Archived from the Tools In Action forum (Tool Deals). This thread is read-only.
Here’s the best method to getting the BEST deals on NEW tools. It works best at Lowes.
Most important step is to make friends with the staff. Bring donuts or something to the Pro-Desk staff on occasion. The zone manager covers the pro deal, Lumber, building materials, tools & hardware. Strike up conversations and learn how that manager likes to run things. Act as if you’re genuinely interested in the business processes and you’ll build rapport and get whatever you want. Learn their margins and know when their inventory is along with major merchandise resets. this REALLY helps when you need an occasional favor. A colleague needed a shop compressor immediately and we got 20% off an IR 80 gallon.
*Lowes stickers: On Non-Stock items, the price stickers print a tiny little “N” on the bottom of the larger stickers, to the right of the smaller stickers. Non-stock are your BEST deals as they want to get rid of that stuff.
*Zone managers have the ability to mark products down to 10% of the original retail value without flagging the system.
*Keep an eye out for returned tools that were most likely bought for single use jobs and returned. Most department managers don’t like that stuff taking up precious room. I bought THREE $1100 compressors that were repaired, taking up room in the store for $450 each. Sold two for $750 each making mine FREE.
*Everything Is negotiable. It takes some time but becoming friends is key. I’ve bought thousands of dollars in merchandise for a few hundred bucks. DeWalt Hammer/Impact Combo: $50, Was returned open. Last week I bought $900 worth of random clearance & non stock odds and ends, display tools, packages missing parts, etc, for $20. A whole cart FULL. Earlier this year I bought three shopping carts full of electrical clearance stuff for $65. Dimmers, receptions, wire, tools, etc.
This works at HD too but the deals aren’t as great. They have a progressive markdown system and lots of mgrs don’t venture away from that.
Wow I’ll keep on eye and see how it works
You must live near a great Lowes. I hardly ever see customer returned tools put back up for sale. The few times I did It wasn’t even worth the time to negotiate the tools were so beat to hell. Home Depot has some decent display and tool returned items occasionally They used to be a lot better a few years ago. I looked at clearance stuff at one HD and it was one or 2 dollars off regular price. This one HD has a bunch of M18 jigsaws that were sitting for 119 for the longest time. I wonder if they had gotten cheap and they never updated the sticker and some one had an awesome day, or they got pitched or returned to vendor. I think store quality varies so much depending where you live around here the closest HD to me is horrible they treat you like crap on returns. I think people are treated better by the TSA.
The one by my house is the best but this process works everywhere around here. I have 5 Lowes within a 20 mile radius and I sometimes make rounds of stopping by all the Lowes on a weekend or rainy day just to search for deals.
Just walked in a local lowes a picked up:
Gyroscopic Screwdriver
20V Drill/Impact Set
Lam Trimmer
TWO Jobsite Radios
Spent $100
Original Retail: $555.00
U suck, and I mean that in the best way possible.
By the way we r not your wife, u do not have to lie to us about what u paid for your tools.
lol. Ok… I lied. It was $108.25 with tax.
They were all open box items that people buy and return. They just take up space on their floor. My approach is always “do you want to get rid of your clearance merchandise?” Im pitching that I’m helping THEM out. Did I need TWO radios? No. But the more I take off the more discount I get.
Rick I know ur happy man!!
that’s a really great idea rick – I don’t have a local lowes here, next 2 or 3 are 45mins away
My home depot had a corded deep cut porta band saw on clearance for $159. The only problem it didn’t have bade or case with it and it looked well used. If i could have got it for $50 I might have bought it. I would just prefer a cordless one though so the corded was kinda meh to me. The only thing else was some returned Ryobi miter and table saws.
Mine never have nothin like that…..
I agree with Ricky, Lowe’s does seem to go big on clearance , and non stock items.
Returns make me nervous. I’m the only one who can abuse my tools.
chadlanthier wrote:
Returns make me nervous. I’m the only one who can abuse my tools.
They’re still fully warrantied and the return policy is still the same. Bought the DeWalt 13″ planer last year for $200 as a return. Drive belt wasn’t installed properly. Not a single spec of sawdust in the unit. So it didn’t plane a single board.
Went to my HD today and there was nothin ….
Well clearance wise
not sure if HD handles the returned tools or the clearance section like lowes
What would be the difference?? Just askin so I can go to lowes instead
I think HD don’t mark them down so much like lowes
Home Depot handles their returns differently. Lowes has an internal department that inspects returned tools to determine if they’re faulty and can be RTV’d and receive Credit. A buddy of mine has a colleague that buys containers at auction from HD of open item returns. So HD auctions them off while Lowes handles them at the store level.
that interesting and also good to know
is there a special page to find out where the auctions are?
sweet thanks
NICE!!! Thanks Rick!