Here’s a bunch of tool-related news and happenings we should talk about.
Lowe’s Socket Tool Clearance
Lowe’s still has Kobalt sockets on clearance.
We don’t know what their mechanics tool reset will look like, or if they are just moving away from open stock inventory.
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The sockets are all in drawers that look like they were pulled from an in-store display cabinet.
Halloween has Come to Lowe’s
This is what I saw at Lowe’s a few days ago. In July. Halloween stuff.
I Learned that a Major USA Steel Mill went Bankrupt and Closed
I just learned that Crucible, a USA steel mill that’s known among consumers for their premium knife blade alloys, went bankrupt earlier this year.
Crucible was known for blade steel alloys such as S35VN, 154CM, and modern super alloy MagnaCut. They of course made many steels beyond the interests of EDC and tool users.
Crucible ceased operations, laid off employees, and their assets were sold off.
It seems that a foreign steel company acquired Crucible’s IP – and potentially the MagnaCut trademark. The equipment and property went to different buyers.
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According to other news reports, another US steel producer has partnered with the new overseas trademark and patents holder to continue production and supply of popular Crucible steel alloys.
De Minimis Exclusion on Small Imported Tool Orders is Ending – Shoppers will Soon Pay Tariff Fees
A new executive order cancels de minimis exemptions for small imports shipments, starting on August 29, 2025. (Read it via Whitehouse.gov)
De minimis exclusions was previously cancelled for orders shipped from China. Now, from how I understand the new order and from what news reports are saying, it’s being suspended for all small import orders.
In other words, you’re going to owe tariffs on any import order, even smaller orders under the soon to be former de minimis exclusion threshold of $800.
A reader recently ordered a Channellock truck bed rack, and they said it shipped from Canada and UPS collected unexpected tariff fees directly before they would deliver it.
It’s unclear whether some retailers – such as Amazon in Germany, UK, and Japan – will start collecting the tariff fees directly, or if shoppers will continue to be surprised.
Summer Tool Deals are Ending
Prices are being jacked up, and beyond typical “regular price so we can tell you how much you save when it goes on sale” types of between-season fluctuations.
If there’s something you were meaning to buy, I would say either hurry up or be prepared to wait for better pricing.
Select Makita XGT Clearance Prices at Home Depot
I’ve been checking my Home Depot stores after seeing online reports of select Makita XGT cordless power tools at clearance prices, and finally found a couple. If you find yourself at Home Depot, look for the yellow price stickers.
Home Depot has Tiny Storage Crates
Home Depot has new 6.5 quart storage totes for $2.50 each.
I bought a couple of the clear bins with yellow lids on the spot. They were gone the next time I stopped by my store, and so I picked up a couple in black. I bought more of the clear-lid totes during subsequent visits.
At first I thought it was a gimmick. Look at these teeny tiny replicas of the larger 27 gallon totes! I saw these in the same light as the teeny tiny bucket cups at Lowe’s.
But these are the perfect size for holding parts and smaller tools, they stack well, and they’re sturdy.
I’ll probably post separately about these bins, but wanted to give you earlier heads-up in case you find yourself at Home Depot this weekend. You’ll find these in the seasonal section with the other storage totes and shelving.
They also dropped the price of the 27 gallon storage tote in black, to $7.98.
Matt_T
Been carrying 154CM Benchmades for probably 20 years. I always thought it was a japanese steel!!!
I use a lot of the 10 for $10 6 quart Sterilite boxes for parts storage in the shop. Also tried them stacked in the van but they didn’t hold up to that. I’d try a few of the HD 6.5 quart ones if they didn’t want $35 for delivery.
Big Adam
Surprised you’ve not run an article on the new Leatherman knife range.
Stuart
$300+ knives are not exactly time-sensitive.
TomD
Be aware that a yellow HD sticker does NOT guarantee it’s on clearance; I’ve been almost tricked by that a few times! Always check the price.
Stuart
Good point! I don’t recall seeing one that wasn’t a clearance sticker, but it could depend on the store.
TomD
I don’t know if it was a store too lazy to change the paper, but this is relatively common near me: https://share.icloud.com/photos/03dCP89-A5dZ1bregbILNWAng (the $299 sticker)
Matt_T
Tool tariff news Switzerland are currently looking at 39%. If it sticks that’ll probably mean price hikes on Bosch/Diablo blades. Ones without any good reasonably priced alternatives…..
eddiesky
Sorry for a soapbox, but as a tool user/owner/collector, I think many need to understand: Tariffs now are Taxation w/o Representation. Meanwhile we pay for $10M golf trips, a jet that is sitting there, and now a Ballroom expansion. Because I wonder if he’ll stiff those contractors, who will need new tools…
While I do agree the Di Minimus was mostly exploited by China, it was in place for lower GDP countries to export to the US for duty-free goods and gifts. Then TACO reversed the May 2025 decision on removing Di Minimus from China and HK. Now its back for less. Wait no, now its in review. I mean, what do you think, that we pay VAT for items from UK, EU, Australia, … should they also pay? But then WE pay.
The US wants to eliminate trade deficit but at the expense of the taxpayer/US consumer. While DOGE wastes money killing federal employment and creating hazards no one has yet to comprehend (national security, cyberattacks, USPS decline and privatization, and deregulating/privatizing EPA, etc…)
Lastly, can you, Stuart, contact KC Tools and see how they are going about staying afloat?
Stuart
Mixing in political rants of this nature make it impossible to have civil or productive discussions.
ITCD
The recent big bill they passed also closed de minimis in I believe July 2027, all this EO is essentially doing is moving it up. But the people voted in every person (Congress and president) that made those decisions so no, it’s not taxation without representation.
It’s just pretty unfortunate for those of us who can’t always find exactly what we’re looking for stateside or wanna check out a foreign take on a familiar concept or are a fan of a particular brand that just so happens to not be made here, which there are a lot of brands or particular items within a brand that fall under that. The best that can be hoped for, assuming nothing changes, is that retailers with the kind of buying power to get great deals will leverage that buying power to bring in stuff that you want, since the tariff will only be against the wholesale price they paid and not the higher price an individual consumer might pay ordering abroad. Even if the full cost of the tariff is rolled into the retail price, it would be less than what one would otherwise pay at least.
ToolFollower
Keep in mind blades are pennies to manufacture. The tariffs only impact the costs when exported. NOT the planned retail price.
A $20 blade may cost $2 to make. So a 39% tariff means a $0.78 cost increase to Diablo. We should expect the new shelf price to be something like $25 if they increase it at all. It shouldn’t jump to $50.
Power tools is the pain point. Their high cost and low margins will hurt consumer wallets.
ITCD
Tariffs are applied on the price paid, not the cost to manufacture. If a blade costs $2 to make and the importer is paying $5 per blade, then the tariff is applied on that $5, not the $2.
We just got done importing a $600k machine from Germany, we beat the August 7 change by a couple weeks or we would have shoveled over another $90k to the government because $600k was what we paid.
TonyT
Not always; see here for more details https://harris-sliwoski.com/chinalawblog/a-first-sale-doctrine-checklist-six-phases-for-successful-tariff-reduction/
ITCD
Indeed, in this case it’s using the price the middleman paid the factory, but that’s still not applying a tariff to *only* the cost of manufacture. The factory made our example blade for $2 per, sold them to the middleman for $4 per, middleman sells them to importer for $6 per. With first sale, the tariff is paid on the $4 rather than the $6, but that’s still not the $2 the factory spent to make it.
First sale rule also goes out the window for any importer that has a direct relationship with the manufacturer, which is at least sometimes the case.
Nathan
How did crucible go under? They made steels for various bearings and I think they also made some turbine blade alloys. Compressor not hot section. Though they might have had a hand in that too. Crazy.
Scott K
I wonder if this will impact Leatherman. Beyond the Arc, I think their new line uses MagnaCut blades.
Stuart
As far as I have read l, other companies filled in the hole in the supply chain.
Birdog357
The Lowe’s sockets are being replaced with 3 or 6 packs of different sizes. Same for individual wrenches. I would imagine that if you need to warranty something, you’d have to do it with all the correct sizes in the new pack.
s
i thought the deminimus exception was cancelled quite a while ago.
there are some recently introduced pending-approval policies to bring the deminimus back in form that’s much more income-sensitive. but the breaks start tapering off for incomes over $75k/year, which rules out a lot of the bigger spenders.
Stuart
Only for China. It’s now being extended for products from all countries, at least as I understand it.
Daniel Andersen
I wonder when Milwaukee will start to make a line of ladders that have actual useful tops, to rest your tools or can of glue..
Kevin
Maybe with interchangeable tool trays with a pack out style locking system?
S
Werner ladders already have a system like that.
But it’s been very unpopular for some reason.
I’ve managed to purchase all the different available pieces, and love them, but they were scattered across retailers like a zebra carcass in a lion pride.
Bonnie
Those bins are a great size, but a bit pricey for what they are. I’ve probably got three dozen 6qt sterilites on the workshop shelves, and another couple dozen of the slightly smaller Iris shoeboxes in the craft room (the Iris ones stack 4 to a Kallax shelf).
You can pretty reliably find that volume for $1/box, but I suppose the HDX ones are a little more sturdy.
CoBlue
Those sterilites are pretty good for a lot of things, but if you try to pack them full of heavy stuff like screws or hardware you’ll have pretty bad time. These new ones may be better for that. Maybe I’ll buy a couple and give then a try.
KokoTheTalkingApe
Where are you getting Iris shoeboxes for $1? On Amazon they’re about $6 each.
Thanks!
Frank D.
The black totes are handy; but for an extra storage rack in a seasonal use place; I picked up a dozen clear ones from Sams Club. No fussing with tape and labels.
At home I have a clear bin mini store rack of various things for in and around the home with latching lids; from back when Target had a sale … maybe ten years ago.
So, I have no doubt that these clear mini totes will be successful.
Chris
Those bins are fantastic. Especially for small storage on the shelf.
When I see there are still some in stock at the HDs I frequent, I always buy at least 10 of them.
Cole
Acme has some pretty good deals on certain metabo hpt tools right now, what do you think?
Jared
I hope we get the small HDX bins in Canada. Any news on COO? The HDX bins for sale in Canada are advertised as Canadian-made. It made me wonder if they’re being sold in the USA too – or if there’s a different producer making the same design.
Good to hear someone else will be making Magnacut. It really is a fantastic knife steel.
Stuart
Made in USA.