
Craftsman has started promoting this new 242pc mechanics tool set (CMMT45242) for the 2025 Black Friday and holiday shopping season.
Craftsman says the new tool set is “all in for the deal,” and that you can “tackle your home projects with the ultimate set at an unbeatable price.”
This is a brand new launch, but apparently it “was $219” and is “now $99.”
Advertisement
Can we please do without the fake pricing BS?

Craftsman had this other $99 mechanics tool set deal, with 230 pieces.
So why is there now a 242pc set at $99? Tariffs. Stanley Black & Decker – Craftsman’s parent company – has raised prices on many Dewalt products and also reconfigured promotionally-priced cordless power tool deals and bundles.
Stanley Black & Decker’s strategy seems to have been to raise prices and give you a little more for it.
In this case, they kept the $99 price. So are they giving you less here, even though this set has more pieces than the previous 230pc deal? Yes. you’re paying the same, but I think you’re getting less for the money, despite the higher 242pc part count.
They also inflated the “was” price. Whereas the previous 230pc $99 special buy had a list price of $199, Craftsman is saying that this new 242pc “was” $219. I consider this meaningless marketing, but know a lot of people give weight to these numbers. Don’t do that.
Advertisement

Okay, so here’s what you get:
- 3 ratchets (1/4″, 3/8″, 1/2″)
- 3 extension bars
- 2 universal joints
- 28 hex keys
- 88 “specialty” screwdriver bits
- Magnetic bit driver
- 84 Sockets
- (10) 1/4″ inch sockets
- (10) 1/4″ inch deep sockets
- (9) 1/4″ metric sockets
- (9) 1/4″ metric deep sockets
- (10) 3/8″ inch sockets
- (8) 3/8″ inch deep sockets
- (10) 3/8″ metric sockets
- (8) 3/8″ metric deep sockets
- (5) 1/2″ inch sockets
- (5) 1/2″ metric sockets
- 12 Nut driver bits
- 10 combination wrenches
- 11 bit sockets
I had to count the sockets from the parts list, but everything seems to add up.
The socket count is unusual. You don’t get a standard 11/32″ socket, but they swap one of the included sizes for a 11/32″ deep socket. But, the overlap when going from 1/4″ to 3/8″ and then 1/2″ is reasonable.
The older and no longer discounted 230pc set had fewer sockets (75) but more bit sockets (16), more hex keys (44), more wrenches (21), and fewer screwdriver bits (66). It didn’t have the universals that this 242pc set comes with.
I don’t believe the 230pc comes with any nut driver bits. That means that this 242pc set comes with (100) insert screwdriver and nutdriver bits, compared to (66) in the previous $99 deal.
While you gain 9 more socket sizes and 2 universals, you lose 16 short arm hex keys, 11 wrenches, and 5 bit sockets. Those 34 extra screwdriver and nut driver bits inflate the part count.
I believe Craftsman did all this so as to be able to offer a $99 holiday deal at Lowe’s.
Lowe’s Kobalt brand also has a $99 mechanics tool set deal right now (297 pieces). We don’t yet know Home Depot has planned for their Husky tool brand. Tariffs pushed the price of their promo set from $99 to $120 for Father’s Day sales. Home Depot will want to have a $99 deal to match Craftsman and Kobalt at Lowe’s.
All that said, this new Craftsman 242pc mechanics tool set deal doesn’t look bad.
The marketing claims are manipulative, with the same being true about their competitors’ tactics.
Craftsman says this is new, but says it “was $219.” I would argue that it was designed around the $99 promotional price.
You get both more and less than you would have with their previous $99 special buy mechanics tool set.
Overall, from the set contents, I would say you get less. But, they were able to maintain the $99 price.
3 ratchets, 84 sockets, 11 bit sockets, 10 wrenches, plus some other stuff. That still seems very good for $99.
Craftsman says that “this $99 deal is available for a limited time exclusively at Lowe’s.” So does that mean it’s only available at Lowe’s, or it’s only exclusive at Lowe’s for a limited time?
Lowe’s listing says the deal ends on December 31, 2025.
They had a choice – or maybe not since Lowe’s has a lot of power as Craftsman’s retail customer. $99 for a mechanics tool set with tariffs-influenced parts list, or keep the older set and charge more for it.
It’s also possible that Craftsman was limited by what they could source from their factories or manufacturing partners outside of China.
My local store has 19 of these sets in stock. Looking around, every store in my region has 19 sets in stock. There are over 2800 sets available for online delivery.
Lowe’s has over 1700 stores in the USA right now. If we assume their online inventory is separate from what was recently received by stores for the holiday season, that’s what – around 35,000 tool kits? Sometimes the website shows a reduced inventory count so that online shoppers can’t buy out everything from a store. But let’s assume that Lowe’s placed a purchase order for approximately 35,000 (1700 stores x 19 sets + 3,000, then rounded down) sets. That times 242 pieces is… 8,470,000 individual tools and accessories.
So while I feel Craftsman is giving you less for the same $99, it doesn’t seem unreasonable. We also don’t know what kinds of pressures they had from Lowe’s, and how much of all this required sourcing changes compared to where the tools for the previous holiday deal mechanics tool set were made.
All things considered, I do think it’s still a good deal.
Should you be buying a Craftsman mechanics tool set, or something else? That’s a different question. Personally, I’d shop for Dewalt tool sets at Amazon. Dewalt is also a Stanley Black & Decker brand, but typically a step up from Craftsman.
If you’re shopping for deals, there’s also Husky. Home Depot recently launched a new Husky 300pc set, and I’m waiting to see what the holiday deal price will be (probably $149). My favorite has been Milwaukee, which typically has very good deals around Black Friday. In my experience, Milwaukee’s mechanics hand tools are an upgrade to both Craftsman and Dewalt. We’ll talk more about mechanics tool set deals in coming weeks.
Harry
I don’t know. It seems like a flashback to the Craftsman sets of old without being made in the USA, where they tried to give you pennies on the piece pricing by adding hex keys, and screwdriver bits to inflate the piece count. I guess it depends on what you work on but, how useful to the buyer are the sizes included in the kit? I’ve always had the opinion that you could build your own set with meaningful sizes from Quinn sets, stay below the $100, and have more bang for your buck especially if there’s a sale. Of course, you don’t get the blow molded drawer storage unit but, I prefer a decent tool bag.
Stuart
Every DIY, consumer, homeowner tool brand does this. Sometimes the “filler” pieces can be a useful and economical starting point, especially for users who have few other tools.
This type of kit works well for users who don’t know what they need, or know exactly what they want.
I tell everyone to look at the tool and socket count, and consider the screwdriver bits as “fillers” that inflate the parts count. Sometimes the wrenches, hex keys, bit sockets, and screwdriver bits come in handy. You don’t get a broad selection of wrenches or bit sockets unless you step up to bigger and pricier sets. At that point (e.g. $300), it’s probably better to assemble a custom set with smaller ones.
Kentucky fan
These kits are great for a trunk tool kit to keep for emergency repairs. All the little filler stuff comes in really handy in that context. I have the original version and supplement it with some Pittsburgh 1/2 sockets to get bigger sizes and pliers and I can fix about anything that can be fixed in a parking lot. The tools themselves are decent quality. I also have a set of Williams supercombos I keep in the trunk so I can’t attest to the wrenches in this set lol
Skfarmer
I have bought 3 of these type of sets. 2 of the older usa with open top lid for each of my sons and one of the newer versa stack/ tstak compatible i. I keep it at remote location that had no tools.
I think they are great starter point and of course they all have limitations. By and large they are great stater points. I have added pliers screwdrivers breakers flex ratchets etc depending on intended uses. I do like the older usa open tops sets better even if the ratchets are not the best as they allow a one box solution. The newer set has better organization but very little room for extra so a tool bag is needed.
These sets are aimed at someone who has very little or nothing or someone setting up a second third or more set. I don’t bitch about the smaller peices. Sometimes you need them. If I have a complaint is that they sould have wrenches to 3/4-19mm and a few larger 1/2 drive sizes.