Despite sometimes knowing Black Friday deals ahead of time, and despite all my planning, I tend to be unpredictable in my Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping.
Here’s a quick rundown of what I had purchased:
Felo Hand Tools from KC Tool – I placed my order very early Thanksgiving morning, and looking at my order, there are some items I don’t even remember buying. Yep, I was that exhausted.
Most of that order was on tools of ToolGuyd interest. What’s different about a drywall Phillips scrwedriver bit? What are Stahlwille screwdriver handles like? Are Wera Torx flagdrivers handy?
I also bought another Wera 1/4″ locking extension, because the one that came with my Zyklops set is very hard to remove sockets from. I also bought a non-locking one. This will help me determine whether my extension is faulty, or if it’s just something you have to accept with the 1/4″ locking extensions.
PB Swiss Tools – I ordered a few things on my wishlist, and also 2 styles of torque screwdrivers. The idea of testing out one of their torque tools was put in my head, and the design looks more flexible than some other brands’. The pricing wasn’t too bad, compared to other brands’ offerings, making typically super-premium tools reasonably competitive.
Ridgid Automotive Detailing Kit – Home Depot had a great deal on a Ridgid vac with free auto detailing kit. I don’t need a new vac, but I wanted that accessory kit. Good thing I found it on Amazon. $40 for an accessory set vs. $100 for a great vac and accessory set? But I don’t need yet another vac, so that’s $60 left in my wallet, and some floor or storage space unused for something else.
Ryobi RC Truck – It’s an RC truck that’s powered by Ryobi 18V battery packs? I could possibly use the battery pack, but the charger seems useful for in-house use where I don’t need fast charging times and could benefit from the smaller footprint.
Bosch Impact Screwdriver Bits – This deal is still going on now. A few months ago, I bought (4) Bosch bit holders at something like $4 or $5 each. This 24pc bit set with a durable and not-at-all flimsy clear lid is a very good buy. So I bought 4 sets, for use in ToolGuyd testing. The bits are great, the cases are great, the bit holders are great, and at $10 for the set, I couldn’t pass it up.
Router Bits from Carbide Processors – I was going to buy a Skil 1/4″ bit set from Lowes, on sale for $50. But my hesitation prompted me to search for quick forum reviews, and the consensus seems to be that the bits are low quality. I have a MLCS bit set somewhere around here, and a Freud 1/2″ set. I’ve been meaning to try some new USA brands, and Carbide Processor’s discount made for a convincing case.
Lenox Hole Saws and Reciprocating Saw Blades from Lowes – Lowes’ site was broken a lot of Black Friday, but I managed to pick up some consumables for testing, and use if I end up liking them.
Hole Saws and Shockwave Bits – I bought more Diablo and Milwaukee hole saw sets, plus some Shockwave impact bits – a $10 that had some bits I use often. I recently bought some other sets from Home Depot, too, but this one seemed like a good set to keep in the house.
Hitachi Air Nailers – Great prices convinced me to pick up a pin nailer, narrow crown stapler, and brad nailer. These will be ToolGuyd’s air nailer baseline, for comparing other corded and cordless nailers to, and for use in projects. I have a bunch of projects coming up, and I always like using my own tools for certain things.
80/20 – I was able to catch a break yesterday, to order some extrusions and fasteners as part of 80/20’s 15% off sale. I’ve had a few storage and organizational projects on my to-do list, and ordering pre-cut and counterbored rails is going to make for much quicker progress. This has been on my to-do list for a LONG time.
More 80/20 – I ordered a LOT of 6-foot 80/20 rails from Zoro. Their 25% off promo and free shipping will have a lighter hit on my wallet. One thing bugged me. I wanted to buy a Knipex wire stripper. They have the same price as Amazon, before promo, but you have to buy 6! I guess I’ll pay full price at Amazon.
Stanley 4-in-1 Screwdrivers – I’ve been trying to get some of these for my DIY tool kit project, but Amazon hasn’t restocked them in a while. So I ordered like 20 of them from Zoro. They’re great giveaway tools.
Nova Drill Press – I was offered a Nova drill press review sample last year – a few times – but turned it down because of time and space considerations. Then, when I did want to get my hands on one, their new contact never got back to me. Maybe it’s because I haven’t been able to make good progress with the benchtop lathe test sample I’ve had on hand and been struggling to find time to work on.
I’ve been wanting to buy a drill press for upcoming project use, but can’t find a good mixed-material model. The Nova looks to be optimized for wood, but its motor speed makes it capable for plastic and metal too, and there are no belts to fiddle with.
There are some reviews on it, but I didn’t really find them helpful. Forum reviews seem to be positive.
Acme Tools’ 20% off savings maxed out at $150, but it helped me move the drill press from my wishlist to my shopping cart.
The choice was between Jet, Delta, Powermatic, or this Nova. I’ve been drooling over Dake’s USA-made drill presses, but I don’t think it’s the right fit for my needs, and there’s not much ToolGuyd editorial value to help me justify pumping up my budget.
A few have asked me about the Nova, while no one has ever asked about Dake in any capacity. I think my first Dake purchase will be one of their arbor presses.
This is going to be a huge step up from my Craftsman 10″ benchtop model.
Sometime in 2018 I’ll try to get my hands on a Ridgid drill press too, for comparison, and because that’s the most appealing mid-budget drill press that I’ve seen. A few readers have asked about it too.