Lowe’s quietly started selling SATA tools, which looks to be positioned as a direct competitor to their Kobalt and Craftsman offerings.
Actually, Lowe’s has quietly expanded their mechanics tool catalog quite a bit in recent years, adding Tekton, Capri, Urrea, and other tool brands they are not well-known for. SATA is just their latest notable brand addition.
While it’s not unusual for retailers to expand their online catalogs with new tool brands on occasion, there are a couple of interesting contexts here.
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Most interestingly, SATA launched in the USA just 3 years ago as an Amazon-exclusive.
In a nutshell, SATA seems to be positioned as a value-oriented – meaning roughly entry-priced but not necessarily cheap – online-only tool brand from Apex Tool Group, the same company behind Gearwrench and Crescent.
The brand is also available outside the USA.
Second, there’s the fact that – in my opinion – SATA competes with Kobalt and Craftsman offerings. Kobalt is Lowe’s house brand, and Craftsman has been their flagship brand for the past couple of years. I wouldn’t expect for Lowe’s to deliberately create more overlap.
At this time it doesn’t look like Lowe’s is selling SATA tools in stores – yet?
I noticed that Lowe’s has been seeding user reviews for some SATA products via their “Lowe’s Loop” free sample program. They tend to be selective as to which brands and products they do this for.
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I am curious about Lowe’s intent here; what is their goal? Is this a meaningful addition to their online catalog?
Plain+grainy
Lowes might be positioning themselves to be less effected by supply chain issues. With such large online sales,. Competition for store shelf space isn’t a big issue anymore. The tool cart looks pretty sharp!
Plain+grainy
Cart has a sharp price also; ($550.00). Quite a few of their tools seem on the high price side. I’ll have to wait and see where their sales price level is at.
Jonathan Vine
After the problems I’ve encountered with a window and door installation I would not purchase anything from Lowe’s. I used to be exclusive to Lowe’s but this has been a disaster. Between the store and the installation call center no body knows what is going on. It’s been 3 monthly since this job starts and still not finished. Two sliding doors and three windows. 6 months since ordered and they require 100% paent up front. I have no recourse. Terrible.
Jim
Thanks for the useless comment that has nothing to do with the article.
JB
This^^^
Patrick K Hale
These guys^^^^^
Patrick K Hale
They are decent tools at a decent price. I’ve used them in the past. Comparable to maybe an Icon or Bluepoint product. More suited towards mechanics and machinists etc.
Jim D
Not to mention… Who hires a contractor through a big box store? C’mon
Michael Lass
Back to the OP, wait did you say some hired a shade tree contractor from Lowes. Damn, could have picked up two day labors outside home Depot and got a better job. BTW, I want to go to Lowes now and check out the new tool brand.
Nick
Why on earth would you go to Lowe’s for a window installation instead of a window company? They sub it out anyway, at least you get to choose who when choosing the window company.
James Bates
Cost of the project will probably be around 50% of what window company would charge for total project. I used Lowes for replacing three toilets in my home. Lowes charge was around $1400 total versus quotes fro several plumbing companies who all quoted me around $2800.
Gail M
I got five windows replaced with triple pane windows through Lowe’s. Got a great price. The contractor they got subbed to another contractor who was fantastic. Very polite, conscientious and did great work. If I could get the same person, I would definitely go back to Lowe’s.
Aleigha Lynn DeLellis
I just want to let you know as a contractor Lowe’s themselves do not do the installs of the products that you buy they outsource that to third parties like myself contractors I’m sorry you’re having problem with Lowe’s the problem you should be directing is who their installation company is and try to take it up with them that will be the most feasible thing to do because home Depot has the same problem they hire a third party that hires contractors to do their kitchen and bath installs and windows and doors but it’s not home Depot itself it’s some third party that has no interest in Lowe’s or Depot monetarily other than making money from the jobs I’m sorry you had problems
B
Cmon Jonathan you might as well of had Amazon install it. You literally let a company that sell home improvement do the job. Where do you see any contractor trucks of Lowe’s to lead you to believe they do it.
Jeremiah
Lowe’s started using a 3rd party vendor to schedule and perform deliveries, as well as schedule installations with subcontractors. Once they get your money, thry hand all of this to someone else. It has become a complete headache. HD still stands behind their deliveries and still schedules the subcontractors amd also stands behind their work if you have an issue.
Colton
This isn’t remotely relevant. No one cares about your windows
John Jason Strunk
I agree with that
Johnny G
Arent those done by 3rd party contractors? What does this have to do with SATA tools or even lowes?
No recourse? Isnt that what the contractors licensing board is for?
MG
The installer is not Lowe’s.
Darwin Crews
Though I agree with the comment (nothing to do with article) use a local contractor to do your work. You don’t know who Lowe’s or other big chains will send out which you would have no control over. You can easily check references ie past customers. If financing is a issue your bank is a lot cheaper then the 20% plus financing charge. Your money, your call.
D. Crews
Aaron SD
Could also be Amazon paying for shelf space to improve their brand.
Bonnie
Somehow I doubt that. More likely the exclusivity-agreement expired between Apex and Amazon and Apex wants to expand this new brand further (or save it). Amazon has plenty of “exclusive” online brands, and they’ve recently relaunched their in-house Denali brand (no idea who makes the hand tools for them).
Aaron SD
That does make sense
Andrew
Denali is made by Skil/Chervon.
Jeremiah
These are online only.
OldDominionDIYer
I bought a three-piece set of SATA 120 tooth ratchets (1 each in 1/4-, 3/8- and 1/2-inch drive) and have only used a few times but they seem to be decent. I’m heavily invested in another brand but am always curious about other brands and this was a good bargain, so I picked them up. Entry level is a good description, not bad but I certainly wouldn’t build a tool chest with them.
Big Cods
I have had some SATA combination wrenches and flare fitting wrenches for over a year and I have abused them and they have held up very well. I’m a firm believer in buying made in USA, but I can’t justify spending 60.00 for a wrench off of a truck. Craftsman tools were good tools for the money but now they are made in China and the quality sucks. May as well buy harbor freight.
Ron
Craftsman is starting US production in Texas.
Welcome back to the UAS Craftsman!
Ralph Anthony Pontillo
Craftsman is homeowner grade.
Johnny G
Combo and flare nut wrenches are pretty hard to break.
Blocky
Windows 95 called. They want their default desktop background back.
Clay
LOL
TomD
Don’t get SATA tools, hold out for NVME anyway.
Blocky
Lol. Well played.
KB
I prefer M.2 tools…. best of both worlds.
FRANK RITTER
It’s on the slightly higher level than kobalt. And in my opinion kobalt is equal to Harbor Freight. When Craftsman starts to make hand tools in the USA I will buy them. Until then I assume they are all the same made in China garbage. Regardless of brand.
Ishauwa
I’ve had several kobalt tools completely fall apart. Don’t waste your money. Craftsman is no better anymore.
Tama2112
I have many Kobalt hand/power tools and they have never failed me.
John
VERY TRUE
Miguel
Some stuff from HF and Kobalt are pretty good…… PROJECT FARM on YouTube does the best comparison test for tools on YouTube…. Look him up…… Some Chinese rachets we’re just as strong and stronger then snap-on….. Check his channel.
Colton
Craftsman used to me made in the USA. Sorry to tell you but you missed the window on that one
Ray
“Tekton, Capri, Urrea” Urrea is not a good name choice.
fred
Perhaps Urrea Herramientas Professionales S.A. – has less of an anatomical-mammalian-excretion or organic-chemistry connotation in Mexico. Although the word Urea is spelled the same in English and Spanish
Jared
I’ve also heard the pronunciation is different in Spanish – more like “aurea” – and wouldn’t have the same connotation.
Urrea makes some nice tools – a bit older in design for many of them, but quality nonetheless. I have some large wrenches, a very nice heavy duty screwdriver set and a few other bits and bobs.
As I understand it, they used to be Proto-Mexico, but separated quite a while ago. Some of the tools might resemble old Proto tools.
Houston Hoff
Urrea is a surname in Spanish. Pretty sure the founder’s last name was Urrea. I’ve always pronounced it more like oo-rea, but that may be incorrect.
Yadda
Correct, the Urrea family owns the company. It was formerly a Proto manufacturer. If you look at their ratchets, they look just like Proto. Any made in Mexico Proto tools were made by the company that now makes Urrea tools.
KokoTheTalkingApe
Huh. When I see “Urrea” I think of the famous Mexican writer! (and to me “urea” is just a chemical.) But these word associations are pretty personal.
Ryan
Look up what’s in DEF(Diesel Exhaust Fluid). Even though it’s spelled different; it’s the only thing brought to mind for some of us who that word isn’t in our vernacular.
TJ Martin
Tekton in my opinion is a very good tool. Granted I am not a professional mechanic but have grown my selection of Tekton tools in the past year. The biggest pro with Tekton is they don’t skip sizes and are mostly made in Michigan, USA.
ITCD
Negative. Mostly Taiwan, about 20-some percent made Stateside. Big whoop though because the Taiwanese stuff is also good, they do no skips, and have a good warranty system.
fred
Maybe Apex Tool Gorup (Bain Capital) gave Lowes a good deal to start carrying the brand. other Apex brands (Campbell, Crescent, Gearwrench and Weller) are more ubiquitous at Lowes – but this may be a foray by Apex to get Sata better positioned in the US mass market.
BTW – many years ago – when I first saw Apex-Sata appear – I thought that Apex might have acquired Sata GmbH & Co. KG – the makers of world-class spray guns. But apparently there was no connection.
https://www.sata.com/en-amn/products/spray-guns
Jared
I was wondering whether this was a move by Lowes or Apex, or both, to get a toe in the door. We’re still waiting for Great Star to get some SK on the shelves after all, or Craftsman to release some USA tools, maybe there’s room.
Lots of Sata is similar to Gearwrench – not saying they are identical though, they might be built to different specs despite visual similarities. Could be a move to introduce a retail-store exclusive brand.
Ryan
Any advantage if Bahco tools were more available?
https://www.snapontw.com/en-gb/index.php?route=newsblog/brand&article_id=58
Jim Felt
Ryan. I’ve no idea but what can we make of this on the link you attached regards their general marketing competence?
“Copyright © 2021. Snap-on Tools Singapore Pte. Ltd. Taiwan Branch All Rights Reserved. Website by Creative Codepulse”
To me this attribution doesn’t appear to bode well for their once European root’s continuation. And yes I have a number of their Euro made tools that are just great.
fred
That gets me wondering about other parts of the Snap-on Bahco group like Lindström and Sandvik. Will they continue production in Europe or just become European brand names sourced from Asian OEMs – like SBD does with many Facom and USAG ?
Jared
Bahco has some good stuff. Their files might not be the absolute best, but they’re very reasonably priced for the quality. Some of the saws are good (not to say others are bad, just that I have only seen a few). They’ve got some ratchets that use the Snap-on “dual 80” design – though by reputation they’re not as precisely-made as the Snap-on version. Lots of people claim to like their adjustable wrenches.
They also have some awesome screwdrivers – specifically the ones made by Irazola that Stuart once said were his favorite (I don’t recall if he said the Irazola ones were the best, or the Bahco, but they’re the same thing).
Stuart
I’d say that it would be a long and costly path for Snap-on to built Bahco familiarity, and with a strong change of their simply diverting market share from their own brands.
Jim Felt
With the painfully apparent general discombobulation* at my local Lowes stores I’m not any new or new-ish brand they display offers anything noteworthy. Harsh assessment? Maybe. But the appearance of inconsistency is hard to shake. I was actually in a Lowe’s recently where they literally could not find by my online order for 96 4’LED tubes. And then a garden center glass man door blew off its overhead track.
*I try to default to polite language here.
Paul C
Let’s face it big red and yellow are big question marks with the recent happening ga in Singapore, never mind China overall. Home Depot has a breadth where if either one walks for whatever reason it hurts sales but it’s not the end of the world. Lowes has all but went all in on Crapsman…you can’t even find premium or value branded tool lines. If SBD can’t or won’t deliver, Lowes needs a bigger backup strategy than Kobalt. Realistically they need a better current strategy too.
So it makes sense to me, except they need to cover the higher and lower end. Expanding the middle just seems pointless.
OldDominionDIYer
What is happening in Singapore???? Thankfully Milwaukee has built and is making USA made tools now!!
Thebear
I bought the SATA 9 piece VDE toolkit on sale on Amazon for small electrical work at my job for 45$ and I have no complaints. Saves me from using my wiha set at work which set me back a lot more. I was looking at the Klein set you posted recently, but that deal with the tester just doesn’t do it for me. A pouch or a flashlight would have been a clincher at 100$ for that.
Plain+grainy
Off topic: Menard’s 15% off bag sale is going on thru January 14th. Anything that fits into the paper grocery sack saves 15%. I think it even includes items already on sale.
Nathan
I’ve wondered about Sata tools for a long time – never got interested enough to buy any of them but you do see them around – especially see their storage items. like that tool trolley shown. Always thought they were attached to someone else.
does Bain Capital have a vested interest in Lowes’s perhaps?
OldWrench
Apex is making many of the Husky tools for HD. I doubt they’re in bed with Lowe’s beyond just being a supplier.
Stuart
Lufkin tape measures are occasionally featured in Lowe’s promos.
Apex also launched Crescent circular saw blades and impact screwdriver bit sets at Lowe’s.
Lowe’s is a huge retailer – brands that aren’t in bed with them usually want to be.
OldWrench
No doubt, both are the largest tool sellers in the nation and there are products in both. But I’m doubting Bain has an actual investment in Lowe’s directly. Perhaps I misread his post.
Ross
I wonder if the items are actually just going to be dropped shipped by SATA and the cost for Lowes was some order system integration and adding the items to their website, this cost could possibly be being barred by SATA. If that is the case I would think the investment would be fairly low (for either company) and allow them to gain some sales and increase the range of their offerings. It might even be a harbinger of Lowes ‘opening’ their website to many other manufactures to sell their products and drop ship from the manufactures warehouse.
Mark M.
I’ve given up on trying to keep track of Lowes and their tool brands…Craftsman and Kobalt rarely get a second look, glad DeWalt is there but it’s at HD too so that’s not a differentiator. They had Southwire and then they had Ideal (?) and then some random Knipex and Wiha got thrown in, and maybe some Fluke stuff? Now it’s SATA, whatever, I can’t keep up.
As for SATA specifically: I’ve purchased a couple of smaller precision tools and they seem solid. I don’t know that I’d go seek it out the same way I do with like a Knipex Cobra, but if the price is right on Amazon and it’s what I’m looking for I wouldn’t hesitate to purchase the green tools.
fred
It just might be that the typical big-box store customer is not savvy enough to recognize “differentiators”. Or if they do – they won’t stomach the price that comes with them. For a brief while the HD’s near me had a Hilti section in their tool corral. I was hoping that that might be the start of something good and maybe we might see some other top-tier brands arrive. But that was short-lived – as was Knipex on the racks at Lowes. The corporate tool buyers at HD and Lowes probably know their customers better than we do – so they probably will slot-in brands that fit a mass market audience. HD does still list a few Hilti, Fein and Lamello items on their website – but I don’t ever expect to see them show up in a store.
B Read
I have some SATA wrench racks and they are surprisingly pretty decent.
This is the age of Amazon so i guess Lowes thinks more to choose from is better for the customer (at least on lowes.com)
Hon Cho
Adding brands and products to online offerings is low cost and low risk for vendors. Lowes may not even be stocking the SATA products. Heck, you can buy a suprising number of quality tools from the Staples website and from many other surprising places that aren’t thought of as tool outlets.
Every big manufacturer of tools has multiple brands at many different (and similar) price points. Can’t afford Snap-On, how about Williams or Blue Point? Same with SBD’s Proto, Blackhawk, Craftsman and others. Multiple brands with minimal differences trying to reach different customers. Is it good for consumers? I’d say it’s a mixed bag but it can be good for shareholders if the companies play their cards well.
Jeff Bennett
You’re right. Saturday is actually a pretty good brand. I’ve been to the factories over in Taiwan and China over the years. In actuality some of their stuff is better than the Craftsman junk that they’re buying in India.
I just hope those doesn’t ruin the Craftsman brand more than they already have.
fwc
and some whia
Ryan
When brands like Hart and MichaelPro came out and weren’t even asked for, wanted, or needed; a brand that totally dropped the ball was Ingersoll Rand hand tools. Have to wonder if any money was lost in any of those endeavors.
Gunny8541
Lowes knows how horrible Craftsman have sunk. They need to slowly seed these tools into the line up. I know because I work for Lowes and I hear from numerous customers how much they hate craftsman. The sales on craftsman are really really low. The quality of craftsman are the worst. My personal craftsman set from 1980 are still going strong but if I break a socket or screw driver, I replace with Snap On. They seem to be the only tool company that hasn’t drastically changed like craftsman. Sorry to see another iconic American company go by the waste side. But Craftsman/Sears were literally destroyed by aggressive corporate greed.
Randy Micka
I worked at Sears and was recruited by Lowe’s to sell Craftsman. I would agree that the quality is less but the biggest downfall is independently changing the lifetime warranty to what suits them requiring the tools have to be bought there. This was never what Craftsman wanted.
Harry
SATA has been around for awhile. It started out as Chinese Matco even sharing the same logo years ago before Amazon existed. many current Gearwrench products are made in SATA factories. What I find odd is that, Apex supplies Husky mechanics tools for Home Depot and now they’re getting a foothold in Lowes with SATA.
Patrick T
People love to crap on Lowes and Craftsman. Depending on what Lowes’ plan is for SATA, this seems to make some sense. If it’s primarily for online sales, seems like a win for them. If everything is getting drop-shipped, why not offer these online? Seems like a smart way to reduce lost sales to Amazon. Plus, amazon is inundated with made-up brands and ads. It can be hard to find something and there is always the risk of getting some counterfeit from a third-party seller if you aren’t careful.
Some of the SATA kits seem well thought out too. I like that screwdriver set in the case for example. It also looks like they have more mechanic’s tool than I recall Kobalt or Craftsman having. Lots of pullers, oil change kits, etc..
Dan
I went into a Lowe’s last week with a broken kobalt hand tool and a broken craftsman hand tool. They refused to warranty them withouta receipt. I’ve owned them at least 10 years. The kobalt tools said “hassle free lifetime warranty” right on them, and the craftsman said “lifetime warranty” So after hassling me for 45 min, and me arguing with the group supervisor and then the floor supervisor. Literally after 45 min, I finally ask for the store manager. Then they replaced them.
I wouldn’t buy any tools from them.
Marlon Carpenter
Hey Mr. Dan I know exactly what you are talking about in this because I had purchased a little over a thousand dollars worth of tools from Lowes at one time. $1129.00 dollars worth to be exact and in two weeks a ratchet stripped on me made me bust my knuckle. Just like the package says ” No hassle lifetime warranty” written on the package I went back to customer service and they gave me the hardest time from the sales associate, to the manager, to the store manager. Still no replacement 1/2″ ratchet… I wouldn’t have bought any tools from them if I had known that. I would have felt better if I had bought them knowing that they have no replacement warranty on them at all…
TJM
Apex/ SATA is just another Chinese tool company/ brand. I’ll continue to buy vintage American made tools or the occasional MAC or Snap-on specialty tool.
fred
Apex continues to produce its more industrial tool brands here in the USA. I’m thinking about the Dotco and Cleco line of pneumatics that were a favorite in our fabrication business. Apex bits are also still USA-made
But the Apex brands that you see more in Home Depot and Lowes – ones that once were staple of American industry have migrated to offshore production. Knowing that Apex is owned by Bain Capital – I know that profits have played a part in this migration. But we consumer tool buyers in our quest for low price had our role too. So, the Lowes corporate tool buyer probably thinks that Sata tools -with a made-in China price point is what will sell. Same for the Nicholson file from Mexico and file handle from Brazil that I recently bought at Home Depot.
DRT42
I consider myself very fortunate to have some Dotco and Cleco tools. High end… expensive but worth every penny.
Ronald Kay
China…
Ain’t buying it
teicher
Meaningful? Depends on what Lowes and SATA do to make it a success. If they want it to be successful, they need to get the word out. Right now its an online only thing at Lowes, and they don’t even list the brand on their Tools page. SATA hasn’t done much to point traffic there either. Maybe that’ll come in time.
If Lowes really wanted to move the needle, they know that they are in no way able to compete with Amazon for the online delivery, and should get the tools into the stores so customers (like me, for example), could see them in person. That’s the step needed to make this offering more interesting. No way would I opt to buy at lowes.com when I could get the same exact tool at Amazon, with the self service customer service options they are known for.
I would like to know the goal here, too. Like others have pointed out, there’s no real downside to have the tools on the site, as an option for really loyal customers. If they want to make a move into more hand tools, ditching craftsman for something else is a good move. Aside from the talk on Toolguyd, I personally don’t know of anyone who gives Craftsman any thought at all , beyond the memory that they were our dad’s tools and he got them at Sears. They’d have to do a very serious reboot of that brand (not just a made in the usa thing) to get it back on the radar and make it worth considering. Too many other better options out there.
David Beaumont
How do you become selected for Lowes Loop?
James
Well for me, if it has a complete lifetime warranty no questions asked and it breaks and I can bring it back to any store that sells that brand and get a new one I have no problem.
If I have to send it somewhere and have to wait several months yes major problem!!
Queerfortools
Sata is the overseas manufacturer for gearwrench tools. It was rumored that they started selling them marked as sata as an amazon only brand so they could simply send the warranty claim back to the seller on Amazon which would then deny the claim cause it was over 90 days.
They still lifetime warranty the gearwrench brand.
I have tried warranting a perfectly good wrench at the 4 month mark just to see and I was told directly from apex I had to get the tool warranteed through the company I bought it from on Amazon and of course they told me nope past 90 days so at least I theory that’s the way it worked for me.
I own both the gear wrench 1/2 120xp wratchets and the 3 pack of sata branded 120xp ratchet sets and they are identical. Both made in taiwan too. But the sata was much cheaper. I guess the gearwrench brand are building the cost of replacement into that brand which would justify the higher price tag.
I own the ratcheting wrenches from sata as well and they are great also.
When I first heard about this I saw it online that people had bought the gear wrench sets at a big box store and one side of them had the gear wrench logo and the other side had the sata logo which means someone accidently forged them with the wrong dies on one side so the dual logo.
Same wrench. Same factory. Different dies accidentally to mark the blank.
Seems like ALOT of companies do this. If you look on Amazon at the mountain brand Ling length metric ratcheting wrench set you will see that they are IDENTICAL to H.F. Icon set but harbor freight is more expensive. Reason why
H.F. lifetime guarantees them. Mountain branded set made workout a warranty
William Longfoot
I also think that your average consumer won’t pay the extra cash for a quality made tool when they need one. They check the Sunday paper or buy what’s the cheapest regardless we’re it’s made. Just to complete that weekend diy project and save a couple bucks. Most don’t realize that it might take longer to complete or get you a nice trip to the ER. HF has many items that will send you right to the hospital
Jeremy
Cutoff wheels for instance. That is one consumable I can’t bring myself to trust from harbor freight.
Jeremy
They are made in China and spout they are German engineered. Has anyone ever put together the coalition between German and Japanese made tools being superior to American made tools at a very competitive price yet?