Over at Acme Tools, they have a coupon promo, ending today, 3/17/20: save 15% on select hand tools and accessories, and 10% on select cordless power tools and woodworking tools.
As usual, there a bunch of brand exclusions, and also a list of specific product SKU exclusions. Still, there are plenty of tools and accessories that are eligible for this deal. Max discount is $100.
Advertisement
One of the notable benefits of this deal is that it looks to apply to new tools and preorders, such as the new Milwaukee M12 Fuel right angle impact wrenches, and also the new M18 Fuel 8″ metal-cutting saw (thanks, Fred!).
It looks like all of Dewalt’s Xtreme Subcompact cordless power tool kits are also eligible for the deal. They’re $89-$99 each for the individual tool kits, or $149 for the drill and impact combo, and this promo knocks them down another 10%. The new Dewalt 12V Max Xtreme reciprocating saw kit is also on sale.
- Drill/Driver Kit (DCD701F2)
- Impact Driver Kit (DCF801F2)
- 3/8″ Impact Wrench Kit (DCF902F2)
- Screwdriver Kit (DCF601F2)
- Drill and Impact Driver Combo Kit (DCK221F2)
Now’s a good time to think about what you were looking to pick up this spring.
Coupon Code: 4LEAF
Deal Info via Acme Tools
Fine Print
Excluded brands:
Advertisement
Abra Equipment, Air-tow Trailers, Barreto MFG, Barry Wixey, Billy Goat, Bomag, Bullet Tools, Campo Equipment, Clemco, Crown Construction Equipment, Diamond C, Digga North America, E-Z Go, Ego, Festool, Fuji, Furukawa Rock Drill USA, Generac, General Tools, Genie, Honda, Husqvarna, Husqvarna Outdoor Power Equipment, Interlake, IQ Power Tools, JET, JLG, KNAACK, Kubota, Laguna Tools, Lee MFG, Magnum, Mec, Niftylift, Office to Go, Powerboss, Rikon, SawStop, Skyjack, Southwire, Stihl, Sullair, Toro, Weather Guard, Weber
The promo also excludes batteries, chargers, and tool storage products.
If you take advantage of this deal, what are you buying? If not, what do you wish was on sale?
Ray D
The max torque number of the Dewalt Impact Driver seems to be marginally the Milwaukee’s driver as part of this kit: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwaukee-M12-FUEL-12-Volt-Lithium-Ion-Brushless-Cordless-1-4-in-Hex-Impact-Driver-Kit-With-Two-Free-M12-1-5Ah-Batteries-2553-22-48-11-2411/308081804.
But, the Milwaukee combo seems to be better value, price + 2 additional batteries (1.5 AH) thrown in.
Your thoughts?
Stuart
Depends on whether you want to expand with additional 12V-class tools in the future.
Milwaukee’s M12 tools are excellent, and I also really like Dewalt’s new Xtreme drill and drivers.
If you don’t own any other Milwaukee M12 tools, and don’t plan on buying more, that Home Depot deal isn’t a good value. Wouldn’t you rather skip the 2 extra lower capacity batteries and save some money instead?
If you’re looking at Milwaukee, I’d say maybe look at the quieter Surge, although it’s a bit higher in price. https://toolguyd.com/milwaukee-m12-fuel-surge-impact-driver-nps19-preview/
~$90 for the Xtreme kit vs. $149 for the M12 Fuel kit that comes with 2 bonus batteries you probably won’t be able to utilize without owning any additional M12 tools, lights, or accessories.
If you’re steering closer to that Milwaukee M12 Fuel kit, $149 is a good price, seeing as how other dealers have it for $169 right now, also with the bonus batteries.
With Acme, you need to spend over $199 to get free shipping. That might change the Dewalt Xtreme deal’s value for you, if you weren’t planning to buy anything else.
There are pros and cons to both tools, but I don’t think you’ll go wrong with either, which makes it tough for me to offer helpful commentary.
Is there anything else that might factor into your decision?
Ray D
Your breakdown analysis as insightful as always.
I’m new into the 12v line of tools but I did take advantage of the Bosch 12v drill + driver combo after reading positive comments on here. Though after some time on it, I feel both tools, the driver especially, are somewhat under-power for what I do -building gazebo, kids playhouse, garden greenhouse etc (framing?), and my Makita 18V tools are suited for all of it…But the Makitas are bigger, heavier and noisier for my evening and night builds. Try to keep the noise and disruptions to the neighbors down. I tend to use the drill instead of the driver for screwing 3″ screws for quieter operations in evenings/nights.
So here I am looking at the 12V drill / driver that has enough power/close to my Makita 18v. From many YouTube videos, the Milwaukee seems to be winning most of those head-to-head shootouts. Also, I like that the platform has many tools.
Cheers
Stuart
Here’s a question for you: Do you prefer the battery-in-handle ergonomics of the Bosch 12V tools, or the slide-pack ergonomics of the Makita 18V?
I haven’t done any head-to-head yet, but I would assume Milwaukee holds the edge when it comes to power, and Dewalt for compact ergonomics. But that’s also what they’re going for – the Milwaukee M12 Fuel is the more premium tool with a focus on power, and the Dewalt a more compact tool.
When looking at the cordless drills, the M12 Fuel has a 1/2″ chuck, and the Dewalt 12V Max has a 3/8″ chuck.
Any 12V-class impact is still going to be somewhat noisy. If you want to keep noise down, you might want to wait for a better promo on the M12 Surge.
Corey Moore
Have you checked it the Makita subcompact line?
Ray D
I have tried the subcompact and there’s something I don’t like about it but I can’t put my finger on it what that is. I guess I’m ready for a new brand/color.
I do like the battery-in-handle ergonomics and that’s one of the reasons i’m leaning Milwaukee is so appealing. I appreciate that the extended batteries are, well, extended out.
I’ll hold out for the surge as per Stuart’s suggestion.
DannyK
The dewalt sale isn’t as good as their Holidays Sale. The Dewalt Xtreme impact wrench kit in Tsak tool box was $80. I think it was a post on this site, too.
Stuart
Yes, but when’s the next time we’re going to see $25 off $100+ promo? Even if that type of a discount was occurred more frequently than once or twice a year, there’s no guarantee these tools won’t be excluded next time.
https://toolguyd.com/dewalt-12v-brushless-drill-impact-driver-wrench-tstak-tool-box-kit-deal-112419/
If you don’t care about the Tstak tool box, the current promo is about as good of a deal as can be expected.
The way I see it, there are 4 potential outcomes for those who wait. 1) The same deal comes around again. 2) A slightly better deal comes around. 3) The pricing increases and you have to wait longer for a better deal. 4) The pricing stays the same, but Dewalt or Acme adds these tools to the exclusions list for the next promo.
Long story short, this is the best deal I’ve seen on these tools since the winter holiday shopping season. If we see any better deals, they will only be slightly better. But due to these being already-promo-priced kits, there’s a chance they won’t be eligible for certain future promos.
It’s tricky to predict what will happen. Maybe Acme will have a 15% tax day promo, but in the past they’ve had high minimums. But also, the promo pricing period on these tools might end, and a higher discount would apply to “regular” between-season pricing of $139 for the individual tool kits.
If you’re prepared to wait for a better deal, there’s no telling how long the wait might be – one month until a tax day promo, two or three months until Father’s Day promos, or maybe even eight or nine months until the winter holidays. At best, we might see the Tstak kits at these same prices again, or maybe an extra $5 savings on these individual tool kits. At worst, they’ll be $99 again, but discounts and promos might not apply.
A product that was $20 all holiday season and even into the new year shot up to $27 to $28, its regular price. I waited and missed it, and kicked myself. Maybe it’ll be $20 again? But I saw the price drop to $21 and change this week and ordered it now, because I need it soon and don’t want to wait to see what kind if discount *might* come around again.
Look at the Dewalt Atomic kits – the drill kit is currently $159, a lot higher than the usual price of $99. Sure, it’s eligible for the 10% discount, but even with the discount it’s a lot higher than its seasonal promo-excluding price of $99.
DannyK
Stuart, I agree. If you need the tool now, the discount is good. For people who are still on the fence, having some perspective on the prices, will help them judge whether the deal is good enough, or if they can wait. When you buy a lot of tools, all the discounts add up. It’s true there are one time deals that do not recur. Although after a couple of years of reading your blog, most deals do recur 🙂 Just be prepared to miss out once in a while.
Stuart
A lot of deals do repeat, but the Dewalt Xtreme Subcompact tools, we lack the data points to make reasonable predictions. This is a good deal and there are a lot of unknowns about future pricing, deals, or deal eligibility. This is one of those times when there’s less benefit in waiting than there is risk.
In waiting, you have to bet whether the price will go down an additional $5 (at most) or you’ll get the Tstak kit for the same price as these regular kits, and if you lose, it’ll cost you ~$10 more to buy the individual tool kits at the regular price of $99. It’s a bet I’d take if I were open to waiting a long time or choosing alternate tool kits, but not one I’d take if I knew these were the tools I wanted to buy without much delay.
DannyK
True. These Xtreme tools are new. I did contemplate getting them along with the Tstak Craftsman Mechanic Tool Set at Lowe’s. They would make a great portable kit together. However, the Craftsman set has too many 12-pt sockets. And Xtreme has a limited number of tools since they are new, comparing to Milwaukee and Makita’s wider selections. Dewalt is doing a great job at making these new tools a lot more affordable than the other brands, though,.