This time of year, I shift into “deal post mode” for the holiday shopping season. Now’s a good time for me to ask for suggestions.
What kinds of tool deals are YOU looking for?
I usually follow my instincts, and I also look for deals I know will be popular with readers, based on previous years’ experiences and anonymous logs. I will usually have a list of tool deals I’m looking for, for myself and from requests.
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This is an opportunity to ask for requests, but that’s not what this post is about.
Here, I wanted to remind you about our Amazon discounted tool search widget.
I used to use it a lot, but these days it’s more of a game to me. I scout out some discounted tool deals, add them to my cart, determine at what price I’d want to buy it at, and then watch to see what happens.
I added a couple of items to my cart the other day. One item, of which there is just one left, is a high-ticket item that’s extremely low priced for what it is. Another item, a ratchet and socket set, was approaching “ridiculous pricing” territory, but when I checked today someone had bought it.
Amazon’s search results are so much more cluttered now than when I first coded that discounted search widget, but you can still find some incredible deals if you put in the time to look.
Here’s an example:
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This is a Mitutoyo 0-0.5″ caliper gauge, model 209-790. It’s used to compare tubing wall thickness, and things like that.
At Amazon, they have one left, and it’s priced at $63.12. Other retailers are selling it for around $262. A $200 discount?! Sounds good, if this is something you could use.
I searched for “calipers USA” in my Amazon widget with a set discount of 70%.
The Amazon widget can be found in the bottom menu of all ToolGuyd pages.
Sometimes the search results are cluttered and you’ve got to use added filters on the Amazon site to help narrow things down.
This is an American Hammer model AM10BRWG sledge hammer. It’s priced at $168 to $200 at online retailers. Amazon has it priced at $51.80 right now.
Why? Because it’s not selling fast enough and they want to get it off the shelf. They know that people like me check their carts everyday for meaningful price drops.
This is a more than 2-foot long 10 lb brass head and wood-handled sledge hammer. It’s ranked number 2,309,292 in tools and home improvement, and number 823 in dead blow hammers.
Here is a Williams 41pc basic service tool set, model WSC-41. Sure, it might seem a bit pricey at the current price of $137.75 on Amazon, but it’s a couple of hundred dollars more at other dealers, with $314 being the next-lowest price I could find.
This Ergodyne Arsenal leather-bottom tool bucket is priced at $38.12 at Amazon, with 3 left. Home Depot looks to be matching the price, which could be some kind of automatic algorithm. All other sellers have it for $88 to $100 and up.
This Makita 18V cordless impact wrench is $160 and eligible for added $25 discount. Most other vendors have it at $189. CPO is matching the $160 price.
Like I said, random tool deals, and you have to hunt for them.
I figured it’s worth a reminder – maybe you’ll find something that perfectly meshes with one of your current tool needs or wants.
What’s the best deal you could find?
JamesR
Would love to see some coverage of the best deals for the Dewalt 735 planner. Also, maybe a look at the various BF vacuum deals and which you think are good values.
Other than that, I think your instincts are right on, I *love* checking Toolguyd this time of year.
Stuart
That’s a deal I usually do look out for.
The DW735X is usually discounted better than the DW735. The X version comes with infeed and outfeed tables and spare blades.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003OX9KME/?tag=toolguyd-20
Amazon has it for $590.
Last year it was $499 for Black Friday. It was $475 in November 2016.
I’d say $499 is a good target price.
I usually look for the vacuum deals, but I don’t know what we’ll see this year. Two Home Depot stores had a little tiny spot in the gift center for Ridgid vacs. No more Shop-Vac, and so it’ll likely be one random model on Amazon vs. a single Ridgid vs. a single Craftsman, with maybe secondary deals on less popular models.
The vacs drive huge foot traffic every year, and it’s unclear as to whether that’s something Home Depot or Lowes will want to ship to all customers who aren’t shopping in person due to COVID.
In other words, I’ll be on the lookout for them, but I don’t exactly expect things to be predictable or as formulaic as in recent years.
Tom D
Everyone finds planer deals, but jointer prices never seem to change much.
Stuart
What brand? Big woodworking brands usually have 10% coupons. Smaller machines are indeed rarely discounted.
Tom D
Yeah it’s strange (to me) that everyone and their brother has true Dewalt (and I can’t even name another planer that isn’t delivered by semi) but there’s no equivalent go-to jointer. They seem pretty complimentary.
Tim
Jet is supposed to be doing 15% off woodworking tools. Thats about the best deal I can think of. I have the 6 in longbed and its worked out great, although there are times I wish I had gone with the 8.
fred
Funny – I have a 40+ year old Delta 8 inch and wish I had bought a 10. With extra width extra length usually also comes along and that helps.
Ryan
Is there anyway to make the widget for for your canadian readers
Stuart
I’ve never tried for Amazon Canada specifically.
Amazon removed some of their public-facing filtering where you can do these searches manually. I tried applying it to other Amazon sites recently, and it didn’t work. Without ability to do the search manually, I can’t access the code needed for customer search queries like what my widget does.
Jared
I almost posted the same question. Just let this be my x2.
Stuart
*Done* please let me know how well it works.
Stuart
Okay, so I took another crack at it, and added an Amazon Canada entry at the bottom of the Amazon Deal Finder page.
I’ve been testing it, and it seems to work, but I don’t know how well yet. I’m not finding any notable deep-discounted tools, but maybe you’ll have better luck?
If it does work, I can look into adding similar search features for other countries.
Jared
Awesome! Thank you Stuart!
My initial searches haven’t had me panic pressing the buy now button, but it seems like a great way to peruse random tools and waste some of my time in the office.
James C
Hmm, looking at some of those examples reminds me a good deal and a good value aren’t always the same thing. But I do like looking.
Stuart
Depends on what you need or want. If you need say misc tools and you want USA-made and industrial quality, Williams is decent stuff.
Jared
Since you mentioned Williams, I bought two 3/8’s ratchets recently: A round-head B-52A and a pear-head 31001. Both had features and faults – and I have to say I was surprised by the faults because of the brand’s reputation.
The B-52A (USA made) is very smooth and precise feeling with little backdrag. I would consider purchasing a similar style in the other drive sizes. It’s a good little ratchet for not a lot of money – however, it has a surprisingly poor finish in my opinion. There’s tool mark scratches visible through the chrome all along the ratchet. The handle is round transitioning to I-beam construction and there’s a leftover rough surface along all the inside edges from where I assume they didn’t bother to polish it. It does not affect function and I am still happy with it – but there’s lots of cheap ratchets these days that have far better chrome. Just seems weird.
The 31001 pear head (Taiwan) in contrast is visually perfect. The finger-fit grooves in the handle are very comfortable – I’m surprised no one else seems to have copied this idea because it’s a very nice ratchet to hold.
The ratchet is also extremely smooth compared to most of my other ones (including from Proto, Westward, Gearwrench, Stanley, Husky etc)… BUT here’s the catch: it’s smooth in only in one direction!
It’s strange and hopefully it will even out with use, but in one direction it is very similar to the B52-A: low backdrag, quiet but precise clicks. In the other direction it feels more like my Proto ratchet with loud clicks and more drag. If it was the same in both directions I wouldn’t mind even if it wasn’t as smooth – but it irks me that it’s different.
I am going to take it apart and see if I can swap the pawl around or something to even it out a bit. Maybe the selector switch has a burr on one side or something?
Jared
P.S. I am interested in deals on industrial tools generally. I’ve been carefully exploring industrial brands lately for mechanics tools – and generally I’m impressed.
The prices are usually quite high for features that are only perhaps moderately better than the usual retail brands, so I understand they might not have mass appeal – but when I splurge for something I am usually pretty happy with it.
E.g. over the past few months I’ve purchased Williams, Proto and Westward ratchets, some individual sockets from Armstrong (NOS obviously), Proto & Williams, hammers from Nupla and Armstrong, and a few random extensions, bits, adapters, pry bars etc. from several other brands. It’s generally very good quality.
Stuart
I like Proto tools quite a bit – many are affordable, and their quality is top-notch without paying tool truck prices for at-my-door service I don’t need.
I could never figure out the story behind Westward tools – it seems it’s a Grainger/Zoro house brand, but who makes the tools?
Jared
I’m a little confused about Westward too, but it’s pretty ubiquitous here in Canada (and I understand they started selling in the US more recently).
I think they’re just a brand for import and relabelling tools, so the COO and manufacturer varies. I say this not based on any official word from the company, but based on my scrutiny of the tools.
E.g. the Westward ratchet I bought is the 1/4″ roto-ratchet. It appears to be identical to the roto ratchets sold under the Stanley and Blackhawk brands except for some color differences. Stanley is chrome, Blackhawk and Westward have a black finish. Stanley has a yellow handle, Blackhawk a red one and Westward’s is blue. Otherwise everything is identical right down to the bumps and pattern on the grip.
On the otherhand, I have some Westward locking extensions that don’t seem to match anything from Stanley, Blackhawk or Proto – but do look an awful lot like the ones sold by Gearwrench.
Generally the quality is quite good – but there do seem to be exceptions. E.g. the sockets seem precise and nicely finished, extensions are great, but I have some Westward inner and outer calipers that seem flimsy, have poorly ground ends and don’t line up perfectly in the middle. They were not expensive so I wasn’t mad, but certainly no better than any other cheap pair.
fred
In the Industrial sector – Martin and Wright used to produce some good quality USA-made tools – and seem to still be in business. Other brands like Armstrong and Granco have disappeared.
Tom D
Another one to look at is amazon warehouse deals on tools that just can’t reasonably be broken – I’ve gotten things like pry bars and sledges for even more off just because they weren’t wrapped anymore.
Jared
I’ve bough some warehouse deals too and gotten away with crazy good prices.
On the other hand, you have to be very careful and check over your new purchase right away because some of the returns are damaged or even fraudulent. E.g. I bought a set of SK extensions that actually turned out to be “US.PRO” brand (caught that in time to return though). I assume someone bought the SK set and returned a different brand for a refund and Amazon employees didn’t know enough about tools to catch it.
I also bought a kerosene shop heater for a fraction of the new price that looked brand new when I received it. When I tried to use it a couple months later I discovered it wouldn’t light. I figured it was probably something simple and started troubleshooting one component at a time. I eventually found that it was missing the rotor inside the fan that creates a vacuum for the fuel.
I can only guess what happened there. Did someone buy it, remove that part for their own use and return the broken one?
A-A-Ron
I occasionally check amazon for great deals on Skil’s 12v brushless line. You can hypothetically own their entire lineup for the cost of a few brushless tools from other brands, and the quality to value ratio is outstanding. Much more frequent deals than if it was only offered through big box stores.
Sam
check this deal on woot
https://sellout.woot.com/offers/skil-pwrcore-12v-oscillating-multitool?ref=w_cnt_lnd_cat_tool_9_3
Jorn
I’m looking for a discount on a Dewalt DCE400B but it seems to:
1) Be out of stock almost everywhere (CPO seems to have them, though)
2) Nearly always be excluded from promotions.
This Amazon searching tool is nifty, though.
Skye A Cohen
Off the beaten path: there are European carpenters mechanical pencils, they work like a typical one but the lead is very fat, maybe 2mm. Sola and Hultofers make them among others. I think they will start to get popular here and I’m hoping the prices will start to drop, deals on those would be awesome.
Directly on the beaten path: I’m sure already on your radar, dewalt tablesaw. I have the dw745 but it’s long in the tooth and needs replacement. Often around these times deals can be had on similar models.
Stuart
The Dewalt table saw deals usually appear right before or on Black Friday. I am watching, but haven’t seen anything yet.
Leo Bauer
Wow, I was thinking of the Hultafors pencils too! I learned about them from Scott Brown Carpentry, and it seems like they have some nice advantages over Pica Pencils. I’m a big fan of them, and just ordered another pencil for myself and one for a friend, plus the refills, from Zoro.
Jay Dee
I would love to see the Dewalt DWS780 12″ miter saw for $350 again like it did for a few hours last year on Thanksgiving Day.
Bob
Huh neat widget. Ill use it to see if I can get a Dcgg571 (20v dewalt grease gun) for short money. I generally always buy just the bare tool. But in this instance I want the blow molded tool case. Grease guns always get messy if I throw a pig mat in with the case it should make transporting and storage a lot cleaner.
I will check ebay for a cheap case. Then I can buy just the bare tool and save some coin. I really don’t need any extra batteries or chargers for 20v