Sears’ Tool Department – Great for Holiday Gifts and 365 Days/Year

A couple of years ago, I could fit all of my hand tools into a single portable toolbox, and two small cases housed all of my power tools. But as my needs grew, so did my tool collection. Quantifying how many tools I own today is a frightening prospect, so let’s just say I own more than your average DIYer.

After sending some feedback to Sears regarding my holiday shopping experiences online and in-store*, I realized that I had a lot more I could share in a post. I usually source my tools from a number of places, mostly home improvement centers, retailers, online distributors and industrial suppliers, but Sears still remains one of my favorite places to shop for tools.

So what’s so great about Sears’ tool department? In a nutshell, they have a great selection and (usually) reasonable prices. When I was a hobbyist, I found the tools I needed at prices I could afford. When I was a beginner DIY, they had the upgrades and specialty tools I wanted. Now, as an advanced user (for lack of a better description), I continue to shop at Sears, often chasing after great deals and picking up tools that are difficult or too costly to find elsewhere.

(FYI: Current Sears.com sales and promos can be found here, and tool-related promos right here.)

Sears’ In-Store Selection

It’s hard to say for certain, but I do feel that Sears’ tool selection at least rivals that of competing home improvement centers. If there’s something I need right away for a project but cannot find at a home center, I can usually be sure that they’ve got what I need at Sears. Last week I spent nearly an hour at a home improvement store trying to find items to buy with $60 in store credit I had from a return. At Sears, I would have spent that $60 in 5 minutes (seriously, my wish list is huuuuge!).

For casual users with modest budgets, Sears’ Craftsman line usually offers the most value, but there are often other brands to choose from as well. Advanced users with larger budgets have even more options to choose from.

Sears.com Tool Selection

As much as I enjoy walking around and shopping at my local Sears, I absolutely LOVE browsing through their newest catalogs. Sears.com can be somewhat overwhelming to browse through, but I usually find what I need in a jiffy. At the surface, I quickly see some of the top name brands available elsewhere, but when digging in deep new or unfamiliar brands will occasionally pop up.

In addition to Craftsman tools, I have purchased Channellock, Crescent, Stanley, Footprint, GearWrench, Evolution, Leatherman, Knipex, Wera, Bosch and other brands’ tools via Sears, often at better prices than they’re available for elsewhere.

But what really gets me coming back for more are the unique or exotic that are difficult if not impossible to find elsewhere. For example, take a look at my Popular Mechanics article on 5 off-brand exotic hand tools. 4/5 of those tools I had purchased from Sears.

Note: The latest Sears.com tool deals can be found here, and here are a couple of coupon codes: SEARS2011, SEARS5OFF50, REALJOY. The first two are for $5 off $50, and the last for free shipping on $99+ orders, valid until 4pm on 12/19. One coupon per order.

Why Else to Buy Tools From Sears?

Low risk and easy returns. Craftsman tools are backed by a lifetime guarantee, and Sears’ return policy on most tools is quite lenient. On the back of a recent receipt, it says If for any reason you are not satisfied, return your purchase in its original packaging, with your receipt within 90 days of purchasing. It really doesn’t get much better than that.

There are a couple of new guarantees as well, mentioned below.

Sears Tool Gift Guide

Since it’s that time of year, here are a couple of gift ideas for you to consider. There are also a couple of great bargains in-store, not only around the holiday displays but in the regular aisles as well.

Homeowners and Casual Tool Users

1. Craftsman 9pc Standard and Metric combination wrench sets
2. Craftsman 94pc Socket Set
3. Craftsman Nextec 12V Cordless Power Tools
4. Craftsman Work Bench
5. Craftsman Universal Max Axess Socket Set
6. Craftsman 7pc Universal Wrench Set – Standard and Metric
7. Craftsman Adjustable Pliers Set
8. Crescent Long-Reach Pliers Set
9. Craftsman 18pc Screwdriver Set
10. Gearwrench 20pc Ratcheting Wrench Set

There are so many other top-picks for casual users, but these are among the most useful ones I usually recommend. A gift card is also a great idea, that’s how I was able to afford some of my higher quality tools early on.

Professionals and Advanced Users

1. Grip-on Hands-Free Clamping Pliers and Holder Set
2. Fisco 25-foot Tape Measure
3. GearWrench 9pc Reversible Ratcheting Wrench Sets – Standard and Metric
4. Wera 12pc Screwdriver Set
5. Knipex 10-inch Plier Wrench
6. Craftsman Max Axess Pass-Thru Socket Set
7. Wera Zyklop 3/8″ Ratchet
8. ToughBuilt Handyman Tool Belt
9. Montezuma Portable Tool Box
10. Gladiator GearBox Wall Cabinet

All of you DIYers and advanced users out there, what would you add to this list?

Sears “Real Joy” Guarantees

After passing along feedback to Sears about recent shopping experiences, they mentioned their “Real Joy” Guarantees. I’m familiar with some of these policies, but others seem new, so I took a closer look. Full details can be found here.

• Satisfaction Guaranteed return policy – as mentioned, 90 days on most tools, 30 days on other stuff.
• Lowest Price Guaranteed – I took took advantage of this policy a while back when buying my wife a digital camera. It’s a great policy, but be sure to check out the fine print.
• Free Shopping – If you cannot find an item in-store, you can usually order it from a kiosk with free shipping to your home. (Also works with catalog/online-only tools.)
• Ready in 5 Guarantee – If you order online for in-store pickup and, after you receive email confirmation, it takes longer than 5 minutes for them to pull your order, you get a $5 coupon. (Sometimes you need to remind the associate about this, other times it prints out automatically.)
• Return/Exchange in 5 Guarantee – Start your return online and complete it in-store. If it takes more than 5 minutes in-store, you get a $5 coupon. This one’s new to me. Returning online purchases sometimes requires a trip to the HR backroom, so this should save a bit of time.
• Craftsman Hand Tool Lifetime Guarantee – If a covered Craftsman hand tool fails, it will be replaced or repaired for free. I’ve never been declined an exchange, but certain tools such as consumables (e.g. taps) and tape measure blades are not covered.

Shop Sears Tool Deals, or browse through their 2011 Holiday Catalog, which has clickable purchase links.

* Disclosure: for my feedback (which I will probably share separately), I was provided with a small gift card to ensure that I did some prompt shopping.