Acme Tools kicked off their last day of Scary Good tool deals, featuring deals by Milwaukee, Dewalt, Makita, Crescent, and Bora.
The Makita deal is worth looking, especially for Makita tool users, as it includes all manners of accessories and attachments, including MakPac tool boxes and gear.
Some of the MacPak prices have increased compared to one year ago, but 15% negates that and then some.
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Here are the new tool deals for 10/27/23:
Milwaukee M18 1/4 Sheet Sander – $109
Dewalt 20V Max 4-Tool Brushless Combo Kit – $349
Makita – Save 15% on Accessories (Track Saw Guide Rails, Bits, Blades, Tool Boxes, etc)
Crescent Scissors & Tape Measure Bundle – $16.99
Bora Portamate Speedhorse 2-Pack – $149.98
Here’s a sampling of tool deals that are valid all week:
Dewalt 20V Max Cordless Blower – $129
Dewalt 20V Max Atomic Circular Saw – $129
Makita 18V Rear-Handle Circular Saw kit – $299
Dewalt 20V Max Pole Saw – $149
Dewalt 20V Max Cordless Vacuum – $99
Malco Eagle Grip Locking Pliers – $30
Dewalt 20V Max Oscillating Multi-Tool Kit – $99
Milwaukee M18 Fuel Compact Impact Wrench Kit – $219
Crescent 6″ Combination Square – $7.99
Sola Go! Smart Digital Pocket Level – $69
Dewalt 20V Max Atomic Compact Drill Kit (New Model) – $99
Dewalt 20V Max Atomic Impact Driver Kit (New Model) – $99
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Reminder: Coupon Code TOOLGUYD saves you $10 off $79 (does NOT stack with other promotions or “free with purchase offers”) and is one use per customer (resets every 30 days).
Alexk
This is the first time coming up to holiday sales where I find myself with every tool I need. As for any that I might want…..
I decided to go for a different type of tool, a new camera.
Only new camera I bought was a Nikon FM when I was 16 and paid for by being a busboy over a holiday. All my other camera/lenses were hand me down from a friend who would upgrade every ten years or so.
Like those buying a Sawstop/CNC etc. I need new technology. Eye tracking focus for my changing eyesight, built in stabilizers for my less steady hands and legs and much better low light capabilities so my back doesn’t go out from carrying a tripod.
I have never borrowed to buy a tool. Christmas/Holiday sales have been great and sometimes it stings shelling out for tools that I don’t use for my livelihood, but never bought unless I had money on hand. Was raised to not borrow, only get what you can pay for. Now I’m about to put a camera on a card. Will pay a third and hope (but not count on) holiday bonuses to pay for the rest. If this goes well, it might be motivation to rethink a Sawstop and/or other tools with safety features and technology.
The camera I’m getting is the Nikon Zf. The next rabbit hole I dive into will be lenses.
It might not seem like the right post for a site on tools, but photographing a job or project is part of my woodworking process. Plus, I love finding shapes of faces in wood and photographing them.
Stuart
Same here. I took advantage of 0% credit card offers when I was younger, but was never comfortable with spending over my head except when absolutely necessary.
It’s also why I was so practiced at deal-scouting. I didn’t have the money to buy things twice, and wanted to stretch my dollars as far as they’d go.
fred
It is a good philosophy if your income can support it. I’ve never bought anything (cars included) other than houses on credit. My partners and I had the same strategy – to build up cash reserves in the businesses to buy the next thing or to invest in some other business. We once toyed with going public to expand – but ultimately plugged our ears to that siren song. We had bank lines of credit and did some leasing but never put any of the businesses anywhere close to the edge. We never became billionaires – but slept sound at night. I was blessed by a modicum of success, such that when I sold-up and retired, I was totally debt free and could draw on resources to live a very comfortable life and provide inheritances for my progeny. When I was born the country was at the tail-end of the great depression – so some of my thinking was probably colored (some might say clouded) by the events of those years. But I still think that frugality pays off.
Stuart
It really depends on the context.
Having to put a new water heater, air conditioning unit, or tires on credit following unexpected issues is very different from buying a huge state of the art TV and premium sound system that one can’t immediately afford.
fred
My parents taught me that I needed to think about putting away one year or more in income into a rainy-day fund – and do that while you were gainfully employed. They grew up in an age before social welfare programs – and they always were afraid of being out of work for a protracted period. In the current economic climate – I have converted even more of my assets to cash (or T-Bills) – not because I’m afraid of being out of work (haven’t’ done that in over ten years) – but because of what I see as instability in the financial markets and slowing in the economy.
My ex-compatriots tell me that they are seeing signs of retrenching in the building and remodeling business – which seemed to have peaked in our neck of the woods during the Pandemic. Ever increasing interest rates and inflation may be taking its toll. I’m sure that this is being discussed the board rooms of various tool companies to strategize about what the next steps should be.
Stuart
@fred,
I was earning a pittance of a stipend in grad school. Every time I went home, my father asked “how much are you putting away for retirement?”
Every. Single. Time. I’ve since made up for it, or at least attempted to.
I saw a dip in consumer interest and spending last spring, and then signs of excess inventory over the summer and into the fall. I think spending is going to peak this holiday season – a lot of people have been waiting for these deals and discounts.
fred
What you say may well prove to be correct. I hear lots of talk about FOMO and inflation is a funny contributor to spending habits. Rather than save money against potentially harder times to come. some folks react to inflation by buying more or buying expensive items because of a fear that their prices will jump up and get out of reach.
Robert
Alexa, when I first hit you mentioning the Nikon FM, I was going to suggest you strongly consider the Zf, as its style is a positive throw back to older Nikon DSLRs. And then later I see you already made the leap. The only technical downside I see of the Zf is having a fairly useless micro SD slot instead of a UFC or another SD slot. But otherwise it’s a lot like a cooler looking Z6 II with some Z9 advances thrown in. Yeah, it locks you into the expensive Z family of lenses, but their optical quality is great.
eddie sky
Not much difference in microSD vs SD card other than size, capacity, cost and that SD have lock tab. Otherwise, same standards apply.
Plus some devices now have microSD reader slots, like tablets/smartphones/computer docks/laptops.
If Alexk is serious on 4K video, then there is that to content with (prefer other storage medium than microSD). But if shooting jpegs on one card and raw on another, then Zf isn’t ideal. More like Z8 that I prefer.
Played with my first FM (then got and FM2) back in the day. Last 35mm I used was the F4. And ED glass. Now, I would get the Z6 or 8, and 2-4 Z lens.
Funny, Festool is cheaper! LOL…
Robert
Eddie, it is the hard to handle size and the capacity I don’t like about micros. And yeap, that these new cameras are more than Festool is a wake up call. Realistically to get a Zf and a reasonable starting set of Z lenses is 6 grand. If the very nice Z8, like 8 grand. But hey, the Z9 beckons.
Stuart
If getting technical, there could also be a difference in cooling during high bit rate recording.
Robert
That’s a relevant point. On these DSLR body sized cameras, cooling appears to be a limiting factor for prolonged video sessions. And the card complicates that. The Nikon Z family is not optimized to be a video camera. But on the other hand it’s featured heavily in the advertising.
AlexK
My main “focus” is photos not video. My part time job is working at a Transfer Station/Dump and I’ve been photographing the dogs that people bring when they come to throw out their trash.
My “pet project” is “Dogs That Love A Good Dump”.
I’ve been photographing them with two digital rangefinders, a Panasonic LX 100 and a Fuji X100.
Many times the dogs stay in the car and I can’t get a high enough shutter speed to control their movement or enough depth of field, so I need a higher iso that has low noise. My Nikon D200 just doesn’t cut it, and I gave my friend back his D7000 to be converted to infra red only.
The storage cards aren’t an issue for me. I need the processor, sensor and IBIS of the Z8 or Z9, but those aren’t an option so the Zf (with the 24-70) is my compromise. I’m really excited to try it with a manual focus macro lens for my faces in wood project. I’m printing on my new Epson ET 8550. I love this printer. If I start selling prints and calendars, then I’ll consider pigment printers and other equipment.