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ToolGuyd > Hand Tools > Mechanics' Tools > Lowe’s has a Secret Kobalt Meme Tool Black Friday Deal

Lowe’s has a Secret Kobalt Meme Tool Black Friday Deal

Jan 20, 2025 Stuart 58 Comments

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Kobalt 50pc Bit Ratchet Tool Set Deal at Lowes for Black Friday 2024

Lowe’s launched their own Kobalt meme tool set deal, just in time for Black Friday 2024.

Basically, Harbor Freight launched a relatively inexpensive Icon bit ratchet set, it went viral, and you can now find it on HF’s website by searching for “meme tool,” which is also how it’s widely referred to in online tool enthusiast communities.

And, Lowe’s seemingly followed in Harbor Freight’s footsteps to launch their own bit ratchet and mechanics tool set deal.

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Kobalt 50pc Bit Ratchet Tool Set Deal at Lowes 2024 Found in Mechanics Tools Section

Surprisingly, none of my Lowe’s stores have this set out in the open anywhere, and certainly not in their holiday deals displays.

The store I visited today, for example, is supposed to have more than 40 in stock, and I could only find 2 sets in the regular mechanics tools section, almost hidden in the back.

The other Lowe’s stores I visited last week also didn’t have this set on display anywhere.

I’m guessing that Lowe’s is going to advertise this as a Black Friday Doorbuster deal.

Kobalt 50pc Bit Ratchet and Socket Tool Set Contents

Here’s what you get in this 50pc Kobalt tool set: a 1/4″ drive “Pro 90″ 90-tooth ratchet, spinner handle, 1/4” hex bit holder socket, 22 sockets (6pt) in SAE and metric sizes, 2 extensions, a universal adapter, 22 screwdriver bits including a socket adapter, and a case.

Lowe’s advertises that this set has $130+ in value, which is typical puffery, but $20 still seems like a great price for what you get.

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I haven’t bought or tested Kobalt mechanics tools in a very long time, but this looks like a decent compact tool kit at a very reasonable price.

Price: $19.98

Buy it at Lowe’s

Lowe’s had this set as an online-only tool deal of the day on 1/20/25 for $10.

Related posts:

Kobalt Mechanics Tool Display at Lowes Fall 2021Lowe’s Kobalt Mechanics Tools Section has a New Look Kobalt 243pc Mechanics Tool Set at Lowes ClosedLowe’s Kobalt Made a Tougher Mechanics Tool Set Case Kobalt 3pc Interchangeable Ratchet Set CloseupNew Kobalt 3-in-1 Ratchet is Coming to a Lowe’s Gift Center Near You

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58 Comments

  1. Dave P

    Nov 16, 2024

    You can NEVER trust a Lowe’s to have what they advertise or even what they say on line that a particular store has in stock.

    I live in a rural area with Lowe’s stores 50 miles or more apart and it’s generally not worth my effort to travel to a specific store for ANYTHING.

    If I’m in a town with a Lowe’s on other business, I’ll stop and see what they have. Otherwise I’ll shop elsewhere. It’s just not worth the hassle. They just can’t be trusted.

    Reply
    • Jason

      Nov 17, 2024

      That’s exactly why I order online for pickup. Let them find it before I waste my time driving.

      Reply
      • Peter

        Nov 17, 2024

        This.

        Reply
      • Katie

        Nov 19, 2024

        I noticed this a long time ago. They had a great deal, I think on clamps. I ordered online, but then they disappeared. I later talked to someone who worked there and he said that the employees try to get first dibs and this is why they sometimes disappear if it’s a great deal. Still love the Bessey clamps I got when they closed them out. I could never have afforded so many of them at full price or even on sale.

        Reply
    • LGonToolGuy'd

      Nov 17, 2024

      Concurred, their IMS is like what Walmart was in 2015. Lowe’s has done nothing to improve it and I bet they’re afraid to spend theoney necessary despite it benefitting online and in-store sales.

      Reply
  2. Robert

    Nov 16, 2024

    $20 is cheap, but will this hold up well enough to be of use to the average user, or just a source of frustration?

    Reply
    • Stuart

      Nov 16, 2024

      Why wouldn’t it?? Are you expecting Snap-on level quality?

      Reply
      • Robert

        Nov 16, 2024

        Fearing poor dimensioning and stripping of sockets and bits.

        Reply
        • Stuart

          Nov 16, 2024

          I think that’s highly improbable. Still, if they break within the return period, get your money back. After that? Lifetime guarantee.

          Reply
        • s

          Nov 17, 2024

          how hard are you wrenching on a 1/4″ drive socket set?

          Reply
        • KROOSER

          Nov 19, 2024

          I’m a former ASE certified tech. While I made my living using tools off the tool truck I now mostly have Kobalt and some Husky branded tools.

          They are excellent quality for the $$$.

          Older sockets were drop forged…today’s are powdered metal. They still do the job.

          Reply
    • JP454

      Nov 16, 2024

      Not that it’s a direct answer but I got a large Kobalt boxed mechanic set when I moved out of my parents house and didn’t have access to my dad’s collection of tools. This was about 15 years ago so might be a totally different manufacturer, but I still have every piece of that set. And I’ve broken my fair share of Craftsman/Pittsburg pieces and replaced under warranty, so the Kobalts are definitely quality tools.

      Reply
    • Steven B

      Nov 17, 2024

      Is there really much difference between modern hand tools in a tangible way? Is something from SNAP-ON really going to last much longer than something from HF bought today?

      It’s a piece of metal. I’ve never seen a socket destroyed (through regular use) …and if you’re using a socket enough to wear it out, I am not certain an expensive socket will last a lot longer than any mainstream value brand.

      I’d be curious to hear why that’s not the case.

      Reply
      • MM

        Nov 17, 2024

        A few years ago I bought several individual Kobalt sockets to fill out missing holes in my sets. They aren’t anything super premium but they seem every bit as good as my old USA-made Craftsmans. They have good fit without the slop that plagues many cheapo sockets, the heat treatment seems good, and the chrome is nice too. They’re not as nice as something like Snap-On or Hazet but they seem solidly mid-tier to me. I haven’t broken one yet so I can’t comment on warranty hassles.

        I can’t speak to Kobalt’s ratchets as I’ve never owned one. I’m quite picky about ratchets so I suspect I probably would find things to criticize, but even saying that I think it’s hard to complain given what the set costs. Even if the ratchet performs on the same crappy level as the old raised-panel Craftsmans this set is not a bad deal, and I’m guessing the ratchet is probably quite a bit better than those.

        Reply
      • Stuart

        Nov 17, 2024

        Pragmatically speaking, as long as they meet or exceed ANSI specs, no, there aren’t going to be big differences.

        Most of the differences are in the user experiences they provide.

        Reply
      • JR Ramos

        Nov 17, 2024

        Well, yes and no. What Stuart said about ANSI specs is a large part of it but it goes further. Manufacturers (Snap-On being a great example) are free to make their products well in excess of those minimum standards and many do. Same with wrenches, screwdriver shafts, and loads of other tools.

        With cheap sockets the fit may be a tad sloppy but maybe not enough to matter *most of the time*, and they may be a bit softer which can round out if used with power tools and allowed to slip (like a screw bit in a screw head) or used on hardened fasteners, or the heat treatment and/or quality of the steel may vary so that you get duds that split or shatter under higher torque pulls and whatnot.

        With higher quality sockets (speaking of hand/chrome sockets) you might have higher specs, closer tolerance, better steel, and thus thinner walls that can still handle higher torque than minimum ANSI specs, or the same standard walls that can handle a lot more…and some of them can be misused by using on impact wrenches and do ok where cheaper ones are almost guaranteed to crack/shatter. Sometimes you also get a nicer or more durable finish, or extra features like great knurling or whatever, but those have trickled down now into the lower quality stuff, too.

        With impact sockets it’s a much bigger difference…durability as far as rounding off the broach or the square socket end, keeping their tolerance through extended use, and/or not cracking. The cheap ones look great when new and may last for a home gamer job or three but with much use they’ll usually show their colors in terms of early wear or failure (more so than chrome hand sockets).

        There is a lot of misinformation or lack of information on steels and their qualities when it comes to tools, but it can make or break (literally) a tool in use and the metallurgy is real…as well as manufacturing process (not just heat treatment). There is some economy of scale, and distribution or retail pricing games, but a lot of it is simply the cost of materials and the time spent/complexity of the manufacturing process and those are what get hamstrung in order to make cheaper items.

        If you’re just a home gamer with lower torque needs and/or less frequent use, then yeah, most decent cheaper/mid-grade tools are just fine and might last you your lifetime without issue. But it sure sucks when you have a socket break under torque and lose skin or break additional $$ parts. The better tools are far far less likely to have that happen until they are well used and abused, if ever. Marketing and especially warranty promises mean very little when a failure costs you more than just the cost of the tool. We all pay for those lifetime warranties and with enough markup and decent sales volume anyone can do a lifetime warranty and still profit, so don’t consider that to be an indicator of quality or reliability.

        Now if you start talking about the anvils on breaker bars (or even the handle/yoke), or the heads and pawls in ratchets, that’s a whole other difference where quality parts and manufacturing make a big difference…but again, if it’s home gamer use then maybe it’ll never matter to you.

        Until a few years ago I had a small bucket of failed sockets and other tool scraps (some cheaper items like the old Pro-Mate or one-off Cal-Hawk, but also some better ones from Thexton, Blackhawk, Thorsen, Allen, Truecraft (Japan) and a couple of the US made Kobalt). If you’ve never seen one break or wear out, hey, that’s good luck or lower demands. 🙂

        Reply
      • JR Ramos

        Nov 17, 2024

        Should add that it rarely pays to be completely brand loyal. That has become especially true over the last couple decades of global production and companies broadening their range offerings to stay competitive. Obviously Snap-On has a few duds and some tools that are just more expensive clones of the same things available for much, much less money. Harbor Freight has surprised us with some dedication to better quality tools over the last couple-three years and they have some real winners and have also filled some gaps, which is great. But Snap-On has a LOT of items that will run circles around anything HF has to offer in one way or another, and there is very little at HF that you could accurately call top or high quality.

        So the more you learn about tools and actually use them, the more you can understand the products and the market and shop “efficiently” if you want. And if you know, for instance, that your hand wrenches won’t ever need to see more than 60-70 foot pounds for your jobs, then there’s probably no need to buy top quality and you can save money. But say you’re trying to break an axle nut or pulley bolt or some tight staked fastener and your cheaper quality breaker bar shears or splits suddenly…you just hope that’s the only damage there is and then you probably go buy a higher quality more dependable one.

        Anymore, neither brand nor country of origin is a 100% guarantee of anything but there is still a big wide range of quality (or lack of) in just about every tool item.

        Reply
    • Lg

      Nov 18, 2024

      This is a stocking stuffer. A gift for your kid’s teacher. A set that lives in an office desk drawer for when you don’t feel like doing the paperwork to have facilities come and fix whatever.

      (Seriously, great teacher gift. This is perfect for assembling a set of flat pack shelves. And the different spots mean that you can tell when Mrs. Smith didn’t return your socket.)

      Reply
  3. Richard

    Nov 16, 2024

    I’ve also seen Lowe’s advertise their kobalt pliers wrench and cobra knock-offs as “meme tools” and it seems hollow when used as self praise.

    I really wish Lowe’s would understand their core customer. The reason HF has a “meme tool” is because it’s meeting the needs of their user base well and not because their marketing dept dreamed it up (or if they did, they did a good job of guerrilla marketing).

    You can buy a $11-14 bit ratchet off of amazon right now. That doesn’t make it a “meme” tool. For about $10 more than the kobalt you can get a Wiha bit ratchet kit for $29.99.

    I was surprised by the great icon reviews. If this thing gets equal praise, I’ll be happy to upgrade it to “meme” status. But to me it’s a customer/crowd conveyed label and not a marketing PR blessed headline.

    Reply
    • Stuart

      Nov 16, 2024

      I haven’t seen that yet. I’ve been testing the pliers – ordered a set online since I missed them in-store when the deals first went live.

      I’ve given up trying to understand Lowe’s, but I feel they did a good job with Kobalt this holiday season. It’s been a very long time since I’ve been able to say that.

      Reply
      • John E

        Jan 27, 2025

        Kobalt has a fairly broad spectrum of quality control vis a vis Knipex when it comes to these knock-offs. I bought 20+ sets of the pliers wrench/mini Cobra clones and a couple were unusable out of the packaging. Most were pretty decent and a few were excellent enough that they’ll do 99% of what the Knipex will do; at least until they wear out. Time will tell. Hope you got a good set.
        Slack, misaligned jaws and sticking buttons were the main problem but nothing a disassembly, cleaning and lubing and touch up with a diamond file wouldn’t fix. A few had some roughish grinding around the jaws but I’m being nit-picky. Most will get gifted away eventually but I’m definitely keeping two or three of each.
        I actually prefer the handle dipping on the Kobalt Cobra knock-offs to the tiny 5″ Knipex. Much easier to manipulate if you don’t have small hands. Reminds me of the doible dip they used to put on the Cobras for Craftsman.

        Reply
  4. JP454

    Nov 16, 2024

    Do these have the blue and red striping on the sockets for SAE/MM? My old Kobalts have that and it’s surprisingly handy for a little OCD organizing or just tracking multiple sockets your switching between.

    Reply
    • PW

      Nov 17, 2024

      The promotional photos don’t appear to show the typical Kobalt color coded stripes.

      That implies that these are completely different from the standard Kobalt sockets.

      Definitely not an issue for me, but worth noting.

      Reply
    • Jason

      Nov 17, 2024

      They do not, I picked one up today. You could rub paint marker into them easily though.

      Reply
      • Dave P

        Nov 18, 2024

        “Paint marker” will last for one (mechanic’s) job. When you wipe them down to clean off the grease and grime (most people use brakleen), all the paint comes off as well. BTDT. Not a viable option.

        Reply
  5. Amish Mike

    Nov 17, 2024

    Hi, related to deals, does anyone know of Black Friday deals on a decent tap and die set? I had my eye on the Gearwrench ones so far.
    Also, I am in the marker for a welder mainly for hobby use and repairs. Not looking to weld excavator buckets. I currently only have 120v power. I was looking at the Forney 140 mp (120v) machine and the Weldpro 200 mp (220 and 120v). Amazon currently has the Weldpro on sale for $470 which is nearly half price and the reviews seem good. In the future I plan on having 220v which I could use the Weldpro to its full capability. Whereas the Forney is only a 120v machine. I know Forney has been around forever but the Weldpro is quite tempting. Does anyone have experience with the welders or the tap set?

    Reply
    • Joe H

      Nov 17, 2024

      I’ve heard the Northern Tools tap and die sets are decent for the money but I haven’t checked their pricing or deals yet. Might be worth looking into.

      Reply
    • Rog

      Nov 17, 2024

      Check out Eastwood for welders. I have one of their multi-process welders and it’s great. They’re an American company and always are running sales and I’ve had great success with it

      Reply
      • frobo

        Jan 21, 2025

        I second that. I have an Eastwood multi process welder that I like a lot.

        Reply
    • JR Ramos

      Nov 17, 2024

      For the taps I’d say first make sure that the typical carbon steel flavor is what will serve your needs best. That’s what the Gearwrench are and just about every other set in retail brands. Mixed opinions on buying sets vs. just buying individual high quality sizes as needed, but just know that all of those carbon steel ones are intended for rethreading/cleaning up threads. They will cut new threads *if you do your job correctly* but that should be just for occasional use and where you aren’t too concerned about thread fit or quality. If you are primarily cutting new threads, as many weldors do, then you’ll want good HSS taps. Also, if you are interested in the popular “gun/combo taps” where a short tap is behind a short twist drill section, choose those carefully and use them correctly.

      For the carbon flavors, the Gearwrench are ok, pretty standard fare, but seem to have a lot of QC issues just as the old Husky ones did. I am not a fan of Milwaukee’s new tap & die products because they are grossly overpriced, but they are good and the die handle is excellent. The Hansen/Irwin are still great last I looked (Irwin has been monkeying around a lot with the branding and sourcing but generally if Hansen is included in the description they’ll be good…some are still US sourced but the majority are from China now I believe). The Icon sets at HF are actually pretty decent too but a bit higher priced than they should be for run of the mill carbon cutters. Don’t buy into any marketing for titanium coated sets from various China brands/sellers…some of those are fine but ignore any claims about titanium here.

      For HSS, buying sets of those is really expensive, but Norseman/Viking has a couple small ones that include good twist bits for each and they aren’t priced too terribly. Those are tap only but they’re good US made HSS. They have some carbon sets as well but you may have to hunt them down from someplace like EOA Saw, Zoro, maybe Hartville, etc.

      I don’t know about sets but for China direct brands of HSS I can say that MaxTool on Amazon is excellent and they also have a variety of tolerance fit choices if you want. The Drill America brand is hit and miss but they have some decent ones as well (both carbon and HSS, pretty full line)…all china sourced as far as I know and the consistency in some aspects isn’t always there (tip and heel aspects on the taps…flats sizing, blunt vs. conical, etc). I don’t know if Drill Hog is still much of a thing or what they may have in taps and dies but they’re worth a look too (check their website, Amazon, and Ebay and compare all those prices or discounts).

      You should also check Traverse Tools and see what they have. Their TTC import house brand taps and dies are excellent and decently priced…not sure about their sets. They float discounts sometimes if you sign up for their emails and they have fantastic service if you ever need it. MSC is another one worth looking at. Neither will sell total junk products and will pull them if they become unreliable for customers.

      So…a lot of words here. If the Gearwrench flavor of retail carbon cutters is ok for what you need, that brand is fine but just know what it’s meant for and that it isn’t any different or special than most other brands. If you can get a good deal on it, go for it, and inspect every item closely when you receive it. If you have a HF around and the Icon brand isn’t excluded from a coupon offer, that’d be about the same. Milwaukee is so often excluded from discounts but you could google the part numbers on their kits and see what pricing/discounts are out there.

      If you do the dies much, seek out a quality die stock…really. The ones in kits these days are pretty crappy although the ratcheting handle in the Gearwrench/Husky kits is decent (just fiddly and has some slop which is unhelpful sometimes). The Milwaukee die stock is worth its price. Also, Park bicycle tools have some great little all steel straight tap wrenches that are surprisingly high quality and pretty cheap…some of the China brands look the same but are not…those are worth having. Starrett still has fantastic tap wrenches in both straight and inline t-handle…a pleasure to use but pricey.

      Also….another also….maybe check out Cripe Distributing and see what they have right now. They’ve had a lot of various taps/dies/sets at liquidation prices…neat outfit. I know they have a ton of Bosch in singles still (all or most are USA made stock still) and they’ve had Gearwrench and Hansen in the past. HJ Epstein always worth a look, too.

      I have not used the Northern Tool ones but the Century brand that they have do look very good (in packaging anyway). Those used to be made in Japan but I’m not sure if that’s still the case. Pricing seemed pretty high for them, imo. At one time they had some HSS taps on the pegs in addition to the carbon steel versions.

      One thing to keep in mind when deciding set vs. individual as needed is that pretty much all typical sets just have common plug taps in them. If you know or suspect that you will need bottom taps (or possibly starting taper taps) then you might come out ahead just buying individual sizes in quality HSS that come in sets of three (one each of starting, plug, and bottom). You’ll be set for your needs that way and won’t be saddled with the high initial expense of having a bunch of sizes in carbon steel that you don’t use. But again, if it’s just fixing threads and once in awhile cutting new threads in softer/mild steels and such, the carbon will be ok enough.

      Reply
      • Johnez

        Nov 20, 2024

        Icon taps/dies are not carbon, they are HSS. I don’t have experience with their taps as my shop carries some industrial brand, however their extractors are extremely high quality. Icon taps aren’t on sale often, but Icon 25% coupons do get emailed every now and then.

        Reply
        • JR Ramos

          Nov 23, 2024

          Apparently this is incorrect but HF corporate will not divulge just what the steel is. All they would tell me when I asked after they were introduced is that they are greater than 10% tungsten…which rules it out of what we typically classify M.x HSS tool steels for the last many decades. The high tungsten steels aren’t bad but they are in the class of “high carbon” bearing steels…about the same as every other rethreading tap and die out there. Looking at the Icon in person they aren’t super well made, looked as good as the better ones from Taiwan, imho. The Milwaukees are comparable, but neither of these are worth their inflated retail price.

          If you know more about the Icon steel here I’d love to hear it, just out of curiosity since they wouldn’t (or maybe couldn’t) share real information about it.

          Reply
    • Dave P

      Nov 17, 2024

      Go on marketplace and buy a used welder–a REAL one, not a 110V toy. for arc welders, a Lincoln 225 or an old copper-wound Forney would be GREAT choices for well under the $470 you mentioned. For a mig, that $470 would buy a nice Miller, Systematics, or Hobart if you’re a bit patient. Plenty of hobby-type people give up on a really good mig just because it needs a new $30 liner–those people will almost GIVE their used mig away when that’s all it needs.

      The new ones, arc or mig, ESPECIALLY for under $500 or so, are pretty much junk.

      Reply
    • Stuart

      Nov 17, 2024

      I cannot recall seeing any good tap and die set deals any year for BF, aside from maybe Gearwrench’s thread repair set. Your best bet might be to pick a brand or model and shop for blanket money-off coupon offers and discounts.

      Reply
    • Mopar4wd

      Nov 18, 2024

      So I’m a horrible welder, but my kid does quite a bit of weling. I had an older Lincoln Mig but he wanted something with digital controls so a couple years ago he got a Yes welder off Amazon based on a number of You Tube reviews and he loves that thing and he is hard on equipment and has held up surprisingly well.

      Reply
  6. Jason

    Nov 17, 2024

    I’m going to give it a try, I’ve been looking for a little set like this with sockets and the price is right. The HF one is overpriced for $40, it doesn’t even come with sockets.

    Reply
    • Stuart

      Nov 17, 2024

      The Icon price gets better with 25% off a “we missed you” coupon.

      Reply
      • Jason

        Nov 17, 2024

        That’s true, they also had it on sale for $30 a few weeks ago. Rumor is there is meme tool 2.0 coming with sockets.

        I really like that little gear wrench set from last year but it doesn’t seem like it’s available this year.

        Reply
  7. Harry

    Nov 17, 2024

    I don’t think you can compare the compact Kobalt 1/4 drive set to the Harbor Freight FACOM/USAG clone bit ratchet set because, in their current form, it’s an apples to oranges comparison. The HF Bit ratchet set currently is a bit ratchet set only. It doesn’t contain a real ratchet nor sockets nor a spinner handle or universal joint. However, if you saw the updated HF kit at SEMA earlier this month or scrolled through the countless You Tube videos about the HF Booth at SEMA or the new tools coming from HF, you’ll see there’s an updated compact bit ratchet set coming next year that includes sockets but, still has a locking flex head bit ratchet and no spinner handle with a Retail price of $79.99. WTF.
    I think a better comparison would be to the Craftsman V series clone of the FACOM/USAG/Blackhawk compact 1/4 drive socket set but, the Kobalt offers you both SAE & Metric sockets while it’s metric only for the FACOM/USAG sets and the Blackhawk clone set was discontinued. The Facom/USAG sets run approx $90-$100 while the Craftsman V series set is on special at lowes for $39.97. All of the sets are made in Taiwan.
    To me the Kobalt set for $20 or so out the door is a no brainer. It has a quick release 90 tooth ratchet, short spinner handle, two extensions, universal joint, a nice selection of six point sockets in Metric & SAE, along with 22 bits, and a bit holding socket. No, the sockets don’t have red or blue stripes on their bases but, they have nice large stamped size markings. They’re also nicely finished and have and have drive tool retention ball cutouts on the square drive end and feature off corner engagement. A lot of features crammed into a compact set for not much money. What do you want for like 40 cents a piece? The bits are S2 steel and even include triple square in M5, M6, & M8 sizes. the only thing I don’t care for about the kit, is that you need a pocket pry bar or pliers to remove any piece from its case. I suppose that’s better than stuff falling out. I normally shy away from Kobalt tools but, I have a bit of an addiction to compact socket sets especially the 1/4 inch variety so, I couldn’t resist. I think it’s a great little kit, would make an excellent gift or stocking stuffer. Dewalt & Milwaukee offer a similar kit in the $50-$100 range.

    Reply
  8. Daniel V.

    Nov 17, 2024

    The case is pretty terrible. I don’t own one, but I opened the case in the store and it’s really difficult to remove the tools, as there is no finger grooves to get your fingers underneath the tool. However, you may be able make some with a Dremel or something. As far as the tools go, I have no idea about the quality so I can’t comment on that.

    Reply
    • Jason

      Nov 17, 2024

      I agree, I picked one up today and had to pry the ratchet out with a screwdriver. It definitely needs finger holes. The case insert is thin plastic so a Dremel should easily cut some finger holes. It does keep everything from blowing out when you open the case though….

      Reply
      • Bryan

        Nov 18, 2024

        Yup, got one today and was like WTF when trying to remove the ratchet. God knows how that went to production like that. Sort of ridiculous.

        Reply
  9. Steven B

    Nov 17, 2024

    I need something like this, but I HATE that it has SAE. I don’t think I have a single SAE fastener anywhere. It’s just extra weight and cost and in 20 years, I’ve never used an SAE socket.

    I have a large toolbox I use for real work that has my nice tools, but sometimes I need something compact for bicycles or for assembling things, like furniture. Given that my toolbox is over 20lbs, I rarely want to grab it and I certainly can’t get my wife or kids to bring it to me when I am putting a piece of furniture together or need to make a quick bike repair.

    For my needs, I need a complete lightweight, compact toolset for travel or just conveniently taking places…ideally that could fit in a large coat pocket…which this can.

    Also, it’s very frustrating that EVERY compact ratchet set stops at 14mm and every bike I’ve seen uses 15mm nuts for the wheel.

    Reply
    • Grokew

      Nov 17, 2024

      R.360NANO, but it is 10x the price.

      Reply
      • Stuart

        Nov 17, 2024

        Look at the V-Series! Different ratchet and spinner handle, but $40.

        https://14cyiuhvcgv.com/ace-hardware-craftsman-v-series-tool-deals-2024/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E

        Reply
  10. William Adams

    Nov 18, 2024

    Really surprised that the folks putting together these kits haven’t looked at bicycle tools.

    I built a small tool set around a Silca T-ratchet:

    https://silca.cc/products/t-ratchet-ti-torque-kit-2nd-generation

    and if I ever work out a way to have a reasonable size/number of extensions packed in with it, it could handle a fair number of tasks on my truck — the thing which almost never gets mentioned about the meme tool and similar is that they usually fall short in application for want of a long enough extension.

    Reply
  11. eddiesky

    Nov 18, 2024

    Both my Craftsman flex head (long handled) ratchets are having off/on setting issues. One is 1/2″ and other is 3/8″ with loose-drooping head (pun there). I’m leary to visit Lowes to fall prey to these cheap gifts. I already picked up an Xmas gift of the Gerber set of knives at HD.
    But my question is that does Lowes make it a hassle to exchange Craftsman that might not be in stock (hassle indeed where I live) or better to call direct to the support line and have replacement shipped?
    Also, I recommend a NEBO set of sockets for the auto. Although for $20, this set could be ideal for a glove box.

    Reply
  12. Robert

    Nov 18, 2024

    Today the Lowe’s by me had around 60 of these tool kits, in two different locations. The Xmas gift area and the normal tool section. In general they are really pushing Kobalt, seems a lot of the end cap and temporary shelf in the walk ways displaced much Dewalt and Craftsman for Kobalt. Including lots of the mini-tool boxes (but at $20 not $10.).
    Toughbuilt storage appeared to have a bit more too, but nothing like the blooming of Kobalt.

    Reply
  13. Mike

    Jan 20, 2025

    Lowes currently has that 1/4″ ratchet set as one of its Deals of the Day for $9.98.

    They also have a 55 piece 3/8″ mechanic set for $24.98

    Reply
    • Ron

      Jan 20, 2025

      Yep, I’m seeing the same….$9.98 for the 50pc set. Originally $29.98. Hard to pass up

      Reply
      • Stuart

        Jan 20, 2025

        $10 is a great price, but it’s been $20 since the post first went up 2 months ago; I never saw it at $30.

        Reply
    • Stuart

      Jan 20, 2025

      Did you guys pop into this post to share the deal (thanks!), or did you see it on the front page and miss that I added deal info (price and deal of the day details) to the title before pushing the post back to the front page?

      I thought it’d be enough to update the title, rather than having to update the post now and again after the flash sale ends, but I’ll have to rethink that.

      Reply
  14. Coach James

    Jan 20, 2025

    I was in Lowes today and actually looked at the set in the first picture. Nothing on the display stated it was on sale for $10 from $19.99. Had it showed that, I most likely would have bought one.

    Reply
    • Stuart

      Jan 20, 2025

      I believe the deals of the day are online-only. You typically have to order online for shipping, delivery, or in-store pickup.

      Reply
      • Yadda

        Jan 21, 2025

        My local store had sets, but only with $75 purchase for free shipping. No in store pickup.

        Reply
  15. Reed Prince

    Jan 20, 2025

    I just read Stuart’s reply to Coach James, and it helps explain what happened to me today. Not knowing that the deals of the day are online-only, I went to Lowes to buy one. The display said $19.99 but I then opened the Lowes website and found the deal listed there. When I went to check out, the register rang up $19.99 and the employee there did not know why the price was different than what I showed her on my phone. Now I know. And luckily they gave me the deal anyway.

    After getting home and opening it up, I had to use a screwdriver to pry out the ratchet. But that’s OK for $10. Maybe not for $20.

    Reply
  16. ken

    Jan 20, 2025

    to use this kit you need tools. A screwdriver to pry out the ratchet and other items and needle nose pliers to remove sockets. Everything is friction fitted. Terrible design on the case because of this. Its a shame because it is a nice set but without the case it is not as portable which is why I bought it. I tried to lubricate the tools but it did not work. Not sure what I will do with the 2 sets I bought.

    Reply
    • Stuart

      Jan 21, 2025

      You could always return them. Just because there were a good value, that doesn’t mean you need to keep them.

      Reply

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