty realistic looking.
Back in the early 1950’s I was given a set not unlike this one:
https://www.amazon.com/Toys-Wooden-Child-sized-Real-Tools/dp/B005AY125I
I don’t remember mine having wrenches – and I think that the coping saw had a more modest throat depth, I may have gotten 2 auger gimlets and a 4-in-hand rasp with mine. I think it was made in England. I recall that the pliers and hammer broke (I think they were cast) – but I still have the 2 clamps that came with the set.
The next tool set I got as a gift was a set of X-Acto knives in a wooden box – it included a mini plane, a balsa stripper and a sanding block. I was a teen when I got it ans was into making wood model airplanes
satch
Mine was a PlaySkool brand. Wooden box, real hammer, tiny saw(real deal, got told quickly to not saw the furniture), screwdriver, and pliers. The manufacturers would probably be sued for endangering kids these days.
fred
I had a couple of Chemistry sets (Chemcraft and Gilbert) too.
satch
Sorry, just remembered. It was Handy Andy, not PlaySkool. They made the plastic stuff that came later.
Redcastle
Satch
Off topic however in response to your question regarding the MX2 you would have to contact Bosch USA in Chicago and ask if they can order it for you. Bosch UK said it is only available in the UK via special order (and they will not order it for export) or via third party sellers on Amazon. I got the impression “special order” means we will take the order but it will never arrive.
John Patel
Thank you for the updates, must be a lot of effort to work on a website every day. I’ll check this out for my boys!
Brian K
As a kid, I would have gone nuts over these toy tools. My parents bought me a little kitchen set and the first thing I did was get my tools to “fix the sink.”
Corey
My oldest has a couple very similar to these, jig saw, light, drill, and circular saw that all trade 2 or 3 little stempack AA holders. No branding, and I can’t even remember where I picked them up, but they’re pretty darn cool.
Matt
I saw these yesterday and they put a huge smile on my face! I had to do a double take because initially I thought they were real from a distance. Made me feel like a kid again.. They’ll sell out of this stuff for Christmas for sure. Our Lowe’s had a good selection of these toys. Good on you Stuart for starting the kids off right!
Stuart
Well, I also bought my son a plastic Empire square (I still need to file the edges a little), and a plastic level. My daughter got an Empire level at Home Depot yesterday too. =)
The had a “junior tool set” at Lowes, and I looked at it for a moment, but realized that my kids are simply going to have toy tools, and then my tools.
Joe
Nice find in the holiday spirit ?
Redcastle
My younger son had the Bosch work bench, hammer, wrenches, etc when he was a toddler and TK Maxx over here have an extensive range of Bosch toy power tools (only place I have seen Bosch green other than IXO in a long time) he has an IXO of his own now and my intention had been to transition him onto my tools.
However I visited a shop which is closing down as part of the restructuring of the No 2 big box store chain in the UK and they had a Stanley Junior 10 piece kit reduced from £20 to £ 10 which includes a toolbelt, goggles and perhaps most importantly a tape measure (never too young to learn measure twice cut once) there are also screwdrivers, a rasp, a clamp, hammer, steel rule and the one tool I am debating which is a hand saw.
The tools seem perfectly usable they were manufactured by the Red Box Tool Company in China and part of the range of products the previous owners Bunnings an Australian company who also imported Diablo bits to the UK including their version of Starlock bits which is less of a surprise when it comes to light that they are part of Bosch Australia though why Bunnings thought they could charge 150% of the Fein price for the equivalent blades is beyond me.
On the same day I went to IKEA a shop I rarely visit and the first thing I saw walking in was a wooden toolbox the assembly of which will be his first “solo” project the toolbox was the clincher in that any reservations I had regarding the junior toolkit disappeared when he could have the whole shooting match including a box.
He has in the past built ramps and bridges for his toy cars and buildings for his Star Wars figures from scrap timber, etc and really enjoyed it so I am looking for him to build on that.
Stuart
Was it the Skogsta? I can’t find a USA link, but this is it.
I bought two of them, and had stripping-out fasteners with both. Be sure to have better/larger screws on-hand in case it happens to you too.
Redcastle
Stuart
It is called the lustigt over here and seems strong however I have a box of furniture related fastenings so I hope we can deal with any problems that arise.
Did the Fixa drawer jig make it to the USA for £2 it makes a very handy modifiable set out tool that can be used for a one off application if necessary. I have aluminium and steel angle and L mouldings that I can use to create custom jigs but the cost and effort mean I have to consider the payback.
satch
Redcastle, sounds like a great way to get the shaver into the habit of using tools. Just do as my parents did and remove the saw before turning him loose in the gaff!
As an aside, how was your experience at the tool show ? I would love to attend a trade show in UK. Being able to interact with the Bosch people would be interesting. They have an outstanding reputation here in the States and tradesmen ‘know’ what they need to know about them.
The company itself(tools division not the entirety of Robert Boech which is gargantuan) does not seem to actively seek interaction with U.S. tradesmen. At least not at the retail level. Multiple times this year I have seen the Milwaukee and DeWalt tool crew(as I call them) set up at local HD demonstrating new products and answering questions. I may have missed it over the years but I have never seen a Bosch rep in our local home centres.
Redcastle
Satch
I spent some time with the Bosch personnel which included someone from Bosch USA who transferred to work for Bosch UK. The senior person on the team expressed his frustration that the vast majority of visitors just walked up, thrust out their mobile telephone and said can you match that price? He like most of his team would have liked at least some conversation about products, future developments, etc.
A substantial part of our conversation centred around his Dodge Challenger and a shared affection for V8 engines.
I have some more information however I think Stuart should decide what he wants put on his website and am currently in conversation with him.
satch
Nothing wrong with fire breathing V8 engines. I grew up on them. My dad had a brand new 1971 Chevrolet pickup equipped with a 400(actually 402) cubic inch big block. It was one of the hardest running Chevy trucks I have ever seen.
We were friends with a man who was one of the best Chevy mechanics I have ever seen. He had that 4 barrel carbeurettor tuned to perfection. It had a Turbo 400 tranny behind it and you could break traction at highway speeds by smashing the throttle and letting kick down to second gear. Some blackheart stole it and after a joy ride set it afire. What a loss. I look forward to whatever you are able to post here. Thanks.
Redcastle
Satch
My older son takes delivery of a Mustang GT at the end of this month my neighbours have been advised that it is very loud (He test drove a BMW I8 which had as one of its “soundtrack” choices a V8 engine liked the car but loved the soundtrack so much he wanted the original).
I too grew up with V8s normally Land Rovers and then Range Rovers but there were also various saloons (sedans), my grandfather had a Ford Pilot V8, the mother of someone I went to school with had an MGB GT V8, a car about the same size as a Mini with a V8 engine and the same braking system as the parent car which had an engine 1/3 size, it defied the laws of physics as to how they got the engine in there.
satch
Also, was the issue with people walking up and asking for price matching here in the States or both here and UK? I ask because typically factory type reps here have no sales ability at the storee. They refer you to sales pereonnel or management. And yes, technology is good but seems to make formrather poor social skills. I personaly enjoy engaging with the reps.
Redcastle
Satch
The issue with the price marchers was certainly happening at the Bosch stand (and also Stanley DeWalt) at the tool show I was at.
The representatives I spoke to at most of the stands were both knowledgeable and committed to their products which is good in my view, however their enthusiasm and knowledge was being poorly utilised on the Bosch and SBD stands because of the customer approach.
satch
Redcastle, a real shame. People moan and complain about lack of attentiveness and product knowledge but yet waste the opportunity to speak with representitives who almost certainly have a direct(or close enough) channel to product development or support. I would have been taking full advantage of that opportunity.
TonyT
Conversations about products AND shared interests is what I like best about trade shows. I have talked to Bosch at a trade show (Semicon), but that was their automation group (Bosch Rexroth) – and although I had to get a quick mention in, of course they didn’t know anything about Bosch power tools!
BTW, if you think the Bosch power tool lineup is confusing, their automation lineup is even more so, with a LOT of different but somewhat similar products – I would need help from them to figure out a decent fit.
Big companies can be frustrating – to give an example from Schneider (which owns SquareD, Telemecanique, etc), I have a Schneider LMC20 PLC motion controller but the software CD-ROM became unreadable. On the good side unlike many companies, Schneider doesn’t charge for that programming software. BUT they didn’t have any CD-ROMs available, even though the product was still pretty recent. The story has a good ending, because our distributor’s salesperson (at the time, an attractive AND very knowledge lady) managed to get it for me.
Nathan
talk about getting them indoctrinated early. at the preschool my daughter goes to (4 by the way) they have some sort of toy kit in one of the rooms and I swear it says black and decker on it.
anywho – I’m trying to find her a pink tape measure at this point. WHy – she asked for one – I let her play with my orange one while I was building her toybox. SO she asked for a pink one and I’m still looking.
Redcastle
The “Bosch” tools are the most prominent over here and much better than the others in the toddler type market, I am sure that Bosch are very happy not just from any direct financial income but also particularly for those who are not everyday users of tools they are gaining a lot of subconscious headspace which will come to fruit in later years, similar to the many posters on here talking of their fond memories of brands such as Craftsman used by older family members.
There are an awful lot more non everyday users than everyday users and while they may not be in the market for USD 1,200 table saws there could be a dozen buying USD 250 ones.
PETE
Uh-oh….. Someone bought toys for the kids right before christmas! I would be in trouble! lol.
My kids have a bunch of Bosch play toys that have the similar feature of having a real removable battery pack that is full of AA’s. When we were building our chicken coup they were very “helpful”
Redcastle
Pete
Are the Bosch toys you have green?
Initially I thought they had missed a trick in not producing toy versions of the better tools and then realised it makes it easier to explain to a child that they are specially for children hence the different colour and not to use my noisy blue ones.
Frank D
Bosch DIY series tools in AU are green
https://www.bosch-do-it.com/au/en/diy/homepage/index.jsp
While the pro series is blue
https://www.bosch-pt.com.au/au/en/trade-industry-101271-ocs-c/
Redcastle
Frank D
I was referring to the children’s toy Bosch “tools” rather than the real thing although in the UK Bosch green has pretty much disappeared other than IXO and general catalogue retailers and seasonal special offers in supermarkets, etc.
I have Australia to thank for my son’s Stanley Junior tool kit as Bunnings brought them to the UK when they owned Homebase.
satch
Redcastle, this was why I thought Bosch’s divestment of Skil was rather odd. It was their homeowner line in the States and likely Canada. Many of the Skil red/orange tools were identical to Bosch green models sold in Europe and UK. Now they are seemingly pulling back a bit with the green line in the UK? I wonder what they are up to? I just hope we see more of the blue line in the States.
Don
If you review their Black Friday advertisement, they will have a workbench that you can build a toy truck on as well.
Scott K
I know this post is quite old, and you’re in the midst of holiday deals. Is there any chance you actually got around to looking at the work bench? I’m interested in it for a one and four year old- the B+D version seems to have gotten a number of poor reviews about the quality of the plastic legs. Looking for a good alternative…
Stuart
I still haven’t come across a display.
From the images, the Craftsman one at Lowe’s looks a bit flimsy. Amazon has one that looks a bit sturdier, but the $90 price seems a bit too high. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08HT5H5PY/?tag=toolguyd-20
There are mainly positive reviews for a now-discontinued Stanley version of the workbench – https://www.amazon.com/Stanley-Jr-Kids-Work-Bench/dp/B07MB415ZG/?tag=toolguyd-20 .
Scott K
Thanks! I did come across images of the Stanley one and I like the look of it.