Dealmonger: Black And Decker VPX On Clearance
By Stuart Deutsch
Black and Decker’s VPX tools and accessories are hitting the clearance bins at many home improvement stores less than four months after the products’ initial release. It seems that some stores simply removed their VPX stock from display, but others, such as the Home Depot shown above, are offering their leftovers at a sweet discount.
While we wouldn’t recommend these tools for heavy-duty work even at clearance prices, they’re decent homeowner-grade products that you may want to keep an eye out for, next time you’re at the store. Although I’ve heard rumors that the VPX system has been discontinued, several online stores and discount retailers are still offering a variety of VPX tools and add-ons at full price.
Many thanks go to MrsMcDreamy at Slickdeals.net for sharing the above photo recently taken at Home Depot.
VPX Tool System [Black and Decker]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
VPX Starter Set Via Amazon
February 15th, 2008 at 10:01 am
Wow… that didn’t take long
February 15th, 2008 at 10:16 am
ticks me off since I paid full MSRP for several of these items to give as Christmas presents. 2 weeks later I ran across them at clearance prices.
February 15th, 2008 at 10:34 am
The Home Depot’s around here have all the VPX on clearance EXCEPT the spare batteries and the dustbuster, which remain at full price.
February 15th, 2008 at 11:16 am
Mike D, a lot of stores offer a retroactive price guarantee. I got Best Buy to refund $10 on a GPS I purchased that showed up for cheaper a week later. See if you can get someone at the store to tell you when the clearance started, a manager should have that data. Then present your full-price receipt from earlier, and ask if they’d like to turn a pissed customer into a happy customer. You might have to call customer service to do it, but start at the local store.
February 15th, 2008 at 11:34 am
Nate,
Home Depot has gotten very strict about their pricematch policy - it’s now only 7, maybe 14 days. If that’s where Mike purchased his tools, his only option would be a repurchase and return, which could get really messy.
February 15th, 2008 at 8:34 pm
I’m sure B&D will come out with another battery format in a couple of weeks, it’s how they get you to buy new junk.
And whoever thought white was a good colour for a tool casing is an idjit.
February 16th, 2008 at 5:05 am
The Home Depot had these at even lower prices than what was shown here. There was even a Dewalt representative doing a demo and I leared that Dewalt, B&D, Porter-Cable and Delta are all the same company??? Those were all the logos on the banner he had around his table…
February 16th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
Lowe’s is also selling these off at incredible savings. I just picked up the starter set for $38.00! The retail price was $99!
I’d be worried though, In checking the Amazon link above, they too are clearing these out. Could it be a not-so-great product that B&D is looking to liquidate?
February 16th, 2008 at 4:53 pm
Black & Decker acquired the tool group (Porter Cable, Delta, DeVilbiss and Oldham Saw) in 2004. They had acquired Dewalt earlier.
February 17th, 2008 at 10:28 am
Strange, where are all the Black and Decker reps now that replied in the original VPX thread? I wonder what Tracine Andrus, Product Manager – Black & Decker VPX, has to say about this?
February 18th, 2008 at 5:31 am
I don’t know why everyone is so excited… these tools are toys! I played with them for a few minutes at Home Depot and promptly walked away….
February 18th, 2008 at 5:33 am
These tools are toys….
February 21st, 2008 at 9:46 pm
My HD just dropped the starter set down to 20 bucks from 99…now thats pretty insane. I finally caved and ended up buying two for that price, at the least I can keep a flat head and phillips driver handy whenever or have an extra flashlight around.
Just to add to the tally Menards and Walmart are also clearing these out.
March 6th, 2008 at 9:40 pm
Even Amazon has jumped on the clearance bandwagon - they now have the VPX starter set for $50…
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000UMLDZY
August 9th, 2008 at 8:17 am
I’ve been very happy with the 14 volt one, I’ve been using the crap out of it,and it’s held up very well in an industrial envierment. no problems at all. it’s just a lot lighter then a standard cordless due to the lithium batteries. it’s not a toy at all,i put 400 screws in on one charge and the batteries weren’t even dead. as far as the white on the case,it’s hard plastic so it wipes off. black and decker said the major retailers have dropped the ball on sales, but black and decker will continue to sell the batteries and chargers and support the product. just not make new ones. this is compared to the firestorm drills of before, which were total garbage. that line seemed designed to break from the day it was made,yet they still carry it.
August 10th, 2008 at 11:06 am
I think the bell has rung. I have started seeing these at Big Lots.
August 29th, 2008 at 2:06 pm
FYI: Menards has these tools at discount prices this week.
$8 for the flashlight. $8 for the battery. $10 for the inflator, inverter and dustbuster. $40 for the starter kit, I don’t remember what the others were but with the free battery rebates directly from black and decker they are a good deal.
http://www.vpxsystem.com/pdfs/mailInForm.pdf
April 10th, 2009 at 9:46 pm
I bought the kit. actually two of them. I use the impact driver probably 50 hrs a week. I’m a small engine mechanic. It has yet to fail me. I also thought it was a toy at first and figured it would probably only last a week or two, I am very impressed.