It’s officially Amazon’s 2017 Prime Day.
I already bought one more Amazon Echo, and another Echo Dot, even though I hadn’t yet installed the Dot I ordered 2 weeks ago for my workspace. These work great for playing music, but I’ve been using Alexa’s timer and alarm functions a lot. One of these days I’ll get the “home automation” stuff going too.
Advertisement
There’s potential in the Amazon Echo/Alexa devices. One day I hope there’s a body-mounted module so I can do things like activate and deactivate a corded dust collector vacs and the such by voice.
Not to mince words, in regard to tools, there’s a whole lot of crap on sale. But there are some decent “I’d buy that” tools worth mentioning.
There are some good deals here, some of them great:
- Tekton 1/2″ torque wrench
- Tekton 1/2″ breaker bar
- Tekton Everybit electronic and precision tool kit
- Makita 70pc impact and driver bit set
- Bosch GLM 35 120-ft laser distance measurer
- General Tools Laser Tape measure (ToolGuyd Review)
- Porter Cable oscillating multi-tool kit
- Rockwell Sonicrafter oscillating multi-tool set
- Black & Decker 4V Cordless screwdriver
- Makita (old-style) 12V Max cordless drill
- Bosch 18V 3Ah battery 2-pack
- Dewalt DCD771 20V Max drill kit with circular saw bundle
- Dewalt 12V Max 360° green liner laser with battery pack bundle
- Dewalt 20V Max cordless hammer drill with masonry bit set bundle
- Dewalt 20V Max DCD771 drill and impact driver kit with SAE and metric wrench sets bundle
- Bosch DDB181 cordless drill kit with bit set and laser measurer bundle
- Porter Cable pancake air compressor with brad nailer bundle
- Dremel Maker tool kit with rotary tool, engraver, butane torch, project kit
- Save on Bostitch Air Nailers
- Bosch power tool accessories, $20 off $100+
- Karcher wet/dry vacuum
These deals should be valid through 3am ET 7/12/2017, unless supplies sell out sooner.
There are some deals that require extra legwork to determine if they’re good or not.
“Up to 25% off” select Dewalt products
“Save up to 20%” on FLIR items
Yellow Jacket Extension Cords with 20% off “Clippable Coupons”:
More Deals
Fuji Hobby-Pro HVLP paint sprayer – 20% off “Clippable Coupon”
Wera Tools: Extra 20% off select products
Dewalt $25 off $100+ select tools
Dewalt 40V Max lawn and garden tool deals
Sun Joe cordless pressure washer (Lightning Deal, ends ~7:55pm ET)
Troy
I went through a lot of the DeWalt products this morning and it was underwhelming. The % off is typically based off a really high MSRP, so from a realistic standpoint you might save a couple bucks. Nothing special.
Blythe M
Not completely, the 360 green laser is a crazy good deal, I’ve never seen it go below 499 and it’s 350 today. Unless you’re a contractor it’s out of many people’s need, but it’s a great price. All the rest though, i agree
Blythe M
Plus you get an extra battery free with the deal!
fred
I took a look last night – compared it to my Christmas Present shopping lists on Amazon or to see if there was anything good enough to act upon . I would have liked to have been able to say “Ho-Ho” – but it was Ho-Hum. Once again they seem to be selling off stuff they can’t move – and not providing you with any great incentive to buy – tools at least.
The yeti
For an event they had been hyping up over a week . Sure was not much to get worked up over . Seen one good deal on a video game system . I don’t game so I passed . They might as well stop doing prime day . Just have better daily prices
Woodchuck
Oh…but you can do voice control on/off through these my friend.
Best way: buy a Wink hub. Then buy a compatible plug (assuming it’s 110V) and link it to the wink. Then you can set up in Alexa in voice control. Total package add on cost is likely under $125. And you can keep adding on without much added cost ($25 plug adapter).
I have this setup on some tools, and a bunch of deck lights. It’s pretty badass when you do it in front of people the first time. You can even set the phrase to use. I have “LET THERE BE LIGHT!”. And woop, there it is.
Stuart
I know, but can it hear me while a vacuum or power tool is on? Let’s say the vac is on, but I want to turn it off. That’s why I mentioned wanting a body-mounted one. =) Maybe something around the size of their Fire TV remote? But I guess I could always carry a remote if I have to have something on or near my body.
smee
Several remote options (which use a “Push to Talk” button) can be used to talk to Alexa. They aren’t hands free, but are small enough to carry around.
1) Fire TV voice remote (connecting to FireTV).
2) Amazon Dash Wand ($20, doesn’t require any other hardware, and you get $20 credit after registering).
3) Voice remote for original Echo.
Jonathan
Stuart, you can use alexa with with a BT headset like LG tones or anker soundbite lites.
A single inexpensive TP Link smart plug ($20 Pri me day) and add skill to alexa app. To turn on/off an outlet. You can also do more complex things with IFTTT (more below).
I have a pair of eco plugs (like wemo/tp link) that i found at HD clearamce for $7 and use Alexa to turn on light for a room that has 2 entry’s one switch, and another for my shop that only had a pull string light.
I bought two Dots on prime day for streaming Prime music in the shop to a BT speaker that has two satellites and a sub, the other Dot combo was the Philips A19 starter lights and hub, I have the Ring door bell and you can turn on inteior lights /plugs when it detects motion and you can set it up to do so after certain time say 1AM it turns on for 3 min and then off and have it stop doing so at 4AM.
You should check out IFTTT app you setup you dust vac to only run for 30 secs. The IFTTT has lots of “recipes ” or templates that you add
dingus
TEKTON 2841 Everybit (TM) Ratchet Screwdriver, Electronic Repair Kit and Security Bit Set, 135-Piece
https://www.amazon.com/TEKTON-2841-Screwdriver-Electronic-135-Piece/dp/B008HYVG6I
$22
Not the most high quality bits, but I haven’t actually broken one yet after 4 years. I bent one of the smaller slotted bits by abusing it though (was prying something). For random stuff this is my go-to screwdriver set because I know the bit I need will almost certainly be in there. Also, perhaps most importantly, THE CASE DOESN’T SUCK! It actually properly holds the bits in place so they don’t all fall out.
DEWALT DCV581H 18/20-Volt MAX Cordless/Corded Wet-Dry Vacuum
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DD1UQ3Y
$83
This is the cheapest I’ve ever seen it, and according to a price tracker, it’s the cheapest it’s ever been on amazon.
Hang Fire
I would be more excited about that Tekton ratchet screwdriver kit, but I already got it a couple of years ago at a Sears outlet for less than $13. It’s a good set.
The best thing that came out of Prime Day is a $28 Sears Craftsman 50 lb sandblaster kit for $28… ordered from Sears. (Hope it arrives before they go under).
DougSK
Thanks for that. I picked up the tekton set.
ktash
I have a tekton wrench set in a case and it’s extremely handy, I reach for it first. I’m tempted by the bits in case, it was the only deal under tools that looked good to me. I like tekton when I’m looking for a decent affordable tool that I don’t use all the time.
ktash
I did get a backup drive for my computer. Decent price on a Seagate. I didn’t find much else of interest. Best Buy had a deals day and I got a few good deals there on thumb drives. I think they are competing with Amazon Prime. These were more like Black Friday deals than what I saw on Amazon.
Also, I didn’t want to spend hours sorting through Amazon PD deals. Their search function often brings up stuff that isn’t a prime day deal. If they advertised in advance, it would be more appealing.
Eric
They don’t want to do that. They want you to see the deal and click buy it now before you take a second to check to see if it’s actually a good deal.
Stuart
I had press and affiliate info in advance, but there was so much to go through that it wasn’t very effective. There are also lots of lightning deals today, none of which they shared ahead of time.
What bugs me is that it’s hard to sort through the deals and find the relevant ones. For example, it wasn’t until someone asked about the Wera deals that I realized there were some Wera tools on sale.
Dingus mentioned 2 deals I simply didn’t see. I still don’t see any listing of the Dewalt portable vac that’s on sale.
If you ask me, things become harder to sort through when Amazon started featuring no-name import brands on their deals page.
Also, I believe a main goal with Prime Day is to spark impulse buys. I already bought a few things I hadn’t anticipated.
fred
This is why your mother always went to the supermarket with a shopping list – to avoid impulse buying of stuff she didn’t need.
Amazon makes it easy to shop for lots of stuff we don’t need and may later regret buying. Their “frequently bought together items” is also sort of the equivalent of the supermarket’s placement of impulse-buy stuff near the checkout.
When I read reviews on Amazon – I sometimes wonder if some of the reviewers bought stuff that they did not know much about or how to use. I also sense “buyer’s remorse” may be behind a bit of the whining in some of those reviews.
The yeti
Yes easy to buy stuff you don’t need on amazon
fred
I should not complain. I did very well with the run-up of their stock from 2012 to just a few weeks ago when I sold the last of what I had bought. No buyer’s remorse there – other than I shoulda coulda bought more – but had I, I’d probably have bailed out on more earlier.
Amazon stock was down a little bit today. But from how it ran up over the last few years, and considering how high that’s pushed their P/E ratio – it looks like the stock market is betting that shopaholics (others too) will keep up or increase their spending pace on Amazon – pushing earnings up to better match stock price.
Renato
You can get the Flexvolt bare tool circular saw for $125.00. It’s on
sale for $149.00 plus and additional $25.00 off from Dewalt.
Adam g
The 2 battery kit is 303 plus you can choose either another battery or the top of the line hammer drill free.
Eric
I missed out on the Milwaukee 7 amp grinder for $41 from Northern Tool back in February, but I picked up the Makita 6 amp grinder for $43 from Amazon today during a lightning deal. Anyone have any opinions in comparing the two?
http://www.homedepot.com/p/compare/?errorURL=ProductAttributeErrorView&langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053&prodComp_0=202101584&prodComp_1=202517731&N=5yc1vZc2fwZyg
Nathan S
I see the Panavise Jr on sale (model 201)
Matt
I cannot understand why most of these deals don’t violate state laws. The Wera Joker combo wrench set, even with 20% off, is more expensive than it is anywhere online.
It is against the law to post an arbitrary high price then claim that you are selling at a huge discount.
From the NYTimes:
If some Internet retailers have an expansive definition of list price, the Federal Trade Commission does not.
“To the extent that list or suggested retail prices do not in fact correspond to prices at which a substantial number of sales of the article in question are made, the advertisement of a reduction may mislead the consumer,” the Code of Federal Regulations states. The F.T.C. declined to comment.
“If you’re selling $15 pens for $7.50, but just about everybody else is also selling the pens for $7.50, then saying the list price is $15 is a lie,” said David C. Vladeck, the former director of the F.T.C.’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “And if you’re doing this frequently, it’s a serious problem.”
Bart
It isn’t arbitrary if the price is the published MSRP.
Why we still have MSRP is probably a subject that could be debated for a while. Part of it is that there are still a lot of people that like to think that they are buying something “on sale” even though it is, in fact, the regular everyday price. Of course items have to periodically have to go off of being “on sale” perpetually or the price adjusted slightly to keep the government goombas and so-called consumer watchdogs appeased.
Bryan
The 8 piece Wera Joker set for $159 plus 20% off was a GREAT deal. I’ve been eyeballing them for awhile and pulled the trigger.
Adam
Same here. That set seems to run $216 or so normally. $133 with free shipping seems like a pretty good price to me.
dingus
yeah, kinda tempting i agree.
the ‘normal’ price is about $160 shipped actually (e.g. on chadstoolbox), so it is indeed an ok deal
fred
$160 is about the normal price also at Toolbarn – but 20% off was a decent deal.
Robert W
Cool, thanks for your investigative work. I had some free amazon bucks to spend, so I picked up that tekton torque wrench — looked like a pretty good deal. It wasn’t a real need, but now I’ll have when the time arises. I have some tekton socket sets already and I’m pretty happy with the quality.
Timothy Butterfield
Thanks for the heads up. I picked up the pack of bosch 18v 3.0 batteries. It was a great deal.