We recently reported about a new line of ToughBuilt aviation snips at Lowe’s.
My attempts to learn more about the new ToughBuilt tools have been futile, as I keep getting bounced between different corporate and 3rd party marketing people who are either unable or unwilling to share any official insights.
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ToughBuilt is entering several new-to-them product categories, as they did with aviation snips, and I can’t seem to get any answers to the question “why buy these tools over other brands’?”
So, I visited my local Lowe’s store to see if I could gather any firsthand insights, and there weren’t any ToughBuilt hand tools on the store shelves.
These tools were supposed to have launched in December, and so it’s strange to me that my local store didn’t have any ToughBuilt tools on display. ToughBuilt aviation snips are available online for shipping.
I checked again today, in case maybe Lowe’s updated the online listings with in-store availability. Maybe the ToughBuilt snips would be available for pickup at nearby store?
Instead, I see a message that the ToughBuilt straight cut aviation snips are already on clearance for $8, reflecting a 55% discount.
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Huh?
This is a Lowe’s exclusive, and the tool’s already on clearance?
When I click-through, there’s a message that it can only be purchased in-store only, although it’s greyed-out as there’s no availability near me.
*throws arms up in defeat*
If you see these at your local Lowe’s, please let us know if you find anything special about them.
And if anyone has any insights as to what is possibly going on here, please shine some light on the situation if you can.
At this time, all of the other new SKUs are still listed at their regular price and are available for purchase online.
- Straight Cut Aviation Snips (TB-H4-60-S):
$18$8 via Lowe’s - Right Cut Aviation Snips (TB-H4-60-R): $18 via Lowe’s
- Left Cut Aviation Snips (TB-H4-60-L): $18 via Lowe’s
- Bulldog Aviation Snips (TB-H4-60-B): $20 via Lowe’s
- Straight Long Aviation Snips (TB-H4-60-SL): $20 via Lowe’s
- Straight Offset Long Cut Aviation Snips (TB-H4-60-SOL): $20 via Lowe’s
- 3″ Seamer (TB-H4-61-S3): $33 via Lowe’s
Also Surprising in the World of Aviation Snips:
Mike (the other one)
Did the company have second thought about going into hand tools? If so, dodn’t expect much of a warranty.
Stuart
No, they promised investors a huge roadmap of new tool launches, and I don’t see any reason they’d back out.
Mike (the other one)
I see. Strange that these would be at such a discount.
Joatman
Just for the heck of it, I checked online for the availability at my local Lowe’s store. Seems they still have about 6 versions available at the normal price, including the straight snips. As I mentioned before, I think the brand name sounds cheesy. It has nothing to do with the quality of the product. But when I did a search for aviation snips on Lowe’s website, I saw Fiskars and Lenox products pop up on the same page. I think I would go for one of those before theTB brand….especially when they’re the same price. It’s kind of like associating Rayovac flashlights with K-Mart. Just my opinion.
Jim Felt
These are the same corporate hacks whose CEO said “they” were closing all the West Coast Orchard Hardware chain stores “because they were barely doing $900M in sales”. And by extension he couldn’t be bothered.
Just like this.
To paraphrase the old saying the rot starts at the top.
Jim Felt
Oh. So I was just curious and looked on Lowe’s site and found the straight snips only available a one store within a 100 miles and NOT on sale/close out.
Disorganized folks indeed.
Bruce
Why would anyone be interested in MIM tools with pinch points everywhere when you can get a design that has been the gold standard for cutting tin for less money?
Doc John
What does “MIM” mean?
Luke
Maybe MIM stands for “Made in ……”? Dunno, just spitballing here. This is the reason I don’t like using initialisms.
Wayne R.
Metal injection molding maybe?
Justin
I actually snagged a pair last week when I saw the sale price, figured they were testing the waters to gauge interest maybe. They had them hanging on the corner near the hand tools on an end cap and I remembered your article so I grabbed one. No real signage or anything pointing me to it.
Haven’t really had time to mess with it yet, but it basically appears to try to give an industrial type feel, plasticy grip handle feels ok but nothing special, the hand grip has 2 “unique” positions for holding it which felt a bit gimmicky but alright, and the lock mechanism felt a bit flimy for a brand name like “tough built” were my first impressions.
I can snap some photos and try to answer some questions if it helps!
Patrick T
I saw a pair last weekend on the clearance “table” in my store and was surprised to see them there already. Meanwhile, they still have a ton of Christmas saw blade and drill bit packs sitting out that aren’t marked down.
Gadsden
Stuart, you can put them in the Brickseek Inventory checker, for me the straight snips are available at just about every Lowe’s around at the clearance price. I haven’t gone in to see where they are though. As I’m sure you know, some Lowe’s don’t put clearance out in a prominent area, and if this item never made it on the planogram they might just be sitting in a box on a shelf somewhere.
https://brickseek.com/lowes-inventory-checker/?sku=1002892740
Stuart
Thanks! Maybe I’ll try a different Lowe’s store later this week.
Gordon
Brickseek shows 3 stores near me with 10+ at each store all at $7.98.
https://brickseek.com/lowes-inventory-checker/?sku=1002892740
Online it shows none in stock, at $17.98
My guess is that this is “priming the pump”. They’re competing with Lenox, a highly recognizable name, at the same price. Look at how many people here are willing to pick up a set at $8 just because it’s a good deal. When they need a pair of left and/or right snips, they’re probably more likely to buy Toughbuilt because it’s more familiar to them now.
Jared
This is indeed strange. So it’s only the straight-cut model on “clearance”? Maybe there was an issue with that model and Toughbuilt already has an updated version.
Danj
My store here in Iowa listing them @ 17.98, but no stock.. .
James R.
They’re regular price at my Lowes, and in-stock.
PJB
So I live in Nashville TN and my store that is very closet to me did not have them in stock, so I drove to Hendersonville about 20 minutes away and they had them, like 20 of them. The display had them marked at full price. Simple check at the cashier.. $7.97 Worth the drive. They seem like a decent build quality. I like the 2 different finger hold options. Will make a nice addition to my grab and go tool bag. Thanks as always for sharing.
John
They are in store at my local store for $5.99 now. I bought one when they were new and almost immediately broke them on metal not even close to their rating. Lowes took those back and I broke the replacement pair. I brought those back, got a credit, and moved on. I wouldn’t recommend.
Nic D.
I am a lowes manager and also a small investor in the penny stock TBTI, maybe I can lend some insight.
Basically ToughBuilt announced a new line of tools back in April last year. They have had a lot of success selling primarily on Amazon until they partnered with lowes to do a brick and mortar release. We started seeing these hand tool products showing up in stores in december. They also have a line of work bags that were picked up by lowes and are actually planogrammed in a bay. The tools however, were received in limited quantities as In and out shipments packaged in sidestscks ( the cardboard stack outs you see priced in the aisles.) This means that we received them around the holidays with the hope of selling them as Christmas impulse buys. The tools were never planogrammed for retail space on the shelf as they are new, and lowes is currently testing the waters with the brand. The fact that they clearanced other bands to make room for ToughBuilts lineup of bags is very promising for the brand.
I have messed with the snips in the store and they felt just as good of quality as the lennox competitor, but I have not used them. Also USA made.
Stuart
(ToughBuilt is TBLT.)
Nic D
Yep you’re right. And they’re making me money. They have solid growth and are doing it all in a pandemic.
The work bags are great quality. If I were in the market for a new pouch I’d have chosen the T.B. that’s my two cents check them out.
Stuart
Their tool bags and pouches are largely unchanged since they first appeared at Sears more than 9 years ago.
What has ToughBuilt done since then?
In my opinion, ToughBuilt is going to be too dependent on their relationship with Lowe’s. According to their last-released financials, they’re still losing millions of dollars per year.
I’ve been struggling to get information from ToughBuilt, and am leaning towards the conclusion that they can’t answer any questions because they’re just relabeling tools.