Lowe’s launched a new Skil cordless power tool holiday deal this year, where you could get a 10-tool combo kit for $299.
This Skil 12V Max cordless power tool kit comes with a drill, impact driver, saws, and bunch of other stuff.
It comes comes with a USB-C charger, rather than a traditional dock-type battery charger.
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I found it in stores for $299 at the start of the holiday season.
Skil was promoting this as a “limited time” Black Friday deal for only $249.
Lowe’s is notorious for changing their holiday deals pricing. I’ve been burned by this too many times and tend to be highly reluctant to buy anything from Lowe’s in November unless i) I strongly believe the price will hold steady, or ii) I assume it won’t and am ok with that.
After Cyber Monday, I noticed that the price has dropped again, this time to $199.
If you bought this kit at $299 or $249, go ask for a price adjustment and get some money back!
Looking at Lowe’s product page, they say that they only sold 100+ of these Skil cordless power tool combo kits in the past week.
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The “100+ bought last week” part has me wondering if the price will go even lower, as there’s still a lot of inventory in stores.
$199 is at least much better than $299.
Let’s turn out attention to the Skil Flip drill, which launched at the start of the holiday season.
See Also: New Skil Flip Drill is Something Else
Looking at Amazon, they bumped the price down to $89 and are reporting that they sold “200+ in past month.”
“200+” in the entire month that includes Black Friday and Cyber Monday? Lowe’s says they sold 100+ in the last week. Their price is now $79.98.
According to Lowe’s inventory checker, there is an abundance of Skil Flip Drills at all of the stores in my area. I’ll be on the lookout for price reductions here too.
Skil’s influencers have been praising this contraption since it launched, and it seems all of that promotion drove just 200+ sales at Amazon for the month and 100+ at Lowe’s for one of the biggest sales weeks of the year.
Amazon says they sold 700+ of the competing Worx 20V SwitchDriver 2.0 in the past month. They are also reporting that they sold 5K+ of the Craftsman V20 cordless drill kit, which is currently priced at $49.
Lowe’s is reporting that they sold 10K+ of the same Craftsman drill kit in the last week.
If you’re interested in the Skil Flop Drill, maybe wait for the next price drop. There’s a lot of inventory in stores, and Lowe’s is going to want to move them out a bit quicker than 100+ per week.
Chaz
These prices are insane. I hope this isn’t the death knell of Skil as a power tool brand.
Great warranty support I might add. I had to get a new battery after mine died a couple years later and they took care of it, no problem.
I feel they need to market themselves better. Nobody would bother with cheap no name Amazon brands if they knew about these.
Stuart
There was a whole line of “Amazon Brand Denali by Skil” cordless power tools, but most of the tools look to have been discontinued.
But Skil is selling $15 and $20 cordless screwdrivers just fine on Amazon.
7K+ bought in the past month – https://www.amazon.com/SKIL-Rechargeable-4V-Cordless-Screwdriver/dp/B07F23B9FH/?tag=toolguyd-20
3K+ bought in the past month – https://www.amazon.com/Rechargeable-Screwdriver-Pivoting-Charging-Set-SD5619-01/dp/B0CGLMRLLD/?tag=toolguyd-20
LE
Agreed, I hate to see the Skil stuff always sitting there with dust on it in the ever shrinking section they have for them. Out of the Ryobi/Craftsman/Skil type “diy’er” focused brands I really think Skil has some great stuff to offer. I want to see them succeed.
Brian
Skil is really underrated at the moment. No they aren’t too of the line but they are better than Ryobi. If they can stick around long enough I think they will build a following. Most of my tools are Milwaukee but I’m happy with the Skil tools I have too.
Stuart
How long is it going to take for them to build a following? It has been 6 years since Skil launched brand-new 12V and 20V Max cordless power tool systems.
Skil’s tools are decent, but I feel that Ryobi’s, especially 18V HP brushless tools, are better and more compelling.
Rich Shew
I don’t know if Skil will ever develop a following at Lowes. The big blue box doesn’t seem to be doing any favors for any of their power tool brands.
That said, wherever they compete with Ryobi, they are markedly superior. Their batteries have built in USB ports and are more compact than the clunky Ryobi ones that still sport a stem. It’s true that Ryobi brags an impressive range of available tools and that is a selling point in itself. However, if it weren’t for the marketing prowess of Home Depot, I think they would have been left behind like Porter Cable.
Jared
That’s a sweet deal! Skil has some interesting tools in that line too – it wouldn’t be a bad 12v platform to have, especially when the prices are often so aggressive.
I don’t think there’s a full-line retailer in Canada anymore, now that Lowes is gone, outside of Amazon. The prices on Amazon.ca aren’t competitive though.
Goodie
It’s not a bad kit, especially at that price. There’s a lot of fluff in the kit, as you mentioned earlier. But at $199… very good deal.
The Skil Flip definitely looks weird, but I got to try one at a display in my local Lowe’s. I kind of liked it. The tool felt fairly high quality from a fit/finish perspective; the controls were really nice. It had many of the benefits of an installation driver, in that it seemed to fit into tight corners. At $69, I think it has a unique spot in the market. At $89 – I think a refurbished Bosch Flexiclick from CPO at $115-$120 is worth spending the extra money.
I wouldn’t ever buy that Worx tool.
Goodie
I already have the Bosch Flexiclick and wouldn’t buy the Skil Flip, though. Too much overlap. But I have no problem recommending the Skil 12v lineup to a lot of homeowner friends, particularly when the pricing is this aggressive.
Robert A. Kinzel
Had the Work flip drill/driver for years now. I’ve got no complaints, only praise and trouble free. Great for most household uses. Occasionally, had to bring out the impact driver to assist. The concept was especially useful drilling new holes in cabinets and then driving screws into new cabinet pulls.
Goodie
Good to know.
Rob H
Sooo…is “Skill Flop Drill” at the end intentional or a Freudian slip? 🙂
Stuart
Yes.
Luke
I laughed out loud. If it was accidental, don’t you dare change that
Rob H
Hahaha!
Mark. M
That’s a killer deal. I wish someone in our circle was a new homeowner…this would be an amazing starter kit. Say what you will about Lowes (and there’s a lot to say, and a lot of self-inflicted wounds), but I love that there are still deals to be had. Like, DEALS. The V-series tools last month, this kit. A few years ago they had that blue Kobalt ride-on Jeep for kids and I think I scooped that up for some stupid price of like $150? Meanwhile HD has some dusty endcap with yellow tags on like a single drawer pull, “Was $5.99, now $5.49!” No shade on HD but I’ve never scored a deal I was excited about the way I’ve felt about some of these crazy Lowes deals.
Stuart
Personally I’d go with Ryobi 18V for a homeowner system, or even Craftsman V20. What happens when you want something else, such as a cordless scrubber, or vacuum? There’s a lot more expandability and breadth in those 18V systems.
Overall, I feel that Lowe’s got lazy with this year’s holiday deals. No Bosch? No Metabo HPT? Barely any tool box deals.
Craftsman V-Series was great, but I’ve started to get worried that this was an end of the road type of deal for the line.
ToughBuilt was absent. Ox Tools had a single display.
Lowe’s dropped a Flex combo kit to better than Ryobi pricing, which I worry will set a precedent and dilute the brand identity further.
Even thought some of the tool deals were exciting, I’ve got a lot of bad feelings about the impact this holiday season is going to have on some of Lowe’s top tool brand partners.
Fowler
Through Jan 22, you can buy the USB-C battery kit 5978221 and get one of several bare tools free. You can also do the deal hack trick to get savings on the tool without keeping the batteries.
I ended up getting their 3/8 impact wrench for like $35, the flyer says it also works on the 12V recip saw, circ saw, oscillating tool, sander, jigsaw, inflator, ratchet, speaker, fan, and work light
Matthew
I went to check out the impact wrench you mentioned and got a “This item no longer sold on Lowes dot com” message.
Stuart
@Matthew, it looks like Lowe’s doesn’t have any warehouse inventory, only local store stock. I can only order any of those items for in-store pickup or paid store-to-home delivery. It could be sold out at your local store(s).
LE
They have Bosch on sale, my local Lowe’s has some isle displays set up with a few small things but the main sale is buy a battery kit and get a free tool, with the option of either 2x 8ah, 1x 8ah and charger, or 2x 4ah and charger kits. I just picked up the gds18v-330cn mid torque impact and the 2x 4ah batteries & charger kit for $180 today. I thought that was a pretty good deal, better then any buy more save more or the buy a tool get a free single battery kit that they had been doing anyways. The new 18v router and a few other good deals are included.
mark w
I got a $100 corded Craftsman chainsaw that’s been totally great for $33 from Lowes this year. it appears they had to clear for a revised model. I agree HD it’s more so enjoyable to shop online in my area. The actual store isn’t that great. Especially since they started locking up a lot of the tools
CICCIO
Lowes prices are not that great in my opinion.
Went there for Black Friday and I was like “What ???”
Those seems more regular prices, Just changed the price Tag, and “new” products or bundle, to make it more appealing.
I might be wrong, but this was my feeling.
Am I the only one having the same impression ?
mark w
Yeah. I feel if HDs got the same thing, HDs prob got it cheaper. But sometimes my local Lowe’s has things hd doesn’t, like corded metabo tools, corded OPE, & tough built was great but seeming getting killed off. Can’t fathom why.
frobo
I have no need or desire for the Flip/Flop driver, but I have a lot of other Chervon Skil stuff, and I have generally been pleased with their quality and usefulness. What I’m not impressed with is the marketing efforts that Skil and Lowes invest in this line. At my local Lowes, Skil is relegated to a tiny little display not much bigger than a trash can, covered in dust and other signs of neglect. Skil actually makes a pretty broad range of products in 12, 20, and 40 volt, but the display only shows a tiny fraction of the whole line, (and with little enthusiasm at that . It’s no wonder that the market response has been rather tepid. I know that shelf space at big box stores costs money that Skil is apparently unwilling to pay, but it’s a shame given the good value proposition that their products represent.
Mike
I have the 12V compact drill, impact driver, right angle impact (very useful), reciprocating saw, and a couple of inflators. Have been impressed with the value. Been looking for the 12V impact wrench. Of course, it is not on sale at Lowes. Amazon has the kit on sale, but I already have excess batteries and chargers.
Big Richard
The right angle impact is awesome.
For the impact wrench, you can buy the 2 battery kit and get the wrench “free” at Lowes. If you do not need the batteries you can return them for a prorated refund (in store only) or sell them. But $80 for two batteries and the wrench is tough to beat.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/SKIL-PWR-CORE-12/5015215927?idProductFound=false&idExtracted=true
A-A-Ron
Interesting. The only free tool that shows up is the detail sander…
A-A-Ron
NM, forgot to choose the other options on the link and only saw the sander. 🙂
Rog
$299 for a 12v lineup from a second-tier tool brand is a tough pill to swallow. $199 is more appealing and likely will get some people who don’t know better (Ryobi, Craftsman, etc)
Big Richard
Skil 12v is one of the most underrated systems out there. Does anyone else have batteries with the built in two way USB-C PD like theirs do? Every battery is a portable power supply, and any USB power supply is a charger.
Matthew
Simple solution to the price changing. Buy it again at the new lower price, return it with the old receipt. My lowes says it’ll only price match within 10 days of purchase, I’ve heard others a month. Instead of dealing with any of that, just return the new purchase with the old receipt and you’re golden.
mark w
My Lowe’s is 30 days with the receipt or the original credit card used to buy it. They always take stuff back it’s been nice.
My biggest complaint with Lowe’s is how they seem to eliminate their best stuff, bring in a new batch of stuff, & then eliminate the good stuff from that one too
Robm11b
Strictly speaking company wise I’m surprised Lowe’s is still in business especially after their last company investors meeting, along with quarterly losses for the past few years. The company outlook is looking very chapter 13/7 in the very near future. Which is fine with me. Also I don’t think Lowe’s being the SBD, and Chervron NA warehouse has helped them either.
Stuart
Lowe’s pulled in nearly $29 Billion in profit in FY 2023, and their stock price is up more than 31% in the last 12 months. P/E is currently 22.5, and dividend yield is 1.7%.
They’re not a company in trouble.
Robm11b
“Revenue dropped from $20.47 billion in the year-ago quarter. Lowe’s adjusted earnings per share of $2.89 excluded gains associated with the company’s sale of its Canadian retail business in 2022. Comparable sales declined 1.1% year over year”
https://www.cnbc.com/2024/11/19/lowes-low-q3-2024-earnings-.html#:~:text=Revenue%20dropped%20from%20%2420.47%20billion,and%20pricier%20discretionary%20DIY%20projects.
Stuart
From that same article: “Revenue: $20.17 billion vs. $19.95 billion expected” And:
From https://14cyiuhvcgv.com/lowes-2023-financial-performance/%3C/a%3E : “The company expects performance to slide a bit in 2024, estimating comparable sales to be down 2 to 3%.”
They estimated $84 to $85 billion in their 2024 outlook. Updating their estimate to $83 to $83.5 billion is no basis for you to claim they’re headed to bankruptcy.
Again, they’re not a company in trouble.
Sean H.
I actually got the Skill Flip Drill when it launched, as I was excited for a better version of the worx…
Sadly, I couldn’t even use the drill to drive a 1 5/8 sheetrock screw without predrilling.
My hope was to use the drill to lessen the need for multiple drills during various projects. As Skill and their influencer’s claim… sadly, it has about as much power as their 4v rechargeable screwdriver (which I actually like to carry at work).
Skill has some pretty good bang for your buck on quite a few tools, especially if you get them on sale. I especially like the 20V one-handed recip saw I got on clearance at lowes (it dies pretty fast with the included 2.0 ah battery, but if I use it, it is usually only for one or two cuts anyways.
Based on my experience with Skill overall though. I would say they are a slightly better/sleeker version of black and decker tools (on par with worx tools), and I would recommend Ryobi over any of them.
ColeTrain
This has to be the best tool combo deal by far. Take away half of these tools and I still believe that. Maybe they’re marketed to the DIY group, whatever that is, but I would not lump these tools into that group. Is it just because of price?
Worx? Sure, the guy who loves yard work and just discovered battery power tools online.
Ryobi? Duh, the new home owner who’s going to attempt to remodel and knows no other place to go other than home Depot or the new dad who needs to fill his garage with Dad stuff.
Craftsman? The old timer that believes nobody makes anything better than Harley Davidson or craftsman.
Maybe this is why Skil isn’t selling? Think about what you’re getting, a compact, lightweight, brushless tool with a 5-year warranty on everything? I bought a few of these a year ago for the size and price and now I use all of them daily. The sander has become my favorite one and the impact has become my daily user. Less powerful than my rigid but half the weight and size, same speed and torque is my older M18 but I have three modes, a flashlight, a bit holder, one handed bit change and it charges my phone. A Craftsman impact and drill would take up a half of a toolbox by themselves. I could carry one of these tools and the battery in each one of my pockets, Ryobi would require me a bag or a pouch just to carry one extra battery.
Big Richard
That 10 tool kit is down to $149, a steal. Appears to be in store or deliver from store only. No shipping option.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/SKIL-PWR-CORE-Power-Tool-Combo-Kit/5015282353
Stuart
Lowe’s product page keeps flaking out, going between a couple in stock to not available for purchase.
It sounds like Lowe’s is tired of these tool kits taking up space in stores.
Big Richard
It seems to be a special buy of the day sorta deal, expiring tonight.
Jarrett
Last night, I put the Skil 12V jig saw in my cart, selected for pickup at my local store. Before completing the transaction, I went and got the kids down for bed. This morning when I went to finish the transaction, it is saying the product is no longer sold by Lowes. Do you think they are throwing in the towel on the whole 12V line?
Stuart
I really don’t know, and there’s no one at either company to ask.
Steven Phillips
Yeah, Lowes and these price games, and not honoring a price adjustment for me in one instance, is yet another reason I don’t shop there very often. I’m not trying to bash, just being honest.