As the title says, I’m a bit worried about Flex Tools, specifically what the future holds for the very young cordless power tool brand.
Flex Tools launched at Lowe’s 3 years ago, offering high power and modern 24V Max cordless power tools for pro users.
Flex was supposed to take on and best major players in the industry, such as Dewalt, Makita, and Milwaukee. They haven’t succeeded, and I’m getting worried that they stopped trying.
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In late 2023, following a stop sale, Lowe’s dumped most of Flex’s first generation of cordless power tools. Lowe’s also pulled the plug on holiday season promotions, ending Flex sales weeks early.
I was told this was just a refresh, and that Lowe’s would be emphasizing Flex’s compact – and lower priced – cordless power tools.
I checked on a 2-tool combo kit, the cordless drill and impact driver kit shown in the above screenshot. Lowe’s says it’s trending now, with 10 bought last week.
10?
This Flex cordless drill kit had 800 views last week.
And this impact driver kit was in 20+ carts.
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“Views” and “in carts” figures seem to be Lowe’s polite way of suggesting the purchase counts are too low to display.
Chervon, owner of Ego, Flex, and Skil, had a pretty bad financial report last year. After looking closely at the numbers, I surmised that Lowe’s lower spending was likely responsible for the drop in revenue and losses for the year.
Lowe’s also purged Flex Stack Pack tool boxes out of their stores, seemingly because they chose Klein ModBox and ToughBuilt Stack Tech as their premier modular tool storage systems.
Flex offerings were on sale at Amazon for Prime Day 2024, most notably many Stack Tech tool box products and a 2pc combo kit.
At this time, Amazon still has a Flex 2-tool combo kit for $129. It was $99 for Prime Day.
Flex’s tools aren’t selling themselves, and it seems that Lowe’s and Amazon aren’t putting a lot of effort into it either.
In my opinion, Skil, Flex’s sibling brand, is the most underrated cordless power tool brand, and it’s almost an injustice how low their sales numbers seem to be on Amazon.
Amazon seems to sell plenty of corded Skil power tools, but their cordless figures are unimpressive.
At the time of this posting, Amazon’s listing says they sold 6K+ of a Skil corded detail sander in the past month. Its current price is $39.
Amazon’s listing for a Skil 12V cordless compact detail sander kit says they sold just 50+ in the past month. It’s priced at $60, which is incredible for a full kit with battery and charger from a name-brand. The Skil 20V sander kit is way further down on Amazon’s bestsellers list, implying it sees even fewer sales.
All that is to say that I don’t think Amazon sales are going to be enough for Flex, as they’re certainly not helping Skil a lot.
This past month we learned about all of the forward-surging innovations coming to Milwaukee and Dewalt cordless power tool lines.
Nearly 3 weeks ago I emailed Flex Tools, asking what’s new, as it’s been close to a year since they told me about any tool news or developments. They acknowledged the request, but so far no one has gotten back to me. That’s not a good sign.
What’s new with EGO, Chervon’s much-lauded cordless outdoor power tool brand? I haven’t heard or seen anything in about a year. I haven’t seen anyone else talk about anything new either, except for their toy dirt bike.
Chervon seems to be losing steam across all of their major brands. They have a history of innovation and excellence. In no uncertain terms, they produce exceptionally good tools across a range of quality levels. This should be enough, but it’s not. Where’s the impetus for growth? Expansion? Excitement?
What’s happening to Flex? Their tools and tech are decent. Sales and adoption are low.
You can argue that this is speculation, but take a walk around your local Lowe’s store. How many Flex cordless power tools, power tool accessories, and storage products do you see at Lowe’s stores?
Is Flex bringing sales and foot traffic to Lowe’s? Are other retailers substantially boosting Flex interest and sales?
Let’s look at Flex’s YouTube channel.
They’ve got an “outgrind the competition” video up 2 months ago, 3 videos about the Stack Pack 3pc tool box combo from 5 months ago, each in a different language, 3 videos from 1 year ago about a right angle drill, and then more videos about other 1 year-ago launches.
Where’s Barnaby, Chervon and Flex’s “Director of Excitement?”
It’s been months since Flex’s last social media posts.
Are Flex tools worth buying? Absolutely. You get great performance, modern features, and they’re designed and developed by a seasoned company capable of top quality.
Should anyone buy Flex tools today? Why buy Flex over Dewalt, Milwaukee, or other brands that are more active?
Flex isn’t dead, but I’m not seeing much signs of life. There’s no sparkle – no excitement.
Lowe’s sold 10 of the compact 2-tool combo kits on their website last week. How well did Flex’s other tools sell?
In a search for “Flex Tools,” with the brand filter set to “Flex,” the 2-tool combo kit, with 10 purchases last week, is in the number 2 spot.
A Flex “free with purchase” starter kit offering is in the number 1 spot, with “30+” bought last week.
30+?? Hopefully in-store sales are a lot better.
Home Depot has a Milwaukee M18 starter kit and free cordless power tool promo right now, and is reporting over 10,000 units in stock.
I have the feeling that Home Depot is selling a lot more than “30+” Milwaukee promo bundles per week.
I like Flex, and I like the folks over at Chervon. But all of this is seriously concerning.
It doesn’t seem like Lowe’s or Amazon are putting much effort into driving interest in Flex tools, accessories, or storage products.
But it also doesn’t look like Chervon or Flex is doing much, either, as evident by their largely dormant YouTube and social media channels.
WAKE UP, Flex!
The good folks at Flex and Chervon are probably going to be a bit peeved that I’m sharing my honest opinions, and I feel a bit bad about that. Speaking as a tool user, what has the brand announced or released in the past year to excite me?
What have they done to interest or excite other tool users? That’s part of the problem.
Bill Bolz, Lowe’s Executive Vice President of Merchandising since mid-2018, was CEO of Chervon North America for a little more than 3 years prior to that.
Here’s what Bolz is quoted as saying in a Lowe’s press lease about the Flex launch in 2021:
“As the New Home for Pros, Lowe’s is committed to offering the very best quality, durability and product innovation for today’s most discerning builders, contractors and trade professionals,” said Bill Boltz, executive vice president of merchandising at Lowe’s. “This FLEX launch allows our customers to find the latest innovation in our tool department with a brand that will strengthen the industry and how people work.”
Lowe’s isn’t carrying the table or miter saws that Flex quietly launched sometime in late 2023. (They forgot to send memos about those tools, too.)
What does it say that Chervon can no longer sell their former CEO on Flex tools?
Is this part no longer true:
Lowe’s is committed to offering the very best quality, durability and product innovation for today’s most discerning [professionals]
Or does Lowe’s no longer consider Flex to offer “the very best quality, durability and product innovation.” Lowe’s no longer seems to have faith in the Flex Tools brand, or at least this is suggested by what they are and are not carrying in stores, not to mention what can be inferred from Chervon’s financial report and “major customer” revenue disclosures.
Flex no longer seems heavily invested in themselves. At first I thought it was just me, and that the lack of announcements, press releases, product samples, and communications were because of something I did or didn’t do. But they’re not saying much directly to end users either, or at least this is suggested by their relatively inactive YouTube and social media channels.
If Flex’s major retail partner seems disinterested, the brand isn’t showing much signs of energy, and they’re listed but not emphasized at major retailers such as Amazon, why should I care or have faith in Flex?
So… yeah, I’m worried about Flex.
Where could the brand go from here? The problem, in my opinion, is that Chervon is traditionally an OEM. They’re excellent at making tools and business-to-business relationships.
EGO was different. EGO is Chervon’s own brand, but it was elevated by Home Depot prior to the brand’s departure to Lowe’s. In my opinion, EGO’s success comes from great tools coupled with emphasized interest and attention from Home Depot.
It’s my understanding that Home Depot helped to boost EGO, EGO wanted to also be sold at Lowe’s, and then Home Depot said “see ya!” to the brand. Has EGO seen the same level of success in the 4 years since that happened?
Chervon poured tons of energy into Flex’s US launch and initial expansions, and it seems all of that energy is gone.
What we’re left is a top-notch tool development team making great products, but it’s not enough. Chervon NEEDs to learn how to better reach end users and consumers.
I was excited about Chervon’s Skil-compatible Denali tool arrangement with Amazon. Prime Day was this week – did you see any Skil-compatible Denali tool promotions? Me neither.
I bring up Chervon’s sibling tool brands because there’s nothing wrong with any of them or their tools. I risk making people mad by saying this, but Flex’s woes look to stem from inadequacies in the sales and marketing department. What else could it be?
On the bright side, that means this could be a fixable situation.
Flex… there’s so much untapped potential, don’t let it go to waste. Don’t write or call to tell me I’m wrong, and that great things are coming. SHOW ME. Show everyone.
Flex was supposed to “change the game.” Maybe they still can, but I’m worried that they ran out of drive and fuel.
Convince me that I’m wrong.
fred
I may have my history wrong – but it seems that Flex hitched its wagon to the wrong horses. I believe that they were once one of the smaller players in the German power tool market – taking their name form the flexible shaft grinders that they produced. Then – they were perhaps better known for angle grinders a tool that they helped introduce to the market. In any event, I believe that they decided to align themselves with Porter Cable – either in the Rockwell or Pentair ownership days. When B&D acquired Porter Cable, the Flex brand was supposedly sold off to Chervon. The German company still exists:
https://www.flex-tools.com/de-de
So, hitching up with Porter Cable was perhaps the first misstep – as we all know how Porter Cable has ultimately decline as a brand. Then, more recently – their hopes that Lowes would invigorate the brand was the second mistake. IMO Lowes seems like a fickle business partner that is constantly thrashing around looking for brands and merchandise that will boost their own mediocre performance.
Stuart
Chervon acquired the Skil brand from Bosch and relaunched it. SBD acquired Craftsman from Sears and relaunched it. HiKoki changed their USA name from Hitachi to Metabo HPT. Positec launched a cordless line under CAT.
I don’t think the Flex brand name plays a significant part in all of this.
Chervon should have already learned that Lowe’s won’t prop up independent tool brands – we first saw this with Hammerhead a few years ago.
ColeTrain
I Am with You Stuart, I think the skil stuff not only gets zero love. Forget the price, it’s far better than the DIY that it’s marketed to. I came across an aisle display earlier this year and saw the 12 volt multi-tool kit for 60 bucks and didn’t even blink an eye for that price. I love it so much I’ve been waiting on the 12 volt compact impact to go on sale because I wanted a light weight and small one but forget the fact that it’s never on sale none of my lowes has even had one in stock for months. I did want that palm sander but ended up buying a harbor freight one and of course it went on sale after. The batteries are so light and impressive but I want to buy a ratchet kit and the one hand reciprocating saw but never see it on sale. I noticed in an issue of popular woodworking they gave the drill at Best buy for 12 volt systems. I’m sure they’re 20 volt system is just as good and I know people looking to buy into a quality and affordable power tool and I recommend them but most people just shrug them off. Now they’re just relegated to one end cap at Lowe’s that faces a wall for no one to see. I’ve been feeling this coming for a year at least. The only Chevron on marketing I see is the occasional ego commercial and most of those commercials are the same ones I’ve seen the last 5 years. They have good stuff they’re just terrible at putting it in the hands of the consumer. Hell, I didn’t even know their batteries have a 5-year warranty until I opened the package and saw the registration inside. Sad
Eric
Chevron/Flex haven’t had any connection to Porter Cable as far as I know. They were bought by SBD 20ish years ago. SBD put some effort into launching their lithium battery tools. But then didn’t put in much effort to update them. Then after the bought Craftsman they ended up re-badging a lot of those cordless tools at Craftsman for their launch. And I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the newer Craftsman tools were originally intended to be a 2nd generation or Porter Cable tools. But SBD decided to put their efforts into Craftsman since they have much more brand recognition.
fred
According to Wkipedia:
“FLEX-Elektrowerkzeuge GmbH is a German producer of power tools with headquarters in Steinheim. After producing flexible shaft grinders since 1922, FLEX invented the “Flex” or angle grinder in 1954. The company created a partnership with American tool producer Porter Cable, until Pentair sold its power tool division to Black & Decker in 2004. Black & Decker divested itself of FLEX tools. In 2013 FLEX tools were taken over by Chervon Holdings Ltd.”[1]
Peter
Never heard about that German brand before recently here.
Would be to surprise if they have much to do with the Flex brand since they are so different.
I trained to be a metal fab guy way too many decades ago in Germany and when someone said flex it always meant angle grinder.
So that the name flex came from flexible shaft grinder is news to me.
Which makes this another day I learned something. 😀
fred
https://www.flex-tools.com/de-de/presse/flex-und-chervon
Chervon acquired them in 2013
Peter
Always fun to learn something new.
I think I was too late to the party or worked in a different kind of metal fab shop.
Because I never saw a tool like this but my boss was also very keen to have more modern tools.
Thank you for posting this.
Simon
Lowes sold their Canadian stores and FLEX had an exclusivity agreement with Lowes so you are correct about not partnering with the right party. HOME depot would have been much better. Hopefully we will find FLEX in our local HOME depot.
I picked up a lot of deals here in Canada because Rona and Renot depot store (formerly owned by Lowes) are literally half price right now while US stores are still selling at full price. FLEX keeps on coming out with new tools amd storage system and they are great one after the other. They will eventually suceed in finding the partnership they deserve as a brand and I’m taking the risk.
Jimmie
For what it’s worth, Home Depot had an exclusive agreement with Ego (another Chervon brand) for a number of years. Once that relationship soured, I don’t think a FLEX-HD arrangement would have survived.
RobH
This is just an anecdote, but every single person I know who uses Flex has hade monumental battery issues.
Conversely, I still have 2 20vMax 4ah dewalt batteries that are 10 years old in my pile.
That’s enough to end a company right there.
PW
Reading this is ironic. I’m currently taking a break from working out in the heat to wait on an EGO battery to come out of thermal shutdown.
I have a couple EGO tools, and the tools themselves have been fine. But the batteries are…not impressing me.
I also have a small pile of DeWalt 20v batteries that are aged 3-7 years and not a single one has misbehaved or failed with my use.
Chervon needs to understand that in order to be a true premium cordless brand, you can’t half-ass the batteries.
fred
In a prior post I talked about what was involved in my thought process in buying a Makita XGT lawnmower that came with 2-40V 8Ah batteries. In that commentary – I mentioned my frustration with M18 batteries pooping out on thermal overload in moderate use with a Milwaukee leaf blower, hedge trimmer and string trimmer. This was mostly with 9Ah batteries – so I might have had some different experience had I been using one of the newer M18 XO or HO batteries> But the 9Ah experience was one of the inputs into my decision-making process in buying Makita.
MFC
It’s why I sold all of my milwaukee tools and went into flexvolt. I had the chainsaw, 9″ cut off, sds max, drills and impacts, etc. and the high demand tools kept overheating the batteries and the little tools kept dying.
I haven’t had completely smooth sailing with DeWalt either, but I’ve never had a single tool shut down due to an overheated battery. Except maybe their first gen lawn mower which was the worst tool ever made by anyone in my opinion.
Batteries need to be able to handle the heat generated in their output. I’m interested to see if this new motor/battery tech that Stuart was so psyched about after the pipeline event, will deal with those overheating issues.
Jeremiah McKenna
I use M18 and even M12 and never have any over heating issues with my blowers or string trimmer/multiple attachments. I use my grinder and buffer/polishing, which are all high demand tools, on a regular basis, as I am GC l, and handyman.
fm2176
I thought it was just me. I bought into EGO OPE about six years ago and one of my 5.0Ah batteries started giving me issues within a year.
It seems like none of them perform quite the way I’d hoped, and I’m lucky to get the ditch trimmed on a single charge. On the other hand, I’ve only had a couple issues with DeWalt batteries, usually due to damage or neglect. I still have some 1.3Ah 12v Max batteries dating to 2010 that run well.
Bob
We us Flex drills, impacts, and sds drill at work. No battery issues and they are much preferred over the DeWalt tools we own.
Jeff
Entering an already saturated market without a full solution is no way to succeed. Yet another battery platform and charger to take up more space, and for what? A bit more power? The tools we already have do the job just fine. We replace them when they stop doing the job, and usually with a brand we already are invested in.
They are good tools, but without a wide selection of tools. With almost any of the big players, I can get a power tool for almost any situation. Flex would have been years away from that.
Their demos were great, the tools are plenty powerful, but in a real world setting, most regular users are lugging them from the truck/van to he job site every day. And this is where the size/weight versus performance comes into play. The extra oomph it has just isn’t worth the extra weight and size to lug around in an already heavy and full tool box/box. Especially considering I’m still going to have to lug another brand’s tools, batteries, and charger because Flex doesn’t offer everything I need.
Bottom line, since Flex was introduced here, I have been on over a hundred job sites with every trade type, and I can count on one hand the number of Fled tools I have seen. Same thing goes for their boxes. The vast majority is Milwaukee and DeWalt, with Hilti and Makita a fair bit behind the first two. And you can also spot the greenhorn bringing his Ryobi/Hart, Porter Cable, Kobalt, etc..
Rzorrok
I think this is largely correct. Without a full line of tools, being marginally better than the competition isn’t good enough. I think the Skil strategy is better. Sell good tools cheap and get established with a good reputation. Then increase your margins and start making money.
Joe
Flex isn’t better than any other brand. Being better means doing something better, without giving something up imo. Flex has more power and speed, but that’s directly related to having more powerful batteries. And we all know the quality of their batteries… next to nonexistent based on all the negativity around them. I actually find huge value in the metabo hpt line, now that they’ve started to align their prices with the competition. This is coming from an exclusively makita platform, with m18 nailers mixed in.
Jeremiah McKenna
Even with that extra power, they weren’t “better” than any of the professional brands out on the market running 18 or 24 volts.
Tom
Flex is a blueprint of how NOT to launch new tool company. First of all their tools were simply priced too high, for a new tool company to gain some traction vs DeWalt/Milwaukee they have to enter the market cheaper than those two. Until Lowes “clearance” deals most of their tools were simply more expensive than other top brands. Folks don’t care much for better performance, they want better price with equal performance. DeWalt/Milwauke release/update quite a few new tools every few months, Flex maybe 4-5 per year. If they offer life time warranty then lets see some PROPER local service centers. Lowes as a launching partner is another one, seems like that store cant decide what type/line of tools they want to sell but high end stuff directed to professionals isn’t their cup of tea.
Andrew
Absolutely, never seen Flex. I’m actually investing in some Craftsman for the help. I had batteries and they are cheaper if they find legs.
Nathan
Sorry but why convince you? No offense but why should it matter if they go away?
Here’s the thing. Flex tools to most people were an also ran. Not red or yellow or blue or green. Why get a flex tool. Or it’s the most torque …. But also the only line that runs on 24v.
But people that know know grey flex isn’t red flex. So avoid them. Bad sales no impetus to create and downward
Flex tools should have been named ego. Would have been more name recognition in my opinion. I think ego released a new mower this year and maybe a chainsaw. Anyway in ope world ego has some standing.
Kobalt is flex so Lowe’s gets more margin on them I bet. So why sell flex hard. Then they have skil which has name recognition and probably sold better. And skil has that 40v system don’t they? Flex could go away and Chevron could get their act together. Oh and leave lowes
Don’t get me wrong I hope they persist as I like the competition but the market is only so large.
Ed
Kobalt isn’t a 1:1 to Flex, but you can definitely see where there’s a lot of Flex DNA in Kobalt’s latest releases. The same can be said for Ego and the latest Kobalt OPE.
I’m guessing that there may be some cheaper componentry under the hood, but I don’t see a reason to pay more for grey Kobalt. At that point, I’d just spring for a more established brand.
Full disclosure: I am heavily invested in Kobalt 24v and have provided feedback on pre-production Kobalt power tools. I’m fully aware that they’re not a market leader, but what they offer meets my needs.
Eric
Sales and marketing probably play a part in their problems. But I think the real issue is the lack of tools they have on offer. They have the basics covered but that’s about it. And that’s fine for what most people actually need. But most of us tend to think being “future proof” especially when buying into something like cordless tools. Batteries are expensive and most people will try to avoid ending up with multiple battery platforms. Having a limited selection like Flex and Bosch (especially in the US) is going to instantly turn buyers off when they see the huge number of offerings from companies like Dewalt, Milwaukee, Makita, and Ryobi sitting nearby on the shelf.
Jason M
They saw the early success with Ego and wanted to duplicate it.
The reality they apparently didn’t foresee or want to admit is that yard equipment was ripe for innovation because other than Ryobi no one was really deep in it for the homeowner.
With tools, after a decade of $99 drill or impact special buys and bare tool promotions etc. most people are already locked into a tool brand. Bad retail execution and guidance was a factor, but the idea of a new power tool brand is doomed from the start (sorry Northern Tool & Amazon).
KMR
So perhaps one of Chervon’s biggest blunders wasn’t then captilizing on the already recognized and market leading brand they had with EGO and extending that into the wider power tools segment. They could have done something like EGO 56V and EGO 24V.
Milwaukee and DeWalt don’t seem to have any qualms about adding battery powered OPE to their existing power tool line-ups.
And then the other blunder, as has been noted by others here, was Chervon deciding to partner with Lowes. As far as I’m concerned, Lowes just isn’t a serious company, their merchandising decisions seem to be throw it at a wall and see if it sticks, and if it doesn’t, drop the line-up and move to the next thing to throw at the wall.
Jason M
The issue is they couldn’t go a flexvolt/multivolt route because their 56 volt Ego system uses the typical 5 cells in series, the Flex 24v system uses 6.
But yes, I think they would have been much more successful if there was a way to crossover lines somehow
Scott K
Wow – that corded Skil sander looks great for $40. There’s a “like new” option being sold by Amazon for another $10 off. It almost seems worth buying this plus the extra sanding sheets just to have…
Josh R
It seems like being launched at Lowes is a death sentence for a tool brand. I know I wouldn’t buy into anything they were the only retailer for, because it’s only a matter of time till Lowe’s manages to screw it up.
JJ
Since you mentioned Denali, Amazon seems to be quietly shutting down that brand. Half of the Denali power tools are labeled as Amazon Basics in the listings, and the Denali markings have already been removed from some physical products. It doesn’t look like the brand name will still exist by end of year, but not sure what that says about them continuing to sell Skil compatible tools as Amazon Basics.
Luis
I noticed that too. But I always thought Denali was an ill fated choice of brand for those tools. It’s hard to make any connection between Amazon and Skil, some people would type Denali and would end up looking at accesories and autoparts for a GM truck.
Rebranding these Skil made tools as Amazon basics is the right call
OldDominionDIYer
I’m heavily invested in Milwaukee, but I do own the robust 24V Hammer drill from Flex, which is a fantastic drill. I also picked up their 7 & 1/4″ sidewinder circular saw recently and it is also a great performer and super rugged. Their tools are really great, but I think their choices (Lowes & Amazon) were terrible decisions. It seems to me that Lowes is where tool brands go to die, and most DIYers don’t shop on Amazon for their tool needs, they will usually take a few minutes to handle and maybe compare like tools from competing brands while in the home improvement store rather than shopping for their newest or latest tool on Amazon. Flex and Ego’s sudden and noticeable slowdown in new product development is certainly troubling and I hope it isn’t a sign of the future.
S
“”It doesn’t seem like Lowe’s or Amazon are putting much effort into driving interest in Flex tools, accessories, or storage products.””
I think this is a case of ‘follow the money’, as well as general brand promotion.
I just searched ‘flex power tools’ on amazon. The top highlighted and sponsored result was a ‘Hi-spec electric screwdriver, Pink’. Below that were the three flex kits you posted, then the next sponsored post is a ‘3.7v cordless rotary tool’
Following that, there’s finally a sponsored listing for a Flex-brand hammer drill. But that’s 6 items down on a page, where only 4 are the brand I searched for. I see similar results going deeper into the search, where the brand is literally undermined by Amazon’s own algorithm.
Like you said, it’s almost like they’ve given up. I don’t know all of the in’s and out’s of Amazon’s algorithm, but I know paying Amazon for sponsored placement is only a very small part of it. Ranking within the Amazon ecosystem, as well as how many key words they tie the sponsorship into also play parts.
Flex sought to take on red and yellow, but didn’t do anything to understand what makes them desirable, a large part being long term brand recognition.
Another big part of red/yellow success is getting space in trade-specific stores, and having big promo events where reps are available to demo tools and ask questions to. If a local supply house has the brand, it automatically lends a credibility to it. It also brings a more personable point of contact for the final sale, as well as offering repair and replacement services sometimes.
My local home depot has even had Milwaukee days, where reps are available to everyone.
Partnering with gigantic faceless corporations like Lowe’s or Amazon, it’s just another product to fill shelves. There’s no staff to guide people to that specific product, no one to answer questions, and nothing to compare other than the price. And once someone’s comparing on price, I for one would always rather choose the brand I know for $50 more/tool than take a chance on something new.
To succeed, a brand needs people excited and talking about it. And who’s been excited and talking about flex for the past 5 months since their last YouTube video?
To me, it seems they just expected to fall upwards to the top, and never put forth the effort to their marketing and brand relationships beyond the absolute basic needs.
Jronman
There seems to be quite a bit coming from Ego. Two new commercial blowers, dedicated handheld snow blower, new snowblower, and the announced but yet to have product listings commercial riding mowers. I might have missed a thing or two. Since November we have seen a ton of stuff from Ego release. Vac, pressure washer, auger, and a ton of new commercial stuff.
Stuart
Could be, but I haven’t heard a peep.
All I’ve seen online in the past few months is that riding toy, which looks to be the tool industry version of the “Onewheel” that video influencers love to rave about.
Jronman
When you say you haven’t seen anything Ego do you mean you haven’t gotten media kits on anything Ego or you actually haven’t seen anything? I am surprised considering Ego even had a dedicated media event at last year’s Equip Expo. Most of the time I just learn about new Ego products by going to the powerplusparts website every once in a while to browse the new products page.
Stuart
Both. The tools you mentioned are all new to me.
I check websites, YouTube, and social media on occasion, but it’s impossible to keep up with hundreds of brands of interest all the time.
Media support isn’t just about timely information, but the ability to get questions answered.
If a brand has a history of providing timely info, I don’t scour the internet for news. I’d rather scour for info on brands that are too small or unreliable to put energy towards media or influencer communications.
Rzorrok
Their new lawn tractor looks pretty nice.
Goodie
It seems like Stuart has been doing a set of brand “check-ins” over the past few weeks. I think that’s a valuable approach and worth pursuing.
Thiis article addressed Flex, but seems to really be about Chervon. There are some interesting gems in this article, such as the Ego, Skil and Denali discussionsl. I like that approach. A look at SBD through the same lens would also be quite interesting.
Other brands I would like to see similar articles on: Hilti would be good. As would one on Metabo/Metabo HPT. Bosch and Makita get good coverage, but are certainly deserving of this treatment as well.
I am also curious to look across OPE. Ego coverage, some Greenwork coverage, and a look across other brands would be great. I am visiting family in the PNW, and the selection of Stihl OPE out here is just fantastic. When our current Greenworks stuff goes (got it on a trendous sale), I might really consider Stihl.
Stuart, I can almost see this series of brand articles resulting in updates that lead into the Toolguyd “cordless brand reviews” and a link to each brand’s specific article as a way to provide some background on your current assessment of each brand. Your cordless brand guide is a real gem, and unique in that you don’t pull any punches in your take on theae brands.
Stuart
I could potentially turn this into a series, but I think it’s a better approach to delve in deep when there’s something to say.
Goodie
That’s very valid. A link to these in the guide could be interesting for folks reviewing to understand why your recommendations fall out the way they do.
Pat
I don’t have the background to disagree with your assessment, but my Lowe’s still has the full line up of flex boxes and tools on prominent display. Moreso than the modbox now. And I’ve been pretty consistently getting Facebook ads for the system so there’s at least some investment in marketing.
Tim
You go into HD you know there will be Milwaukee DeWalt Makita Ridgid Ryobi.
Lowe’s can’t even get their own house brands right. Is it Kobalt? Craftsman?
Meanwhile there’s a new storage system they’re bringing in every week and now Klien? They had random Wiha and Wera tools that are disappearing? It’s a rotating wall of the week.
The best part about lowes is scoring things like every Metabo HPT tool I own at “minimum retail price applied” for no reason while they keep stocking more.
I think Flex has fallen victim to that and the black goo battery controversy and meanwhile is being picked up by places like Acme and several newer retailers online.
They’ll probably be around for a bit.
A-A-Ron
The promos were and still are non-existent. Even when Acme Tools had their Turbo drills for sale for $99, I still couldn’t pull the trigger. Just seemed like something was off about their long-term viability, not to mention how Lowe’s goes through power tool manufacturers (not named DeWalt) like toilet paper.
Not for nothing, but their color scheme is hideous, too. That whole grayscale appearance is really unappealing even in person.
Jim Felt
Stuart. Why do so many posts related to Lowe’s seem to be of tool brand related failure?
Am I just imaging this or as I found a week or two ago after seeing a Toolguyd mentioned Lowe’s deal I went online, placed my order and days later found they didn’t actually have it in stock. But only after I visited a specific and fairly distant to me store.
HD in my local market areas simply do not make these kind of mistakes. Literally never.
Might be a pattern?
fred
To the extent Lowes remains successful in business is an enigma to me. Based on my experience with 2 stores that were close to my residences in 2 different states, I’m surprised that they still report decent earnings. When both of these stores first opened, I visited frequently wanting to like them. But after repeated foibles – I now only go when they seem to be the only close by supplier of some particular brand – or when my wife wants to see what plants they have on sale. I guess it can be said (in their favor maybe??) that they do seem to keep trying for offer brands that are different from what’s at the nearby HD. But the fact that they seem to flit from one brand offering to another is a bit frustrating.
They remind of my younger days when Montgomery Ward was an also-ran competitor of Sears. The “Monkey Wards” nickname was aptly applied to their store that was closest to my boyhood home – although they had a decent fishing tackle section. The local Sears was always better attended – and their Craftsman tool department had no comparison at MW.
Stuart
Lowe’s is… definitely not Home Depot, but I don’t think it’s fair to blame them for everything.
fred
I don’t think that Lowes is to blame – but I’m not sure that their marketing style or prowess fits well with the launch of a new brand or the rejuvenation of a moribund one. With Lowes as a #2 to HD’s #1 in North American – they probably appealed to Chervon as a partner to launch the Flex line. Chervon’s relationship with Lowes as an OEM for some Kobalt power tools may have encouraged that notion. In any event – with Lowes struggling (IMO) to sell Craftsman power tools it was hard for them to give anything but short shrift to the Flex line. Then, as others have said, the Flex line does not exactly represent a paradigm shift so compelling as to displace the many other established brands in the marketplace. IMO their lineup may have a few good items – but not the breadth and depth for most buyers to want to switch or buy into a new battery platform.
Goodie
The Lowe’s in my area are cleaner and better stocked than the HD. I undertand the “rotating brand of the week” concern. However, the HDs that are near me are so dilapidated and poorly managed that I usually prefer to go to Lowe’s. They’re all very busy, and there’s a ton of people going into and out of the HD stores. Nontheless, that’s no excuse for dirty and poorly managed stores. The Lowes closest to me, I’ve been told by some folks working there., is one of the most profitable in the chain. It’s pretty clean and seems to be well stocked and managed.
Blocky
I’ve had frustrating experiences with Lowe’s ordering both flex and toughbuilt and even some mismanaged Stanley tape measure skus ordering online, but in my area, the lumber section has better plywoods than Home Depot and more consistently stocked. The raw materials and general hardware store offerings are just fine, and come to think of it, that’s probably the real bread and butter, which fiscally speaking, may buoy a lot of tool brand chaos.
Mateo
I think Lowe’s just doesn’t care about power tools as weird as that sounds. They have Flex, a very neutered dewalt catalogue, and a very neutered Metabo hpt catalogue. Then the less “pro” brands.
Running dewalt tools at work I don’t even consider lowes unless I need a few new drills or impacts, I’ll just go to Home Depot or acme.
Bill
Skil is sold at Menards. I’d like to see Flex move there as well. One can hope.
MattT
Menards could use another more premium option to their house brand besides Bosch, but Flex wouldn’t want that to be an exclusive because Menards is regional to the midwest. I know Ego mowers are sold nationwide at Ace Hardware, so it might make sense for Flex to get in there as well.
Luke
I love my Flex tools and pack outs. I too was disappointed to see them seemingly losing their steam at Lowe’s and online. I’ve got about everything they make and have had no issues with heavy daily use as a carpenter. I also own tons of Milwaukee and DeWalt for comparison. You can verify this on my Instagram @echopeakdesign
PKS319
Are the flex tools sold in the US (Gray) the same as those sold in Europe (Red)? The European tools seem largely to be made in Germany and are regarded as a premium brand. I have seen high quality Flex vacs, but they were Red – even though sold in the US for 120VAC power. Thanks for any insight…
Stuart
To my knowledge, no, they are not.
KG21Unth
They are not entirely the same. Besides the color difference, the battery voltages are different for the cordless version (Europe does not have any X volt Max* claims) and of course the corded ones are designed for different line voltages.
Chervon acquired Flex in the early 2010s and to their credit has continued to invest in Flex. The european products are strong in the grinders and sanders space and are really strong with Polishers where they are often better than the very expensive Rupes (Italian brand) polishers that detailers proudly show off.
In the long run though, like every manufacturer, you can see sharing of platforms (gears, switches, motors, modules etc.) between the brands.
In the US market, physical presence, sustained physical presence of a brand is key. It took Ryobi 18V One Plus 15+ years to become an overnight success.
Let’s hope Flex powers through (no pun intended) and has a sustained physical presence and both the parent company and its channel partners commit to it.
Ben
No kidding, you hitch your wagon to Lowe’s you are gonna get burned, like many others have. Pros do not shop at Lowe’s. Lowe’s does not try and advertise or appeal to pros or the trades. The majority of Lowe’s power tools are consumer crap like Stanley Black and Decker garbage, Kobalt, and that’s it. The only pro grade tools they carry are a pitiful selection of Makita, Metabo HPT, and Flex. All three of those now have only a handful of their range carried at my local Lowe’s store. It’s a consistent problem with Lowe’s. If they really wanted to sell to pro customers they needed to have actual trade specific solutions, not just another drill or impact or circular saw. And not sell mostly at Lowe’s.
Stuart
That’s not exactly fair. I think it’s more about hitching your wagon to Lowe’s and then cutting your own horses free. Don’t cut the horses free. Just hitching your wagon to Lowe’s won’t ensure your wagon goes anywhere.
Luis
Lowe’s doesn’t sell Makita. Did you mean Bosch?
bg100
Is Flex exclusive to Lowes for brick & mortar? To me that’s a brand killer. My yellow tools are in every supply store in my state. Not just HD, but the one-off stores to the lumber chains to the farm supply stores to the hardware stores. DeWalt ( and SBD as a whole) are diversified and can move a lot of product even when the big stores don’t give them the premium display space. Can Ego or Flex say the same? I don’t think so. If Lowes doesn’t give them the giant space near the pro section they move zero tools, period.
If these newer tool brands want to compete in this space, why aren’t they looking at the playbook? Get into multiple retailers, offer a higher and lower price point, run a predictable promo schedule and engage with your customers in the store.
DeWalt shows up and gives me free stuff. Makita shows up and gives my brother free stuff. No way is Flex showing up with a free shirt and battery.
Goodie
This is a big reason I have some Dewalt. They are absolutely everywhere and have a broad line. Even in my little home town of 300 people, there’s a decent farm supply store close that has a huge DeWalt lineup.
Ziggy
Flex was doomed from the start. Why come out with brand new powertools (cause they were), use a well known brand name in Europe but at the same time you distance yourself from that brand cause the tools arent sold in Europe (compared to EGO and Skil which are available in Europe).
They even are complete different companies.
So you are Flex but you also arent. You just share a brand name, which is flat out weird.
Then you limit yourself to a few retailers plus the promotion has been awful from the start really. In the end, nobody gives a shit how much more powerful their tool is compared to a different color. Its not a selling point to anyone who makes their living off them.
And those are the buyers you want. Power is just a bonus but its reliability, availability and service that matter for pro’s. From what i read and hear Flex is behaving like a DIY brand from the start.
dale clark
Don’t be surprised if desperate Chevron starts to offer hand tools with the EGO brand.
James
This may be slightly tangential: I was at the cottage helping my father in law on a couple of projects. He has Makita tools for his home building business but he bought Porter-Câble for the cottage to minimize confusion. I was totally impressed with the ergonomics. I used circ saw, grinder, drill, and impact, so nothing crazy, but I really liked the way they felt in my hands and the overall function of the tool. I wasn’t looking for crazy power or anything, but I was left with the feeling that the tools were decent.
Too bad to read here that they’re in decline although don’t think it’s a brand I ever would invest in being deep in red and blue already.
MattT
The first cordless drill I owned was a 12V Porter-Cable I bought it back in the 90s when PC was still independent and producing really nice prosumer-level stuff. It was a well-built comfortable to use beast that handled every job I (a DIYer, not a pro).
When it finally died I replaced it with another 12V drill/driver, but this time a Milwaukee M12 that really showed how far cordless tech had come over the years. (And when my ex kept in the divorce, I replaced it with an M12 Fuel. Lol. I just prefer the size and weight of the M12 drills and drivers.)
I’m still a little nostalgic for PC, though, and wish they would/could have stayed independent. I think they could have developed into a viable major alternative to the yellow and the red.
fred
When it was introduced, we considered the 12V (NiCad) Porter Cable Drill (that they called “Magnequench”) the first serious cordless drill. At that point in time, Makita was dominating the cordless market in the US – with their 7.2V and 9.6V drills – even though B&D had invented the product. We thought the Makitas were wimpy – and that battery cordless tools might just be OK for light-duty work and the DIY crowd. The 12V PC drill convinced us otherwise.
JR Ramos
Thank you for mentioning Magnequench! I hadn’t thought about that in years and don’t think I ever would have remembered what it was called if someone asked me. Those drills were actually a step up from the big players at the time but there was so much development and engineering happening for – call it the first decade of cordless. I don’t know if anyone ever bested the Panasonic cordless drills but you just never ever saw Panasonic on shelves. We stocked one (just one) and eventually sold it with a rave review from that customer, replenished the one and it just sat there getting faded and dusty for some years.
I don’t think “prosumer” describes anything from Porter Cable when they were their own company. Not until the very last 2-3 years when they were in decline and eventually sold – and in that period they started to introduce some cheaper tools (which were still very good, just not the same high quality as their benchmarks).
John S
I can think of so many reasons for this.
It might not be everyone’s experience, but I hate both of my local Lowe’s. I hate the one that doesn’t have anything, and I hate the one where the two self checkouts were down at the same time while one guy tried to figure it out and every other employee walked by with a look that says “that sucks”.
Ordinarily, my use of Milwaukee on the job site might have led to me purchasing Milwaukee OPE, but they didn’t have a mower at the time (and it came out at $1000, I don’t have $1000 worth of lawn to cut). My use of Ego, on the other hand would push me right away from a sister brand of tools. The only nice thing I can say about Ego batteries is they haven’t caught fire. It’s hard to do that when they collect dust because they can’t take a charge any more.
Michael F
FLEX was always going to have a huge headwind in North America. If you’re going to launch a major cordless power tool brand in NA you need to come in with enough energy, innovation, quality, and marketing to displace brand names like Milwaukee and DeWalt in homes. That’s not an easy task. If you don’t have deep pockets and aren’t fully committed to the mission it will fail. On top of those, already significant, challenges, I think FLEX was going to face additional headwinds specifically in the US market.
For one, the US consumer (specifically in areas like power tools) is becoming aware of the supply chain of the products they’re buying. I’m not saying Chervon is a big, bad, Chinese company, but I do think in this political climate many consumers are going to opt for a more tried and true name like Milwaukee. At least with Red and Yellow you get the feeling that you’re “buying American” even if the truth is a bit murkier than that.
Second, partnering with Lowe’s was probably a misstep. At this point, Lowe’s seems to be the big box store brands go to die at. If your only option as a brand is to launch at Lowe’s, I think that’s a good indication the market is too saturated and you should scrap the idea all together.
Doug N
Chervon had a great thing going til around 2020: Ego dominating at Home Depot, Skil at Amazon, and Kobalt at Lowe’s to compete with Ryobi. But that wasn’t enough; they wanted a new Flex to compete with the pro tool brands. HD said no, so they hitched up with Lowe’s and the rest is (soon to be) history. Flex never took off, and Ego’s sales have suffered as well.
Probably a risky idea with any retailer but with Lowe’s it was doomed from the start.
Stuart
No; I think they wanted to expand EGO to more stores and broader audiences, and Home Depot said “no way” and immediately dumped them.
Home Depot announced the discontinuation of EGO tools and *then* EGO and Lowe’s produced partnership announcements.
When it comes to power tools, Chervon was shackled to the needs and wants of their OEM partners. Sears Craftsman was a major client, and all that business was already gone.
The Hammerhead brand failed to take off.
Skil and Skilsaw was a great investment in DIY and entry price (Skil) and niche cutting (Skilsaw) categories.
Flex made perfect sense, a pro level brand that completed Chervon’s portfolio.
DIY power tools
Pro power tools
Home outdoor power tools
So what went wrong?
Let me tell you about Harbor Freight. I spoke to them a few years ago, and they are going to offer Hercules cordless power tools a la carte. There were no kits, but you could get a discount when buying a tool, battery, and charger at the same time.
Fast forward a few years, and Harbor Freight moved back to a couple of kits and combos, and recently tested “buy this get a free tool” promo.
Tool brands cannot simply market tools the way they want to. They cannot simply “show up and win” anymore.
Chervon is built for B2B sales. Appealing to end users is something they seem to be struggling with. Look at what Milwaukee does, or Dewalt. Look at brands like Knipex or Wera in the hand tool space.
Lowe’s presents huge opportunities for tool brands, but they tend to be a very passive retail partner.
Visibility and placement at Lowe’s is a good thing that will help most tool brands, but it needs to be actively exploited if there are to be significant benefits. It doesn’t seem like Flex, Skil, or EGO have been doing that, and it’s a bigger deal with Flex given their price points and competitive environment.
I can’t tell you what the exact solution is, but in my opinion Flex could and should be doing a lot more.
I’m worried the brand is fading away, but the tools are too good for that to happen.
Bob
At my local Lowe’s, EGO is displayed very prominently. There’s a big display right at the entrance. In the lawn and garden tool aisle, EGO has the largest shelf space, on both sides. You have to go past all the EGO displays to even see any other brand.
For tools, Flex is a different story. It (and Bosch) are the last tool aisle. Most displayed products have no inventory. DeWalt, Craftsman and Kobalt not only have more aisle space, but also have end caps on non tool aisles and cardboard displays along the main aisle with promos.
Farkleberry
I know one pro who likes his limited Flex stuff.
I can’t speak to retail relationships. I find most marketing pretty annoying, though this doesn’t mean its not working on me or others. I tend to find power tool marketing has a lot in common with beer and pickup trucks. The so called “tool tests” and online reviews are pretty effective on me, and it’s tough to know who’s objective. This site is great for anecdotal experiences, and all the brands have ups and downs.
In many tool tests, Flex has some top performing tools. All of the top level brands are constantly one upping and trading spots. All have contenders, non contenders and fatally flawed duds at any given time.
FLEX’S CHALLENGES:
Brand recognition. This relates to the retail relationships and marketing for foot holds or critical mass, etc.
Are consumers rejecting Flex because of:
– Lack of trust in a new brand that could fold?
– Lack of awareness of the brands performance, value and
range?
– Awareness of the brands advantages vs disadvantages?
The major difference between Flex and the competition is the voltage. While not the only 24v system, the vast majority use some mutiple of 5 cells vs Flex’s 6. One of their marketing claims is 20% more power. Flex doesn’t have proprietary battery chemistry, they have an extra cell.
This means 20% more power and 20% more weight when using cylindrical cells. This led to Flex (along with Dewalt) pioneering pouch cells to adjust the power/weight combination, for compact tools especially.
Personally, I’m not interested in having only a 40V system like XGT, because I want to be able to run compact batteries on things like compact drills, impact drivers, multi tools, sanders, etc. This forum showcases a strong preference for light weight tools with comments always complaining about the lack of recognition for 12V tools.
Not to beat a dead horse, but I’m unconvinced of pouch cells longevity in high draw applications. We can game out all kinds of scenarios of 6 x 21700 vs 10 x 18650, but the 10 x 21700 format seems to fit well for things like full size circ saws, recipe saws, grinders, etc. Wheeled tools like table saws, miter saws, vacs and wheeled OPE (entirely absent from Flex) I think suggest much higher voltages.
Speaking of batteries – many reports of leaking batteries and Chervon’s response is it’s no problem. Maybe it’s the most conveniently benign design/manufacturing flaw in history, but it’s still a literal and PR mess.
STACK PACK
Along the lines of the cordless system, Flex wants to offer a premium product that’s large, heavy, and feature rich. They seem to have avoided many of the common pitfalls like cheesy latches and too tall rolling box carry handles. Their low profile corner rails offer storage space efficient protection and adaptable mounting points. They have some ergonomic misses on many of the carry handles, and missed opportunities in the modularity of drawers vs bins and organizers. They put a lot of thought into hanging chargers, etc. inside of lids and sides of the big box, which can compromise the use of interior space and trays, etc.
The most unique and possibly important characteristic of this category are the stacking/interlocking mechanisms. I think they struck out here. Tiny, delicate looking side mounted handles that stick up above lids are finicky and not particularly rugged, especially given the 1 year warranty. They added some front and rear bottom bumpers so they don’t rock back and forth like dewalt, but it’s not a real rugged, and not a flexible system.
Packout’s feet or cleat system has led to tons of free R&D from users 3d printing. Stack tech will never have this, and thus never challenge Packout. Klein and tough stack seem to offer as much or more in the heavy premium category as well.
Basically, Flex has plenty of range for carpentry and DIY. Their uncommon voltage means their tools and batteries are often powerful but heavy, or if batteries are lightweight they are expensive. They made a splash upon introduction, but leaking batteries and a very crowded market have made mass adoption and retail space a challenge.
Joe
Very interesting article Stuart!
Lowes is such a pain in ass. Their tool sections always look like crap and they promote the Craftsman and Kobalt so heavily and ignore the professional line ups. Most contractors that I know go through Home Depot (better offerings and services for contractors); therefore, almost all of them are on ole red or ole yellow. In the grand scheme of things, Flex isn’t too far off in price from the Kobalt tools and significantly outperform them. Somehow, I’d put more focus on e-commerce as I believe this is what Bosch will start doing in the NA market. Tools go to die at Lowes.
They should be targeting the younger generation with tool connectivity and other features as these are the consumers that will be starting out or switching over easily. Older consumers are going to be stuck on Milwaukee/Dewalt/Makita LXT. They are experiencing the same thing as Makita XGT – low adoption and slow sales. EGO was successful because of its high quality and power, but it was entering a newer market (electric outdoor power equipment).
I agree with many others that they should’ve had a bigger line up of tools out before releasing (or released more frequently), but their hand was probably forced by COVID. Hard to miss out on that bull market of consumer spending.
Stack Pack is good quality – hard to switch if someone is already invested in Packout as there isn’t much difference.
But let’s be real, the true reason they haven’t been super successful is their choice of color – got to go with some egregious color like neon pink.
Stuart
There are always customers looking to buy into their first cordless platform, and also customers willing to buy one-offs tool kits to complement their existing tools.
Stack Pack is okay, but will greatly suffer without consistent retail availability. They released products in 2 waves. What’s next, if anything?
AP
I’m worried about Lowe’s.
Travis
Amen. I can only speak to a few stores locally but they are dismal. The power tool marketing and placement is terrible. I might go to Lowes for paint but that is about it these days. Even my wife is starting to dislike it.
A W
I’m not really sure what their marketing strategy is.
Other than this blog, the only time I’m reminded that Flex exists is when I travel to California and see someone with an LA soccer jersey on. Maybe this is a regional thing, but I don’t know any tradesmen who follow Major League Soccer.
Alexk
I’ve been thinking of getting a more powerful string trimmer than the single string Ryobi 18v I have. It’s around 7-8 years old and works as it did new. Very light and good enough to clear small areas quickly. Not large areas or thicker brush.
Someone I’m working for has the EGO string trimmer, blower and pruner. All very powerful and good. This post has me reconsidering getting any of their products. Dewalt, Milwaukee and Ryobi have been around awhile and I don’t see them going anywhere and they will be continuing to improve products.
That EGO weedwacker just cuts thru most anything, but do I want to invest $250 for a tool by a brand backed by a company that won’t fight to keep their brands going strong? I think I’ll be researching other brand String trimmers. Also, the EGO snowblower single stage can barely throw snow up to ten feet, more like 6-7’, not remotely near the “up to forty” it claimed.
Briancal
I own 3 Flex tools (hammer drill. 6 1/2 circular saw, and blower). I love all 3 tools, but am constantly frustrated by the lack of “deals” offered by Flex. You look at all the other brands and just about every day there is some kind of promo. Flex/Lowes could not even get black Friday deals right.
Stuart
That last part was the bigger shocker. Flex wasn’t featured in Lowe’s Black Friday sales flyer at all. Again.
Bob
I rarely shop Flex at Lowe’s. I go straight to Amazon and Acme.
MM
That’s been my gripe as well. I’ve been wanting to get into Flex for a couple of years now. It’s more of a “want” than a “need” for me: I really like their inline circular saw, and it’s only a matter of time before I will need a new impact driver and currently Flex has the only one on the market with a trigger bit release. I’ve been looking for deals for over a year now hoping for a good opportunity to buy into the system but deals are few and far between. I had decided to pick up a few tools from Lowe’s during the holidays last year but then Lowes went and ended the promotion early even though they had advertised the prices being good well into January.
In my opinion there’s nothing wrong with Flex’s tools: they perform well and they have some well thought out designs that nobody else has. Alas, the marketing is terrible.
Jared
I was going to comment with nearly the same language: Flex hasn’t done anything wrong. They don’t deserve to die early.
My impression of the brand is that they’re a top-tier competitor that launched with some impressive tech and specs. There’s no good reason the brand couldn’t have interrupted red and yellow’s dominance from a technical perspective.
But. The lack of promotion and visibility from the Lowes partnership has obviously not gone well.
Stuart
That’s where I think the problem is.
Lowe’s hasn’t done much to drive Flex sales, but Flex also hasn’t done much to bring customers to Lowe’s.
fred
From Lowe’s standpoint if Flex sells well that might add a penny (if that much) to their EPS. To Chervon, if Flex succeeds it’s a much bigger deal.
Stuart
In my opinion, it’s not just about selling tools, but bringing customers to Lowe’s stores and the Lowes.com website.
Lowe’s probably doesn’t care about someone buying a Flex tool; it’s more important for them to attract customers that might otherwise head to Home Depot, or maybe Ace Hardware or Medards.
CA
I can see why you might worry if you are semi invested in the brand. Outside of the big few I wouldn’t spend a dime. The trend is telling. I’m all for a matching product at a lower price. I don’t think they are it.
Stuart
When I say I’m worried, I mean on a big picture level.
What will this mean for Flex users? What will it mean for Flex tool development? What will it mean for other brands that want to expand into “mature” product categories? Will it affect other brands’ willingness to take changes or innovate in different ways?
Are we moving towards a 2-brand duopoly, similar to Coke vs Pepsi, Apple vs Samsung, or Windows vs Mac? Are we already there?
fred
Stuart, I expect that I’m quite a bit older than you, and that I could decline into a lament of old age bemoaning how things were once better. I’m not one to do that – and think that there is still plenty of room for innovation and competition in the manufacture and sale of tools. Old formulas may no longer work. If you need a big piece of the mass market to survive – then you may have tough sledding. If you can survive within a niche market that you carve out based on a few innovative tools with patent protection – then you might have a chance. If you can remain profitable doing a few things better than others, thus building a strong customer following then you also might be OK if your margins make up for lack of mass-market sales. And there are undoubtedly many other examples of how tool makers can remain profitable. On the other hand, if you can only survive if you can scale up to the size of a Dewalt or Milwaukee – I would be worried.
When I was a lad, my relatives who were i the trades had a plethora of tools from a variety of companies that are no longer in business. They were probably bought via a distribution channel of small retailers who supported the idea and profitability of having many different manufacturers competing. After WWII consolidation of these once vaunted brands started in earnest and further accelerated as chain stores and home centers replaced mom and pop hardware stores. Home Depot, Walmart and others further pushed this trend – with manufacturing moving to places where labor rates were low and consumer price expectations could be better met.
Introducing a new tool lineup is now somewhat akin to making a new brand of automobile. There will always be strong headwinds – with lots of failures – and maybe a few successful new entrants that can survive beyond the initial hype.
Stuart
Failures tend to have ripple effects.
Many former Sears Craftsman tool OEMs or partners were closed in recent years, such as Western Forge, Armstrong, and International. Some are still in trouble, such as Vaughan.
How many tool brands are going to consider setting up production in the USA, following recent high-profile failures by Malco and SBD?
To be frank, Flex is… less than perfect at reaching end users, and Lowe’s is… less than perfect at selling tools. “Less than perfect” is a kinder way of putting things than both deserve.
Saying “I’m worried about Flex” seemed like the mildest way to provide armchair commentary about what’s going on with the brand and possibly why.
Chervon’s Flex experiment hasn’t completely failed yet.
Flex and Lowe’s need to put their heads together to answer the question “what can we do to sell more Flex tools at Lowe’s?” and then do that. If it doesn’t work, try again, and again, and again. If they can’t, they should hire someone that can.
Posts like this tend to make people feel bad, but maybe they’ll realize I’m right and do something about it.
fred
I fear that during the heat of battle it is often difficult to take advice or even see which paths might lead to success. Others have said that Lowe’s style seems to be “throw it on the wall and see what sticks” – and presumably cut your losses and try again. I think that sometimes with larger companies. their problems with marketing smaller brands -like Flex – might be looked on as a petty annoyance with the potential for causing a larger distraction. So, if the initial trial doesn’t work – then you just move on and try to fry bigger fish.
Despite my lackluster experience with Lowes (based on only 2 stores out of 1815) – they must be doing somethings right. Their stock on an EPS basis while recently lower than HD is still in the same ballpark.
JR Ramos
I don’t own any Flex but handling a few in person at a Lowe’s and reading all the reviews and comments over the years they seem like very good to excellent tools overall. That said, if they go away I don’t think the world will suffer a great loss. There’s just too much competition now and consumers have access to every brand and every price point in so many different avenues. Flex tried to muscle in with the established majors – the tools were worthy of it but the pricing wasn’t, and without the same vast network of service, parts, and accessories, it just seemed destined to limit growth or flounder in mediocrity. Being married to Lowe’s absolutely does not help anything.
All that said, one of the things that really hit me lately was how consumers these days very rarely get information (or even contact) from a Salesperson in a tool store. Those days are long gone but salespeople could sure be helpful and they could also really help a brand sink or swim (DeWalt being a very prime example of that from the first days in the early 90s). Consumers now have packaging and small placards on tool displays to make their decisions. If they don’t already know something about tools, or specific tools, and no input from a salesperson with knowledge and/or hands on experience….hard for a new brand to make it successfully (unless social media marketing/advertising assists, which is always does these days). Considering that most people only see power tools in home center stores now, that lack of personal salesmanship and information exchange seems harmful to every brand that isn’t instantly recognizable to the average joe (Milwaukee, DeWalt, Craftsman….possibly Makita and Bosch…etc). Flex probably would have benefited from better distributor support to help it lift off – not displays and advertisements or sale pricing, just communication and a salesperson.
But if there’s no more Flex, I’m sure Chervon could turn around and rebadge the products with another brand and maybe do well if they put the effort into it. And they’ll surely be around to support current Flex owners for some time to come.
I’m more worried about Toughbuilt. Digging a little deeper the last few months, they are really in a bad place and have been for about two years or a little more (lawsuits from landlords in both locations over not paying rent…..which is a gigantic indicator and which gives some clarity to some of the happenings this spring). They seem to have gotten a bit underwater in terms of ambition vs. sales, along with some very unfortunate (and preventable) bumbling on the administrative side of the business. Some really great products and I’d hate to see them go under but at this point I rather expect that to happen…getting to the end of their life buoy ropes quickly.
KMR
Toughbuilt’s financial issues go a bit deeper than that. They haven’t filed end of year financial reports or quarterly reports for 2024. They’re in danger of being delisted from the NASDAQ. There was a recent report about backdoor deals with a supposedly “independent” board member.
And yet the stock is up ~8% over the past month. I guess people don’t research what they’re investing in.
JR Ramos
That’s the tip of the iceberg, but yeah, that is the largest thing right now besides actual liquidity. They blamed the filing delay (and the subsequent quarter) on new accounting software implemented in January…ok, fine. The backdoor deal was fairly innocent but should have been caught and that was a bad blunder. Husband who had done design work for them previously (as an employee) and now works elsewhere but was contracted a few times. His wife is the independent board member, who resigned (necessary evil, surely amicable). Haven’t seen any hearing/review date posted yet but that may be in August (or as late as October). Last Thursday was a soft deadline, so to speak, but they apparently have not been delisted so that upcoming hearing will be the decider. They’re on the hook for $650,000-ish to one landlord (suit settlement) that looks forward for I think three years from May, and I couldn’t find details of the other suit. So this was not paying rent going back nearly two years and they weren’t able to get that caught up during that time…that’s pretty bad and that is not an administrative oops. The lender they secured earlier this spring agreed to relatively small installments that are earmarked for operating and supply costs (not sure what all that could entail but they’ll have to be tight with their pennies from the sound of it).
Some may not be aware of the two bizarrely large reverse stock splits they executed. Those aren’t always a bad indicator, but they usually are, and they usually are nowhere near the ratio that they did. Screams of sinking ship. But anyway…I hope they are able to stick around, or if they do drown that maybe someone can pick up the company or the IP and keep the products in the market. In the meantime there are two puppets left pulling all the strings and they are not 100% concerned with TB or tools…hopefully they remain dedicated to righting the ship.
mikedt
Far too many brands chasing the same cordless market dollars. A potential buyer either has either be clueless, never have a need beyond that one tool or extremely trusting to buy from the lesser known brands. If reputable companies sold battery adapters that would probably help the lesser known players.
JMJR
Two local hardware stores, Mississauga Hardware and IHL Canada in Ontario, Canada, also carry Flex tools. Mississauga Hardware lists 48 different SKUs, 60% of which are marked as “in stock”.
I believe Flex was supposed to make a push into independent tool stores, but those are the only local shops I can think of that sell them. Other big independent shops like Atlas Machinery, Square’s Hardware, Federated Tool, and Markham Industrial do not carry Flex.
Oddly enough, Canadian Tire has started carrying some German red Flex tools for online purchasing only.
Pavel
Teg Tools in Hamilton also carry Flex.
Goodie
Visited Canadian Tire early this month on a trip to visit Quebec and Ontario. It seems to me Flex could have been a good fit. Most of the tools on offer there seemed to be DOY level and that Flex could fill a professional/prosumer niche. Cool store, by the way.
JMJR
Canadian Tire has Dewalt and Bosch as their universal pro-level power tool brands and Black & Decker as their universal entry-level power tool brand.
They have Maximum 20V/40V as their house pro-level brand and Mastercraft 20V as their house mid-tier brand.
I figured they’d expand their selection of Dewalt before bringing in another pro-level brand.
For some reason they also added a small selection of Wera hand tools in the last couple years.
Goodie
Good to know. My sample size of visiting Canadian Tire was n=1. The most prominent tools when I visited were Maximum and Mastercraft. So, I may not have fully understood the offerings. Definitely plan to be back up north to visit again, though. You guys have some good stuff.
ColeTrain
UPDATE, maybe your article had me worried but I think you’re on to something. I was at Lowe’s and decided to check for the 12 volt compact Skill impact again. Of course I didn’t have it but the real surprise was the 12 volt display was full of Craftsman tools. The 20 volt stuff which has been on sale for a while was completely empty. No tools, no batteries, plus the only display they had was the palm sander. Everything was gone. Thankfully the 12 volt batteries were on sale for 20 bucks so I grabbed a couple because who knows. If my tool dies then I guess I have a bunch of phone chargers
Pavel
Stuart, giving what you’ve written in the article above, would you personally invest in to Flex platform, if you didn’t own any other brand? Our local Rona+ that bought Lowe’s Canada currently offers 50% off and the only batteries on offer is PowerStack.
As a recent first time homebuyer I’m doing some remodeling and looking to get some cordless tools. Originally I wanted to go with Cat, as Costco was offering a kit that had 2×4 Ah batteries, instead of 2x2Ah batteries offered elsewhere. But the only two distributors (Rona+ and Home Hardware), just like Amazon only offer it online. I ended up returning it back to Costco. However, I’ve purchased a corded version of Cat an oscillating multitool and a 5″ orbital sander and they are great!
Stuart
Speaking frankly and in the context of my own personal needs and wants, I would not invest in Flex’s cordless power tool platform as my one and only cordless brand. In a broad sense, their solutions are not as well suited for my needs and wants as other pro-grade tool brands’.
I would not invest in CAT’s cordless platform for different reasons.
fred
For my family members and friends’ who are not in the trades – but rather looking for homeowner solutions – I’ve been recommending Ryobi. Not everything in their lineup gets great reviews- so they may have some duds. But their bread-and-butter tools seem to get many positive reviews especially considering their moderate pricing. They have also stuck with their stick battery platform – which – while not my personal favorite – has avoided obsoleting older tools. As a plus, they have many tools that span lots of homeowner and DIY tasks – well beyond building trades. Based on their popularity – I don’t expect that Home Depot will suddenly drop the line – but buying into it will mostly wed you to HD for future purchases, I see the depth and breadth of their offerings to put them ahead of other house brands like Kobalt (Lowes), Hart (Walmart) or any of the HF brands.
Jared
As a fellow Canuck, I understand the temptation. Flex tools are aggressively-priced at Rona and advertised as having a lifetime warranty.
E.g. You can’t get a Dewalt 7-1/4″ saw as a bare tool for the same price you can get a Flex kit.
That pricing is remarkable – I would consider that if I were shopping.
On the other hand, check what Flex tools are available at Rona – it’s not many. You’ll be pretty limited if you invest in the platform. For that matter, I think you’d be at risk of being orphaned. I can definitely foresee Rona dropping the brand if it doesn’t perform well.
I might still buy if I was ok with owning multiple tool brands, or if I really was fine with a very limited number of tools.
I think Ryobi is a much safer bet though. Their “HP” tools are pro-tier.
Pavel
From what I’ve gathered, Rona won’t be carrying Flex once the stock is depleted. As a homeowner, I always look for value, but when I was in construction previously (carpentry), I’ve had bad experience with Ryobi, – both circ. saw and jigsaw pretty much failed. So, I won’t consider their tools.
I’ve looked at pricing for Milwaukee and DeWalt and I’ve decided to go with Flex, due to the offered lifetime warranty and performance of their tools. I’ve just purchased their jigsaw that I’ll need to install laminate. Since it was a bare tool, I’ve also got hammer drill and impact driver kit that come with 3.5 Ah and 6 Ah stacked lithium batteries and 280 W charger. I’ve also grabbed their grinder with a paddle switch and the SDS hammer. I’ll also probably will get their rear handle circ. saw kit, as it comes with 10 Ah stacked battery (the battery alone at other retailers costs more than the kit). I plan to use it with the SDS hammer. I’m also considering their drywall screw gun, possibly cut out tool and the light. That should cover my needs for cordless.
Earlier in the summer, I’ve got a 6 gal air compressor from Costco and 18 Ga precision point nailer and 23 Ga pin nailer along with a 25′ hose from DeWalt. I’ve got a Benchmark corded recip. saw that has the same specs and 5 yrs. warranty as Milwaukee, except that I’ve got it on sale for $40. Last month I’ve also got a Bosch 10-inch glide mitre saw for $500. In the future I might consider a 7491RS from DeWalt for the table saw if I see a good sale price.
Jason
The idea of purchasing a Flex tool over the equivalent Milwaukee or DeWalt tier never crossed my mind. The Flex proposition at Lowes was flawed from the start. There is too much competition in the pro power tool space for a new player to enter the field with no meaningful point of difference from brands that have a significantly loyal user base.
Justin Latva
Man, I don’t have flex tools, but I’ve used them and seen them used, if I was starting over I’d definitely give them a shot.
I have a few SKIL tools: router, tile saw, belt sander, not one of them has disappointed me. Again if I didn’t already have a full lineup of a major brand I’d give skill drills and drivers a try.