It seems that Lowe’s is in the middle of some kind of mechanics tool refresh or liquidation process, with reports of individual tools and sets being on clearance at stores.
As seen in the photo above – thank you, Adam! – select Kobalt mechanics tool sets are on clearance at an unknown number of Lowe’s stores.
Lowe’s website is also reporting clearance pricing on select Kobalt socket sets, with notices saying you can only buy them in stores.
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Another reader – thank you, Jeffrey – wrote in this week that their Lowe’s store has put Kobalt ratcheting wrenches and open stock sockets on clearance, with the wrenches at $4.99 each and the sockets at $0.99 each.
Looking online, I see the same – a lot of sockets priced at 99 cents each, and some individual ratcheting wrenches at $4.99 each.
It’s not clear why Lowe’s put a ton of Kobalt tools and sets on clearance.
Is another brand coming in? Are they just refreshing everything? Did they switch suppliers again?
Some of the clearance-priced tools are available for purchase online, but you might want to stop by your local Lowe’s store if it’s on your way.
If you’ve been to a Lowe’s store recently, did you see anything new with their Kobalt tools or other mechanics tools sections?
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D3t
Meanwhile, this set went from $29 to $45???
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt-50-Piece-Standard-SAE-and-Metric-1-4-inch-Drive-Polished-Chrome-Mechanics-Tool-Set-with-Injected-Molded-Case/5015276017
Don
Most of the Kolbt clearance is already been picked through dont waste a trip Lowes for his
Christopher D Ernst
This stuff has been on clearancefor a month or longer
Jim
Was just at one today, they probably had a couple hundred $0.99 sockets in both metric and fractional sizes mostly 1/2” drive) and maybe 100 of the $ 4.99 combination and gear drive wrenches
will
I haye when they put in those extremely cheap bits so they can call it a 50 piece set. Then again I’m sure I’m the lucky millionth person to say this.
AP
I own a lot of various hand and power tools from a ton of different companies but not a one is Kobalt. No clue what I’m missing.
MM
Kobalt is all over the place. Some of their hand tools used to be made by Williams, those were excellent. And then there is the infamous “triple cut”.
Stuart
The Triple Cut was definitely… memorable https://toolguyd.com/kobalt-triple-cut-review/
Wayne R.
A YouTube guy had shown the Craftsman Handi-Cut to be pretty useful with rope & tubing, and when I found one recently, I replaced the blade & anvil and put it in the tool box.
He was right, it’s great on those things! Clean square cuts.
I would not want to replace it with a Triple Cut.
Mike S
I used the Triple Cut for rough cutting cedar strips when I made a small boat. I worked pretty well.
David
On yeah, those razor blade cutters are great for tubing and anything where a nice straight guillotine cut is needed.
Frank D
Yeah … I bought that, way back. The only thing it works on is small diameter pex tubing … sigh
Scotty Ray
I consider kobalt to be a very good mid grade all around tool for the price better than paying outrageous prices for just a name most of the time iv been a machanic for 40 + years and trust me iv saw lots of junk. But kobalt gets the job done and 4 ⭐ from me
AP
I have some Williams nut drivers and love them!
Jared
I’ve bought two Kolbalt tools and not were the biggest junk and total waste of metal . I didn’t think anything could be worse than craftsman but I was wrong . I wouldn’t have that crapnin my box if it were free .
Josh
Not sure what you’re using them for but I have had a complete set of kobalt xtr tools for a long time. I had bought the xtr hammer drill kit with the impact and the hammer drill started intermittently pulsing here and there almost two years in and I beat the crap out of that thing and lowes replaced the whole kit kit and only asked I return the ha.mer drill with a battery. So now I have two impacts and an hammer drill, the sds, mutli-tool, ratchet and a bunch of other hand tools with no complaints and I’m not necessarily easy on the tools to begin with.
will
Judging by your grammar I’m not so sure i trust what you have to say. Then you bash craftsman,but you forgot to mention the tools and why they’re junk. Besides 2 tools is an extremely small sample size and without any mention of a tool or why its junk means that your comment was a waste of the bandwidth required to send.
Ronald Meyers
Your not missing anything îf you have a quality tool set
CJ
I went to my local Lowes on Sunday and filled out the missing pieces in sets. All chrome sockets were $. 99 and all impacts were $ 2.99 regarless of size. The wrenches were not marked down at that point but there some smaller socket sets tagged as well.
CJ
Meant to add, per the sales folks. They are changing suppliers and manufacture country due to potential upcoming tarrifs.
Scott F
Why does this manifest as clearance on existing stock – because they have to change SKU? Seems bizarre to cut your margins to clear out inventory that is changing in a somewhat trivial fashion.
I do understand that being a large corp there is some expectation of product consistency and so offering two products with differences, even if relatively menial differences, can tarnish that – but is it so important that it means cutting losses and selling existing stock at 30-50% off?
Johnathon
Packaging updates or SKU changing often results in crazy clearance prices on such basic products as fasteners. I’ve bought giant boxes of R4 screws at 75% off because they changed sku codes. Giant companies are wasteful/volumetric to the point that they don’t care.
Garry
They aren’t going to sell it below cost, what’s that tell you about the markup?
TQ
Sorry but you’re very wrong. They will and do definitely sell below cost
Mary
We don’t know Lowe’s cost on these. It wouldn’t be that unheard of to buy a item for 50¢, retail it for $4. Clearance at 99¢ and still make a profit. And the consumer thinks they’re getting a deal. Or perhaps they get a tax write off for the markdown.
will
Im so tired of these tariffs, the rich get richer while us regular folk get the drive shaft.
Mike
Thanks for the heads-up.
Went to the local Lowes and they had table with Kobalt chrome sockets, impact sockets, and assorted wrenches (some ratchets). Employee said they were clearing out all of the loose pieces.
Picked up assortment of 1/2″ drive chrome sockets from 22-32 mm, deep sockets from 20-27 mm and a 1 inch deep. Sockets made in Taiwan.
13 sockets @ .99 cents each plus 5% discount with my Lowes card.
Dave
In wv Lowe’s only found one wrench on clearance…
Mike J
Picked up wrenches 1 1/4, 1 3/16 and 1 1/18 for 4.99 each. Bargain.
frank slade
Those similar big Harbor Freight wrench set is like $69 for 5 or 6 SAE. I remember paying around $22 EACH for USA made Craftsman a dozen years ago. You scored big time. Thanks for posting. Larry in PA.
will
Yes,thanks for the heads up. Thsts extremely cheap for those sizes. Online has them at $25-45 or around that for the 1″ and 1 1/4″ so you got a steal. I wonder if I missed the sale of if it was just your specific store clearing stock.
TQ
My store in Washington state was doing the exact same clearance. Picked up all the large sizes with the ratchets at $5 each.
Cameron Kelley
Definitely seems to be duplication right now with their in store Craftsman offerings. And Craftsman seems like the stronger brand, in my opinion.
Jason
Work for Lowe’s as their MST lead which is just Merchandising associate long story short various Lowe’s are now doing whats known as a “reset” newer models are being stocked next week. Craftsman will also be getting a refresh within a few weeks as well.
James shelby
Do you have any idea when that refresh for craftsman might be?
Mark S
Several stores in upstate and Albany area have the same deals on the same 6 or 8 SKUs. Nothing compelling. If any had 3/8 deep sockets then maybe, but none that I’ve seen.
I’m guessing some of this stuff will still be around in the yellow clearance section in a few months, and probably for not much cheaper.
TQ
Did you check the drawers full of individual wrenches and sockets?
Archer
They seem to be superseding these with newer models. My local Lowe’s has had these on clearance for about a month, and if you go to the regular Kobalt hand tool section you’ll see that the full-price ratchets there are a noticeably different design, the ones in these clearance sets are the classic chrome round handle Snap-On style while the ones that I assume are newer have a flatter, more stylized grip and a satin or matte finish. I assume that we’ll start seeing sets with the new ratchets and possibly different sockets soon.
Incidentally, I bought a couple of these sets – a 1/4 drive and 3/8 drive – and they’re pretty nice for what I paid. The ratchets feel quite high quality and have a very nice 90 tooth mechanism. I can’t say how well they’ll hold up but they definitely feel nicer than equivalent Craftsman stuff does these days.
Garry
Do they have a lifetime warranty like craftsman hand tools do? So if your kobalt ratchet breaks you buy another one, if my craftsman ratchet breaks I get a new one free.
Rachel Wilkerson
I got some sockets myself. I also wanted to pick up a $2 nail apron for something and found out they’re now $5.99. Those kolbolt loose bins were always good when you just needed a certain size since the apprentice is really good at losing your 9/16 deep well. I hope the new ones don’t go up too much more.
will
I saw two separate kobalt ratchet wrenches for $4.99 and they’re not exactly the most popular sizes. The rest are regular price. The prices were too high to begin with as I look at sets from other companies in the same range per wrench,maybe a dollar more at regular prices. Those Klein look tempting though,but a bit out of my price range. Does anyone have experience with kobalt ratchet wrenches,and if so how well do they hold up and perform of course.? Id love to get some but it would be nice if they didn’t cherry pick which sizes to put on sale.
Steven Conner
No complaints on the mechanic tools I really only have one complaint of kobalt basic hand tools though I hate to no end the huge handle grips. Yeah I know it’s probably a petty complaint but Im a professional handyman and use my tools daily and how a tool feels in your hand makes a difference granted I have large hands but I prefer tools to be easily mauvered and stored and such so as you can guess. None of my kobalt tools have handgrips lol but they are durable and effective and I’m not easy at all on tools I push everything to it’s limit to get the job done so if they survive me that’s saying something
Jeff
It appears they’re doing away with all of the open stock sockets and wrenches. The drawers are gone, and there are packs of 6 sockets hanging there now.
Jim Premo
Kobalt will be replaced with Klein.