Over at the ToolGuyd forum, Jonesy asked whether Craftsman is planning to phase out its V60 line of cordless outdoor power tools. They noticed crazy clearance deals on mowers on trimmers at their local Lowes location.
I would agree with their initial assessment that the clearances are most likely end-of-season discounts and clearances.
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So to answer the question posed as the title of this post – no, I don’t think Craftsman is phasing out the V60 tools or system.
Very soon, home centers will want to start carrying fall and winter outdoor tools, such as snow blowers. It’s not quite winter tool season yet, but inventory will likely start coming in.
Mowers, trimmers, and other such cordless power tools take up a lot of space. How many mowers will be sold in late August compared to the period from March through June? Trimmers?
Craftsman just launched their V60 line of cordless power tools last year, and there’s no way I could imagine it being discontinued or phased out.
Let’s say Craftsman plans to launch new brushless motor V60 cordless power tools. That wouldn’t preclude their ability to move the brushed motor or first brushless tools that launched as part of their first phase of new tool releases. There is room in Craftsman’s catalog and retailers’ warehouses for “good, better, best” options. How many different Ego blowers does Home Depot offer in their online store? At my count, there are four models, two handheld and two with backpack power supplies.
Maybe Craftsman will make changes to their tools before next spring, that certainly is possible.
There are lots of unknowns, but I would say there is very little likelihood of the still very new Craftsman V60 cordless platform being phased out.
There are never any guarantees, but if you have your heart set on a new Craftsman V60 power tool, whether it’s been on your wishlist all along or you find a clearance deal you can’t pass up, I believe that Craftsman does plan to grow the system. Craftsman has always been a big outdoor power tool brand, and that’s a market segment that Stanley Black & Decker is very interested in.
We discussed Stanley Black & Decker’s announced strategies a few months ago, where they said that Lawn & Garden was an area of potential acquisitive growth areas. They also added a lawn and garden category to their envisioned 2022 market share pie chart.
See Also: Dewalt, Craftsman, Stanley vs. Milwaukee, Ryobi, Empire: A Look at Stanley Black & Decker and TTI Financials
Phasing out the V60 lineup now would be a huge and costly mistake for the brand, and a big setback for parent company Stanley Black & Decker. With no foreseeable reasons to justify a phase-out of the new cordless platform, and the very strong potential for huge negative consequences, I am extremely confident that this is not what’s driving the “crazy clearance deals.”
It is also possible that competition with Amazon is driving Lowes to heavily discontinue their remaining Craftsman V60 cordless power tools.
For instance, Lowes has the string trimmer kit for $173.66 (“was $239”) and marked as clearance, and Amazon has it for $170.67 at the time of this posting.
The Craftsman V60 hedge trimmer is also marked as clearance on Lowes’ website, and priced at $172.42 for the kit (“was $219”). Amazon has it for $205.11 at the time of this posting.
Craftsman’s V60 cordless leaf blower is still $269 at Lowes, but $169 at Amazon. Since blowers will be in strong demand through the fall, that could be why it is so far excluded from Lowes’ clearance efforts.
It is also possible that Craftsman’s lower voltage or gas engine tools are outselling the V60 options. If that’s the case, wouldn’t Lowes want to devote more shelf or floor space to those offerings?
There are a lot of possibilities to explain the clearance deals on Craftsman V60 cordless outdoor power tools, but as mentioned I don’t believe the system is being phased out in any way. I cannot imagine any scenario where Craftsman or Stanley Black & Decker product managers, marketing heads, or corporate executives would green-light such a move. Well, there is one scenario, but I highly doubt that they’ve developed a safe and affordable nuclear thermoelectric power source to replace the V60 battery form factor with.
Craftsman Confirmation
We have no plans to phase out the CRAFTSMAN V60 line. It’s a popular system of tools that we will continue to develop over time.
Matt J
As I am Jonesy, I just wanted to comment that prices at my local Lowes were:
$107.99 for hedge trimmer with 2.5Ah battery. ($219 selling price before now)
$167.99 for a push mower with a 5.0Ah battery. ($399 selling price before now)
$199.99 for a self-propelled mower with a 7.5Ah battery. ($499 before now)
While end of season clearance is a normal thing, these cuts struck me as particularly steep (around 60% off across the board), and very early — especially compared with every nearby model on the shelves from Kobalt, Greenworks, which were still selling at sticker or with minimal discounts (10% off).
Jared
Just an observation – I heard the message of “steep clearance prices” and thought I’d check if that was going on here in Canada. Couldn’t find any V60 stuff on the lowes.ca website though. Certainly the US has got some Craftsman stuff earlier than it shows up in Canada, but seems a little weird that we didn’t get any and it’s already season clearance time…
Billy
In the US, nothing on the site/app now either
Adam
I’d like to think they were keeping it around longer, but hard to say. You made the point of bringing in fall & winter tools, but I just picked up a couple of the v60 chainsaws for $117 each, prior to coupon & discounted gift cards purchased, making them $90. I was contemplating the mower to get a 5/7.5ah battery as…
I bought the 2nd saw really for the battery. The store didn’t have extra batteries, and the price the associate listed online for a 2.5 or 5ah battery, made buying another saw a no-brainer (not that I would ever pay retail on a battery).
What I find crazy, is it has a 4 year warranty, and NOTHING says the battery has a shorter period. I bought the extra 2 year plan for $20 plan on one of them, so if in 6 years something happens , I’m covered.
It’s going to be a for a 2nd location, but I will give it a good comparison to my Milwaukee. Conveniently, they both use the same chain.
Adam
I forgot to mention, my main reason for posting, and reading Jonesy comment, I wouldn’t think they would get rid of the chainsaw this time of year. Was $280 orginally. They could have knocked only $50 off, and would have sold out with all our recent storm damage (still hearing several saws a day going).
Matt
I have the weed wacker. I doubt there’s anything more to it than clearing inventory for winter. Snowblowers should be here anytime. I hope there’s V60 options there too. I believe all of the mowers are brushed as well. While the reviews are excellent, it’s what caused me to not jump on the sale here. I assume brushless mowers are in store for next season. SBD/Craftsman most likely had a certain number of V60 items built and want to clear them out for what’s coming next. It also gets them into the hands of people who were maybe on the fence about the new line… And who knows, maybe V80 or higher is coming?
Adam
It was indicated on the product page, at least the self-propelled one, it is brushless. I really don’t think they can make any decent yard equipment, without it being brushless.
Question for anyone that bought more than one tool. Are all the batteries the same demensions & weight? I know with some the dedicated outdoor equipment lines, the battery pack does not change size depending on amp-hours.
Stuart
I believe the hedge trimmer is the only handheld V60 tool that’s not explicitly described as having a brushless motor. Looking at the product pages for the mowers, there’s no mention of them having brushless motors, and there’s no “brushless” labeling I can see in the imagery either. The 3-in-1 and self-propelled Craftsman mowers are only described as having “a powerful motor.”
Matt J
https://www.craftsman.com/products/v60-cordless-21-in-3-in-1-self-propelled-lawn-mower-kit-7-5ah
It’s brushed. There may have been an FAQ that was answered incorrectly. You can bet your bank account that if this thing had a brushless motor, it’d be one of the first things mentioned on the spec sheet and would have “brushless” branding and stickers all over the machine.
Adam
Lol, yes I was going by the FAQ answer. I guess for $500, I thought it would be brushless.
I did read a review saying it had a better cut than the Ego it was compared to. Even if it’s not the best, it’s only $200. I’m only using it for trimming & to collect grass for compost. Big Kubota for the majority of the yard otherwise.
Matt J
I read a review on it on another blog — the clearest takeaway was that the Craftsman has really, really high blade RPMs at maintenance cut, but the mower really bogs down under heavier resistance. Almost every other mower in the test increased blade speed with thicker/taller grass — likely due to the ability of brushless motors to load-sense and adjust.
So the Craftsman probably does give a great cut/mulch if you religiously mow weekly and are taking off a quarter to a half inch at a time. But it’s probably really bad if you ever let things get slightly overgrown. For your use as a secondary mower/cleanup tool, it’s probably fantastic.
I had a Kobalt 80V brushless mower that I bought last year — it was a floor model as-is on clearance for $100. I used it twice and it was okay. I used it a third time after being away for two weeks and the high grass (6″ — nothing totally crazy) stalled and seemingly totally killed the mower. I’ve tried reconnecting the wire harness and all of that and it’s just bricked. Batteries are confirmed good as my Kobalt string trimmer still works great.
So for the time being, I’ve decided to stick with gas and see if something in the cordless OPE world really knocks me out for the price. After last year’s experience, the Craftsman on clearance was close but I couldn’t pull the trigger.
Jared
Matt J, I’ll bet you there’s a fuse in there.
Matt J
You’re probably right. It looks like it’s basically the same mower as the Greenworks 80V, so I think I could get a PCB controller replacement for like $20-$30 shipped, but it’s a sunk cost if it’s something else wrong with it.
Ultimately found a guy locally selling a Greenworks 80V mower and battery for $120. Already have the charger from another tool, and made sense to stick with Greenworks as the blades I bought for the Kobalt are interchangeable as well. Hopefully no issues with this one, and if there are, hopefully can get buy swapping out parts between this and the Kobalt mower.
Jorhay
I thought it was end of season sales – Lowes originally had a 1/1/2020 end date on the price. But the V60 products ended up off the Lowes website and I had to resort to brickseek to check prices and inventory.
One of our Lowes had written discontinued on the shelf sticker for the mower.
I ended up buying the self propelled mower for $200, string trimmer for $101 and hedge trimmer for $98. From 3 different stores as they all had different prices on each of the products. I don’t know if it’s Lowes dropping them if their exclusivity is up or what; but I decided it was worth the risk.
Andrew
Would I be surprised no? Look at PC. SBD can be unpredictable. Do I think they would be that dumb especially after the flack from DeWalt batteries, yes. My guess is SBD would want their more homeowner brand on one steady platform. BTW got their v20 4 amp hour weed wacker, good tool.
Matt
Speaking of PC. I wonder if they’re going to phase that out or reinvent it in some way? Like high end corded tools or something. The only two places in town I ever noticed a PC display was at Blaine’s or Lowe’s. Both are gone now. The Blaine’s power tool aisle has Milwaukee on one side and on the other is B&D, Craftsman & DeWalt. Lowe’s is the same way but with different aisles and no Milwaukee. Both had PC items on clearance over the last year and now PC is only available at the auto parts stores around here. The auto stores are also selling old DeWalt stuff. Perhaps PC under SBD never really caught on? I can’t say I know anyone who bought it but surely some folks did. Perhaps PC will go to WalMart as their top tier brand next to B&D?
Madcapp
Same old story, proprietary battery packs from second and third tier manufacturers are ALWAYS a bad bet. If Craftsman wanted to sell more tools and inspire more confidence in their brand, they would adopt a widely used battery pack from Makita, DeWalt, Or Milwaukee. That business model is not without precedent BTW…Amazon sells at least 3 Enegitech branded power tools that use Makita batteries. https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/E725FB46-4FEC-4D6C-B359-35594E9FA82D
Stuart
Craftsman is a Stanley Black & Decker brand, with their cordless power tools likely developed by the same teams that work on Dewalt, Porter Cable, and Black & Decker cordless power tools.
They would never make their tools cross-compatible with other brands, at least not across tiers.
Let’s say the Craftsman V20 interface accepted Dewalt batteries. Wouldn’t the Craftsman batteries than be compatible with Dewalt tools? Even if not out of the box, then there would be maybe a plastic tab that some users would physically remove. What would stop someone from buying Craftsman’s $69 V20 entry-priced cordless drill kit and using that battery in a Dewalt power tool? If the Craftsman battery didn’t sufficiently power the Dewalt tool, would users blame their choice of battery, or the tools?
There’s nothing wrong with proprietary battery packs as long as they remain current and are supported over the course of many years. Look at Ryobi’s 18V line as a great example of this.
Robert Adkins
I have no respect for manufacturers who play games with batteries. Some of them obviously want you to throw away good batteries, and that’s terribly wasteful.
Matt
Several years ago when DeWalt switched from the stem battery style to the slide in pack style, I know our local Blaine’s had a trade in program. I’m not sure of all the details as I didn’t need to participate but I do know the person I talked to at the service desk said the old batteries were to be recycled. Customers received a discount towards the new style. They had large bins full of old batteries.
Whether this was a Blaine’s program or a SBD program I don’t know.
Django
SBD also produced a stem to slide in adapter
Gordon
The biggest problem I’m having with Lowe’s is that each store can be so incredibly different in pricing. My friend sent me a text that said “get to Lowe’s, all Kobalt hand tools are on massive clearance”. He sent me a photo with things like a 3 pack of adjustable wrenches for $3. My store still had them full price.
If you look at brickseek, you’ll see that the V60 self-propelled mower is on sale for $199, but only at 15% of Lowe’s.
Bob
I vote it end of season sale. Truckloads of new inventory needs a place to go.
Makes you wonder what the wholsale price on these tools are if they are selling 60% off. I would assume they are still making money or possibly loosing very little at 60 off the top. I understand a loss leader strategy but don’t think this would be a product category conducive to that.
I know some of the larger retailers have agreements where they can return unsold product to the manufacturer if they do not sell them in a certain time period. Some sort of consignment deal. I would think that seasonal items would be something that they would focus this type if agreement on. You would assume they would return them vs take a loss on selling them.
Pure speculation on my part but something to think about.
Brian M
It’s super risky buying into Craftsman battery powered anything. SBD simply can’t be trusted. 12V was all but dead for like 10 years. 40V was dead for like 5 years and they finally officially discontinued it. XRP, is it dead or not? Still available but no tools are coming out. It’s not just batteries(which could be considered support), they’re still selling “new” tools at Lowe’s and HD. PC, future unclear but still available. Dewalt 20V and Flexvolt(because it’s 20V compatible) are the only lines you should consider from Dewalt or B&D 20V for the lower end tools. Everything else is a coin flip and they’ll kill it off or let it sit idle while they figure out what they want to do.
Stuart
Where did you see that 40V Max was officially discontinued?
Big Richard
If you click on any 40v tool on DeWalt’s website, it lists said tool as “discontinued”. It could just be that they are coming out with new versions, but you would think they would have new products on the shelf before they discontinue old products.
Sam
Lowes dumped their 80v mowers last fall at very low prices, similar to these. They brought out new 80v mowers this spring. Could be a simple rotation to brushless motors.
Matt J
Lowes seems to do this more than HD and other stores. I was looking out for a discount on an EGO mower at HD for a long time and finally asked and was told that they never go on sale because they sell regardless of season.
While I am happy for the deals I’ve gotten at Lowes, I can’t help but think that such regular deep discounts are part of the reason they’re struggling. These discounts started on August 1. There is easily 2-3 more months of routine mowing here in southeastern PA. Last year, Lowes was selling the Dewalt 40V mower for $150 around the same time.
While I do think that the sticker was high compared to other models, especially those with brushless motors, I think the push mower could have easily sold at $300.
I understand the need to rotate inventory, but Lowe’s seems to go over the top with it. I realize it’s a drop in the bucket, but it seems to be a pattern/practice across all departments. It can’t be helping their stock prices.
Mike
Many thanks for this, I didn’t have any gear, so I bought them all. Did notice absolutely WILD pricing at Lowe’s, for example $220 for the blower at a Lowe’s near me, but $109 for one at a store 30 miles away – so it pays to check around… Their return policy varies also – 30 days for the mower, but 90 for the hedge trimmer.
4 year warranty is great and I read all the battery packs are 18650 based, so they can be rebuilt in the future.
Brando
THIS NOT the last of the Craftsman V60 line, lets stop with the silly rumors.
SBD (Stanley Black and Decker) is doing the opposite by promoting their Craftsman Lawn Garden V60 product line and reducing their Dewalt Lawn & Garden line. Compare websites for Lawn/Garden products for Dewalt Vs. SBD Craftsman. Over the past few weeks Dewalt lawn & garden items have been disappearing from their site (and rummored internally).
Several press releases have also indicated that the aquisition of Craftsman name is to move SBD more agressivly into that market space. They will likely run the line hard 2-3 years and evaluate market performance and infiltration in the 3-4.
(Sincerely) Please correct me anywhere i am wrong.
Stuart
We’re still hearing about “crazy” clearance pricing on Craftsman V60, and I saw more of this on social media today.
As discussed in this post I can’t imagine that the tools or line are being discontinued, and our contact at SBD confirmed that there’s no way that’s happening.
Lowes’ clearancing practices don’t seem to fit typical patterns, but I guess that’s just retail.
Drew Marshall
I stumbled upon the clearance deals when my old mower had issues and I did not have time to fool with it. In the end, I got a variety of 60v equipment dirt cheap and have been quite pleased with them while I had been dubious since I used a variety of professional gas equipment back in the day.
The 7.5Ah battery in the self-propelled mower ($189!) suddenly went dead 2 weeks ago (70 days old, no LEDs, no charge indicator, no run), so I initiated a warranty case, and they agreed to ship out a new battery, but it is only the 5Ah one, the 7.5 is no longer available.
If you look at their site now, they replaced the self-propelled 7.5 model with one that uses TWO 5Ah packs. I assume this indicates a problem with the 7.5 packs. fwiw all of my 2.5Ah batteries are going strong.
Maybe in the end they will upgrade me to the new model since they can’t make good on mine…
Simon
That’s crazy, I call it scam.
Did they make you return the bad 7.5ah battery?
AB
Did you get any resolution on your replacement 7.5ah battery? I’m in the same boat, it suddenly went dead, and they sent me a 5ah as a replacement. I’ve been hounding them about once a month, but they tell me there will be no more 7.5ah batteries. I’m fairly happy with the mower, and contemplating asking for a second 5ah battery to make up for the reduced capacity.
Simon
Did they make you return the bad 7.5ah battery?
AB
No, the lady suggested I drop it at the battery recycling box at Lowes. I’m sure the shipping wouldn’t have been worth it.
dave9
It makes sense to discount them because based on the V60 battery prices, that is where they’re looking to make their money, but that depends on getting enough tools into enough customers’ hands.
I’m sure they’d like to also stomp out the Sears’ Craftsman line once and for all so they need better market penetration for that.
Jared
Rona, a hardware store here in Canada (owned by Lowes), cleared out all Craftsman V60 stuff this past month and a half. It was part of a store-wide “clearance event” where lots of other items were on sale.
The clearance event started at 40% off for all included items and progressively went up to 90% off (where it is right now, but not much is left anymore). This resulted in some exceptional prices on V60 stuff where it could be found.
My aunt had asked me where she should buy a new battery for her 56v Worx cordless trimmer – they retail for $160 here in Canada. Instead I picked up a complete cordless V60 trimmer kit for ~$120, which pleased her greatly.
A few weeks later I was in the store and spotted a V60 hedge trimmer kit – 80% off for a final price of about $60! She didn’t need a trimmer, but I picked it up anyway because that was less than half price for just a battery.
I was surprised at these deals because only specific brands seemed to be included: Craftsman v60, Black & Decker 20v, Bosch 18v and Dewalt Ni-cd 18v stuff. Excluding Craftsman, everything else seemed to be older models. E.g. most Bosch stuff was brushed tools that had been out a long time. There was no Dewalt lithium. My point is that I would hazard a guess that Rona won’t be restocking these items once they’re gone since they have been superseded.
Craftsman V60 stuff just came out this year though. Seems a bit fishy to me. On the other hand, I think it could all be considered summer-seasonal stuff (and we’re obviously in the heart of winter now). Maybe that’s all it was…
Bob
I wondered the same thing about Craftsman phasing out the 60V. The guy at Lowe’s speculated that but didn’t know. Anyway, I got the leaf blower as it was cheaper than the 20V and I love it. Very powerful and about 1/2 price off.
A month later, I bought the 60V hedge trimmer again at maybe 1/2 off. Love it. So last month I looked for a 60V chain saw. Lowe’s didn’t have it so I bought online. I didn’t get a deal but decided that even if they do phase it out, I want one. Love it as well. So I have three 60V yard tools which I love and 3 identical batteries. What started this was actually the 60V Craftsman lawn mover I got first at about 1/3 the normal price. That worked well so sold me on Craftsman but that 60V is a way bigger than the others.
Anyway, even if Craftsman stops selling these, I am glad I bought them and plan to use them for many years, even if they come out with something better as these are quite sufficient.
Jeremy
I have a chainsaw and a blower both bought at Lowes at huge discount pricing. The blower was $62 after some negotiating and the chainsaw about $114 I recall. I am hoping they come out with a brushless 21″ manual push mower.
Melvis
Still no Craftsman V60 at Lowes. If this was just a seasonal thing, they would have the spring stuff in by now. Menards still has a few things on their website, but most of them say “low inventory alert,” which makes me suspect that they’re not getting in new ones, either.
Craftsman themselves might tell you that V60 is just pining for the fjords, but…
Jeremy O Quirk
Just in from a reply from Craftsman tools to a question as to why Lowes is not putting up any more V60 stuff, at least nothing I could find other than 2019 stuff. The very good news if true is (and this was sent to me on Wed 04-01-2020 – and no it is not an April fool’s post):
Hi Jeremy,
Thank you for contacting us.
We apologize for the issues that you are having with these batteries. The batteries are covered under warranty with your proof of purchase for 3 years. Lowe’s will continue to sell the V60 line however the reasoning they only carry stock for limited time is because these items are seasonal. They should be getting more soon as the season is rolling back around.
In case this email does not fully answer your question, or you would like to contact us for any reason, simply reply to this email.
Thank you,
Kristin
Craftsman Customer Care
Visit us online at http://www.craftsman.com
J in Michigan 04-01-2020 at 11:17 a.m.
Levi
Seems like that wasn’t true, no sign of V60 at Lowes. If they are still coming, they are way late to the spring time sales!
My guess is sales were so bad Lowes is not bringing them back.
Jon
I spoke with someone in their customer service and he hinted at a summer release of their products, wouldn’t tell me too much other than that. Also you have to factor in the coronavirus impact this is having and all the delays it is causing. I think Lowe’s is out of kobalt and greenworks stuff too right now
Jeremy in Michigan
Thanks Jon for also asking. The Covid-19 issue is impacting supply, no doubt. Seen this in other industries. But my problem is that Craftsman has had a very bad communication to the public and to its big box sellers as to where things stand prior to Covid-19, regarding future of the V60 line. That does not make one feel too confident in wanting to buy more of it, even if it was available. Battery tool platforms need to stabilize for 5 years at a time in the battery power tool industry or otherwise I see an unnecessary slow change over to battery from gas operated tools. But getting competitors to slow down and use a universal platform is not going to happen. That’s idealistic on my part. I like Greenworks’ future, the changes to their tools they are making lately and my guess at this point is that it’s format is a good one albeit big heavy batteries.
Jon
Spot on. You are correct with Craftsman and their communication and it adds to all the other issues they have. Whoever SBB put in charge over craftsman should probably be removed because it hasn’t been a pretty row out.
In regards to V60, I’ve purchased the SP mower, blower, and chainsaw and these products are actually of good quality which is why I’m waiting to see what they come out with this year before making any further purchasing decisions, I need a new edger and sting trimmer and ideally like to stay within the V60 platform since I’ve already invested. If they don’t expand their lineup, I’ll be switching to another brand. Looking at Greenworks, Kobalt, Ego, and Ryobi.
Jeremy in Michigan
Levi it looks like you are right. I am having less confidence in what Kristin has been told. It appears to me she may be the last to know and is being put in a bad position to explain what’s next for Craftsman. The problem I have is that Craftsman’s batteries are not great. and finding them is a pain as is the cost.
I am leaning more and more to Greenworks products as it seems to be a platform of products and batteries that are prevalent.
Last fall I bought used, gently, a Snapper 60V mower, a 60V blower, and the matching 60V trimmer for $125. It was obviously a great, great deal. The tools perform very well. The more I looked at them the more I found out they are more or less the same battery as that of the Greenworks tools. The mower and blower even looks the same. I like them a lot.
And to add to my belief that I may have to switch to Greenworks is that Snapper is no longer supporting its 60V line I have! Amazing the changes and lack of loyalty to what they introduce.
Then Craftsman, which I thought would be a good platform, and last fall I bought into the blower at $86.00 and the chain saw at $114. Both work very good, albeit the battery (2.5ah) are a little weak. The 16″ bar chain saw is a surprising beast though AND does well with the 2.5ah battery for my needs. Now that line appears to be limited. I was hoping they would come out with a brushless mower. I avoided their mowers because of that.
Monday of this week (May 18th 2020) Lowes (Benton Harbor, MI) told me they will not be expecting any Craftsman mowers as the Lowes in this area are not slated to receive any V60 Craftsman tools per the schedules of products expected for the spring months. Menards in our area still carries the V60 line, but I have not seen any mowers yet.
Bob
I am glad I have 3 batteries for the blower, hedge trimmer and chainsaw. I figure those 3 batteries should last a long time. No problems with them yet. Batteries by themselves are very expensive. Hopefully Craftsman will continue to at least make the replacement batteries. But any battery will eventually go bad. I got a DeWalt drill and one DeWalt battery quit after about 6 months while the other is going on 4 years. Anybody know if any other batteries work in Craftsman tools?
Big Richard
Menards put pretty much all their V60 stuff on clearance, but also did so with V20 power tools and OPE, hand tools, and accessories. The only thing they didn’t discontinue was corded tools. So they are either getting ready for all new inventory and upgraded models, or they just weren’t selling in stores. I just find it hard to believe they are pulling the plug on V60 already but who knows.
They have a decent presence on amazon, maybe they are sticking with that over brick and mortar stores.
JERRY T
Craftsman V60 snow blower!!!!
CB
I think Lowes it done w/ V60 they are blowing out their last things now and never got mowers back in.
Jeremy in Michigan
Craftsman Customer Service 888-331-4589 when called on Tuesday 06-02-2020 at 3:30 p.m. East Coast Time says”Thank you for calling Craftsman. Unfortunately we are currently closed, but please try again later.”
Can someone else try? I have tried 2 days now during business hours.
sss
I am getting a fax machine answer.
CB from Michigan
They replaced a battery and charger for me a month ago, super helpful. I hope I didn’t just make the cut.
Jeremy
You are quite lucky if it was a V60. My latest as of a few days ago (Wednesday, June 17, 2020) is that my claim for my V60 chainsaw (which I really liked when it was working properly), which started on May 7, 2020 has not bee resolved.
First they tell me top keep the chainsaw and they will send me a refurbished one. I asked them why they do not want the other one back, and the representative said to keep it. I can use it, fix it, whatever, but the resolution was that I was to received a refurbished V60 with a battery and charger.
2 plus weeks went by and I called and the same person said it should be delivered to me soon as they have sent it.
More weeks go by and so I get an e-mail from Craftsman last week which stated that they do not know when a refurbished one will be in stock and they have indeterminately stopped making more of the V60 chainsaws. They then offered me a 20v chainsaw, with the battery or a complete refund of my purchase (they offered that to me from the start but I wanted mine replaced since the refund was what I paid $114 at Lowe’s).
So I asked them for a refund plus another battery (as I was starting to suspect they are bailing on the entire V60 line – that’s unconfirmed of course but all indicators are starting to go that way in my assessment).
They then replied by a phone call a week later and said I had to send back my chainsaw to have the warranty choices. The guy on that call said they do not even have batteries to dole out! So you did get a good deal at this point.
I am not too pleased how they have handled a warranty claim. If they cannot support the product during the warranty period, why would I want to continue with Craftsman V60 products? I loved the chainsaw when it was working true (the chain has been popping off the bar – I know how to use this chainsaw and it has plenty of oil and I do not force it. The tool is doing the work. I am in no rush).
The V20 is the not same torque and it is not as powerful, not the same chainsaw bar length etc.
The refund would give me $114 but that is about 1/2 or less of what I would need to get another comparable 60 volt chainsaw which I would like now. I like the Greenworks 60V line and if they can get me into that, I’d call it a day.
They have placed their customer service people in a bad spot. I am not getting the value of what I bargained for, a chainsaw with a warranty.
Big Richard
Is the chain jumping the only reason you are trying to get it replaced?
Jeremy
I’d be happy if they would fix it. But they did not offer that. The battery has been running a little shorter, not terrible and could be the wood or technique really. But overall, when it is cutting, it is great.
Big Richard
Well the good news is there is nothing a new saw would fix. A couple tips for the chain jumping. First, electric motors have more torque than a comparable gas motor. So any pinching or binding, where a gas saw would stall and give you that burm…burm…burm noise when you squeeze the throttle, an electric motor is just gonna wanna keep turning that sprocket. And that chain has to go somewhere, and it will jump the sprocket.
Second, which compounds the issue, is that the V60 uses a .043″ gauge bar/chain. The bar itself is thinner, so it has some flex. The chain will stretch quite a bit, so you need to watch your chain tension closely. And again, any binding will cause that chain to stretch immediately.
The first issue is somewhat unavoidable, but it can be mitigated with proper technique. For the second issue, try using this bar/chain combo:
https://www.oregonproducts.com/en/guide-bar-and-chain-combo%2C-16%22/p/27857
It is still a 16″, 3/8″lp, 56 link bar/chain like the stock, but it is .050″ gauge vs. the stock .043″ gauge. The bar is more rigid and the chain stretches and wears a little less, since it is heavier gauge steel. It’s not a magic pill, but should help you out.
As for the battery, all I can say is never run them completely dead and never charge them hot. A new battery can drop performance after just a few improper full discharges.
Jon
I had a bent axle on my SP mower that the wheel would not turn on height 3 and higher cause it caught the steel deck. Craftsman said they could not replace the part nor did they send me a new mower, so instead they are sending me a refund check for the amount I paid for the mower. That tells me right there that they may not be continuing this line. I got that message two days ago from Craftsman
dave
You MUST be joking! Quote:
“They then offered me a 20v chainsaw, with the battery or a complete refund of my purchase (they offered that to me from the start but I wanted mine replaced since the refund was what I paid $114 at Lowe’s).
So I asked them for a refund plus another battery …The refund would give me $114 but that is about 1/2 or less of what I would need to get another comparable 60 volt chainsaw which I would like now.”
On what planet is it reasonable to think that if you get a deal on something on sale, that you are entitled to MORE than you paid for it? NO, they are not remotely supposed to pay you more than you paid in the first place so you can get some other brand. That’s insane.
The value of what you bargained for is $114 paid. If you want to pay double that for something else, then and only then is the value of what you bargained for, doubled.
They are not a charity and their customer service was great to offer you a refund. It offends me that the rest of us have to bear their cost of business with people trying to get one over on them and be unjustly enriched.
If you paid $30K for a car and it turned out to be a lemon, would you expect to receive a $60K refund to buy a better car? Of course not. Nowhere in their warranty statement are you granted anything like that. I am dumbfounded that your mind works this way.
Jeremy
I wholeheartedly agree that I should only have received $114, which I did.
Jeremy
Big Richard: All great tips and comments. I was aware the bar kerfs are thinner than gas chainsaws. So your recommendations are nice to have. I never over-work the chainsaw, but I have been negligent in running the battery all the way down. I never charge them hot though. But I have been running them down to zero in my use in my blower and chainsaw. I only have used my chainsaw probably 10-15 xs and most of the use has been relatively short.
But yes the electric motors do have more torque and I can tell. The motor wants to keep on working and creates the chain problems, I would concur. So technique and being aware of that is very important.
One of the best reminder tips you provided to me is that chain tension needs to be attended to, and should be monitored wIthin reason and not floppy.
A sharp chain goes a long, long way too for performance of course, and when combined with the right tension, the 60V is a very good saw. I am though going to accept the warranty claim at some point and then get a Greenworks as I am now convinced that this beast and the batteries are not going to be around in a year whatsoever. The customer service people are clearly being nervous about giving out any information and perhaps they have not been told 100% but two of them have told me similar complaints about support of the product line are being heard. They let that slip out.
Big Richard
Touche. The new Greenworks Pro CS60L212 60v is pretty nice. Out of the box it comes with a .050″ gauge chain/bar, like I recommended with your V60. Another difference is that it does not have the tool free bar retention/chain adjuster like your V60 has. Some would say that is a good thing, as it is more secure.
If you don’t mind really breaking the bank, the Stihl MSA 220 C-B is probably the best cordless chainsaw you will ever use.
Bob
I am forced to revise my opinion and my comments I made previously here. My beloved V60 chainsaw that I bought fall of 2020 all of a sudden just shorted out a battery when it was connected. Then did the same thing when trying another battery. So now I have 2 dead batteries that won’t work and a chainsaw that won’t work. (I still have my V60 hedge trimmer, blower and lawn mower but no extra batteries now).
I have not yet contacted Craftsman (or Lowe’s) on the warranty but not optimistic based on the stories above. This really sucks as I loved that saw and don’t know why this happened after many successful uses over the past 6 months.
Jeremy
My saw just died also. Put in a fully three bar charged battery and nothing happened so I put in another fully charged battery and it did not start either . No sounds nothing so it must be shorted some kind inside. the batteries are fine but the chainsaw doesn’t show any indication of wanting to start. I’ve done all sorts of things flip the safety bar forward and back a few times to engage it into the run mode and still nothing. So I added that to my complaint and I’m still waiting to hear back from Craftsman warranty. it is the worst customer service I have received in many, many years.
Bob
Does anyone know if you can reset a V60 battery? 2 batteries just shorted out when I connected them to the chainsaw. They will not charge when put on the charger. However, when I press the button on the battery, the 3 lights light up.
Ty B
Bob, I have had great experience with their CS. I just contacted them about my 2.5 AH batteries (under warranty) not holding a great charge (I have a blower and a string trimmer) and they sent me 2 new ones for free after checking the mfg date and serial number.
Bob
Actually our experience has been good as well. Got refund for chainsaw. They replaced the 2nd battery and actually gave me a much larger battery (7.5 vs 2.5) which is great as I can use for my lawn mower or blower. The only thing they did not refund is the tax on the chainsaw. I can live with that. Now, I would love to get a different 60vish chainsaw since Craftsman stopped selling them. Any recomendations?
L3
Looks like Costco now has Craftsman V60. I wonder if this is Craftsman trying to sell the last of what they have on the shelf or they did a special run just for Costco? Not great timing to start selling a line of OPE at the end of the season… but not surprising either.
Stuart
The Costco website shows a blower and a trimmer. Fall cleanup tools?
I’d bet this was a special arrangement and not any type of “we have some tools we didn’t sell elsewhere, do you want them?” deal.
sSgwagon
I will be super happy if they introuce a snow blower
Jared
Is there any additional news about v60 since this post?
It’s become hard to find here in Canada – only available through Amazon (confirmed on the Craftsman website too).
V60 used to be at Lowes and Rona (Rona is a Canadian subsidiary of Lowes). Last winter they cleared them out and even though Craftsman just says V60 is “out of stock” at Lowes. It has not been “in stock” in about a year.
If it lives on here on Amazon that’s ok. I just share some of the worries about its longevity if it lost it’s retail partners. V60 seems like nice enough stuff (got the hedge trimmer and weedeater for my aunt and was thinking about the blower).
I also wonder how the pandemic has effected Craftsman generally. Seems like SBD has a lot of balls in the air. I recall your post about the USA factory – but I just thought they would be pushing the Craftsman brand harder by now.
It is amazing how much enthusiasm seems to remain for the brand (well maybe not with the connoisseurs reading your website, but when I see less informed consumers speaking about the brand they seem to think Craftsman is adjacent to Snap-on).
Bob
I got refund for the V60 chainsaw. Now, I would love to get a different 60v-ish chainsaw since Craftsman stopped selling them. Any recommendations?
Jeremy
My entire problem with how Craftsman handled this platform is that they put the 60V tools out there, with a great name at a major retailer, as if they were going to support it well. They have not. So as a consumer you choose buying into a tool platform so you do not have two, three different tool charging systems with incompatible batteries. Within 2 years Craftsman has bailed the major 60V tools. Trying to get someone to answer the phone at the Crafstman customer service for warranty replacement or service of the 60V systems was, in my experience, nearly impossible in the summer of 2020. I got a complete refund of my purchase. All I wanted was a replacement of the defective chainsaw. I liked the product overall and when it was working it was a beast.
It took well over three months to get it all worked out.
Bob
Yeah, I totally concur. Sure, I got my $ back (except the tax) but I really miss the V60 craftsman chainsaw. I liked it a lot but they are gone. Now I have a craftsman mower, hedge trimmer and blower – all 60V but now I have to get some other brand and battery for my chainsaw. Still don’t know what to get.
scott taylor
looks like the cub cadet 60v batteries and devices fit the craftsman v60 so now we know that they were just a MTD rebadge. Which with SBD buying them means there is some life left in my chain saw and lawn mower
bob
That’s good news. I had returned my chainsaw when it kept shorting out batteries but I still have a 60V craftsman lawn mower, hedge trimmer and leaf blower that still work very well.
SimSam
Any rumors about a snow blower? Or anyone found a way to convert the batteries with adapter to a different brand?
bob
I ended up getting an EGO 14″ chainsaw which works fine but I liked the Craftsman better.