At the start of the holiday shopping season, Home Depot featured a Milwaukee 28pc 3/8″ SAE mechanics tool set and Packout organizer case bundle, for $99.
I posted about this deal before it started appearing in stores. When it launched as a $99 special buy, I was disappointed at the price.
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At the time, the regular Milwaukee 28pc socket set was priced at $89 (it’s $100 right now). $10 more to swap the regular case for the Packout organizer? Sure, it was a good bundle, but as a Black Friday or holiday season special buy, I expected a better value.
Update 5:45pm 12/23/19: This special bundle is on sale for $90 again, presumably for a limited time (or maybe until supplies run out).
I did notice that there was another bundle that featured the same mechanics tool set and Packout kit, plus an 8pc screwdriver set.
Today only, this bundle is on sale at Home Depot for $90. Now this – THIS is a good “please take my money!” deal.
The socket set and Packout bundle was a $99 special buy. The regular 28pc mechanics tool set is priced at $100 right now. The 8pc screwdriver set is a seasonal special buy for $20, which isn’t far off from its regular everyday price.
To drive the point home, with this set you get the $99 special buy, PLUS a $20-valued screwdriver set, for $90. You get more and for less money. What’s not to like (aside from the set being SAE-only with no metric option)?
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Price: $90
Deal ends at 3am ET 12/17/19, unless supplies sell out sooner.
Jared
I like the looks of the Milwaukee sockets and would be tempted to try them at this price-point – but “the set being SAE-only with no metric option” is fatal for me. I barely ever use my SAE sockets. Makes me wonder why they choose to make them the special buy.
General question: if you find yourself using SAE tools frequently, what are you working on?
My motorcycles, truck, car & tractor are all metric. It’s not like I never use them (I have a sled from the ’60s that’s standard, a garden tractor and some implements). It’s just that I’d say 90% of the time I use my metric stuff.
Robin
A lot of light and heavy industrial still uses SAE. I work in the theme park industry. We see both standards. Most domestic production is SAE, rides and attractions from overseas are metric.
evadman
The only time I use SAE is when I am building something myself. I just used a 5/16″ lag bolt in the ceiling for a garage heater. The only reason I do this because at most big box stores when I need a bolt, I can find a big bag of SAE fasteners for a few dollars, or an equivalent in metric for the same price, but get only 1 or 2.
It got so bad that I ordered a hundred pounds of ‘random’ metric fasteners from a clearing house, hoping they would be stuff swept up off the floor in a bunch of random sizes. Nope, it was all 18mm bolts, nuts and washers, up to around 5 inches in length. What am I going to do with hundreds of 3/4″ (roughly) diameter bolts? *sigh*
Diplomatic Immunity
“What am I going to do with hundreds of 3/4″ (roughly) diameter bolts?”
Hand them out to kids at Halloween along with candy.
“Look kid, you can have some candy but ya gotta take a few 18mm bolts with you. Deal?”
yadda
If I weren’t already hand tool poor I would consider this set.
Thebear Koss
Not comparing Milwaukee to Husky or Kobalt but didn’t home depot and Lowe’s have like 200 piece mechanic’s sets for 100$? I mean if I were going all out Milwaukee packout, I would consider these if they came with both. Funny enough, 3 years ago I got 1 of those husky stubby sets for 5$ open container that has been pretty handy at work for everyday maintenance. I recently just got 1 of those husky rechargeable 12v ratchets for 25$ open box, which also has been a steal since they were going for 79$ at the time.
Thebear Koss
There are some great deals at Harbor Freight right now, with some good 5$ tools when you spend 40$.
https://go.harborfreight.com/cpi/digital/post/2019/12/12-tools-of-christmas-sale-2/
Thebear Koss
Sorry 50$ gets the 5$ tool deals plus 20% off purchase…
Eric S.
H.D. exclusive. Pass. I’ll keep relying on my old sets from s&k,craftsman,& williams.
Larry K
I haven’t been impressed with the Milwaukee sales prices at Home Depot. Even for those of us who HD Pro accounts we didn’t get anything on special prices. Most of the bigger discounts were on small accessories like this one. When you already have a good Milwaukee collection of power tools, nothing they offered was really very impressive in my opinion.
Had to return the Ridgid tool box stack I bought since the axle was a mere aluminum rod, not cold rolled steel. And the “all terrain” wheels were all plastic, no steel sleeves to prevent wear. Tons of bad reviews about the wheels going bad, falling off, breaking, etc.
I got much better discounts on Milwaukee stuff at Rural King, CPO, and other online sellers, Even M18 batteries for almost half the price at HD
As for Lowe’s, same thing. The Craftsman line is hit or miss, very inconsistent quality. You really have to know your stuff when looking to buy anything in the Craftsman line up. I’ve never bought their power tools after buying a few in the 1970s when stuff was much better made & not made in China
KG
Metric.. and everything must be a Packout. Packout all the sets Milwaukee!
Julian
Whats the point of mechanix tools in a packout setup? I’ve had the packout set, sold it off, but can see the utility of it for construction tools, but hand tools? I keep my sets in my truck or in my toolbox at home. Other than a basic few wrenches – when do you ever need a full socket set in conjunction with your construction or carpentry tools.
Frank D
The way I look at justifying this type of setup … ( – even though milwaukee has the execution, versatility and pricing wrong for the majority of the interested audience who already have two three four sets around the shop, truck, house, etc – ) … in packout form, is that I am trying to refocus storage solutions and deal with less separate bags, factory boxes of all shapes and sizes; a bit of this, a bit of that, … and can see myself using a socket and wrench layer for some types deconstruction, installation, small repairs … A bit less load in the primary bag. 99% chance a complete set would do the trick … and I’ll just put the smaller and bigger set in the shed for mower repairs.
red92s
They had the 56 pc. 3/8″ Metric/SAE set on sale for cyber monday at $89 (reg. $179). Most people shopping for something like this probably already have a decent stash of screwdrivers, and I bet you could drop the tray from the complete set into a larger packout case .
A W
Oh man, that was a much better deal. I didn’t see that one at the time, but that would have been worth a post.
Frank D
I wish I could love, but the features and price just aren’t right …
Give me a metric / sae set in a full width case for $99 and I’ll bite.
Jonathan
Is it just me or does $99 seem like too much for this set… I’ve heard nothing but bad things about Milwaukee sockets also
Bryan
It’s too much. Milwaukee hand tools always seem overpriced for what they are.
Robert
I got my 200 piece DeWalt DWMT75000 case for $90 a couple years ago off of CPO outlets. No way I’d pay more than $40 for that Milwaukee combo, and that’s pushing it.
Jim
A set of both metric/SAE in a full width packout would be perfect.
hangovna
be patient!
Bruce Pierce
I don’t know about the sockets and ratchets sets but the combination wrenches are very well made and work great.