As you can see from the screen cap above, Sears is advertising mechanic’s tools on sale this weekend. But we believe there’s more to this story than they’re telling you in the ad.

The real deal in our opinion? They produced a ton of special “80th Anniversary Craftsman” gear — everything from tools to toolboxes — and it didn’t sell for squat. (Who really cares that it’s Craftsman’s 80th?) Now they’re dumping it all to make way for the holiday stuff.

A friend of mine called last week and told me that he snagged an 80th-emblazed roll-away for under $100. If that’s not dumping, I don’t know what is.

Anyway, you might want to roll by your local Sears this weekend if you’ve got a few minutes to see if there’s any 80th gear left at good prices. Just a suggestions.

Tools On Sale [Sears]

Remember that free shipping on purchases over $49 deal at Sears? It looks like they’ve extended it. And Home Depot is jumping on the bandwagon, too. An added bonus: Home Depot will ship Christmas trees for free.

I’m not certain about the pre-holiday deals, but I’ve picked up Christmas trees at Home Depot after Christmas for diddly-squat. Like, for example, I snagged a 7′ with lights for $40. Really.

Home Depot [Corporate Site]
Sears [Corporate Site]

Sears is hosting their annual Veterans Day sale over this long (for some, though not us obviously) weekend, and most of their tools are on sale for this event.  There are also a couple of secondary promotions happening, too: Free shipping on orders over $49 and a free 11-inch tool bag (#00937533000) on tool purchases of $25 or more.

Some of the items that caught my eye — and will probably end up in my toolbox are:

• A 3 piece Screwdriver Pry Bar Set in tray for $19.99, containing a 12, 17, and 25 inch curved screwdriver pry bars.
• A Craftsman 2-1/4 ton Floor Jack for $19.99. The jack has a 2-1/4 ton/4,500 pound lift capacity and a lifting height from 5-1/2 to 15 inches.
• A 5 piece Wrench Set, Ratchet Box SAE for $19.99, including standard sizes: 1/4 x 5/16, 3/8 x 7/16, 1/2 x 9/16, 5/8 x 3/4 and 11/16 x 7/8 inches.

Veterans Day Sale [Sears]

Since previous Dealmonger feedback about these gloves has been generally positive, we thought you’d like to know that Sears is offering them on sale again. Through Veteran’s Day you can can pick up a pair of these Craftsman Mechanic’s gloves for $10. (They’re regularly $20.) Sears sells Mechanic’s gloves in sizes medium to extra large and in colors red and black.

Medium, Black [Sears]
Medium, Red [Sears]
Large, Black [Sears]
Large, Red [Sears]
XLarge, Black [Sears]
XLarge, Red [Sears]

In case you missed the heads-up from a few weeks ago, now is the perfect time to take a stroll down your local power tool aisle. Fall cleaning, holiday stock preparation, and a lull in sales are prompting some decent deals at the big boxes. The key to getting a great deal around this time of year, though, is visiting the hardware stores in person since they don’t advertise most discounts — and the discounts are probably unique to each particular store location. 

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Sears is offering a deal right now on this Craftsman digital multimeter with auto-ranging and non-contact voltage detector.  It’s listed at $40 but when you add it to your shopping cart the price drops to $25, a handsome $15 savings. Besides auto-ranging, the multimeter features non-contact voltage measurement from 100 to 600 VAC, AC/DC voltage measurement with a 0.5% accuracy, resistance measurement, diode and continuity testing, and a back-lit LCD screen. It also comes with test stand, rubber holster and test leads.

82314 Digital Multimeter [Sears]

Aptly named after American inventor Thomas Edison, the Edison Project is Craftsmans answer to other tool companies’ more active means of finding new ideas for hand tools, power tools or garden tools. They want you to bring your ideas right to them!

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Sears is holding a post-labor day tool sale.  The more you buy, the more you save:

• Spend $279 - $399 and receive 10% off
• Spend $400 - $499 and receive 15% off
• Spend over $500 and receive 20% off

And if you’re not looking to spend that much, maybe the 50% off deals will interest you”

• There’s a Companion 3.2A jigsaw for $12.49, and if you buy it online you’re entitled to a free 12 piece blade set that’s worth more than the saw itself.
• There’s also a 54 piece driving set for $12.49,
• an 8 LED worklight for $14.99,
• and a 20″ plastic toolbox for $9.99.

Note: The sale prices don’t appear until you get to the checkout page, so don’t be alarmed if at first you only see regular prices. 

Today’s Sale Flyer [Sears]

Admittedly, we’ve had poor results with Craftsman’s other 4.8V offerings.  But maybe the impact version overcomes the others’ puny torque output.  Regardless, you can try one out for just $20.  Craftsman claims that with impact action this one can deliver 175 in-lbs of torque at up to 1,800 rpm.  It’s got a two-position handle and quick connect bit holder.

Craftsman Impact Driver [Sears]

Through September 5th, Craftsman mechanics gloves are on sale at Sears for $9.88 a pair.  For less than $10, you get comfortable gloves which can handle a moderate amount of abuse.

I picked up a pair a while ago, and they’ve endured everything from picking up broken glass shards to moving a cummulative two thousand pounds up three flights of stairs. In addition to an extra protective layer on the thumb and forefinger, they feature finger grips which help reduce the fumbling associated with picking up small parts.  They’re also quite comfortable even if worn for an extended period of time.

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Craftsman introduced the CompuCarve last year to great fanfare, but we have yet to try one out — or hear much from reliable sources who have.  We’re hoping some of you Toolmongers may have first-hand experience with one.

If you own (or have owned) one, let us know about your experiences in comments.  Is this as powerful a tool as it seems?  How difficult is it to use, and what are its realistic limitations?

Craftsman CompuCarve [Sears]

Sears is having their Saturday sale on tools today so be sure to get down there if your in need of something shiny. The 13 drawer, 26 in. red combo storage set in the picture is going for about $50 less than it normal price. That’s enough to get a wrench or screwdriver set to put in it.They aren’t the best storage on the market but they are a great buy for the money and if they are well cared for they can last longer than you do.

Craftsman Storage Combo [Sears]

If you’ve been thinking about picking up one of ProVision’s flexible scopes but don’t want to mail order, now might be the time.  Sears carries them, but usually marks them up a bit too much for my taste.  Right now they’re offering the 36″ model for $225, $25 off their normal price — and about what you can get it for if you shop hard elsewhere.  The best part: you can pick it up right at the store and play with it tonight.

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Have something from Sears’ tool department on your “to buy” list?  Now might be the time.  Sears is offering an extra 10% off a bunch of stuff — including tools and powered lawn and garden equipment — in the overnight tonight.  The sale starts at midnight and runs through 6 a.m. tomorrow.  Have fun, and don’t forget to hold a little money back to buy materials for that first project.

This Craftsman sander from the Sears site is on sale today for $10, which is down from the “never gonna touch it” price of $35. We’re guessing they just can’t stand looking at them gathering dust anymore and are shipping them out as best they can.

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This jack from Craftsman functions like a regular jack, lifting up to 17-inches.  But after you’ve lifted whatever it is you need to lift, the front part detaches to leave a “jack stand” in place.  It’s a neat idea, assuming that the stands are stable.

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From the Sears clearance section: a 16″ camouflage toolbag for $8.97.  It has a waterproof bottom, padded strap, and Realtree “hardwoods green” camouflage.  You get a total of 14 internal pockets and five external pockets.  Just don’t leave your tools in a wooded area – you might never find them again. 

Craftsman 16″ Tool Bag (#40987) [Sears]