Over at Lowes, today’s tool deal of the day is this Kobalt 24V Max brushless drill kit, for $99.
It only comes with 1 Li-ion battery pack, but you can buy an extra 1.5Ah pack for $10, or 2.0Ah pack for $20.
Yea, I know – $10 for an extra battery pack? Whoa. I saw the display at the local Lowes and was tempted to buy a couple for use in robotics or portable electronics projects, and still might.
Also See: Best Black Friday 2016 Cordless Drill Deals
This drill delivers some punch, with a 650 in-lb torque rating, and it’s no slowpoke either, with a 0-550 and 0-2,000-RPM 2-speed gearbox.
It comes with an auxiliary handle (which really should be shown on the drill in the product images), and a 2.0Ah Li-ion battery pack.
I’ve tested a Kobalt 24V Max drill with good results, and it might be this same one. Even if not, the user reviews seem to be positive.
Buy Now(via Lowes)
Update: There’s also sale pricing on a Kobalt 24V Max drill and 3-speed impact driver combo kit. (Thanks, Aaron!) $149 thru 11/30/2016.
I am a little hesitant about buying into a Kobalt cordless power tool platform. It wasn’t too long ago that they launched their 18V lineup, rebranded it as 20V Max, and then seemingly abandoned the entire lineup in order to emphasize this new 24V Max brushless tool lineup.
The tools are reasonably specs and definitely different from competitors’ offerings. The 24V Max battery packs provide more oomph, and the brushless motors give you a boost in power and efficiency.
Other brands are reluctant to change, due to DIYers’ tendencies to hold onto cordless power tools for far longer than most professional users (so I’m told).
So I guess that’s good and bad about Kobalt. They’re willing to launch a new cordless power tool lineup in order to offer the latest tech benefits. Well, Porter Cable did the same thing recently, with their 18V and 20V Max platforms.
A lot of people criticized Dewalt for launching their 20V Max platform, but they’ve stayed true to their word of fully supporting the 18V lineup, even building more tools and launching a limited but still welcome battery platform adapter.
I seriously doubt that Kobalt has any intention of replacing this new 24V Max lineup anytime soon, and would doubt that it’s even on their minds. If they were to launch a new lineup, I’d think it would be a new 12V Max or 16V Max (14.4V nominal) platform that fills the need for compact cordless tools. But, that’s probably not in their plans either.
If I were an average DIYer in the market for just a new cordless drill, I’d take a serious look at this deal. I don’t think I’d give it as a gift, though – I usually gift more compact 18V-class or 12V-class drills, like the Milwaukee M18 2407 and Bosch 12V Max PS31.
Price: $99
Buy Now(via Lowes)
This deal is valid 11/18/2016, probably expiring at 12am or 3am ET 11/19/16.
This looks like it could be the most powerful $99 drill/driver kit deal on the market right now. It might also be a nice gateway tool into Kobalt’s 24V Max cordless power tool lineup.
Lowes says the “was” price is $179. I remember checking the price when I was putting together my Black Friday cordless drills deal post, and the drill kit was on sale for $149. Or was it $125? I don’t remember exactly, but I’m pretty sure it was somewhere between those 2 values.
So while I don’t think you’re really saving a full $80 compared to the normal sale pricing, you are still saving a bunch of money – maybe as little as $25-30, or as much as $50.
