About a week ago, Sean wrote in, with a tip that Amazon DE started carrying the Wera Tools 2018 advent calendar. Unfortunately, this year it’s not eligible to be shipped to the USA. I checked, and saw the same.
I contacted our friends at KC Tool, and here’s the good news – they just received their inventory, and you can buy the calendar from them.
What’s so special about the Wera advent calendar? Well, for those that don’t own any Wera tools, it’s a good assortment to get familiar with. And if you’re already a fan of Wera tools, it’s a good assortment of tools you might not have, or can use for a portable set.
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The advent calendars are reasonably priced, in my experience from the last time I tried to price the components out separately.
This year’s tool set comes with a portable pouch, a locking bit holder, a selection of long screwdriver bits, a VDE insulated screwdriver handle, a selection of insulated screwdriver blades, and several hex keys.
It also comes with a bottle opener, which for this year features a glow in the dark handle!
Price: $68
Buy Now(via KC Tool)
Shipping is FREE on $50+ orders.
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We have had a friendly relationship with KC Tool for a few years now. We currently do not have an affiliate program with them. I have ordered from them before (3 orders totaling ~$561), and have had excellent experiences thus far. They advertised with us in 2015, and occasionally send test and review samples (at my request).
They sent me a Wera 2017 advent calendar last year, and I’ve actually been using it a lot more than I anticipated. This year’s set is different enough that there’s not much overlap. I recently purchased a set of Wera insulated screwdrivers, but it’s not very portable. This set looks like it will complement my needs and usage nicely.
Last year, KC Tool sold out of their Wera advent calendars in October. Since they just started selling them, there’s no rush to order one. But, they will likely sell out as they did last year, it’s just a question of when that will be.
I would advise anyone interested in this set to gauge whether or not it’d be useful to them, and to keep in mind that supplies are limited.
Following are some pricing comparisons, in case you find it helpful.
This set is a little more specialized in nature than past years’ selections. If you don’t see yourself ever using the insulated screwdrivers, I can think of better ways to spend ~$61.
But if you can use the VDE screwdriver components, the handle typically retails for $21, and individual blades $3-6 each. A set that comes with a case, handle, and 6 blades is priced at $41.19 (before ToolGuyd coupon). (The 2018 advent calendar comes with 8 insulated blades.)
The advent calendar includes a Wera 816R Rapidaptor bitholding screwdriver, which retails separately for $21. There’s a 6-blade screwdriver set for ~$33, and a 10-blade set for ~$35.
Buy Now(via KC Tool)
That all said, do you have any questions?
Thank you to Sean for the heads-up, allowing me to post about the advent calendar a lot earlier than last year.
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fred
That glow-in-the-dark bottle opener should help in finding it to open the first cold one of the day in the wee-hours of the morning.
To be more serious – these look to be good Christmas presents – hence the “advent calendar” moniker. I generally like most Wera tools. I bought a set of sockets for a son-in-law when I was last in Germany – and he likes them too – but had a quibble that the plastic-y ratchet handle did not deal with grease too well. Most of their items are now made in the Czech Republic (where lots of good beer is made too – fits with the bottle opener.)
TonyT
Well, if you want a Czech-made glow in the dark bottle opener, you could print the Prusa Bottle Opener with glow in the dark filament on an original Prusa 3D printer.
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2889790
P.S. Prusa Printers is, of course, headquartered in Prague, and all the plastic pieces are made their, as is their filament and a lot of other stuff. But the extruder comes from Sweden (Bondtech), the hot end from Britain (E3D), the controller from USA (Ultimachine), the motors & power supply from China, etc.
John
Damn.. Look at that gorgeous glow in the dark bottle opener! My dilemma, should I spent $62 for a bottle opener as I had no need for those tools as I already own those in one form or another?
Redcastle
I agree these make excellent Christmas presents.
One of the many things I like about the Mittlestand tool companies is Germany is that they quietly go about the business of producing very high quality goods at an appropriate price and are also not too fussed over fads and political correctness.
I suspect that in the USA and the UK there would be an uproar at the insensitivity of producing a box with a big picture of Santa Claus on it never mind including a bottle opener (most of the other German tool companies seem to have something similar).
They can do this because they are not beholden to anyone other than the families that own them and have a home market which genuinely supports domestic companies (defined as much by being owned by locals as where they produce their products). This is not in anyway a political comment rather a reflection on a business model that works which will not survive a race to the bottom should the German consumer market become completely price driven.
The Czech Republic has a long history of engineering excellence (particularly in the arms industry) and I am sure that Wera will delegate but not abdicate its production responsibilities.
fred
Mittlestand – I had not heard that term in a long time – but I recall hearing that Bosch thought of themselves as fitting in that category – although I don’t consider them middle-sized in any way. Nonetheless – nice to see a German firm carrying on the German tradition of the Advent Calendar
Alex Young
Not sure where you live but pictures of Santa and booze related things at Christmas is pretty standard for both the UK and US during the Christmas season. I even lived in a ‘dry’ town in the states and there would be no uproar as no one would find it insensitive there or here in the UK.
Framer joe
Awesome Christmas gifts ,I buy them every year, wera makes the best laser tip screwdrivers ….
Toolfreak
Sucks that the calendar image shows the ratchets and wrenches, but those aren’t part of what you get.
This whole ‘calendar’ thing seems rather gimmicky for a brand like Wera.
It might make more sense and be more fun if the included tools were say, a whole set of glow-in-the-dark handle screwdrivers that would only be offered that year and only in the calendar.
Gordon
I think it was 2016 that did a set of screwdrivers in black and red grips. You can get them separately now, but it was unique to the advent calendar that year.
Cameron
Once again it appears that I wont be able to get one of these in Australia….These look like a great gift, or even a great way to buy an extra, compact, tool kit to keep in the car. I dont currently own any VDE tools so this would have been pretty good, even without the GITD bottle opener (which I really want).
Curtis
KC Tool ships internationally.
Aaron
Hi Cameron,
KC Tool do ship international, and if you missed out on their allocation, then do try a range of suppliers on UK Ebay, I picked my that way and it has landed in Aus inc GST for about $130AUD. Not the cheapest but still good value against local Wera suppliers.
Eric
I missed this at KC tool, was unhappy about it, and then noticed Amazon.de let me order it. Arrived yesterday. Looking forward to doing this with my kids.
Xtnct
Did you have to pay any duties or taxes once you received your item from amazon.de?
CaveSAR
If you know someone in the EU it is now on sale
Wera-direct > Wera AK 2018 Advent Calendar 2018, tool set, 23 pieces
https://wera-direct.eu/detail.asp?Lang=3&Prod=128218
Now: € 54,95 (45,41 excl. VAT)
Stock: 46 pieces, ready for delivery
Retail price: € 119,79 (99,00 excl. VAT)
CaveSAR
I followed Eric’s advice and ordered one from Amazon.DE. Search carefully since there is a range of prices.
Also for Toolfreak, Gordon – Amazon.DE search on wera adventskalender finds some Wiha Advent kits from 2015, 2016.
KCTools has a nice sale on other tools – https://www.kctoolco.com/sale/