Despite sometimes knowing Black Friday deals ahead of time, and despite all my planning, I tend to be unpredictable in my Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping.
Here’s a quick rundown of what I had purchased:
Advertisement
Felo Hand Tools from KC Tool – I placed my order very early Thanksgiving morning, and looking at my order, there are some items I don’t even remember buying. Yep, I was that exhausted.
Most of that order was on tools of ToolGuyd interest. What’s different about a drywall Phillips scrwedriver bit? What are Stahlwille screwdriver handles like? Are Wera Torx flagdrivers handy?
I also bought another Wera 1/4″ locking extension, because the one that came with my Zyklops set is very hard to remove sockets from. I also bought a non-locking one. This will help me determine whether my extension is faulty, or if it’s just something you have to accept with the 1/4″ locking extensions.
PB Swiss Tools – I ordered a few things on my wishlist, and also 2 styles of torque screwdrivers. The idea of testing out one of their torque tools was put in my head, and the design looks more flexible than some other brands’. The pricing wasn’t too bad, compared to other brands’ offerings, making typically super-premium tools reasonably competitive.
Ridgid Automotive Detailing Kit – Home Depot had a great deal on a Ridgid vac with free auto detailing kit. I don’t need a new vac, but I wanted that accessory kit. Good thing I found it on Amazon. $40 for an accessory set vs. $100 for a great vac and accessory set? But I don’t need yet another vac, so that’s $60 left in my wallet, and some floor or storage space unused for something else.
Ryobi RC Truck – It’s an RC truck that’s powered by Ryobi 18V battery packs? I could possibly use the battery pack, but the charger seems useful for in-house use where I don’t need fast charging times and could benefit from the smaller footprint.
Advertisement
Bosch Impact Screwdriver Bits – This deal is still going on now. A few months ago, I bought (4) Bosch bit holders at something like $4 or $5 each. This 24pc bit set with a durable and not-at-all flimsy clear lid is a very good buy. So I bought 4 sets, for use in ToolGuyd testing. The bits are great, the cases are great, the bit holders are great, and at $10 for the set, I couldn’t pass it up.
Router Bits from Carbide Processors – I was going to buy a Skil 1/4″ bit set from Lowes, on sale for $50. But my hesitation prompted me to search for quick forum reviews, and the consensus seems to be that the bits are low quality. I have a MLCS bit set somewhere around here, and a Freud 1/2″ set. I’ve been meaning to try some new USA brands, and Carbide Processor’s discount made for a convincing case.
Lenox Hole Saws and Reciprocating Saw Blades from Lowes – Lowes’ site was broken a lot of Black Friday, but I managed to pick up some consumables for testing, and use if I end up liking them.
Hole Saws and Shockwave Bits – I bought more Diablo and Milwaukee hole saw sets, plus some Shockwave impact bits – a $10 that had some bits I use often. I recently bought some other sets from Home Depot, too, but this one seemed like a good set to keep in the house.
Hitachi Air Nailers – Great prices convinced me to pick up a pin nailer, narrow crown stapler, and brad nailer. These will be ToolGuyd’s air nailer baseline, for comparing other corded and cordless nailers to, and for use in projects. I have a bunch of projects coming up, and I always like using my own tools for certain things.
80/20 – I was able to catch a break yesterday, to order some extrusions and fasteners as part of 80/20’s 15% off sale. I’ve had a few storage and organizational projects on my to-do list, and ordering pre-cut and counterbored rails is going to make for much quicker progress. This has been on my to-do list for a LONG time.
More 80/20 – I ordered a LOT of 6-foot 80/20 rails from Zoro. Their 25% off promo and free shipping will have a lighter hit on my wallet. One thing bugged me. I wanted to buy a Knipex wire stripper. They have the same price as Amazon, before promo, but you have to buy 6! I guess I’ll pay full price at Amazon.
Stanley 4-in-1 Screwdrivers – I’ve been trying to get some of these for my DIY tool kit project, but Amazon hasn’t restocked them in a while. So I ordered like 20 of them from Zoro. They’re great giveaway tools.
Nova Drill Press – I was offered a Nova drill press review sample last year – a few times – but turned it down because of time and space considerations. Then, when I did want to get my hands on one, their new contact never got back to me. Maybe it’s because I haven’t been able to make good progress with the benchtop lathe test sample I’ve had on hand and been struggling to find time to work on.
I’ve been wanting to buy a drill press for upcoming project use, but can’t find a good mixed-material model. The Nova looks to be optimized for wood, but its motor speed makes it capable for plastic and metal too, and there are no belts to fiddle with.
There are some reviews on it, but I didn’t really find them helpful. Forum reviews seem to be positive.
Acme Tools’ 20% off savings maxed out at $150, but it helped me move the drill press from my wishlist to my shopping cart.
The choice was between Jet, Delta, Powermatic, or this Nova. I’ve been drooling over Dake’s USA-made drill presses, but I don’t think it’s the right fit for my needs, and there’s not much ToolGuyd editorial value to help me justify pumping up my budget.
A few have asked me about the Nova, while no one has ever asked about Dake in any capacity. I think my first Dake purchase will be one of their arbor presses.
This is going to be a huge step up from my Craftsman 10″ benchtop model.
Sometime in 2018 I’ll try to get my hands on a Ridgid drill press too, for comparison, and because that’s the most appealing mid-budget drill press that I’ve seen. A few readers have asked about it too.
The yeti
Milwaukee m12 kit for lil bro.
99 cdn at home depot. Down from 199.
Was a smokin deal.
94GTCoupe
Milwaukee brushless m18 drill driver kit, brushless impact driver kit, and shockwave 23 piece drill bit set.
$18 for the bits, $85 each after coupon for the drill/impact kits over at the Depot.
Small haul but not bad.
Bryan
Used the acme 20% off on the Milwaukee M18 fuel mid torque impact wrench bare tool for $157 out the door. Not bad at all.
Danny K
I surprised myself by not buying any, even though having multiple items in various online shopping carts ready to go.
Jack
I picked this up.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-18-Volt-Lithium-Ion-Cordless-Brushless-Limited-Edition-4-Tool-Combo-Kit-with-2-4-0Ah-Batteries-Charger-and-Bag-R9628/301913908
I’ve been looking at the Brushless Drill and Driver combo HD sells for $279 for a long time but to get the bigger batteries and add a circular saw for $20 more was a no brainer. I’ll sell the angle grinder as I already have one and bring the overall price down to $225.
Dennis
I can never resist the KCTool 20% off coupon. So I got the Felo 60427 Smart Handle based on favorable reviews on this site. Also the Wiha 77790, 26 In One Tradesman Ultra Driver, one of those things I’ve been meaning to buy for a while.
Carmelo
Diablo holesaw kit from Acme you posted a while back.
Jason Young
In the most random “I was just browsing my Amazon wishlist at 11pm” event – the Gerber Center Point was marked down to **$59** (!) within their Gerber deals – I think someone at Amazon must have pushed the wrong button on that price – I have never seen it marked below $85, anywhere.
I didn’t even pause before it was in my cart.
Jason Young
er, “Center-Drive” (hit return too soon)
Isaiah Barney
FYI, Amazon Warehouse currently has a bunch of them for $54.87.
Austin
I didn’t buy anything besides a stack of packout. I was going to get a couple 9.0 flexvolt batteries from acme but they weren’t eligible for 20% off. Thought about the flexvolt grinder but a better deal would be regular price with a free extra battery.
John Blair
Most of my purchases were before Black Friday/Cyber Monday. I purchased a Wera Kraftform Kompact 25 as a gift (It was 75 cents lower than when I bought mine on a good sale). I got a Pressure Washer for $111 (Down from $149 – but missed out on the Black Friday price of $110.50). I would like a new table saw (always have two, one for dado’s, one for cutting) but the Acme sale on the Skil with Dewalt style fence goes for rest of the year, so no rush. I would like a new miter saw, but nothing hit that sweet spot yet. Only real Black Friday (tool) deal that made me pull the trigger was the 20% off got me to buy a bare Flexvolt Tracksaw for $303 vs $379. Will use it with my Festool rails when my project is too small to set up saw and vac.
firefly
I wasn’t aware of the 80/20 stuff being available at Zoro or I would have jump on it since I also needed a few other odds and ends over there.
The first item that I bought was the Gorilla Ladders Pro Aluminum Work Platform that you posted. Not sure if that would count toward this because it’s preblack friday. The only other item that we got was the Deebot M80 on Amazon for $169. It seem to have good review and the price was good enough to we give it a try.
I didn’t see any deal that was so good that I have to go out of my way to get them.
Non tool-related, we did get a few blankets, one being electric, and a few extra socks as filler for free shiping. I also got Brooks Adrenaline GTS 17 Running Shoe this is my first experience with the brand and it’s my first running shoe that have other color other than black/white or grey on it. My wife pick it out for me out of all the deal that I show to her…
Stuart
Pre-Black Friday still counts, or at least I think so.
I don’t think I’ve ever bought 80/20 from them before. I’ve ordered from MSC (or was it Enco?), 80/20’s Ebay store, and 80/20’s direct website.
I checked Zoro for pricing on double anchors, and it was crazy, so I stopped cross-referencing model numbers.
I ordered the 72″ rails from Zoro mainly for the free shipping. The price itself was maybe a little lower after discount, too. I really hope it’ll be drop-shipped. 80/20 takes better care than I’m likely to see from Zoro’s warehouse, but I figured I’d take the chance.
I ordered Faztek 80/20-compatible feet from Zoro once to save on costs, but they shipped without hardware. They made it right with either replacement parts or hardware kits. 80/20 base plates are sold without hardware, but the Fastek’s were advertised as having it.
firefly
Please let me know how the shipping workout for you. I plan to purchase some 80/20 in the future to create some automation jigs in our bakery.
Stuart
I received some of them today, and they ALL have to go back.
Zoro shipped them by wrapping the ends with shrink wrap, and that’s it.
In the past, MSC sent extrusions – and longer ones – in tubes, and 80/20 sends them wrapped and in sturdy carboard boxes.
It’s absurd how Zoro shipped them out.
Even for industrial applications, they should not be shipped exposed like that. The ones that arrived are scraped, scratched, and gouged everywhere they’re exposed.
They were able to recall part of the order, and there are a few still on a UPS truck for delivery later. Hopefully I can refuse them.
Zoro customer service is super easy to work with, but I’ve been having to contact them on nearly every order.
Isaiah Barney
I got this Suncast Commercial cart with the Acme Tools 20% coupon yesterday:
https://www.acmetools.com/shop/tools/suncast-puchd2645
I also got several things from TechToolSupply. They are fantastic for Veto Tool Pac purchases. Their wholesale account is free and easy and has the only Veto discounts I’ve seen. They currently have several promos still up on their frontpage.
Isaiah Barney
I forgot I also picked up a couple of the DeWalt folding tables ($69), Ridgid Jaw Stand ($89), and a couple bit sets and smaller items at HD over the past couple weeks.
And the Bosch bit set Stuart mentioned from Lowes.
Isaiah Barney
A couple examples of the Veto discounts at TTS (Model: retail/wholesale):
Tech-XL: $219.95 / $178.12
MC: $114.95 / $92.00
TP4: $69.95 / $59.00
They are an authorized Veto retailer, so the full warranties are included.
Brandon
Just the $20 Gorilla Ladders work platform at HD; wanted the $29 “Pro” version but they were gone by the time Black Friday itself rolled around.
Nathan L
I also got the Gorilla Pro Work Platform… just picked it up today after applying the $5 coupon yesterday to an order that included it, the $10 three-stair stepladder, and some $7 totes.
I got the $20 Kobalt 50′ laser measurer from Lowes on Friday, and the combo 4′ and 2′ Empire level and 2xMilwaukee utility knife+50 blades holiday deals from HD earlier in the week.
I went to the KC Tool site and looked at the Felo Hand Tools and concluded that i could just get the identical Irwin diagonal cutters from Amazon for slightly less and avoid shipping and buying other tools i don’t *need* to pad out the order.
I went to the PB Swiss Tools site and poked around and realized i didn’t need enough stuff from there to justify the shipping.
I didn’t even bother going to Zoro because i knew (a) i didn’t need enough supplies to pad out the order and (b) even if i did it would represent a small savings at best. I made one holiday Zoro order a few years ago and that was my conclusion after that.
I contemplated getting a router and/or table but decided to wait because i don’t need it now and decided i will most likely get the Ryobi cordless trim router for training wheels after i buy in to the Ryobi One+ system, and then worry about a “real” router and a table if i feel like i would use one after that when i have a house to set it up in.
I was really close to getting a miter saw and didn’t because (a) again it would make more sense after closing on a house this year and (b) i spent most of Friday keeping the other half happy clothes shopping and hadn’t quite reached a conclusion what to buy by evening. However, i do have to say that after the little yard furniture project i did Saturday, i’m well and truly sick of cutting even rudimentary miters in dimensional lumber with the 5-1/2″ M12 Fuel saw i have.
Still on my “maybe” list is the M12 Fuel Hackzall + free tool (jig saw) deal and the Kreg pocket jig set (another thing i came to covet more during my project Saturday).
My toolbox is filled out enough now that my “need… or want?” heuristic is preventing a lot more BF sale purchases than over the last few years. I can rationalize the little tools and accessories from the HD and Lowes seasonal specials pretty easily, but even some of those i am waiting to see if they end up on clearance (Milwaukee drill bit kit, etc.).
Nathan L
And don’t get me started on my mental circumlocutions regarding my perennial plan to move my tools out of sterlite totes and into something more portable…
Corey
Restocked daredevil spades at HD, replaced some wire strippers, and picked up Klein’s new 4 in 1 prescision
Matt
I bought into DeWalt tough system(at $98/per it was hard to ignore). I also picked up an 18v Ridgid gen 5 Brushless impact for $50(bare tool) at HD. I have some other Ridgid and always have room for an inexpensive impact. Also, I bought a Gerber suspension multi tool, some M12 3ah Batts, some kobalt knives, a few pairs of work gloves, flashlights and another m12 fuel hammer drill with packout kit.
I was hoping the gen 2 M12 gear would be released for these sales but was not surprised to not see them listed anywhere
Andrew
Lowe’s – I purchased some BF deals on Thanksgiving so my $25 off 250 coupon was still valid. Bought the Porter Cable 18ga 20v brad nailer, the skil router bit set, the Porter Cable 20v shop vac, and some brad nails to get to $250. I also bought the Kobalt folding saw horses for $50 on an in-store promotion when I went to pick up my order at the store on Friday.
Amazon – Lightning deal on some generic 5ah Porter Cable Batteries for the nailer/shop vac, 2 for $55. I also picked up the DeWalt 618PK router combo for $175 with the $25 off coupon.
ACME – Skilsaw SPT70WT-22, the version that came with the Diablo blade and stand. Got it for $280 thanks to the 20% off coupon.
My workshop is still in its’ infancy. I’m not thrilled about the PC tools long-term, but the drill and impact driver that got me started have been adequate so far. I plan on running this cordless set into the ground before considering an upgrade. I wanted to find a router table and some 10″ diablo saw blades but I never saw any deals on those. I think I should have picked up some impact rated bits too.
Diplomatic Immunity
Felo diagonal cutters, Felo 7 inch combo pliers the day before, Gedore 1/2 ratchet set, Wera Impaktor bit holder, Wera Zyklop locking extension and sliding t handle, and a bunch of Wera and Felo bits to try out all from KCtool.
Surprised I didn’t get anything PB Swiss but I’ve bought so much from there in the past few years there’s not a whole lot I really need or want left. Maybe someday I’ll splurge on their angled hex set. Also I did notice that on PB Swiss’s actual site they sell, what looks to be, striking screwdrivers that have black handles. Though I was debating whether or not I want to pay premium money for a screwdriver that I am going to hit with a hammer.
Nothing else other than that. I try to stick with non powered hand tools that I need as I tend to use them more. Power tool tech changes all the time and as enticing as a lot of cordless tools are, if I’m not really using them then they are becoming archaic with time. Hand tools on the other hand don’t seem to change much over the course of time.
Kenneth Stephens
Ridgid 4pc limited edition brushless set for $299. Upgrade from my porter cable stuff
Dominque
Wanted a Milwaukee 12 volt 3/8 rachet for a long time plus a free tool why not. And two extra batteries of course…. Plus some running shoes.
Adam
HD: Gorilla Work Platform for $15 (the better 300lbs model), M12 5-piece toolkit (if a light is a tool), Milwaukee sawzall baldes on sale (enough to qualify for $150 packout or tech bag reabte & a stainless steel tumblr :D)
Toolbarn: 2x of Milwaukee 12″ measuring wheel, 7-piece hollow core SAE nut drivers, Cable cutting pliers, 15″/8″ wide/6″ adjustable wrenches, 10mm magnetic nut driver, 6″ straight jaw plier
KCTool: Felo Tack Claw, Felo Safety Lanyard, Wera Bit-holding Screwdriver w/ Flexible shaft, Wera 10mm stainless nutsetter (for my 4runner tinkering), Era VDE bottle opener, wera catalog, Wera stainless T10 screwdriver (looking at another set that doesn’t contain T10, and wanted a laser tip)
ChadsToolBox : hopefully the NWS 9 Piece Set of Popular Plires w/ Finish 69 (waiting on a special request from them before 100% confirmed)
plans: just saw a video of the new Ryobi 18v Vacuum. WOW!! I just hope a CleanStream filter will fit in it, and it will be perfect for me
Adam
of course I forgot about Sears (lol): Wera Stainless Steel +/- Set, Craftsman 48 piece SAE/Metric Deep/Standard Impact Set, Hose Clamp Pliers, and GearWrench 4-piece jumbo ratcheting wrenches SAE & Metric ($25 total for both, woohoo!)
might get the new fabric creep they have, depending on any offers that come up
Nathan L
How’s you score the Pro work platform for $15? That’s a nice job.
I am also excited about the ryobi wet/dry, but i do wish it had a blower port.
Adam
Bought it on blackFriday with a 50% or 15$ off?$30 coupon from Ace Hardware. I got a couple in the papers, and rarely use them at Ace. I did get some mulch lock for only $15 there though for next year. Some HD’s & Lowes for that matter, will accept those kind of coupons from another Hardware like place. Depends on the location, if you put a smile on their face 😉
yes, yes to the blower port. I got the gutter cleanout system from Sears earlier this fall, and have used it with a vac & got a rubber 3″->2″ pipe connector to use with my M18 fuel blower. Using it with a cordless vacuum that does both for that with be awesome.
Chris
It wasn’t a Black Friday deal, I bought it the Monday before Black Friday, but I bought the Milwaukee packout hammer drill. I love it. Not necessarily for the hammer function, but because it’s compact, brushless drill with a 1/2” chuck, I find that awesome for a 12v drill. If I ever need to drill concrete I’ll likely just use my Dewalt brushless 3 speed non hammer drill.
The fact that it came with a charger, a battery and the packout case was awesome.
fred
I bought a Makita cordless router kit as a Christmas gift. Then split purchases of a tilt base, offset base and dust hood for it to take advantage of some of the deals. This package along with some edging and trim bits are going to my son-in-law for Christmas. A Makita DML807 that was on someone’s wish list was also bought.
I bought a Milwaukee M12 stapler, M12 soldering iron (just now being shipped) an M18 OMT , a M18 hedge trimmer and M18 leaf blower all going in different directions as Christmas gifts. I had to do some rounding up here and there to split the orders – so I ended up getting some Milwaukee Robertson impact bits for my tool bag. Also the bulkier presents were sent to recipients (actually their spouses so as not to ruin the surprise) – as early gifts – in order to take advantage of some of the deals and save on sales tax etc. Its also easier to have the vendor deliver a hedge trimmer – rather that reshipping it after Christmas or expect that it can go in with the baggage on the plane.
For my summer place, I bought a Makita 14 inch (18V x 2 ) chainsaw that came with 4 x 5Ah batteries. Good price and they let me apply the Makita $25 off coupon.
fred
Just a note on that chainsaw. The machine and charger – were made in China. The 4 batteries come from Singapore with additional processing in China. But the saw chain is an Oregon 90PX052XMA made in the USA – go figure.
4Tech
I bought several power tool sets since I couldnt decide what I wanted. I’ll end up returning the others once I decide which to keep. Any input would be much appreciated. It’ll be for house renovations and general use.
1) $379 Dewalt XR Set: Impact driver, hammer drill, multi tool, circular saw, 2 battiers and contractor bag.
2) $399 Milwaukee M18 7-tool set (+2?) – Hammer Drill/Driver, Square Drive Impact wrench, 1/4 in. Impact Drive, 90 degree right angle drill, Hackzall, Circular Saw, Multi-Tool, Work Light, Blower, 2 batteries, 2 contractor bags. (I’m leaning towards this set but the brushless XR is nice and I don’t mind waiting to buy the other tools I need).
3) $199 Milwaukee M12 5-tool kit
4) Ryobi Power Wash ($60 after coupon and gift card discounts at HD) Dewalt drill driver 140 piece set $29 (HD), Titanium Drill Bit set $12 (amazon), tie downs, box cutter, and other misc.
We moved into our first house a year ago and I finally broke my 20+ year old Dewalt drill last month. Been doing as much as I could with my dremel and a multi-tool from harbor freight but its not enough – been waiting for a decent sale to start the tool collection. Cheers!
chris parker
I just picked up the Bosch Gkf125cek from Lowes for $119, and it will go off sale price after tomorrow…i am so happy it is finally out…now, i just want to try it out, and hopefully be able to acquire some nice accessories asap, as well…amazon has them for 129, just as acme does, but both are out of stock it seems..well, i hope this helps out a few guys about knowing the Lowes price atm..go grab one if ya can..good luck y’all.
chris parker
sorry , i did not mention that this is the new palm colt router that i, and many have been waiting two years for.
fred
I would have given it a hard look – but with none of the auxiliary bases available yet I gave it a pass in favor of the Makita cordless. I figure that, if the cordless proves too wimpy, my son in law can always pick up a Makita corded to fit with the bases that I bought for the cordless. I’m hoping it proves useful for his trimming/laminate work. He currently has Makita cordless tools – so if nothing else he’s got 2 extra 5Ah batteries and a charger.
chris parker
another source said the accessories will release in jan, so o that is why i got it now, well, not to mention it was only 119 at lowes.
Bill
About a week before Black Friday I got the new Milwaukee 12v Fuel 3/8″ Ratchet 2557-20 along with two of 3.0Ah compact batteries from HD for a $129 and $90 respectively, with free shipping plus tax. Expanding my Dewalt Flexvolt tools I just added the DCS575B Circular Saw for $142 from Amazon along with the 3M Virtua CCS Protective Eyewear.
Bill
Oops, I also got the DEWALT DCD740B 20v Max right angle drill for $99 from Amazon.
Mattd
I got a Dremel 4000 kit off amazon for $44.
Jason. W
I picked that kit up off someone from Facebook market place. It was almost brand new (still had most of the attachments in plastic wrapping) plus it came with some extra sanding wheels. All for $35.
Gus
Had a bunch of stuff in several carts but all I got was some new skis and boots, a 10TB hard drive and some kids toys for xmas, pretty sad.
Had a bunch of PB Swiss precision and offset screwdrivers in the PBTools cart but when I saw the shipping charges I gave up, they will literally charge me $20+ to ship 1 screwdriver when I can squeeze 20 in a flat rate box.
Had 2 different drill presses ready to go at ACME on CyberMonday but the 20% coupon did not work for either.
Wanted to get a Bosch router table from Amazon but the Bosch discount never worked on it either.
Alick
Nothing ! No really decent deals on tools that I want in the UK. 10% off the junk that never sells is a deal that I could beat at any time of year.
Instead, i’ve decided to treat myself to a new TCT blade and repurpose my old variable speed circ saw for cutting metal instead of wood … Bargain 🙂
Don
Nothing. I guess I reached a point (for now) that nothing was calling my name and I don’t feel like I need anything. We’ll see what 2018 brings.
Jim P.
So far my purchases include:
Ridgid superclamp
2 sets Ridgid boxes
Milwaukee screwdrivers
Husky allen keys (both styles)
Coast 2 for 1 headlamps
Diablo 2 for 1 blades
Daredevil spade bits
Fatmax tapes
Milwaukee razor deal
Milwaukee drill bits
Used Acme tools coupon to buy Dewalt dust extraction attachments for concrete drilling and breaking.
Had to order a second Graco 395 (no specials, just work ?), two pressure roller attachments, hoses, etc.
A whole mess of other stuff.
James
Thanks to Stuart, I bought two each of the Milwaukee M12 Fuel packout kits from HD. Two impact. Two hammer. Wife.Will.Kill.Me.
chris parker
another source said the accessories will release in jan, so o that is why i got it now, well, not to mention it was only 119 at lowes.
chris parker
sorry, wrong line.
chris parker
i believe they are selling these models of the 12v fuels really cheap in order to clean out for the newer models that are being release next month i believe..i hope..i did not buy the packout kit package only because i know the new fuels will be here very soon, and will be greatly improved i hear.
James Davis
Probably. Each new M12 generation is a leap.
Adam
I wouldn’t consider the packout bundle that cheap still. M12 Fuel Kit sells for $200, but comes with 2ah & 4ah battery. I’d say it’s about on par with that kit, but all depends on how much value you put towards a 4ah battery or the pack-outs. You also get a free tool a good portion of the year with the kit. I like the Packouts, but would rather have one larger one, than multiple of the smaller that comes with the M12 tool.
I will say, selling the Fuel tools independently but with battery & charger will sell out a lot faster than together. It’s also
faster advertising for the larger PackOut system’s selling it this way. A lot more people will be in the PackOut line now, and though a big leap, might be more inclined to go with other PackOut gear
Beaux
M12 stapler and soldering iron
ktash
I bought a few things before Black Friday. The Wen band saw you alerted us to as a deal of the day at Home Depot has been my major purchase. The BF and CM deals didn’t seem as good as some of the deal of day/amazon warehouse, etc. for the things I need. I did get a Ryobi Airstrike 23gauge pin nailer. So far I really love it and it will get lots of use. No deals on this new tool, but I didn’t want to wait months for it. There was only one in the store when I bought it.
The Amazon and other %off deals did not seem to have the variety of past years.
Karl Milhon
Sears website wouldn’t work right so no drill driver, impact wrench, 2-1.5 AH Li Batts and charger and bag for 99 bucks. Bye bye Craftsman… I’m starting to hoard batts and chargers so the tools will still go after they go belly up.
Tim
I ended up getting some more jet parallel clamps from acme and upgraded my shop vac to the ridgid you mentioned with the auto detailing kit. I really wanted to grab one of the hd dewalt bundles, but they never came back into stock, at least when I was able to check up.
Eric
I ordered a 192 pc Dewalt 6pt socket set from Home Depot $25 off seems to be a very complete set and then also $125 at lowes and $120 at Ace Hardware on misc hand tools some on sale some not some needed some not (kind of a toolaholic)
Ian Random
I bought the $20 Kobalt laser tape measure and love it. I hate despise !#$!# measuring interiors with a tape measure. Regret not buying the Kobalt 1000 Series 32.5-in x 26.5-in 4-Drawer Friction Steel Tool Cabinet (Black) for $50. I blew more money on computer upgrades.
Ken
HD was giving away a 2 pack of 4 ah ryobi batteries if you bought their new brushless hammer drill kit (with another 4ah battery). I have a bunch of ryobi stuff and needed a new drill and more batteries anyway so seemed like a good deal. The batteries used to be $99 for the 2 pack. $150 seemed like a decent deal for the drill and 3 batteries.
Flotsam
My wife picked up an early Christmas present for me. Home Depot had a good price on the 52 ” Combo tool chest & upper box. Pretty nice and roomy for the money. Maybe not the quality of a Milwaukee or other premium brand but the drawers are very smooth for the money. So of course we had to set it up and it is nice to finally be able to store all my sockets, wrenches & pliers properly.
KeithinKC
Lots of red and yellow this year. Had a nice budget to work with and quite a few items on my wish list went on sale.
Dewalt 12” sliding compound miter saw with stand
Couple sets of Milwaukee packout boxes
One set dewalt toughmates
Milwaukee fuel hammer drill and driver combo with free rocket light
Milwaukee 5 pc m12 combo
Milwaukee ratchet and driver m12 combo
Milwaukee 1/2 inch fuel impact combo
Pair of rockwell jawhorses
Ryan Jacob
Husky 11 drawer rolling tool chest with workbench
Milwaukee M18 1/2 inch brushless impact wrench
Milwaukee M12 soldering iron
Milwaukee M12 power source
Ridgid shop vac
Ridgid miter saw stand
Stanley SAE and Metric deep well sockets
Various hand tools
Chris
Hey Stuart. I have one of those Skil router bit sets. I’ve had it almost two years and I think they are actually great router bits. Certainly not Freud grade, or infinity cutting tools grade, but for an all purpose a
Router bit set, it’s fantastic. It even includes some specialty bits. I haven’t even used most of the bits in the set but they’re nice to have. I don’t give them a whole lot of use, just a few round overs and slots but they work well. I saw a guy in lowes looking at one and I told him I thought they were worth buying. I also saw an Irwin set, almost the exact same set under different branding but with a fewer selection of router bits
Nick
I debated a few major items for the acmetools 20% discount like a first table saw (the newest skilsaw model) or one of the $250 M18 9.0 starter kits, but in the end I went with pre-ordering the one-key M18 high torque impact wrench (2863-20) for $223 after discount. I didn’t commit to the impact until the end of the day because it was still a lot to spend on a bare tool. It won out because I had a specific project it would be instrumental for (timing belt change). I’d been eyeing the high torque impacts ever since they came out years ago but the price never really dropped much and it seemed like too much of a specialty tool for me to invest in. I have high hopes that the ability to adjust the torque output will make it much more versatile.
Other than that I bought a bunch of dewalt deep organizers while they were $10 at HD to also use the $25 off 100 deal, the diablo recip blades with 2 free carbide blades, and at Lowes I got the bosch bits because of toolguyd and the full set of irwin spade bits for $13. I have the bosch daredevil spades and I found the self-feed screw tip isn’t always what I want. Sometimes the feed rate is too aggressive. I was recently drilling for new wires and destroyed a couple bit extensions in the process. Maybe they could’ve survived with a traditional point spade and gentler feed.
Kevin Peck
After avoiding the mad rush of Black Friday I did swing by my local Home Depot Sunday afternoon and picked up the Ridgid 12in. sliding compound miter saw (R4221) with LED kerf marking system and the AC9946 rolling miter saw stand. I also grabbed the “tool box” style Wet/Dry Vac from Ridgid (WD4522) and a pair of beautiful Milwaukee 25ft magnetic measuring tapes. I had read some reviews that spoke of a blade “wobble” problem with these units (R4221) so I knew this was a risk since I wouldn’t know if I got a good one until it was home fully assembled and tested. Well I completed assembly that evening and it ran smooth and straight the serial number begins with 1727 which I had also read that after about 1725 they had resolved the issue and it appears I escaped any problems in this area. It cut straight and smooth and I can’t wait to put to some real work. The portable mobile cart is a nice piece of work too and I am so happy I got one for 50% off! Another interesting tidbit is that when registering this miter saw to obtain the warranty their website lists this miter saw as “Obsolete”. I really like the LED targeting system employed on this saw it was a key feature in my decision to purchase it otherwise I would have most likely spent the additional money for a Dewalt having the same feature, but I’m sure glad I didn’t have too! I did not notice (on the Ridgid website) a “replacement” 12in sliding compound miter saw which I though was interesting…
Pseudonymous
Is that an open invitation to talk about Dake? Because it sounds like an open invitation to talk about Dake. We bought a couple of their machines at my previous job, and I’ve got a few things to say about them. I should note that I’m a sparky type, not an ME, so I mostly watched this from the sidelines. As well, this was at a for a small very light duty general purpose shop used mainly by engineers for modifications, not for any kind of heavy-duty or production work.
We started with their arbor press. By all accounts, it was a pretty good arbor press and good value for money. So about two years ago we bought one of their variable-speed floor drill presses. I think it was the SB-250V, and it cost a bit north of $3k new.
It was a bear to actually get into the shop. No surprise there, it’s a big machine and it weighs nearly five hundred pounds. Then it sat around for about a year as our guys dickered with Facilities about how to bolt it to the floor, and dickered with our boss to get the hours approved to actually bolt it down. It’s not a particularly top-heavy machine (I wouldn’t have bothered if it was up to me), but rules are rules and so it had to be bolted to the floor before anyone was allowed to touch it. So far, par for the course. (I left that job for a reason.)
Then we actually got it running, and that’s when the interesting stuff started. We also took a closer look at the machine around then and were kind of disappointed. The casting was fine, the paint job serviceable, but the chuck was Chinese (Golden Goose) and the motor was a no-name Far East job (literally — no manufacturer name anywhere to be found). At least the VFD was a name-brand (Allen-Bradley) unit and looked like a good one.
Despite the VFD, the machine still had a full belt drive setup, with tension adjust lever and pulley stacks and all. The tension adjuster didn’t seem to do anything, and certainly didn’t do what the instructions said it did. We never figured out what was going on there. They noticed the displayed values on the VFD didn’t match the specified RPM range of the machine (by about a factor of 3 IIRC) and since RPM is difficult to eyeball I got called in to measure the actual spindle RPM… turns out it was nowhere near what it should have been _or_ near what the VFD display was reading. That, of course, meant it was time for a full inspection.
Turned out there wasn’t a whole lot _right_ with the poor thing. The drive belt setup didn’t match what the case of the machine said it should be… or what the manual said it should be, which was different from what was on the case! (I think we eventually concluded it was the belt setup for the non-VFD model and the case sticker was from a different machine in the line.) The VFD also hadn’t really been programmed at all. Whoever set it up did the bare minimum to get it working and then shipped it. I had to change the acceleration parameters (to stop the thing jolting itself every time the speed knob was adjusted) and set the display to show RPM properly like every other machine does.
Then they actually started testing it. Apparently the spindle runout was awful (sorry, I don’t remember the numbers), so the chuck had to be replaced. That brought runout down to acceptable-but-not-great levels. They also concluded the automatic depth advance was mostly useless, due to too much slop and a scale marked in fractional inches (not decimal). The guys also seemed to think the auto-advance would have been useful for tapping, but looking at the Dake website now I don’t see why anyone thought that would be the case. (It certainly isn’t, since the machine has no way to reverse; after it hits depth, the chuck just retracts back up.)
So… not a horrible machine, but one that required a lot more TLC to get going than anyone expected. And a lot less value than we thought we were getting. It’s definitely not an “all-American” machine (but what is these days). Still, it got the job done. It’s definitely a better machine than the cheap Jet bench drill press we bought at my last last job, but at least we got what we paid for there.
As for Black Friday? A very nice set of Proto 3/8″ deep metric sockets, which are everything you’d expect them to be. At least some things really are still made in the USA!