Should I Buy Power Tools From Big Lots?
I want to buy a plunge router from Big Lots but it’s $30 and I wanted to know if anyone’s had experience with their tools. It’s made by Pro Source and I’m going to get a set for $89 that has a circular saw (5 3/8″), a jigsaw, a reciprocating saw, a light and a power drill. They are all cordless and it comes with two batteries. Is this a good deal too? Are these going to fall apart or are they good deals?
Big Lots are stores that have clearance items from a lot of different stores.If it is a name brand and you get your monies worth why not?They are all the same,the store is different.
Actually, it is difficult to answer your question. However the third answer did have a good point.
As a general rule, you get what you pay for.
But if you will only use it a couple of times then it really doesn’t matter as long as you get your job done.
i would only buy from lowes because they have a great return policy. you are only going to get grief from big lots.
For the router, I would go to Lowes and buy the Skil with detachable plunge base. $86 everyday. The cheaper electric tools seem to have problems with power and the brushes go bad quickly. If the cordless tools are for general household use, they may not be too bad.
I bought a cordless hammer drill from Big Lots recently. It died after 2 days of use. I’ve had much better luck with Craftsman cordless tools. The same set will cost about 4 or 5 times as much, but the tools will last. I’m currently on my 3rd major renovation project with a set of Craftsman cordless tools I bought 2 years ago.
Make sure the electric tools you purchase are listed by U.L. (Underwriters Laboratories). On battery operated tools, it may be only the transformer or charging unit that is actually U.L. listed. U.L. listing is not required by law in many cases but is good to look for,at least as safety is concerned. Perhaps consumer reports has a review of the brand you are interested in as far as the quality issue goes. For more information on U.L. see their web site at ul.com.
fall apart. my ps drill lasted three jobs
tools are best bought according to brand names such as Craftsman, Black & Decker, etc… if you want quality. The name of store is inmaterial as long as it is a quality band tool name.
Sometimes (rare) I find them at a pawn shop to save $; but you better know what you are looking at before buying there – - may not be able to get accessories because outdated, discontinued, etc…
If you are a professional and need to use that tool every day go by best kind of brand ,if not get from big lot they have black&deker mark.
I got a router, some router bits, a cordless drill, and a hammer drill from Big Lots. I paid less than $80.00 for everything. In the past 5 years I’ve used the corded ones each a total of 3 or 4 times. They’ve worked perfectly each time I’ve used them. I wouldn’t consider them an everyday tool but if you want one for a occasional use, they’re well worth the money. The cordless stuff at Big Lots isn’t that good. Mine lasted about a year and both batteries were totally spend and wouldn’t hold a charge. It wasn’t worth buying new batteries.
Lowes, Home Depot, and Sears you’re going to pay top dollar for something you use once or twice a year and with the stuff you buy at the big box these days, it’s questionable whether they will outlast the Big Lots stuff. I got a Skil cordless drill and used it on my house project to upgrade the electric heaters in the house. The gear on high speed stripped out drilling a hole while I was replacing my electric heater in the bedroom. It was the last room I did. Never again will I buy that brand. I consider the Black and Decker Firestorm a very durable cordless drill. I used it to upgrade the back deck. It was a work horse. For some reason B&D discontinued that line.
There’s no doubt that the best tool I have in my tool bag is the cordless drill, For my last project I demolished my home and did a total redecoration and the hand tool I used probably the most and was truly useful was my cordless drill. I do think for every project in the household I had the cordless drill in my hand. I think the renovation project probably would have taken double the time if I was without my favorite power tool.