I was looking up a price on Amazon, and came across a “sponsored” banner ad at the bottom of the page. The Makita ad, shown above, is promoting Makita’s “Holiday Special Buys” on Amazon. Alright, I thought, let’s take a look.
The landing page is all decked out with rows of different Makita promos. I can’t show you what it looks like, as per Amazon’s terms & conditions with us that bars screenshots, but you can see it for yourself here: Makita Holiday Special Buys at Amazon.
Makita’s special deals page on Amazon is nicely laid out, I’ll give it that, and there are 4 different “buy this cordless kit, get a FREE tool (or tools)” options.
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And, the deals do save you some money.
But here’s my problem with these promos – they don’t save you as much money as other ongoing promos right now.
Update 11/15/21: Amazon has matched other Makita dealers’ pricing for most of these deals!
Shown here is a Makita 18V drill and impact driver combo kit, plus a bonus cordless router, with a bundle price of $291.69 at the time of this posting.
Home Depot’s similar deal gives you the same tool combo for $249.
Acme Tools’ similar deal also gives you the same combo for $249.
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Update 11/15/21: Amazon’s price is now $249 as well.
This is just one example, and the same looks to be true for every promotional bundle I checked.
To be fair, Amazon seems to be matching Home Depot’s selection of bonus tools, and they beat Acme’s. And, they might have some bundle combinations you cannot find elsewhere, although I didn’t spot any. Still, that’s a nearly $43 price difference, which is unusual for Makita and especially for a promo that they’re advertising via sponsored banners.
Maybe someone forgot to active the holiday season pricing? Maybe these are intermediate prices and the full discounts will apply later in the month for Black Friday, possibly as a way to conserve inventory? Hopefully Amazon’s pricing will soon match that of Makita’s other authorized retailers.
It’s still worth checking out the Makita promo on Amazon. “Buy this, get that” cordless power tool promos like these tend to sell fast, and we’re already seeing “out of stock” notices for certain combinations and free tool selections across different brands at at several retailers. The more retailers that carry the combination you want at promo pricing, the better.
From what I have observed over the years, a lot of cordless power tool combos, starter kits, and bonus tool selections can be slow to be restocked during the holiday season after they start selling out, and that’s without any of the shipping delays and product shortages we’ve been hearing about in the news.
If the higher pricing is a way to slow down sales, maybe that’s actually a good strategy, as it might provide a second wave of availability when other retailers are waiting for replenishment stock.
If you were hoping to score a Makita promo this year, perhaps keep Amazon in mind, but make sure to shop around to ensure you’re getting the best price possible.
I try my best to price-shop when posting about deals, and what I’ve learned is that not every “special buy” is the best possible special buy. But, I’m sure there’s a reason for this – it’s probably just the timing, or it could even be a mistake.
Side Note: Another reason to check out different retailers’ promos is because Makita seems to have an unprecedented range of different “free bonus tool” offers this year, and some of them are almost ridiculously good bargains.
Ball_bearing
The set with the canister vacuum and the dust collector looks great for when drilling on masonry, or cutting gypsum board.
Jst
What kills it for me on all these deals is how many of them are drill+impact +something else. Except I already have MULTIPLE drills and impacts across M12, Bosch, Makita, and Kobalt, and maybe even more I’m forgetting . There’s just no value for me to get a bundle if it has a drill and impact and I have to believe a significant number of people are in the same boat. You usually get these in your first power tool purchase and so many tool users (I would argue, MOST tool users) have got to be past this point
Stuart
Did you look at the deals? There are “buy this, get that” offers that feature battery + charger starter sets, and also circular saw + bonus tool offers.
Yes, a lot of them – even most – feature drills, but many do not.
But, a lot of people are still buying cordless drills. An email came in today with a tip about a $99 Atomic kit.
The fact of the matter is that tool companies and retailers both know more about cordless drill demand and sales expectations than you or me. We can guess all we want, but they’re making choices based on actual sales data.
jst
Yes I did look at the deals, that’s why I said ‘many’ and not ‘all’.
| Yes, a lot of them – even most – feature drills, but many do not.
I think it’s more accurate to characterize it as ‘most feature drills, and a few do not’.
And that’s the crux of my complaint, that the deals without drills are few and far between.
I would think readers of this site are skewed towards more experienced tool users/buyers with a larger collection of already owned tools. It’s not a far step to say that the majority of Toolguyd readers own 1 or more pairs of drills and impacts.
I think for those of us in this category the value of these drill kits + extras is almost completely absent. Also on the topic of value the starter kits with the batteries/charger/tool are far from a compelling value. They are in the same price range as the equivalent drill kits and pretty much the only change is removing the drills.
Take this example on amazon:
drill kit + router
you get: charger, 2 batteries (4.0ah), drill, impact, router
price: $291
starter kit + router
you get: charger, 2 batteries (4.0ah), router
price: $308
Really?? Dropping the drill and impact lowers the price only $17? Honestly it’s not even a deal. The situation is similar across the entire starter set lineup with maybe 2-3 exceptions.
jst
I’m only writing about it to describe the situation as I see it. I know that tool companies have their own metrics and data and analysis and they can do whatever they want. They don’t even have to offer deals in the first place.
But I can also buy what I want, or nothing at all. At this point I’m only going to buy something if I think it has compelling value.
Here’s a logic puzzle though: if the drill kits are the best sellers in a season, wouldn’t it follow that now there are a high number of people who own drills and impacts? Wouldn’t this segment be more enticed with further kit deals that don’t include the redundancy of more drills?
Stuart
How many shoppers are buying their first cordless drill?
How many shoppers are upgrading from an existing cordless drill?
How many shoppers are buying a cordless drill for some other reason?
There are a set number of customers in each category who will buy a new cordless drill in the next few weeks. Why would this number be any less this year than last year?
Your observation is correct – there are many Black Friday cordless power tool deals that feature cordless drills.
For some deals, you can discard the drill and it’s still a good bargain. For others, the bargain is lessened because you’re paying for a drill you might not need or want.
Pricing gets very aggressive with some of these promos. Let’s say you want a new M18 2.0Ah battery. The M18 brushless drill kit is $99, and it gives you the drill, a charger, and 2Ah battery. A 2Ah battery sells for $89 by itself right now at authorized dealers. Is anyone going to buy just the drill for $89 when they can get a spare drill and charger for just $10 more?
I actively seek out non-drill deals and combo kit deals, as I know that a lot of regulars are all set with their cordless drills.
However, there are a lot of regular readers and maybe new visitors who are in the market for a new cordless drill, and so such information and deals might still benefit them.
Some users hold onto drills for a long time, others use them so often that it might pay for them to upgrade to newer tech, more power, or certain features.
A local roofing and siding contractor ordered a drill for a job because he loaned his out, and it was terrible. The next time we spoke, he told me what he bought to replace it.
If it helps, consider a different perspective. Let’s say you’re reading a car review magazine. How many people are reading that website day to day out of interest for the topic? How many people are visiting that website looking for specific information?
Now, I know that a lot of readers are in the “we’ve got enough cordless drills” group. As mentioned, I actively search for promotions that don’t involve drills. Yes, there are fewer of them.
I still get tips about drill and impact driver deals, and questions about drill kits and combo kits, and so there’s still interest in deals that involve cordless drills.
The number of first-time drill shoppers, upgraders, and incidental buyers is going to fluctuate, but it stands to reason that it’s significant.
Makita’s deals are split down the middle – there are a couple of promo deal “buy this” options that include drills, but quite a few that don’t. There’s something here for everyone, and it pays to be aware of it for if or when the prices do normalize and drop to competing levels.
Emilio Gonzalez
When is the best time of year to buy power tools? I’m shopping for Makita impact wrench deals. The new mid torque impact wrench is a beast.
Stuart
The next 4 weeks are the best to buy power tools, depending on what you’re looking for.
X Lu
Stuart you do awful lot of work on these ‘sale’ posts. Not sure the number of hours you spend, but it seems very significant. Which brings me to my question or point. As I work my way through the posts, I rarely see anything that remotely screams buy this now. Are any of these deals really that good because they seem like just another routine sale.
Occasionally I will read a one off post throughout the year where I buy what you highlight because the deal value is sky high. The other day you asked about ways to think about your efforts. I would suggest you consider less effort on the ordinary laundry list deals and really highlight the big values. I know you try and do some of this but I’m thinking more about even if own 5 drills, this one is too good to pass on. Thanks for the hard work. Much appreciated.
Stuart
Here, I had to pause and do a doubletake. It’s only because I just analyzed other Makita deals that I realized these deals weren’t that good – yet. They might be good tomorrow, next week, or later in the month.
I figured a reminder about pricing is important, and I also found it curious as to why this is the case.
The example I gave was for the drill & impact combo + router kit, but there are other starter sets that don’t include cordless drills.
Posting the “laundry list deals” such as in the other post really help me throughout the season. When analyzing other deals, such as on Black Friday, I can pick out links if needed in a post, or for cross-referencing. And, going through these deals involves mental filtering and processing.
Readers’ and visitors’ need and wants are all very different, and I try to anticipate what readers are looking for. But, analyzing all the deals also helps me too, now and throughout the month, as it better equips me to answer as many questions as possible.
David
I think most people who use this site appreciate the information provided and often use that info when making a purchase decision. Having as much info as possible — regardless of relative monetary value — is helpful.
As you said: “Readers’ and visitors’ need and wants are all very different”. What you’re providing is always helpful to someone, if not many.
Stuart
Part of the reason for this post is also because Amazon’s promos, good or less than ideal, can be very hard to find if you don’t know *exactly* where to look. Sometimes I can never find my way back to a certain promo page. How many readers might never find a promo they would otherwise be interested in? If I’d like to save a URL for personal reference, it could also be useful to share. But in this case, it needed context because I couldn’t encourage a link with higher prices (right now) than other retailers.
As for what’s useful and not, based on some past and present comments, it seems that a lot of commentors don’t realize – and there’s really no way for them to know this – that the ratio of active commentors to regular readers is actually very small. So, there are readers who articulate their needs, wants, and interests, and others whose needs, wants, and interests are conveyed by way of anonymous traffic patterns. I build ToolGuyd’s holiday season coverage on top of years of groundwork. I am trying very new things this year, hence the reason for the feedback post (and there might be another later this month).
For instance, not everyone uses the links I put on the top of pages during the holiday season, but there are some readers that very heavily utilize those shortcuts, as do I. So, I try to find a balance between convenience and unobtrusiveness.
Zack
Wow, I could get a 36V brushless circular saw and 18V (brushed) recip saw from Home Depot, with batteries and charger, for $250.
The Home Depot site is a little confusing but there are definitely some good options there. Looks like Makita’s trying to harder than the other guys to get more users onto the platform.
Rog
Will you be doing a separate Makita deals post?
Stuart
Right now there aren’t enough deals to warrant it, but I’m keeping my eyes open.
If there’s interest, I’ll fast-track it into my queue for this week.
Lincoln
As someone heavily tied into the Makita 18V cordless ecosystem this would be awesome.
Jehremy
I’m on Makita 18v line and would definitely be interested. Hoping to find a deal on their inflator or the new oscillating multi-tool.
Stuart
I listed some of their deals so far here:
https://toolguyd.com/acme-tools-black-friday-2021-sale/
The new OMT is currently $199 at Acme and $190 at Amazon via CPO (but oddly CPO direct is also $199).