Power Tool Combo Kits – What to Buy – The Guide

We get a lot of emails from people, which we always love hearing from our readers.  They ask us questions like which combo kit should I buy?  Where should I buy it from?  Who is the best manufacturer?  These are all awesome questions, so we decided to make an information page about these questions and power tool combo kits.

What Manufacturer Combo Kit is the Best?

This is probably the number one question we get from our readers.  We wish we could give you a simple answer, but there is not one.  In reality there truly is not one best manufacturer around.   Some manufacturers may make the best reciprocating saw, but maybe their grinder is sub par.  Now if you talk to different people, you will get many different answers.  It’s like the old truck argument, which is better Ford, Dodge or Chevy.  You will get people who are loyal to Ford and hate Dodge, while others think Chevy is the best.  I am not sure why people fight about this since we all know GMC is the best, yeah I know I say that because I own one.  Well the same goes for power tools.  Some will swear by Dewalt and others say Milwaukee.  So again there is not an easy answer to this question.  You have to find what you like best.

A better question should be what manufacturer combo kit should I buy?  While the answer is still hard, it is a little more easy to narrow down.  First you have to ask yourself what kind of user are you.  Are you a professional who uses his tools for a living everyday?  Are you a home user who will be using his tools every weekend?  Will you be using them once a month or once a year?

If you are a professional, well the answer is easy you need to invest in the best.  We will leave that alone now since I am sure you already have a favorite brand.  If you use your tools once a year, you don’t want to invest a lot of money because all the tools will do is sit on your shelf and lose money over time.  In fact you may even want to look on eBay for a nice inexpensive used set.

Now the question comes for the homeowner.  The guy who uses his tools every weekend or once a month.  Now the line gets a little more blurred.  Here you can go either way.  You can spend the money for a nice professional set since you will be using it all the time or you can save yourself some money and get the nice DIY power tool set.  This is only a decision you can make, but we would suggest going to the store and picking them up.  Play around with them.  How do they feel?  Is the balance what you expected?  Does it fit nice in your hand?  Can you manage the weight of the tool?  The bottom line is buy what you feel comfortable with.  When it comes down to it, if you are a weekend warrior, any of the tools will hold up in your situation.  It really comes down to how it feels for you.  You also want to see what tools they offer in that line, so you can expand your tool set down the road with the tools you may need.

What Power Tool Combo Kit Should I buy?

Another great question, but again one we just can not answer for you.  We can give you a little guidance, but the choice is up to you.  What tools will you be using?  Chances are you will be using the drill, but if you have no use for a reciprocating saw, then why buy one?  Sometimes you are better off looking for a deal on the drill, charger and 2 batteries.  Then you can buy the bare tools of what you need and build your own kit.  One thing we would recommend is staying with the same manufacturer as it sucks having 5 different tools and 5 different batteries.

If you already own a certain manufacturer and you like them, stay with them.  Again you don’t want to have a lot of money invested in different batteries.  Since you already have some of the tools, you can just go out and buy the bare tools.

Where Should I buy it From?

You really only have a couple of choices.  Either online or a store.

Store: Pro – You can get your tools the same day.  If you need to make a return, you can take care of it right away.  You get to see the tools before you buy them, you can pick them up and feel them.  You can talk with a real person.

Store: Con – Can be a little more pricey, but sometimes worth it for the added convenience.  You might have to sit in traffic or stand in line.  You can’t just wear boxers to the store, trust me it won’t end in your favor.

Online: Pro – Might be a little less expensive.  You can order from your home while sitting in your boxers.  You can pick your nose while you buy your tools and not have to hear, “Sir you are making a scene.”

Online: Con – Returns can take longer.  Might have to be home to accept the package.

Don’t forget to look for power tool coupons online.  Here is a Craftsman power tool coupon that when you sign up for their club, you get 10% off.  This is just an example as this one is expired.

When Should I buy it?

You really only have two options with the when question.  You can either buy it when you need it and hope it is on sale or wait for a good sale and then pick it up.  I tend to try and time it.  If I know I will be needing a tool for a job in about a month, I will start looking through the ads or online for the best price.  This way I am familiar with the price range of the combo kit or tool.  So when I am in a box store or see something in the paper, I can really know if it is a great deal.  This is something we would suggest getting into the habit of doing.  Say you are not familiar with the price range for a certain combo kit and you are in a big box store.  You see a sign that says “SALE.”  As you look closer it’s a great kit that is normally $600 and now it’s marked down to $499.  You might think it is a great price, but how do you know that somewhere online it isn’t selling everyday for $470 with free shipping?  So make sure you get familiar with the pricing structures before you buy.

Another great time to buy is Black Friday or around Christmas time.

Should I buy New, Refurbished or Used?

Again this is up to you.  If you are only going to be using the tools a couple times a year, we would suggest buying them used.  Why buy new tools for them to sit on the shelf and lose money?  If I will be using my tools a lot, then I always buy new. That’s just me.  If it is a tool that I will not use much, then I will buy a refurbished tool.  Perfect example.  I use my circular saw a lot.  I really only need an inline saw, so I bought a new one.  However, there are times a wormsaw is needed for a job and they are nice to have around.  I would rather save some money and buy a refurbished one and let that sit on the shelf.

We hope we provided you with some items to think about before you make a tool purchase or power tool combo purchase.  There really is a lot to think about when making this purchase as it tends to be a large investment.