As I’ve been shopping at Costco, I’ve noticed a few pretty good tool deals this season. Some are discounts on regularly stocked items and some are new products brought in for the holiday season.
This isn’t an extensive list of all the tools they have for sale, just the ones I found interesting, or the ones I thought our readers might be interested in.
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None of these deals are online, and I can’t guarantee that every Costco location has every one of these deals, but I’ve seen them at three different Costcos so far. There’s also the chance that they’ve been sold out at your local Costco.
Reminder: Costco is a “club” style retailer, and you typically need a paid membership to shop there.
First up is a 3M safety gear bundle, featuring WorkTunes Connect Bluetooth hearing protectors and bonus Flat Temple Safety Glasses for $40. The Connect hearing protectors have a Noise Reduction Ratting (NRR) of 24dB and an integrated microphone so you can take calls while wearing them.
They charge over a micro USB connection (a cable is included, but a charger is not).
The Flat Temple safety glasses are designed to be used in conjunction with earmuff-style hearing protectors. The temples are flatter and wider, to better slip underneath ear muffs for more comfortable wearing. This better fit also supposedly limits the reduction in Noise Reduction Rating that happens when earmuffs don’t conform around safety glasses properly.
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Does the guy on the box look a little familiar? Take a closer look at display stand. That’s our friend Stanley “Dirt Monkey” Genadek! Check him out on his YouTube channel.
$40 is the best pricing I’ve seen so far for these hearing protectors, except for the recent $39 deal at Lowe’s that has since expired. And that deal didn’t include the free pair of safety glasses.
Price: $40
This Dewalt DWMT81522 181pc black-chrome mechanics tool set is priced at $79 until 12/2/17. Here’s what’s in the kit:
1/4″ Drive*
- 72 tooth quick release ratchet
- 3″ extension
- 4, 5, 5.5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 mm 6pt. sockets
- 5/32″, 3/16″, 7/32″ 1/4″ 9/32″ 5/16″ 11/32″ 3/8″ 7/16″ 1/2″, 9/16″ 6 pt. sockets.
- 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 mm deep well 6 pt. sockets.
- 3/16″, 7/32″, 1/4″, 9/32″, 5/16″ deep well 6 pt. sockets
3/8″ Drive
- 72 tooth quick release ratchet
- 3″ and 6″ extensions
- 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 mm 6 pt. sockets
- 1/4″ 5/16″, 3/8″ 7/16″ 1/2″ 9/16″ 5/8″ 11/16″, 3/4″ 13/16″ 6 pt. sockets
- 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17 deep well 6 pt. sockets
- 7/16″, 1/2″, 9/16″, 5/8″, 11/16″, 3/4″ 13/16″ deep well 6 pt. sockets.
- 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17 mm 12 pt. sockets
- 5/16″, 3/8″ 7/16″, 1/2″, 9/16″, 5/8″ 12 pt. sockets
- 5/8″ and 13/16″ spark plug sockets
- Universal joint
1/2″ Drive
- 72 tooth quick release ratchet
- 2-1/2″ extension
- 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21 mm 6 pt. sockets
- 7/16″, 1/2″, 9/16″, 5/8″, 11/16″, 3/4″, 1″ 6 pt. sockets
Combination Wrenches
- 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17 mm combo wrenches
- 5/16″, 3/8″, 7/16″, 1/2″, 9/16″, 5/8″ combo wrenches
Other Tools
- 14 piece SAE hex key set
- 14 piece Metric hex key set
- Vinyl Grip Bit Driver
- 20 Insert bits
- 12 nut driver bits
*I had to copy this out from a photo, so please excuse any mistakes.
This looks a lot like Amazon’s recent deal of the day set that recently went on sale for $90.
Price: $79 (until 12/2/17)
Costco is shaving $8 of the 3700 Lumen Feit LED Shop Lights that I reviewed a while ago. These 4-foot LED lights have a color temperature of 4000K and are meant to replace the standard 4-foot, 2 bulb fluorescent fixtures with something more energy efficient and less prone to shattering when you hit them.
Price: $20 (until 12/14/17)
For $13, you can get 40 pairs of Little Hotties hand warmers. These are the chemical packs that provide up to 8 hours of warmth when the package is opened and they are exposed to air.
This is a pretty rocking deal if you use these. You’ll see them for about $1 a pair at Home Depot and other retail stores in the winter months.
Here’s a little tip that I’ve learned to save a few bucks: If you are going to use them for a shorter period, when you are done with them, put them in an airtight bag, like a zip lock baggie, and evacuating all the air out. This will stop the chemical reaction and you’ll be able to use them again.
I’ve actually kept a pair for as long as a week doing this. I’ll get several 1 to 2 hour sessions out of a single pair. Just be sure to have a few backups with you, because if the bag leaks, they’ll be toast.
Price: $13
While this is the normal price, these InstaCrates that I wrote about last year are a great deal at $8. They even have them in new colors.
We have four of them and I open and collapse them several times a week. I haven’t had any issues with them breaking or becoming brittle in the past two years, even though I keep them in my truck in the heat of summer and the cold of winter.
Price: $8
I really like these flannel shirts over the ones Costco has had in years past…well the solid colors at least; I don’t like flannel with white in the field. They are available in black, blue, brown, and red (the black and blue have white in them) in medium, large, X-large, XX-large, large tall and X-large tall.
They are comfortable, warm and the fabric is soft. I’ve been wearing mine unbuttoned as an over-shirt quite a bit recently. It’s just about the perfect weight under a light jacket for the weather we’ve been having lately (30s and 40s °F).
What I said at the beginning of the post turns out to be inaccurate – I just found out that this deal is available online. It’s a good thing too, because I purchased the brown and black version pictured above, and have been scouring different Costcos to find the red version in large, but they are out of stock in every store I’ve checked.
Price: $13
Buy Now (via Costco)
Final Thoughts
I’ve purchased every one of these deals, except the Dewalt mechanics tool set, but that might change, as I’m sorely tempted to go pick one up before the deal ends.
So far I’ve been pretty happy with every purchase. I’ve written positive things about several of the products, and plan to do a review of the Worktunes soon if they don’t disappoint me — so far they’ve been pretty good.
Also, if you see that your Costco has a ton of stock in a particular item and it isn’t moving very fast, you could always gamble and wait. Many times you’ll see certain products discounted quite heavily at the end of the season.
Pete
That dewalt set looks nice! MUST NOT BUY…..
Jon
About 10 years ago I didn’t have your “MUST NOT BUY” on a Kobalt set just like the Dewalt above and as I was driving to the store to buy a 20mm socket I really wasn’t thinking of how much money I had saved when I bought the set. I have since changed my sinful ways and have started buying Tekton sockets and wrenches, not a huge fan of their hand tools. I actually would like to see a review of the Tekton socket sets in all of their various flavors here on TG.
Check them out, yes the 1/2″ set is $100 above the Costco Dewalt set but I now have an unusually broad range of sockets in a set that does not skip any sizes!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LYZ2IJ5/
Stephen
I have no affiliation with Tekton, other than being a happy customer for a few years now. I’ve bought full socket sets, torque wrenches, and a few specialty tools and I’ve been very happy with all of it.
The 3/8″ set to complement the 1/2″ you posted has become my primary set.
sb
The dewalt ratchets have great action and feel sturdy but don’t have a pushbutton socket release!
FD
Opened my xmas bt worktunes gift to test them. BT works great. Sound is good. Space inside the cups is rather shallow, first set out of about 6 I have had over 20years that presses down on my ears. Sound reduction of powertools and garden equipment could be better. They let a fair bit more ambient sound in than ideal. No cover over the plugs. No volume button, must use phone or watch to adjust up/down as you use them without tools, or when mowing, sawing, … when the regular volume becomes too low. Cord is the thinnest usb cord ever used. Tossed it for a standard cord that is beefier and easier to grab.
Three stars.
O/T
Love the 3M glasses. Bought 5 sets, clear and sun, after a recent eye injury.
fred
Some years ago I saw a piece that called Costco “your hoarding headquarters.”
The appeal – be it Costco, BJ’s, or Sam’s Club – is a bit magnetic. Buying in bulk or even just single items at appealing prices was something I decided to give up some years ago. We found ourselves (empty nesters) still buying as if the kids were at home. Then we’d end up giving stuff away. Not that the local food pantry didn’t appreciate it – but now we just give money and let them buy what’s needed. I also found that things like batteries really do have a shelf life – so that big pack may not be the great deal I thought it to be.
So while these deals at Costco look pretty darn good , I’ll forego re-upping my membership.
James R.
For us, the key is to purchase non-perishable things, such as toilet paper, paper towels, cleaning supplies, etc.
Generally, for a house of two, we don’t need bulk food. The only exceptions are 4-packs of pasta sauce and chicken broth.
Farid
Just FYI. If you are in the market for a new car, The money I saved through Costco program this summer was better than my number got who who works for the auto maker ! Best part, no haggle, no waiting for those we-really-need-to-clear-them-out specials. . Just a set price of over factory invoice and your out the door.
fred
I may have to check it out next time I’m up (have a 2014 pickup and 2016 and a 2017 sedans right now). Buying a new car is one of my least favorite things to do. I always walk away feeling I’ve been flim-flamed – especially when a trade-in is involved. Why it should take over an hour to negotiate a price is beyond me.
Benjamen
Yeah, we got a pretty good deal on my wife’s CRV through Costco.
I don’t remember the process exactly, but it went something like this: we entered what type of car we wanted, then they got back to us with a list of eligible dealers. Then we made an appointment with a car salesman for a set time.
When we went, he gave us that price, plus the aftermarket items like extended warranty, scotch guarding, rust proofing, etc were also discounted.
I really think we could have haggled down to the price that Costco gave us and maybe even slightly better, but this was in and out and no waiting, no pressure — well except to buy all the aftermarket add-ons.
Farid
Yep that was the process. It is 9 0 0 over factory – flat rate. Sometimes you can do better, but with no one willing to offer deals on P i l o t s because demand exceeding supply (not even factory workers were getting them at the time), we got twice as much discount as anyone was willing to offer.
Non affiliated COSTCO dealer agreed to match the deal as well, so it never hurts to ask.
Service and accessories affiliated dealers are discounted as well (15% I believe).
For those who travel, car rental is great as well.
fred
I never buy those extras. Think that extended warranties is a place that dealers make a killing. Scotch Guarding for leather seats? Not sure about rust proofing? is that the new undercoating gambit? I never buy a car that I can’t afford to pay cash for (no Bentleys for me) – so my calculus may be different – but in 50+ years of buying cars I’ve not been really burnt by not buying add ons. Even the lemon Buick Electra wagon that I bought back in the 1980’s seemed to develop its myriad problems under the normal warranty. After they ended up replacing most everything between the radiator and the firewall – plus the transmission and a seat motor – the wagon actually lasted quite a few years.
For the businesses buying/leasing cars and other mobile equipment was a different proposition that we took advice on from our accountants.
Jonathan
I picked up a pair from Lowe’s, without the Safety glasses but with an extra 10% off Mylowes – Military appreciation disc.
My take
If you don’t mind mind earmuff style hearing protection, the latest version of 3M Worktunes BT wireless hearing protection ( 90543-4DC) from Lowe’s/Amazon/Costco for $39 (thru 11/30) or a bit more from Amazon :
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0723CYHPZ
While the previous versions that had the antenna, they reminded me of the AM/FM headsets from the 80’s with the goofy antenna even the BT version with Radio look goofy with the bright safety yellow and antenna, they have been a holiday special at both HD/Lowe’s the past few years except not with a BT connection. Pic here
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/S/aplus-media/vc/c2d199b2-67c5-452c-b0d9-c926ab515c13._SR150,300_.jpg
Hav’nt had a chance to use them with OPE yet, but I think it will be fine for listening with all my equipment except perhaps with the Chainsaw. I do like the updated version in black with a thin yellow trim, even ball cap friendly with a cutout for the cap button on top. USB rechargeable, no Radio but, has a mic for phone phone calls, and you can move forward/back a track with the single button.
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/S/aplus-media/vc/f041cbeb-8beb-4ff6-84dc-0aff78f42861._SR150,300_.jpg
After going thru 2 pairs of LG’s (730/750), a pair of Anker soundbuds lites and a pair of Mpow wireless around the neck BT in 2017 it was getting spendy.
While they offered some NRR with a good/proper fitting silicone earbuds, I’ve resisted using earmuff hearing protection over the earbuds even at the recommendation of a hearing specialist. This might be a happy medium, while the sound quality is below that of the LG Tone’s, its an acceptable compromise. I think they also might be perfect for air travel (other than the esthetics) – but the drone and noise depending on the airframe and you seating location in relation to wing mounted jets can be untenable.
Two other issues that I was concerned about first was overall long term comfort, I’ve found a lot of earmuffs can be uncomfortable after as little as 5 min, after wearing them straight for 90 minutes without any comfort issues.
The other positive note, I’ve had no dropout of BT signal even 25-30′ from my S8+ so it has a reasonable strong BT receiver, I’ve not been able to locate the BT ver, nor an estimated play time per charge.
Decent, high’s, mid’s and low reproduction, after tweaking the EQ settings on my Phones, the volume is controlled from the device and not the headphone, only a single button that controls 5-6 functions on/off, pairing, call accept/reject and hang up, and pause/play track forward/back. Rapid re-pairing after turning on -fastest I’ve noticed of any BT speaker/headset/Headunit/or Transmitter.
Quite pleased with it overall and an excellent value at this price point. Granted I do prefer the around the neck Bluetooth headphones, but they do not play well with some trades.
Pete
But let be real- the real MVP is sams club and their ‘Scan & Go’ app. Havent waited in line in months!
FD
And I can’t get it to work on my phone … Regular app works fine for browsing, ordering, etc
harry
I’m not digging the black Dewalt set. i grabbed the 205 piece Dewalt mechanics set you posted about on Amazon last week. It has nice chrome and is a pretty damn nice set.
The new non quick release ratchets are lighter and have better balance than the much heavier original Dewalt quick release versions.
Hang Fire
I have to say “no” to non-impact black socket sets. A shattering Cr-V socket is not something I want to deal with. But for someone never intending to get an air tool system or a cordless impact, I guess it’s a good deal.
Bolt
I’d be less worried about that than not being able to find the socket if you drop it. That’s the main complaint I hear about black tools from anybody who spends time wrenching.
ktash
Costco used to carry mainstream power tools like Bosch and Dewalt, drills, etc. I am disappointed that they no longer do. Their hand tools are less than great, too.
Still, I’m quite happy with many of my workshop items purchased from them, like Dollies, shelving, stud finder, etc. This year I got a new $39 shop stool ($10 off regular price). My old wooden one didn’t swivel or have a cushy seat. Since I don’t sit a lot in the shop, it won’t get overused If it goes south, they are great on returns.
Though I don’t buy many of their food items in bulk, there are some great buys I do get regularly, like the frozen salmon, turkey burgers, also the roasted chicken. Their veggies along with these items keep me healthy, are quick, and don’t break the bank. One thing I’ve learned is never, never buy the potato chips on sale. Yes, they are amazingly cheap, but that huge bag is way too tempting, sitting in the kitchen calling my name 😀
I’ll never buy a computer anywhere else. Their concierge service is amazing, they’ve solved many problems for me, without reading a script, having to hand me off to a supervisor, etc.
My hearing aids cost about half what I’d pay elsewhere, and are quality brands. I like the audiologist, too. The hearing aids alone are worth the price of membership.
Also, they pay their employees a living wage, and their employees seem happy to work there.
john e
That last bit is the number one reason I shop there.
David
Yes. Very decent business model. In many ways they role model capitalism done well.
Noah
I’d add these head lamps to my mix. Myself and about 5 of my coworkers all have them on our hardhats.
https://m.costco.com/Coast-Head-Lamp-2-pack.product.100365511.html?catalogId=10701&catalogId=10701&keyword=Coast+head+lamp&langId=-1&langId=-1&storeId=10301&storeId=10301&krypto=r7dyQw%2FtVSBxKP7S%2BribSoejT%2FultTskXwyn%2B%2FSIVtBzutaZ0Q71UDZN3aI7BuRvINL2QpO5wjZmye3Z%2BXMhMlILYwys9iCGKMJzi3GrOVo%3D
mikedt
I’ve got a bunch of the Costco LED shoplights in the basement. Like them a lot, well worth the money.
ctc
Went to Costco yesterday 12/1 in Raleigh, NC and did not find this Dewalt DWMT81522 181pc. They do not carry this at all per employee at the service counter. What other Costco locations are still carrying this item?