5 Reasons to Walk Around a Big-Box Tool & Home Improvement Store

There are a number of reasons why I prefer to purchase tools online, even when they are available locally. Most notably, I find brick & mortar home improvement stores have a paltry selection, making spec and feature comparison difficult.

If I want to compare and choose between three brands, say Craftsman, Milwaukee, and Bosch, I would have to travel between Sears, Home Depot, and Lowes to check them all out.

Even so, I try to walk around my local big-box home improvement stores maybe once a month or so, whether I’m looking to purchase a new tool or not. Here’s why:

1. Fit and ergonomics cannot be felt over the internet

Everybody has different hands, different grips, different preferences. If you plan to purchase a tool for many projects and years of use, you should be sure it’s comfortable to use and hold before making the investment. Many online retailers have flexible or generous return policies, but it’s best to get the tool you want in the first shot.

2. A tool’s 2D photo and 3D real-life sizes are completely different

I have found that large tools always look smaller on a computer screen, and small tools always look larger. I relearned this lesson recently when purchasing a Festool dust extractor online. Although I have seen photos of the vac with a person and tools next to it for scale, I did not have a good sense of its size until it arrived and I unboxed it.

3. It’s a good way to learn about tools and accessories

I consider catalogs to be a great way to learn about tools and accessories. Getting into woodworking? Sign up for a Rockler or Woodcraft catalog. Metalworking? Sign up for an MSC Big Book. But beyond that, holding different tools or accessories in your hand and looking them over is a complementary experience that will help you get going quicker.

Every now and then I will come across a tool or accessory, or even a brand that I’m not familiar with. I’ll take a quick photo with my cell phone and then search online for more information about the tool or brand later that day. There are times when I learn about a tool or company I never would have naturally come across online.

4. Big-box stores often get new tools first

It’s true. Many tool manufactures have arrangements with the big-box stores so that they have a head start to sell new tools. One recent notable example is the Dremel Trio, which was exclusive to Home Depot for quite a few weeks before being stocked by other online and local retailers.

Other times, a new tool might be coming out but nobody mentions it. Take the new corded Ridgid JobMax starter kit, for example. Even though Ridgid power tools are usually exclusive to Home Depot, you would think that this would have been mentioned somewhere. There was no press release (yet?), no Home Depot flyer mention, no “new tool” announcement online. The tool just appeared one day. I have a feeling that Home Depot will make up for today’s silence with a lot of buzz once the winter holiday shopping season comes around.

5. Sales!

While I can usually find better prices online, there are times when big-box prices cannot be beat, especially when they closeout or clearance a tool.

A recent example – I scored this 3-piece Irwin fast release Vise Grip set at Lowes for $14. I’m not a huge fan of Irwin’s Vise Grip locking pliers after they closed down their remaining USA factories, but the price was right. I’ll test them out and might keep one for myself, with the others destined for a house-warming gift bundle.