A reader shared a Flex newsletter with me, and I didn’t see anything new, just a different spin on existing products.
Franco (thank you!) wrote:
I am guessing you have seen these; if not, I got this today.
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Two things, first I am happy to see new products, which hopefully means Flex Tools is not going away anytime soon. (never happy to see any company go under)
The second thing which I found interesting is that they describe them as “compact & light”. Any reviews on Flex tools may vary, but the one thing all reviews agree on is that Flex tools are always a bit heavy. (I have a 5-6 of their tools and I also find them a touch heavy. Not so much on the circular saw, but the drill and especially the impact driver, more noticeable)
Flex went from “unrivaled power” to “compact and light” which most would agree isn’t exactly accurate for 24V cordless power tools, and especially nailers.
They made this shift towards smaller, lighter, less powerful, and most notable cheaper core tools after Lowe’s quickly dumped many original Flex SKUs at the start of 2024. (See Lowe’s Dumped Older Flex Cordless Power Tools.)
This past holiday season, Lowe’s sold some of the new “compact” Flex 24V Max cordless power tool kits at the magical a shockingly low (for the brand) $99 price point, even undercutting Home Depot’s Ryobi brand. Flex also has $99 cordless drill and impact driver kits on occasion.
Flex was hyped up to deliver “unrivaled torque, power, and speed,” and “the next generation” of cordless performance, but I have become unconvinced that they will reach their full potential. Frankly, it seems that they don’t even care about this anymore.
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Flex’s parent company lost their biggest cheerleaders with the exit of high-level US corporate staff members and executives. Their director of marketing left the company after 10 years, and their chief marketing officer left after nearly 20 years. Maybe that’s why there’s no wind left in their sails.
I also don’t see anything new. The email newsletter forwarded to me me advertises “new kits,” but looking deeper they have incentivized “influenster” reviews on their website dating back months. The “new” pin nailer kit, FS4341-1A, is on Amazon with a “first available” date of January 1st, 2024.
It looks to me like Flex’s latest new cordless power tool, according to online listings, is the cordless table saw that I posed about in December 2023. From online store timestamps, the nailers came out at around the same time.
What have they launched since then?
Flex promised so much, and it seems they’ve run out of fuel. I encourage you to convince me otherwise.
But, there’s no risk of Flex disappearing; my concern last year was that they would become stagnant, and it seems that’s exactly what happened.
Where are the new Flex 24V Max cordless power tools? What’s going on with the StackPack modular tool box line? I haven’t seen any signs of momentum.
Flex tools are decent, and while they might seem stagnant, they’re not exactly stale just yet. But what can tool users look forward to? What innovations did they bring to market in 2024? What will they do this year? Next year?
Sadly, I feel that Flex has become “Kobalt Pro” for Lowe’s shoppers who like the idea of 24V Max cordless power tools over 18V or 20V Max. It also feels a bit like what could have been for Kobalt XTR.
I think that Flex needs to wake up and get people excited again. Can they?
Flex’s parent company, Chervon, is hugely innovative and highly capable. That’s the frustrating part.
I’ve seen wonderful cordless power tools and tech from Chervon, including from Flex, and that’s not even taking into account tools they make or are purported to make for other brands.
So what’s in their way of making Flex a top tool brand? I don’t know the answer to that, but I can tell you their current lack of innovations and direction aren’t helping.
Maybe Flex should heed their own tagline: “Unleash 200% more you.”
Jared
It seems like a significant retraction from the momentum they had at launch. If Flex isn’t a premium-pro-level-advanced-tech platform like it originally promised, what is it?
They basically disappeared in Canada when Lowes shut down. They’re on the Rona website (I just checked), but if you limit your search results to “available in-store” – you’ll only see a couple clearance items depending on the store you picked. That’s not very confidence-inspiring.
I realize Canada is a much smaller market than the USA, but its just more evidence of shrinking effort.
Kompahko
Actually, they shifted their strategy in Canada and are now available in a lot of pro tool stores instead of big box stores and since they always wanted to get pros, I think it was the right move to make.
Imo, what made them dead in the water here is the Lowe’s exclusivity. If they would’ve been available in pro stores, perhaps they would’ve gotten visibility on jobsites early on. It would’ve given them credibility.
They have good tools, good prices and a pretty complete lineup. Convincing people to make the switch is a big ask. They are a good option for a contractor that’s starting fresh, but they lack the visibility and reputation of other brands to convince people.
There are a lot of brands competing for the small amount of contractors not on Dewalt/Milwaukee/Makita.
will
Exclusivity doesnt always rule out smaller pro tool stores. Just look at milwaukee being a home depot exclusive but available at acme tools. So I’m thinking the exclusivity is just for big box stores,though I could be wrong.
Paul C.
Milwaukee is decidedly not HD exclusive. That’s Ryobi.
Every electrical and plumbing supply house around here has team red stuff (US). So does Ace hardware stores, and Acme as mentioned.
It’s not as prevalent as Dewalt but very close to it.
CMF
I had no Flex tools, then spring 2024 Rona had almost all Flex power tools at 50% off. I think I had posted here and also wondered if this meant they were going out of business.
Usually on the expensive side, at 50% off, I found them a good deal. I got other stuff also but had bought 1 of the 24v mini shop vacuums, liked it and got a 2nd…sort of a 2 for 1.
Gary
Bosch , Milwaukee , Dewalt , Hitachi power tools, Makita all brands I grew up with I think it takes decades to establish a tool brand in peoples minds . Flex has some high rated tools but they never really seemed real brand to me and I always had the feeling they would not be around for long. It takes staying power to be a big player or some kind of edge rigid power tools was able to use the lifetime service agreement to break into this market and plus using a known name. I also think Lowe’s has too many cordless brands.
Craftsman,Flex, Skill, Bosch , Metabo HTP. Kobalt , Dewalt.
Also you don’t see the higher power tools in Lowe’s like the Dewalt 60v ‘ , Bosch 36v or more than one or two tools of the Metabo HTP 36v
Kevin
I think most people were always in the camp that the Flex brand would stagnate. I don’t believe it’s a matter of which executives’ steering the ship, rather, it’s a more practically applicable problem. It all reduces down to consumer sentiment and brand loyalty. Marketing and economics 101 suggests that Flex would’ve been climbing a steep uphill battle for the foreseeable future. It costs a company about 10X more to attract a new customer than it does to retain an existing one. Flex ran on a very aggressive marketing campaign, but the incumbent brands have every advantage. Name recognition, established customers, competitive product portfolios that flex did not outperform by the orders of magnitude that Flex tried to claim. Competitive marketing could be achieved at a fraction of the cost. I’m not exactly surprised that the Flex marketing campaign has been dismantled at this juncture. You have to pay the piper at some point though, as they’ll only be willing to hemorrhage cash for so long. They’ve scaled back and are in a defensive position. I doubt we’ll see them shift gears back into innovation mode before they can safely recoup a lot of the capital they clearly invested on the front-end. They’re far from dead in the water, but I don’t think their competitors are losing any sleep. Flex’s brand heat has long cooled and the arena they entered has competitors who would really have to drop the ball to lose the high ground (they have the luxury of always being in innovation mode). Just my analysis but it be hard pressed to believe there’s any data out there to suggest otherwise.
MM
I think the cordless tool industry is really being affected by shifts in battery technology, and that is working out very well for some platforms and not so well for others, and Flex is one of latter.
With current battery tech an 18/20V class tool offers more than enough power for most jobs. Some of them, for example the DCD1001 drill, are actually quite large for general use. Flex and other 24V platforms theoretically have a power advantage, but is that power even necessary? And when high power is necessary, is 24V adequate or is something 40v+ better suited? That leaves 24V tools like Flex in an odd spot because they use bigger and bulkier batteries than the average 18/20v tool, yet at the same time they aren’t competing with the higher voltage platforms either.
Flex realized this with their newish compact drill & impact driver, and with the 2.0 ah Stacked Lithium pack they came out with not too long ago. I think people were passing over a lot of their tools because they were just too big and bulky. I have been looking at compact drills the last couple of months, and I have checked out Flex as a contender. The drill itself is great, it’s actually no longer than the M12 Fuel while being a heck of a lot more powerful, but the big battery seems a bit out of place on a “compact” drill. The 2.0 stacked pack helps because it’s smaller than Flex’s other batteries but it’s still big for what is supposed to be a compact tool.
CMF
Well said, 24v in general is too much or just not enough.
But when they were 50% off, I could not help myself.
I have very few slim batteries, a couple each of 1.5 Makita, M18 and 1.7 Dewalt. In general they are fantastic with an impact driver, pretty decent with a drill, but otherwise sit on the shelf.
Actually the Dewalt I also use on the 4 1/2″ circ saw and the 3 inch cut off tool.
will
I just don’t see enough of a power advantage to go from 18v to 21.6v (the real voltage,similar to 20v dewalt,12v,60v etc). Besides the big brands kind of fixed thr lack of power with their new tabless batteries, and the 8 and 12 ah etc batteries. So I’d stick with the 18v tools especially since they have pretty much any tool you’ll ever need. Flex has a ways to go and what they need is a specialty like milwaukee and theur hvac and plumbing tools. Not sure what market they could crash since they all seen to be covered by more than a dozen brands.
Jason
Like you mentioned, the parent company has some really great innovation. I think they thought flex could come in and dominate the way that ego did.
The issue was for outdoor products, there was a giant gap in the market. Ryobi 40v was pretty much the market share leader and didn’t really carry the same level of respect that some of the pro or prosumer brands do.
With Flex they came in and were trying to compete with the already well defined juggernauts in the cordless space.
Whenever you launch a product or start a company you have to start by asking what problem are you trying to solve? For Flex there’s not a clear answer to what problem they’re solving that no one else is already solving.
Problem of too much weight? Makita nails that as well as some other brands with subcompact lines. Problem of not enough power? M18 fuel and Flexvolt solve that (and now power shift and MX on the equipment side). Flex has to convince people to buy them over red or yellow and right now the only way they’re able to do that is price which is never the best long term strategy to win.
will
I think they’d be wise to try and compete with ridgid,ryobi and of course the 24v kobalt,rather than try snd hang with dewalt,milwaukee,Bosch and Makita. Oh and Bosch needs to bring some of their European products over here to the US. Which brings up a question, can Bosch compete with sawtooth in the US yet ot is there still a patent?
will
Oh it looks like most of sawstops patents have ended in 2021 with a few ending in May of 2026.
Mark S
They really are the red headed step child of the tool market. It’s hard to see any justification to buy into it with such a limited amount of availability or innovation.
I tried about 2 years ago, and bought up a few of the clearance and sale promos, just to give them a shot. Nothing to write home about. I got the grinder kit for $89 (i think!), a hammer drill combo for about a $100 and the impact also for quite cheap($60ish if i recall). These had the bad batteries that leaked. That aggravated me, but the online retailer replaced it for me. I still had no reason to buy in. I also have yellow, red, lime green and blue tools, all bought while on sale or clearance
No real reason to pursue any more of the flex line…can’t find a reason to.
Jronman
Wait did Barnaby leave? He is one of my favorite reps for any company. Whenever he does his spiel for Ego and Flex it was always the highlight of the event.
Stuart
I don’t know. He’s still listed as “Director of Excitement” on Linkedin.
Michael
And yet they still have some more aisle space at my three nearest Lowe’s, than Metabo-HPT, which is actually coming out with new products, and battery tech.
eddiesky
I got tired of the Bro/Sis team that pushed Flex really hard on their Youtube channel a few years back. When I go to WallyMart, which is for cheap TP, cleaning products and Synth Moto Oil, I pass by an aisle that has a section of FLEX.
I dunno… I don’t see how I would get a tool a WallyMart when I can pay less for same at HorrorFrate.
FLEX… gonna die off slow or get bought and rebadged.
Stuart
Be nice, they’re nice people. And are you thinking about Hart? I haven’t seen Flex at Walmart.
Ed
To be fair, that channel pushed Flex and Hart pretty heavily.
Rich Shew
For what it’s worth, Flex announced a cordless heat gun and a metal cutting circular saw last month. It’s not much and neither feel like things I need, but they haven’t stopped releasing tools.
Stuart
I haven’t seen these, but they’ve had a heat gun in Europe under the red-colored 18V line.
https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Cordless-Temperature-Compact-Ergonomic-531493/dp/B0DJBT2W7T/?tag=toolguyd-de-21
Rich Shew
Both items are from the red line, but they’re bringing them to the US as 24v tools. There’s a lot more I’d like to see brought over from the red line. I’m not interested in switching platforms.
Ed
Other than the shell, it looks very similar to the Kobalt 24 heat gun. No surprise there.
CMF
I think they got out of the gate like a thoroughbred but then slowed down a bit. Whether this was the strategy or just how things went down, I do not know. I think they have their foot in the door. Enough people have Flex, if Chervon does not completely give up on them, they should remain out there, even if not very relevant.
I noticed they renewed their lifetime warrant on items registered within 30(?) days of purchase.
Like when they came out, many just s**y all over them saying they did not have a chance of cracking the power tool market, and now surviving, I am happy they are there. Better for us, the consumer to have more choice.
I have almost every brand available in NA, but do not have Hart. Probably will never buy any but glad they are filling a market and hope they continue to be around, as well as Flex and all other brands.
Also happy for HPT. It’s not like they are burning the road, but they are certainly doing better than when they were Hitachi (cordless tool wise).
Makita Bosch, and Fein to a lesser extent, no matter how sales go in USA, they have a great foothold on the global market, so they should always be around.
MM
The way I see it, they have a lot of tools that are near the top in performance even today. Beyond that they have two real standouts: the 6-1/2in Inline circular saw is an awesome tool that I wish other brands would copy. That saw is real innovation. It’s a design nobody else has, and it’s great. It’s light, it’s narrow, it cuts super straight because the handle is fully inline with the blade, and it has very good visibility of the cut from both sides of the saw. The other one is the “quick eject” impact driver which is very powerful and has a trigger-style bit release like the old Dewalt DCF895–a rare feature. Beyond those tools they don’t have anything really exceptional in my opinion, though they do have all solid examples of all the main tools out there. Angle grinder, recip saw, fan, roto hammer, jobsite table saw, miter saw, nailers includuing 23ga pinner, etc…they have all that and they’re good tools.
They don’t have tabless batteries but they have pouch packs ranging from 2 to 10ah. Their chargers tend to be quite high power compared to most others.
All in all I think they are making a great effort, but at least for me the stars haven’t aligned where it makes sense for me to buy in. I love that inline circ saw, but I don’t use circular saws very often and my old corded worm drive & M12 have my current needs covered. A new circ saw would be a luxury purchase for me. I really like impact drivers with a trigger release, but my DCF895 is still going strong. There are some other tools I wouldn’t mind buying from Flex–I’m in the market for a compact drill and I do like theirs, and I could use another trim router, but I just haven’t seen any really compelling deals to buy into the system. On several occasions over the past 3 years I’ve sat down and looked hard at buying into Flex, pricing out what combination of bare tools, kits, and deals would give me the tools that I want and a reasonable selection of batteries, but it’s just never worked out. Deals take effort to find and are rarely any good, and the few times I’ve seen decent deals I haven’t really had the budget for it. I had actually decided to decided to buy in late in 2023, taking advantage of some specials that Lowe’s had advertised, but then they suddenly stopped honoring the sale early.
Steven Phillips
The pro market is oversaturated and anybody new is going to have real trouble going up against red and yellow’s duopoly. Now that power has reached a certain height with brushless motors raw power isn’t as big as deal anymore negating the need for 24V batteries. Smaller size, lighter weight, and ergonomics are more important now. 6 cells per power bank is now a drawback because the batteries have to be bigger and costlier. Throw in exclusivity agreements and how hard it is to get shelf space and things are stacked against FLEX.
Gentleman Who Likes Tools
I have been impressed with my Flex tools. The small Hepa vacuum is excellent. No one else has a small vacuum with bags that has the power and runtime this does. I use it to clean up right away before the debris starts spreading. Great for the car too.
In addition, I have the large hammer drill with turbo. It’s well built and sturdy with a nice chuck. The side handle is strong too.
Finally I have one of the small work lights.
They all have lifetime warranty, even the batteries.
Hope to get some more Flex tools in the future.
Will
Between Flex and Toughbuilt, I’m glad I stuck with a well established brand.
Stuart
I hope it wasn’t Porter Cable.
Will
I hear they’re owned by a big tool company. Should be making a comeback any time now.
MFC
Bit late to the party but Home Depot has Milwaukee, Makita and DeWalt.
All the big guys.
You can’t even get Makita, DeWalt Flexvolt or Milwaukee tools at Lowe’s.
That’s a pretty big blow in and of itself.
Marky T.
What about this 12V mini angle grinder launched in 2025 ?
https://www.flex-tools.com/en/press/12-v-mini-angle-grinder-lbe-76-12-ec
It’s not only a cutoff tool like everything in its same class (76 mm disc) but a true angle grinder by the way of adjustable speed. They also offer roughing up discs in that size.
Stuart
That’s Flex 12V. Flex doesn’t sell 12V tools in the USA.
Justin V
All four of my local Lowes have much of the FLEX line on clearance with fire sale prices. The tower lights are $99 (bare tool) and the big dog drill and 1/4″ impact combo with the 2.5ah and 5ah packs is marked down to $150. Most of the impact wrenches are half price and stack packs are all on clearance. The employee there told me they lost the FLEX Rep and he wasn’t sure if they were getting anymore tools from Flex going forward? Not a good look.