A reader wrote in, saying that they “noticed as of today, Lowe’s is no longer listing Flex tools online.”
I took a look, and sure enough Lowe’s has purged a majority of their Flex cordless power tool and accessory listings from their website, except for a couple of bundles that have now been labeled “in Store Only.”
Interestingly, Lowe’s does still has some Flex Stack Pack tool boxes listed in their online store.
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It’s become clear that Lowe’s has dropped Flex tools, although perhaps not yet completely.
This appears to be the end of Flex 24V cordless power tools and accessories at Lowe’s in the USA.
I don’t believe it’s the end of Flex. However, I also can’t see what kind of future they can have in the USA without Lowe’s or other major retailer support.
Flex seems to have been putting more energy into growing in Europe, but will that be enough to fuel innovation and expansion?
Flex started off as a Lowe’s exclusive and is now available at other retailers, such as Amazon.
Will that be enough to fuel innovation and expansion, even though we haven’t seen much from Flex these past 2 years?
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I wonder what will be next at Lowe’s – maybe Bosch’s 18V cordless power tool line will fill the void.
What’s next for Flex?
Robert
A shame to see Flex in this situation. They started off with so much promise.
Jared
My thoughts exactly. There was a lot to like when they launched.
processwrench
Seems troubling that all Cervon brands here in the USA seemed to have stalled out. Skil and Flex have been mentioned here often lately about discounts/clear out etc. And when is the last time you heard anything big out of Ego?
Dean
It seems like tool brands go to Lowe’s to die (sadly).
Jamie Lee Davis
Agreed
Andy
Ego continues releasing new tools, and updates to existing product types, every year, on both their consumer and pro lines. They even show some of these products on their website: https://egopowerplus.com/coming-soon/
They just recently came out with shop vacuums, pressure washer, dethatcher, backpack sprayer, riding mower, and a minibike.
They just debuted an 8ah battery with tabless cells for sale next year. That should be pretty cool for some of the bigger power consumers like the 765+ CFM leaf blowers, and two-stage snowblowers.
Rumors are that Ego is tentatively slated to release a leaf vacuum in the US in the fall of 2026. It’s been available overseas for a bit now.
Stuart
The mini bike was 2-1/2 years ago https://toolguyd.com/ego-mini-bike/ .
I haven’t heard of any Ego tabless cell battery yet. I’d like to see new dual stage snowblowers designed around the higher performance.
Big Richard
The BA4480X. It was at a German event a couple months ago and also has been showing up on retailer sites. The 20 minute charge time for a 8Ah battery is nuts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Rdtbg3_Uwg (13:40)
https://ego-power-plus.de/products/ego-ba4480x-8-0ah-akku-fur-profis
Andy
https://youtu.be/9bm90917J88?t=557&si=oKY1nCvJWvo6mEqM
The video appears to be the UK market product releases, but I’ll be very surprised if that battery doesn’t make its way here at some point next year.
Lance
Ego BA4480T
They’re not advertising it as a tabless cell battery, curiously still referring to it as G3 like existing models, but it obviously uses a different cell format, likely 21700. User reviews point out how much more powerful it is compared to existing 3S packs.
Big Richard
BA4480T is standard tabbed cells, the BA4480X is the new tabless version.
Big Richard
https://egopowerplus.co.uk/node/6090
AP
Watched a video on the leaf vacuum. It was in the UK but I don’t know where else it has been released. I also heard it’s coming in 2026. Been waiting for them to come out with one of those.
Rob K
Ego seems to be hitting pretty big with snow removal equipment at the moment. Other than that, even Kobalt 24v doesn’t seem to be being pushed very much.
Michael F
I think the power tool market in general is in consolidation. Tradesmen especially had a lot of reasons to upgrade tools over the past few years but I’m questioning if that trend continues. If you already have a nice new set of power tools bought within the past 5 years – is there really a compelling reason to upgrade? Milwaukee has all but won the power tool wars in North America and every truck I see is full of red. I suspect we will see the continued contraction of the market until anything but DeWalt, Milwaukee, and Roybi is only carried at specialty stores.
ElectroAtletico
Harbor Freight/Hercules has joined the thread
Nathan
No they havent
Jack D
I’d say if they haven’t yet, they will. Legacy brands like Skil and Craftsman are withering on the vine for DIY homeowners, and Harbor Freight is only expanding its store space and influence.
They’re pretty much the new Sears stores, when it comes to tools, with the same easy return/replacement policy.
Josh Medeiros
My 20 V craftsman 7 1/4 miter saw has over 80,000 ft.² of hardwood cut on it. I purchased it when it first came out same exact saw as the Dewalt shadow line and everything. The only difference from the naked eye is the tape measure the RP line from craftsman is something special and I’m a Milwaukee guy, but I tell you what that RP stuff kicks ass for that price in my opinion is the reason why skil and Flex are dying is because poor advertisements, barely any promotions compared to a brand like Milwaukee. I mean batteries are expensive if I can buy a tool and get a free 12 amp hour tablet battery that’s a bonus. Plus I can return the tool and keep the 12ah forge battery for 100 bucks prorated, even better bonus but flex it a terrible job with the advertisement portion of it and the promotions at least ego pushes the snowball is Chevron has some things to learn about the US market. That’s for sure. I did go in and clear out flex and the 12 V skil got a framing nailer for 100 Brad nailer for 100 combo kit with two batteries, 70 and skil pretty much bought the whole line for $20 a tool a combo kit for 50 I only got two batteries, but I got more maybe some knock offs
ElectroAtletico
Craftsman, Ideal, Flex, Toughbuilt, Bosch, Metabo…….LOWE’S – where tool companies go to die.
Will
Maybe adding dewalt 12v soon 🙁
ColeTrain
Lowe’s has 12v DeWalt for years
JMG
Bosch isn’t going anywhere. Decent presence in North America, large presence in Europe.
Also, Bosch is much bigger than just tools.
Bosch (Robert Bosch GmbH), a major German multinational engineering and technology company known for automotive parts, power tools, home appliances (dishwashers, vacuums), and IoT solutions
Ken
I think Lowe’s has removed all listings for power tools but retained listings for accessories, including batteries. The bundles showing power tools are only showing up in search results because they include an accessory in the bundle. If a local store has enough batteries in stock, they do show up in the search results (at least in my region).
I’ve observed that Lowe’s frequently pulls an active SKU from the website only to replace it with the exact same item under a different SKU. Sometimes this appears on the website as two different SKUs for the exact same item at the same time. So, I wouldn’t definitively interpret the fact that they have pulled active FLEX power tool SKUs from the website as evidence of FLEX being permanently unavailable from Lowe’s online. They could easily add the same products under different SKUs next month.
My uneducated read of the situation is that FLEX will continue to expand their lineup in NA. There are a number of new tools that show up on Chervon’s international websites (FLEX 18V and Devon 18V) that may be trivial to release as FLEX 24V tools. In some cases, they are already in black/grey stackpack branding, like the stackpack vacuum.
But maybe my optimism for FLEX is biased because I just bought a bunch of very cheap, high-quality tools with lifetime warranty 🙂
Saulac
On the flip side of the coin, Flex going away shows just how advanced or developed the power tool industry has become around the globe. Fact is an impressive system like Flex can be created in the US without much investment in R&D here. Whole ecosystem can be ordered from China. And what comes easy also goes easy.
Robert
The Lowe’s I’m in has Dewalt fan and radio and hit collections where Glex tools were before. Flex sign is all that remains.
David
FWIW, I worked at both HD and Lowes after I retired and came away from my time at Lowes dumbfounded. If ever a business made money in spite of itself, it’s Lowes.
I’m not a Flex devotee as I think much of their power tool lineup is bulky and heavy, but it seems on-brand for them to randomly jump to a new direction.
I could be generous and say they have a good reason behind this decision, but very likely that is not the case.
BMak
I asked about Flex earlier this week and was told that it would be available online only moving forward
Stuart
Lowe’s website says in-store only. Thus it looks like Flex is leaving Lowe’s completely.
Nathan
I never really saw much appeal to flex other than being the tool nobody heard of sold only at Lowe’s. They had a few heavy hitters but then you’d see ok it has more torque but it doesn’t work any better than the red yellow blue team. Or etc. It was cheaper than most yellow or red items but not much.
Ego and Skil on the other hand seem to be where chevon shines. Ego has a lot of cred in the ope market even partnering with John Deere named lawn mowers using 56v batteries. So who knows. Lowe’s is weird and I feel dirty when I go to one
Sinclaire
I’m sure Flex thought they’d be successful given the “max power over everything” ethos of the US market but clearly underestimated how tough it is to break into the cordless tool business
ColeTrain
Skil 12v will die from this or at least stall to nothing because of this. Skil 40v was in everyway better than Ryobi Ope and cheaper than kobalt. I bought 10 12v tools from skil and all are excellent and used regularly, some I like more than my M12 tools. Sadly the only good, cheap 12v tools are probably gone. 40v options in store are now limited to 2 choices. Damn you Lowe’s. I loved them always having new options but hate they kill them all off
ColeTrain
Skil 12v will die from this or at least stall to nothing because of this. Skil 40v was in everyway better than Ryobi Ope and cheaper than kobalt. I bought 10 12v tools from skil and all are excellent and used regularly, some I like more than my M12 tools. Sadly the only good, cheap 12v tools are probably gone. 40v options in store are now limited to 2 choices. I loved Lowe’s always having new options but hate they kill them all off
CMF
As usual, I find it too bad. I think Flex will survive but Lowes was a major retailer.
I don’t know If I posted this hear or elsewhere; or maybe it was in my dreams. I look at Greenworks, one of Ego’s main competitors, have handheld power tools. I never used one but generally hear they are not great.
Ego and Flex would make a great marriage, each keeps their name…but tie them together somehow. It would help both companies, especially if in years down the road the could share batteries on “some” of their tools.
I hope Flex survives and does well.
JM
I bought some Skil 12V clearance tools and the lady who opened the cage told me Skil and Flex were gone and they were bringing in more Kobalt tools. I go to Lowes because I can park anywhere because the parking lot is empty. There are 3 Home Depots within 5 miles of my house. I can’t imagine how Lowes can stay in business with no traffic.
Doug
Doesn’t Chervon also make Masterforce tools for Menards where one can also purchase Skil tools (another Chervon product)? I wouldn’t be surprised if Flex doesn’t surface somewhere else after the first of the year.
Slim
I purchased a Flex suitcase toolbox from Lowes on a delivery I got. Received it with no packaging completely covered in construction dust. Was impressed with the product but after receiving a used box as new from Lowes I ordered a complete set from Amazon for less than Lowes. Then purchased a complete set of 24v Flex tool at $100 off at Amazon and an extra 3.5A stacked battery. At the same time Lowes was jacking the prices of most Flex products through the roof. As for Flex and other Chervo companies sales in North America, they don’t need Lowes. You can also search saw blades, putty knives and more on Lowes website and find very little worth a sh*t. Lowes sucks.
Jeff
If what I’ve heard is correct, Flex will be replaced by Metabo HPT sometime in Q1 or Q2.
Ex cell
Metabo (which replaced and is identical to Hitachi) has been at my Lowes since 2022. I couldn’t convince customers or give a reason for Flex when there’s a Kobalt.
Mark S
Echoing other comments, all the Lowe’s I frequent are always empty. It makes no sense. The stores are always clean, have tons of employees, and have 0 customers. How can brands sell anything with this business model?
I went looking for both Skil and Flex this week and there is very little left. Flex is all but gone.
Two stores have the Flex sections condensed to one 4 foot section, and the rest had Dewalt shoved in the locked cages, with no rhyme or reason.
Another store had 10% off the marked down prices of floor models of both Flex and Skil. Not compelling enough to buy things that have been manhandled a thousand times.
Another store had a bunch of random Kobalt stuff jammed in the cage. Another had ALL of the Flex stuff gone, displays and all.
Al
And nothing of value was lost. Flex as a brand was predicated entirely on influencer hype at launch and then…absolutely nothing else. Not a single reason for a contractor to invest in flex over an established brand
Robert
More signs of trouble for Flex. Beaver Industrial Supply had a promotion link for Flex today, but when you follow the link it says it cannot find any products matching that “search”.
MM
I was at my local Lowe’s yesterday and the Flex cordless display was still there. What surprised me was that they had a lot of inventory of Stack Pack, more than they had the last time I was there. It looked new and clean–not some old dusty backstock–and it was not marked down.
Skil cordless tools had been moved to an endcap, there was very little inventory left and most if not all of it had clearance pricing.
OldDiminionDIYer
Can’t help but wonder if the dropping of FLEX power tools has something to do with the acquisition of FBM. FBM carries Dewalt, Milwaukee and Makita power tools. May not be related but its interesting that through the acquisition Lowes now has Milwaukee products albeit via FBM.