Hart Tools’ parent company, TTI – also owns the Ryobi line at Home Depot, Milwaukee Tool, and others – has announced that they are voluntarily discontinuing the HART business by the end of 2025.
Hart Tools are exclusive to Walmart, and so this is essentially the end of the Hart line – including their cordless power tools.
TTI says that the Hart brand will remain in their portfolio.
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I found this statement interesting:
The discontinuation of the HART business further supports our ability to deliver our medium-term internal profitability objectives with additional potential upside in the following years.
Looking around a bit, it seems that Hart Tools discontinued their social media efforts around 9 months ago. They posted regularly, and then it just stopped.
On YouTube too, Hart’s last video was posted 9 months ago, celebrating the changeover from winter to spring.
What happened? As I see it, there are 2 likely options.
Theory 1: Tariffs destroyed Hart’s profitability.
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Theory 2: The contract expired and Walmart awarded it to other companies.
I did a store walk at Walmart a little over a year ago, and the tool aisles were cleanly divided between Hart and Hyper Tough.
They had a lot of Hart tools accessories across many categories.
In almost every tool-related category you could think of, Hart was there.
Walmart even had Hart pressure washer nozzles.
Hart was everywhere.
That Hart seemed to have ceased their social media activities around 9 months ago is a big clue that their departure from Walmart was long-planned.
It’s possible that Walmart is expanding their Hyper Tough selection, but they really need more brands in there for price point differentiation.
What comes next? It’s very likely that Walmart will clear out all of the tools. But besides that, does Walmart have new brands on deck, or will they have Hyper Tough fill everything in?
Will Walmart stores downsize their tool departments nation-wide?
Which brand(s) has Walmart contracted with to replace Hart Tools in stores?
There are lots of questions. All we know for certain is that Hart Tools is “discontinuing their business” in 2025. It’ll be interesting to see what changes come to Walmart in 2026.
Harrison
Aside from maybe RYOBI, this is why I would commit to store brand power tools.
A W
Wouldn’t?
John
Maybe they’re a glutton for punishment?
mark w
I’m thinking ” wouldn’t “
zchris87v
Same reason I never commit to a battery platform without knowing it’ll be around for a long time. Only ever used Hart for the storage stuff, but TTI is a local business for me so their stuff goes on sale for cheap once a year, namely accessory type items (such as said pressure washer nozzle).
Rick
“Same reason I never commit to a battery platform without knowing it’ll be around for a long time. ”
Same. The major tool companies are obviously never going to agree on a common standard for power tool batteries, for both good and bad reasons. And it will become increasingly more difficult for small companies to break into the power tool market as the demand for corded power tools diminishes.
jm
Many months ago I noticed they put all of the Hart vacuums on clearance and starting bringing in a lot more Skil branded stuff to the tool section. They even had some of the original Skil Worm Drive saws, but they were only $10 off the retail price. They also put on clearance all of the Hart lawn and garden stuff. I have the Carbon Fiber weed eater and it is really good.
Mopar4wd
Yeah I noticed skil and delta added near me as well maybe skil replaces hart
Ezzy
Hart’s power tools may be junk but they actually have a few very specific hand tools that are top notch. All are from pre Wallmart days so make of that what you will. They used to sell by Home Depot. I got a hammer, crowbar, and chisel from Hart at Home Depot that are excellent. Much prefer the hammer over anything else Home Depot had at the time 9 years ago. And the crowbar has a unique handle design that makes it stronger. They kept those models on in the switch to Wallmart. The hammer is the same except the color changed from red to blue.
kent_skinner
Hart used to be a good company that made excellent hammers. Framers and carpenters always had a holy war between Hart & Vaughn, and of course Eastwing.
I still have a Hart framer and a smooth face trim hammer I bought when I did my first construction project in the early 90s.
IIRC, they were purchased by Dead On tools who made decent tools with a gimmicky name and marketing (their hammer was the Death Stick, and a skulls and crap on it).
Not sure how or why they decided to join the race to the bottom of dime store cordless tools, but here we are.
fred
Dead-On, Maasdam and Buket Boss are owned by Pull’R Holding:
https://www.pullr.com/about.html
Ezzy
Interesting. I’m saying that over the past few years at Wallmart they had junk and a few top notch hand tools sprinkled in that were pre Wallmart tools. Was always funny to see.
Peter
Did not know that they were the same company.
I have an 20+ years old Hart framing hammer which is still holding up strong.
Mizzourob
I there was so much promise of the hart battery platform making it into multiple departments at Walmart. Seems like they only made to the automotive, vacuum and camping sections.
Nathan
As soon as those hart containers and multi bin boxes go on real sale I might pick up a few
Guess they didn’t sell at all. Shame but I’d like to see more made in USA hyper tough stuff.
JMG
Could Walmart become the new home for Chervon’s Skil/Flex/Ego products?
Stuart
Skil? Maybe. Flex? No. Ego? No.
Jamie Lee Davis
Skil has arrived at Walmart
Mizzourob
Maybe Skil, but probably only in a limited way as a premium option for HyperTough cordless since both are Chervon made. I could also see black and Decker make a comeback, and maybe the dark horse for a “premium” option would be Porter Cable?
LE
Honestly Skil would be a great fit for Walmart’s “higher teir” option above hyper tough. They have a pretty heavy lineup of Greenworks 60v outdoor tools so I’m not sure we’d see ego there. Ego seems to be doing good at Lowe’s.
Bonnie
The marketing-speak definitely sounds like the brand had lost any profitability it had. Otherwise I would expect it to get shopped around to smaller stores or something.
Mark M.
Never had a reason to get into Hart stuff but there are some hidden gems in the HyperTough brand, USA-made pry bars and such.
SamR
Same here!
I believe HyperTough can develop product lines that are comparable to Harbor Freight’s.
Daniel
Honestly, the Hyper Tough 12 volt tools are pretty good.
I bought the brushless drill to replace my old Milwaukee M12 brushed when it died last year and I’m very impressed. Metal chuck, tons of power, very sturdy feeling. Only time will tell with the longevity of course, but at less than half the cost of the comparable brushless M12, 2 amp battery included, with a 2 year warranty, and there being a Walmart every 100ft worldwide in case I ever need to use the warranty, I think it was well worth it.
I also got the cordless ratchet – also well worth it and half the cost of the comparable M12.
Scotty.
Theory 2.1 – the contract expired and WM made impossible demands so TTI said we out.
Mizzourob
It was at the very least an interesting experiment of what Ryobi could be with a slide pack battery. Now that I type this, what if Ryobi moves to slide packs, makes a post adapter for all current one+ tools and Hart becomes the next gen Ryobi?
McLovin
I would buy that in a heart beat. If I could get Ryobi HP tools with Hart slide pack form factor, I could finally consolidate all my tools to Ryobi. I can’t stand the stalk batteries which is why I only have a few Ryobi tools left and have been moving to other brands. Mainly Skil because the form factor is just way better. The Ryobi ratchet is an abomination to tools. It’s not like I need a 1996 NiCad battery to work in my 2025 HP Ryobi tool. Just make the switch already and join the modern era with batteries that don’t take up so much space in a tool box. Whenever I go out on the property to do work I have my tool box and my battery tool box because they don’t fit all in one. Such a pain.
Ted
I like HART’s storage options. They were inexpensive and good enough for my purposes. However, I am pretty sure the entire HART storage line is just rebranded Keter stuff. Will definitely pick up some more of the drawer units if they go on sale…
Rob H
Guess the 5 year warranty on the electric mowers is worthless now. 🙁
David.A
I remember prior to Hart entering Walmart when Skil and Black & Decker would compete and exchange positions every couple of years. One year every power tool and their accessories would be Black & Decker and the next year Black & Decker would be out and on clearance and the whole section was now Skil Tools! And I remember when Bostitch came out with Cordless Tools exclusive to Walmart and then a couple of years later they were on clearance and gone. I have to wonder how many tool companies purposely say no to Walmart knowing this? Now that Lowe’s is abandoning Skil tools I am curious if they will be sold through Walmart?
ElectroAtletico
Translation: TTI is shutting off the oxygen to “HART”
Alex Burrows
Hear me out…
Walmart makes a deal with Chervon to bring Skil and Flex to Walmart! That gives wlamrt top tier tools with a good loyalty base, a great budget option. And gives chervon a nation powerhouse to say eff you to lowe’s.
Stuart
Walmart is known for discount prices. Where would Flex fit into that?
Wes
“The discontinuation of the HART business further supports our ability to deliver our medium-term internal profitability objectives with additional potential upside in the following years.”
It depresses me that people have to go to college for four years in order to use the English language so incoherently.
As an aside, are there any specific Hart tools that are especially worth buying once they presumably go on clearance?
Stuart
This was an investor PR. Investor PRs tend to be like patent applications, with very specific non-colloquial ways of phrasing things.
Peter Coffin
Patent applications use engineering terms which have precise definitions that may not be known by the general public. They are meant to explain exactly the unique characteristics of the product. The garbage that Wes is referring to is simply a smoke screen to avoid releasing any information at all.
Stuart
There’s one takeaway – that Hart is being discontinued – and the rest is just specifically vague.
They can’t make forecasts or projections (or at least I don’t think), but they have to say something that translates to “don’t worry, things will be hunky dory.”
A bunch of managers, communications people, and lawyers must have had to put together and sign off on that messaging.
“supports our ability to deliver our medium-term internal profitability objectives” is vague but tells investors something specific. One can also read between the lines and be on the lookout for potential short-term impacts.
It’s how most investor communications go. You mostly get used to it.
Peter Coffin
I know that you can get mostly used to it. But it is painful to read when it would be so much clearer, and easier, to say “Hart sales were disappointing so we are going to switch to a brand that will be more attractive to our customers and better for our business.”
The word “upside” should only be used when referring to somebody’s head.
Jim
I feel bad for people who bought into Hart’s battery ecosystem.
Mark S
I suspect Wal Mart went to TTI for lower pricing or a new deal with terms that aren’t great, and TTI called their bluff and lost.
I like the other commenters with Skil stuff coming in. Doesn’t explain the new lack of hand tools. Back to more Hyper crap? Im guessing realiatically they will head back to Stanley Black and Decker stuff.
OR….just thought about it….does Wally World bring in Craftsman stuff? Lowes seems to be getting less and less of certain lines, as Klein took over many shelf spots in many sections over the last year or two. Kinda unlikely. But possible….
drewski
After reading this, I checked out TTI’s outlet store: directtoolsoutlet. They had carried some of the Hart stuff online and in their stores. Currently there is no Hart stuff on the site. I guess there is no buyback provisions with Walmart sending the unsold stuff back to TTI.
Mopar4wd
I have been seeing some hart stuff trickling into Ollie’s a discount lots type retailer. So Walmart may be auctioning some of it off wholesale.
Michael F
I commented on the Flex leaving Lowe’s article that I believe the entire power tool industry is in contraction and to expect more lines being discontinued. I wonder who it will be next?
Vards Uzvards
I was in the local Walmart super-center today, and went to the power tools section. My first impression was there are not as many tools as there used to be (although I didn’t keep a count / rarely browsed this part of the store), but there were no “clearance” stickers, just some “rollbacks”. Storage items and hand tools were all at their regular pricing. All I bought was a pair of boxes of brad nails, both at a clearance pricing. Maybe the weekend pricing will be more promising.
Rick
I just searched Walmart’s web site for Hart products. There were quite a few with a “Rollback” price in stock at my nearest Walmart Supercenter, but not at fire sale prices.
Maybe I’m being unfair, but unlike Home Depot with their hierarchy of brands (Ryobi < Ridgid < Milwaukee), I always felt that HyperTough and Hart were pretty much on a par so it didn't really make sense for Walmart to sell both brands.
Also, white is a poor color choice for power tools. They may look cool on the shelf in the store, but after a year or two of use they look awful.
Ptolemy
Hart was generally better than HyperTough when it released, but the newer “black” model HyperTough products have been surprisingly decent. Torque Test Channel did some comparisons of impact wrenches and HyperTough is outperforming some tools that are three times it price.
Jamie Lee Davis
Skil has arrived at Walmart. Table saw and miter saw on display in North Bristol, Va. Christmas Eve!
Dylan D
In Canada, Walmart discontinued carrying the Hart brand (even though it is a Walmart exclusive brand) during 2025. In the liquidation stores that Walmart uses to clear out their overstock items, they started clearing out and shipping out all Hart products early in 2025. By the fall, if you check the hardware section in any Walmart, you’d find no Hart products. You might still find the odd drill in the clearance section that hasn’t yet been shipped to a liquidation store.
I picked up a flood light that was 50% off earlier this year. I picked up a lot of batteries really cheap. Intend on using them with conversion devices in my other tools. I never purchased any Hart tools prior to 2025 and only did so this year because of the price savings (batteries were 80-90% off in the liquidation stores).
It’s always a good idea to avoid the store-specific brands. In Canada, Kobalt stuff showed up in liquidation stores last year because it was a Lowes housebrand and Lowes pulled out of Canada, so likewise, their stuff was liquidated for 90% off.
Scott
I got the hart garden tiller attachment that work with ryobi for clearance at Walmart for 49. They had others but I have them all. Only difference from the ryoni was branding
R. F. Bandit
I just got home from a trip to the Shepherdsville Kentucky Walmart. No price discounts that I could see
Frank D.
“ The discontinuation of the HART business further supports our ability to deliver our medium-term internal profitability objectives with additional potential upside in the following years. “
Wait what?
Scrapping Hart or at least getting kicked out of Walmart helps medium term profitability … how?
With additional potential upside in the future … again: HOW?
Unless nothing was selling and it all operated at loss. Okay, scrapping it stop the bleeding then.
But there can’t be any future for Hart powertools left . Where are you moving to? Home Depot? No. Lowes. No. Sears. Never mind. Tractor Supply? Rural King?
Internet only without retail shelf space just seems it would be doomed to fail, just some sales to people who invested in the platform.
Yeah, quite some potential upside.
Stuart
I understand the communication to mean that the Hart brand is going dormant; it’s not moving anywhere.
You know how SBD seemed to have shopped around and found a home for Porter Cable at Tractor Supply, and how the brand randomly pops up for Black Friday and maybe Prime Day deals and promos? It seems TTI’s not doing that with Hart, and they’re just pocketing the brand for now.
Jronman
I’d really like to see a professional brand come to Walmart. Flex exiting Lowers would be a great option to move to Walmart. You mentioned Walmart has discount prices. If we take that to mean Walmart only sells cheap stuff then that is just not the case. Walmart sells Apple, Samsung, Little Giant Ladders, and LEGO products. These are just a few examples of premium brands Walmart sells.
Stuart
Walmart sells consumer products. They tried to sell Pro tools online, and completely failed at it. If they couldn’t manage to succeed at a curated online store, how are they going to succeed in selling premium priced cordless power tools?
Selling a brand like Flex takes effort. Flex didn’t put in a lot of effort towards B2C marketing, and Lowe’s didn’t either.
With Hart, Hart put in a lot of effort marketing towards consumers, and they were alone in that effort; Walmart did nothing.
If Flex landed a deal with Walmart, I think they’d be on and off the shelves pretty quickly, with Chervon paying for all of it.
Would Flex tools bring customers to Walmart? They’re not Apple, Samsung, or Lego.
Any deal would likely heavily favor Walmart, and I don’t think Flex has the know-how or resources to really boost the brand with US pros.
Their parent company makes great tools and are strong in B2B. They can sell to Amazon, wholesale clubs, and Lowe’s, but getting the tools to sell from those stores has always been a challenge, going back to Hammerhead.
Skil makes sense – as did Hart – because they’re value-focused consumer brands. Flex is not.
You can buy TVs and audio equipment and gaming accessories at Walmart. But top of the line? No.
Paul
Why would you commit to Walmart when Walmart doesn’t commit to you. There area countless stories of manufactures bending over backward for them only to be cut loose .