Why do some cordless power tools sell better than others? This isn’t the type of post where I’m going to answer the title question.
Shown above is a screen capture for the Bosch FlexiClick cordless drill on Amazon. It’s a multi-headed tool that can be used as a cordless drill, screwdriver, right angle drill or driver, or offset driver.
Amazon says they sold 1K+ of this tool kit in the past month.
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Here is the Skil FlipDrill, of which Amazon only sold 100+ in the past month.
Amazon also only sold 100+ of the Dremel Blueprint 3-in-1 cordless drill driver kit in the past month.
We’re just beyond the Father’s Day shopping season, and if I recall correctly, the numbers weren’t very different after Mother’s Day.
You might be thinking that maybe the Dremel and Skil tools are a bit gimmicky. Generally that would boost sales this time of year, but what if it didn’t?
Metabo HPT has an 18V brushless drill and impact driver combo kit for $129, and Amazon says they sold 200+ in the past month.
The HPT combo kit is arguably a better deal than this Dewalt 20V Max combo kit, which comes with a nearly 12 year old mass market model cordless drill and 14 year old impact driver. It’s bundled with low capacity batteries.
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Amazon sold 10K+ of the Dewalt kit, and it’s been priced at $149.
Amazons old 50+ of this Black & Decker “PowerConnect” drill kit in the past month.
Amazon seemed to abandon their “Denali” brand of tools, although their 4V cordless screwdriver kit seems to be selling well, with 7K+ bought in the past month
They simply erased the brand name, figuratively and literally. Again.
Why do some cordless power tools sell better than others?
The answer typically depends on the individual products, brands, and other factors. Meaning, there’s no simple or generalizing answer.
Even in the absence of direct competition, there are always obstacles or challenges.
Is a tool priced a little too high? Are there design flaws? Are there more appealing alternatives? Maybe there’s a lack of awareness or poor visibility.
Do the reasons matter? Yes. Sometimes they aren’t obvious, other times they’re clear but don’t make sense. But they are important.
Personally, I find it fascinating to watch how things work out over time. There’s a whole other layer behind the tools we buy that most consumers never give any thought to. I certainly didn’t, but I do now.
Saulac
I’m surprised at the 7k+/month of the 4v screwdriver. I’ve assumed that these low voltage straight shaft cordless screwdrivers have limited/niche usage, such as with electronic equipment. For cars and around the house I found these are too weak even for electrical work. Do people actually have need for these and they work for them? Or people just grab the cheapest “cordless screwdriver” they could find?
Stuart
4V cordless screwdrivers tend to sell well, and that’s been true for a very long time.
Even if Amazon wasn’t publishing sales counts, bestsellers lists and rankings used to provide similar insights.
A lot of observations are surprising the first time around.
Dewalt’s 4V screwdriver seems to be selling well – https://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-Screwdriver-FLEXDRIVE-Screwdriving-DWHT66719/dp/B0DJBQ9ZBF/?tag=toolguyd-20 . That’s surprising to me, given its $89 price, but they could be selling to very different types of users.
Pat
I have several of the Denali. It’s got a fair bit of toque for the size and the form factor is perfect for my use. (Low voltage/network installer). In fact I find very little in the house it doesn’t have enough oomph for as well.
Oarman
Data centers buy these things by the crateload.
There are a lot of industrial uses where you saturate the area with low-torque electric screwdrivers so the tech doesn’t begin to think about reaching for their NASCAR pit-crew grade impact wrench on some tiny fastener.
ColeTrain
The HPT is it arguably the best deal on there? I love DeWalt tools too but that old set doesn’t seem in the same league. Are those multi head drill drivers useful? I keep eyeballing them but feels like I just have to carry more stuff in my pocket? How many people actually use them on a regular and change heads out. This I wonder?
Paul
They always catch my eye due to the offset head, but I shy away from a tool that would otherwise be redundant for me.
Somewhat related, how are people handling the challenge of accessing door knob screws?
TomD
I usually get on doorknob screws with a really long bit, super low speeds, The angle usually barely works.
Ryan Guldbrandsen
I use a screwdriver.
MM
Quite often there is a small catch or tab you can depress with a small pointed tool and the knob comes off so you can access the screws. When that is not the case I use either a hand screwdriver or a long bit and go slow. If the knob is unusually wide then I go get a low-profile ratcheting bit driver out of my big toolbox.
As for the multi-head drivers: I have the M12 currently. I usually keep it near my electronics workbench with the drill chuck installed and use it as a light duty drill most of the time. However, it’s a great problem solver and I use it for other things too. I find the 90 degree adapter very useful for automotive work, the offset one is good for woodworking projects where you want to drill holes or drive screws close to a flat surface or near obstructions. It’s super useful for things like cabinets, shelves, light fixtures, electrical boxes, etc.
I am very happy with it and unless there’s some major unforseen issue I plan on buying the new 20V Dewalt as well.
blocky
Usually also a screwdriver. Some the knob comes off, and some, I can use a bit-ratchet to put the final turns.
Stuart
That’s hard to say. Maybe? It’s definitely a great bargain and better tools than the Dewalt brushed combo while also being $20 less expensive.
Multi-head drill/drivers are useful if you can think of where you’d have saved time and effort in the past. If you’re on the fence, wait until Prime Day, or Black Friday, or until you really need one.
Brad
I don’t carry the extra heads in my pocket. The kit comes in a zipper case. I ended up getting the kit because it replaces the functionality of the brushless 12V screwdriver, which for some reason actually costs more. Being able to change out the head to be a chucked drill is great.
Dave
I did the exact same thing recently ie purchased the M12 Multi Head and sold off my Brushless 12v M12 screwdriver. Love the multi head M12 Driver thus far!
KokoTheTalkingApe
AvE has a review where he rants about the reverse switch (because it reverts to forward after you set it down for some period of time). Has that been an issue for you? I have M12 batteries and I could use something like it.
Saul
That’s not true. I have owned the Milwaukee version for over 4 years and it reverting to forward speed is not true. It has an electronic switch and keeps its memory. I love it specially because it shaped as an “ L “ and you can apply better torque opposed to the “ T “ style like the Bosch for example. Your palm is in line with the chuck.
Peter
I have 3, thanks to this site ;-), of the Bosch Flexiclick and they are great.
Most of the time I just use them with the 1/4” bit holder attachment to save weight.
But the keyless chuck gets used a lot for drilling.
The offset and right angle not so much unless I build cabinets or in tricky situations.
I just used the right angle attachment to drive screws into joist hangers where there was very little space.
All the attachments and the drill is build solid and when needed they can make tricky jobs easy.
Sinclaire
I got the Bosch multi-head a couple weeks ago and am really pleased with it.
I’m a carpenter and wanted a small, lighter option for the times where I don’t need the power of my big high torque Dewalt stuff. For me that’s hobby woodworking, light duty stuff at work, and things around the house.
I picked the Flexiclick because I didn’t want to add 2 whole new tools (12v impact and drill kit) and wanted to gain some functionality I didn’t have already, namely the offset. This past weekend I used it to drill and drive some pocket screws for a pair of night stands I’m building as well as a couple around the house tasks. It’s a pleasure to use.
Seth Goodson
That Bosch multi driver has been popular for quite a while. I am with you on HPT though. I used to be DeWalt in the 18V days but not 99% Milwaukee. However I got the HPT impact a while back on a deal and wanted to see what the hype of the triple hammer was about. That is the smoothest and most refined impact I have ever used. It is quickly turning into my go to for when my 12V will not cut it.
LarryB
I have the old brushed Flexiclik that is my go too, enough so that when the clutch went recently I bought a new one from replacement parts and fixed if $50. It’s my go to even tho I have the Bosch drill/driver kit. For home use and hobby woodworking it’s all I really need. The attachments come out when I need them but otherwise they’re in the drawer.
fred
We had a woodworking/custom cabinet shop as part of our businesses.
While we often supplied to our remodeling business – we also had installers for turn-key business. We tried our first (brushed version) of the Flex-Clic when it first came out and soon all the installers had one – then two each. Promotional pricing probably helped our buying decisions – but no getting around the good ergonomics and compact size when this first came to market.
Jim
I think Metabo would sell more if they were still branded Hitachi a better know brand. The Black and Decker is 2-3X more expensive than it should be.
Stuart
Perhaps, but many tool bestsellers lists are full of alphabet soup brands that don’t seem to exist outside of Amazon.
Brad
Anyone who could answer that question would be worth millions to a tool maker’s product development team.
Sam
All the higher-selling ones you screenshotted are “on sale”. People just love deals?
Stuart
The thing is, they’re not really on sale.
Sam
Right, but the appearance may be enough to increase sales.
Jared
One answer to the question, although a bit obvious, is consumer ignorance. That phrasing is a bit harsh, it’s not possible for everyone to know everything and “ignorance” sort of implies blame for the situation, but that’s what gives rise to the question right?
I.e. if the ratios were reversed and the Metabo kit outsold the Dewalt kit a, the obvious reason we would ascribe to it would be that the Metabo kit offered better performance and value. It’s only because that’s true and the Dewalt kit STILL outsells it that it’s surprising and needs a different explanation.
If you sat one of the people who bought the Dewalt kit down and explained why the Metabo set was superior, I doubt they’d still choose yellow – they just don’t know better.
In that example, it seems obvious to me that brand-recognition is doing most of the work. That’s not always the answer though – like in the Denali screwdriver example. Consumers shopping for that tool must be purchasing based on something else – low price perhaps, or simply the momentum of previous sales making it appear a good option.
Oarman
I don’t think this is that much of a mystery.
Bosch is an internationally well known brand and the Flexiclick / Chameleon enjoys great active and word-of-mouth marketing. Very high odds if you have tools you have something Bosch and the branding is easy to recognize. This tool’s main competitors are Milwaukee and Festool, neither of which are (officially) sold on Amazon; I haven’t seen comparable Chinese knockoffs either. The kit is good (2 batteries, bag) and a good deal.
Skil and Dremel the tools are weird looking without obvious purpose. Neither are big name drill/screwdriver companies. In store marketing has a chance to extol the tools’ unique virtues but not for Amazon doomscrollers. Honestly I wouldn’t even have thought of the Dremel as a Chameleon alternative.
Metabo HPT is a branding disaster, the graphic design of the tools is generic, lots of people still have no idea who they are / barely remember Hitachi / still confuse them with Metabo. On Amazon they struggle to rise over the Chinesium mess. (I’d literally never heard of them before discovering Acme deals. Shame, they’re great tools.)
Dewalt is immediately recognizable to anyone who’s gone into a hardware store in the last several decades (to the point much of the Chinese Amazon crap goes for direct knockoffs)
Also to be frank the Amazon search engine is hot trash and easy to manipulate. If I search for Father’s Day gift or similar I get Dewalt tool kits. Searching for the Chameleon doesn’t pull up the Skil/Dremel but it does suggest a bunch of unrelated drills / screwdrivers/ trash. Far more interesting data would be how much time the median Amazon buyer spends between initial search and buying a product; I’m betting it’s very very low, meaning SEO (and an instantly recognizable thumbnail pic) makes or breaks sales.
Stuart
Bosch 18V drill kit at $79 right now with “200+ bought in past month” – https://www.amazon.com/BOSCH-GSR18V-400B12-Compact-Brushless-SlimPack/dp/B0BCX9DXSS/?tag=toolguyd-20
Dewalt at $99 with “10K+ bought in past month” – https://www.amazon.com/Dewalt-DCD771C2-Cordless-Lithium-Ion-Compact/dp/B00ET5VMTU/?tag=toolguyd-20
In some cases a choice is made, Brand X over Brand Z. But here, it’s not really a competitive decision. The purchasing decision is more “do I buy the Dewalt or not?” rather than “do I buy the Dewalt over the Bosch.”
For the selection above, I don’t intend for the tools to be compared to each other.
Dremel recently launched the BluePrint tools in stores and online. I’ve seen an uptick in paid advertising for the line. And yet they don’t seem to have been selling well throughout the spring, for Mother’s Day, or Father’s Day. Why?
Skil’s Flip-Dril had all the makings of a viral product, but it doesn’t seem to be selling well. Why? Is it for different reasons compared to Dremel?
As for Amazon results, it’s not SEO anymore but paid placements. I complained once about their Black Friday deals being impossible to search, and how their “new releases” filter was broken. They told me that brands pay for placement and they can’t control the order in which anything appears.
You’ll see that a lot.
Search for Bondhus hex tools: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=bondhus+hex+set&tag=toolguyd-20
Search for Bondhus hex tools with the brand filter hard set: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=bondhus+hex+set&rh=p_89%3ABondhus&tag=toolguyd-20
With the unfiltered search, it’s Bondhus and sponsored listings for Wiha and random alphabet soup brands. I see alternating rows between random results and sponsored placements.
It’s becoming where everyone’s shopping paths are going to be largely predetermined.
928'er
In my case, my tool buying is based on what battery systems I’m already on. I have Bosch 12 & 18v, Ryobi 4 & 18v, and Nextec 12v. I am NOT buying anything that requires me to buy in to another battery system.