With some of the biggest tool sales of the year now behind us, I’m curious – what did you buy?
In a normal year, the holiday season would just be starting now. But due to COVID, the sales started early this year.
Did you buy any Black Friday tool deals or take advantage of any Cyber Monday (or Cyber Week) sales? What about during the November “Black Friday jump start” season?
Here’s what I bought so far:
Hand Tools: I bought some hand tools, mostly for review purposes, but I have also been filling in holes in my tool box and satisfying some long-term wants.
For instance, I finally ordered an 8pc set of Knipex snap ring pliers. Unfortunately, I opted for slower shipping to save $10, and so it’ll be 2-1/2 weeks until this and a couple of other items arrive from Amazon Germany. My prior Amazon DE orders arrived in under a week in comparison, but this time I thought I’d save money and go with slower shipping. Oh well, I’ll try to be patient.
I snagged a pair of the Knipex slim-jaw Cobra pliers, shown above, and also took advantage of Home Depot and Ohio Power Tool sales to pick up Milwaukee socket sets in 1/4″ and 3/8″ sizes.
Power Tools: I *finally* ordered a woodworking jointer! I’ve been yo-yoing about whether to buy a jointer for a few years now, and finally went for it. Surprisingly, I went with the one model I ruled out numerous times in the past. More on this later.
That makes 2 out of 5 items I check off my 2018 wishlist, with the other being a sampling of made-in-Japan Nepros mechanics tools.
There were some great cordless power tool deals this season, but I don’t really need anything. Aside from the jointer, I’ve been avoiding buying any more machinery until I know exactly where it will go.
Tool Storage: I bought quite a few Milwaukee Packout tool boxes and organizers. Maybe too much? I’m still working towards optimizing my workshop space, and organizing my power tools and small parts is going to be a big part of that.
EDC Tools: I ordered a couple of new pocket knives to explore, and bought some Olight LED flashlights during their Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. I also ordered a new knife sharpener system to try out, and for a lot less than the system that’s been on my wishlist since last year.
Other: I ordered a Prusa 3D printer (thanks to Benjamen (@electronsmith) showing off its capabilities so exceptionally well), and more AA and AAA battery organizers.
This will the second 3D printer I have ever purchased. The first was a printrbot that I bought and returned a few years ago. With that first machine, I couldn’t get it to run any test or calibration print successfully. The Prusa printer is said to require 8 hours for assembly, which should prove to be very educational.
What I Still Want: I had been intending to buy some Proto hex bit sockets, but haven’t seen any good pricing on them yet. (Hey Zoro – where’s the usual 20% off coupon?!) I was also watching for good deals on a kamado-style smoker, but even the best deal I found was not as good as the discounted pricing the brand offered in the spring.
