A reader sent in a photo and tip about new Craftsman V20 cordless power tool combo kit special at their local Lowes – thank you Aaron!
Shown here is the new Craftsman CMCKVS401D2 cordless power tool bundle, featuring a cordless drill, impact driver, 6-1/2″ circular saw, LED pivoting-head flashlight, (2) compact batteries, a charger, and a Craftsman Versastack tool box.
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Craftsman has a similar cordless power tool combo kit, CMCK400D2, but that combo kit features a reciprocating saw instead of a circular saw, and a tool bag instead of the Versastack-compatible tool box.
- Cordless drill features 280 UWO, 0-400/0-1500 RPM
- Impact driver proivides 1460 in-lbs max torque, 2800 RPM, 3100 IPM
- 6-1/2″ circular saw operates at 4200 RPM
- Pivoting head LED worklight
- 60-minute charger
- (2) compact batteries
Price: $199
Buy Now(via Lowes)
First Thoughts
I saw the combo kit when it appeared on Lowes.com, but I hadn’t anticipated that it would reach stores so soon. I had assumed that it would be an upcoming Father’s Day bundle.
Now, if it is going to be a Father’s Day promo or special buy, we might see some flexibility of that $199 price. Or, maybe not. Right now, I’m 50:50 as to which direction to guess at.
If you plan to be in the market for a more affordable DIY-level cordless power tool combo kit, this Craftsman set is one to keep on your shortlist.
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Other Cordless Power Tool Combo Kits to Consider
If you’re able and willing to spend more, this Ridgid 18V Gen5X combo kit, currently $299, would be a big upgrade.
The Makita XT505, also $299, is also a big step up from the Craftsman combo kit.
There’s also a Dewalt 20V Max 4-tool cordless power tool combo kit, currently $249.
Going with a Skil 20V corldess power tool combo kit can save you some money. This 4-tool kit comes with a drill, LED light, circular saw, and reciprocating saw, for $180 at Amazon.
Or, if you want to trade the circular saw for an impact driver, this other Skil 20V combo kit is also $180 at Amazon. At the time of this posting, it’s eligible for extra $20 savings.
This Ryobi 18V One+ cordless power tool combo kit comes with a drill, impact driver, oscillating multi-tool, 5-1/2″ circular saw, reciprocating saw, LED worklight, charger, (2) compact batteries, and a carrying bag, for $199.
When it comes to buying a 4-tool or 6-tool cordless power tool combo kit, the decision needs to be about the tools included in the set, but also the brands’ lineups. Right now, Ryobi has a much larger 18V platform than Craftsman’s V20 (18V) platform, but the V20 form factor is newer and holds the potential to eventually rival Ryobi’s dominance of the DIYer tool market.
Price: $199
Buy Now(via Home Depot)
Frank D
There is also a less popular Ridgid 5 pc combo kit on sale with impact wrench, angle grinder, drill, impact driver, flashlight, small battery, medium batter, charger. Online only. $250. Ordered it as I’ve wanted those two odd items, but not at tool only prices and for pretty much the same price of the whole bundle. The other stuff can be extras or backup.
Kenneth
Ryobi is a good deal, been using them for years in the construction trade. Sure they aren’t the best but they will due for the budget. When you can’t afford the best, Ryobi is the best for the value. They are versatile, have a interchangeable battery for all their tools. I like the deal they have now for 199. Good deal once again. Really can’t beat Ryobi for the money. I’m happy with them. They do last as well and do take a beating. Mine have worked and provided me a easier job. They keep getting better and better. My choice for the money. Some aren’t worth the money. Ryobi is worth every penny. Some you just pay for the name. I like to pay for the tool. You can’t go wrong. Try a set, If you don’t like them, bring them back. It’s worth a shot, right?
Michael
I find it interesting that a company rates tools in uwo but can’t give you the formula for uwo
Corey Moore
Torque (in.lbs) = MWO x 560 / Speed (RPM).
DannyK
Wow. Where this formulae came from? Also. What’s the difference between UWO and MWO
PETE
Well i guess if you REALLY want & need the versastack boxes it should work for you. But that ryobi deal look WAY more appealing.
My brother in law just bought their first house and I was thinking of buying him a set of tools like a couple of these that are listed. Then i realize like all things…. if it’s given to you, you won’t appreciate it. So i didn’t buy him nothing- instead i ended up taking over a stack of ridgid boxes that are full of tools for him to borrow while he does some light remodeling before he moves in.
Aaron
After watching a teardown of v20 batteries I’ve been pretty sceptical about the system. It looks to me like the individual tools are a bit better than comparable Ryobi but the batteries are lower quality. For my purposes that’s been enough to keep me from buying into the v20 tools. I’m a big fan of the versastack though. They are better than the DeWalt and Stanley boxes they are clones of because they have a water resistant gasket and metal pins in the side clips that are often a wear point.
Reno
The problem with the new Craftsman you don’t know what your getting there’s no history or track record of the quality its not clear how Stanley positioned this brand I don’t think they will make a quality comparison to there own other brands Why pay the high price for Craftsman when you can buy a brand and know what your getting
The other problem is don’t know if its a real Craftsman product or a licensed product
Rman
Is there a fuzzy formula to change UWO to inch pound? All the other tool manufacturers use inch pounds but DeWalt invented uwo why to confuse consumers?
Corey Moore
Torque (in.lbs) = MWO x 560 / Speed (RPM).
(link)
Stuart
I changed your link, as it directed to one of those “get rich quick” spam sites, and replaced it with the PTR guide.
The problem is, that “constant” of 560 doesn’t work.
DCD991 has 820 UWO. The max low speed setting is 450 RPM under no-load. Max hard torque is 95Nm, or 840.8 in-lbs. MWO x 560/RPM = 1020 ib-lbs, and that’s not accurate – it’s off by more than 21%.
UWO is measured.
YES, UWO is proportional to torque, speed, and a constant. However, that speed must be measured, and that torque and speed are measured to get that power rating.
You can NOT work backwards from UWO and speed, because we’re only given no-load speed values.
In Europe, Dewalt and SBD drills are marketed with soft torque, hard torque, speed, and UWO specs. There’s no agreement between them by which any clear constant.
If you use UWO and published torque speeds to estimate RPM, the values are all over the place.
The guestimation equation is impractical because you simply don’t know what your RPM is going to be under load.
Michael Veach
If there is no formula for uwo, it really is useless when trying to compare to other brands
Fuzzy
I’m a little fuzzey on that
Joseph
Very true! If you look at SBD Craftsman-brand products at Lowe’s all most all of them are licensed products made and designed by 3rd parties. They make it pretty hard to tell since the clutter the English on the package with two foreign languages. Rakes, shovels, gloves, lawn mowers, blowers, weed eaters, flashlights, even the 2-cycle oil are licensed products. The rakes and shovels are a lot cheaper than Sears Craftsman, but they are very cheaply made. The rake is not forged, and a piece of plastic holds it to the fiberglass or wood stick.
Has anyone tired to replace a Craftsman tool at Lowes? How did it go?
Mike
You can’t, atleast at my Lowe’s you can’t, everything has to be sent back to craftsman
Joseph
Thanks for the reply! That is what a sign essentially says at my Lowes store. It directs you to call SBD Craftsman for replacement. Makes me wonder if they would deny an exchange based on so-called “improper use”, like Stanley does for their tape measures. Plus, there is the cost of mailing it too.
Tim
For what it’s worth I replaced a Sears bought Craftsman rachet at a Lowe’s and the associate did some typing, told me to go pick the equivalent off the shelf and that was it. In and out in 10 minutes.
Joseph
Thanks for the reply, and good for you!
Matt
I’m still waiting to see more Craftsman Brushless tools. Otherwise they can keep their tstak.
The other kits you mentioned all they’re pluses and minuses. The Ridgid in my opinion offers the best value, the 4ah Batts, hammer drill, 3 speed Impact etc. Though they come with permanent mag motors, it’s a a great bargain.
I personally would go with the Skil kit with impact. I like the direction they’re headed and have read some positive reviews on their 20v gear, more specifically it would seem that the impact is pretty powerful. The line is minimal but I see a ton of potential there.
Gordon
I think Ryobi is the best choice for most people. But the truth is, they’re see as a brand for people that don’t know better.
Personally, I preferred the $300ish combo kits that let you pick either extra tools or batteries. The Makita XT446T when it was $330 with the bonus tools was a steal of a deal.
If you’re patient, HD tends to throw the larger sets in the clearance section. In the past 6 months I’ve seen the Makita, Milwaukee, Rigid, and Dewalt sets. They’re normally about $50 off the normal price. If not, Father’s Day is always a good time to buy.
David Zeller
I think Craftsman is a ways away from catching Ryobi in offerings, and I’m not sure the age makes a big difference. Ryobi has updated their tools many times over the years, including introducing brushless. SBD hasn’t matched Ryobi’s breadth with any of their brands, so I’m not sure that is a priority.
That said, I still hope in the back of my mind that Craftsman once again becomes a go-to brand (even if it means I have to go to Lowes!)
Corey Moore
I’m deep into DeWalt 20 and 60v, as well as maintain all my father’s old Craftsman that I could find, and I can honestly say that I will not hold my breath waiting for the new Craftsman under SBD to ever rival Ryobi in cordless offerings. Cautious hope and optimism regarding the claims on bringing the hand tool quality and manufacturing back, but I don’t think Craftsman was ever king of power tools in breadth or performance. Craftsman to me brings thoughts of wrenches stamped with the name, “drop forged in usa,” and patent number on the other side lol power tool memories from those times as dominated by old corded makitas in Dad and Grandpa’s garages.
Steve
Two things:
It’s really easy to find the UWO->InLbs conversion by searching for it. Also, even though there is no track record of quality in SBD Craftsman power tools because they are new, it’s not like they are a new company entering the market either, SBD is the largest tool company and power tools are their bread and butter. I don’t think quality will be an issue. They are going to approximately match Ryobi in value and offerings (as time goes on for the latter, they just launched). Will Craftsman offer some of the more obscure things Ryobi offers (drain augers, caulking guns, coolers, camping/emergency lights)? Time will tell.
fred
Time will tell is usually the case. I kind of chuckle when I hear a batch of prognostications based on a product launch – or even when a tool has not even hit the shelves. Lowes and Home Depot are pretty well matched in terms of the number of stores each one has in the North American market. Lowes seems (based on my statistically insignificant observation) to have been less successful in capturing the small contractor market – but maybe that have done better with the DIY and homeowner crowd. Anyway – its seems logical (to me anyway) that they will be able to capitalize on Craftsman’s brand name recognition to successfully compete with Ryobi for their target customer base. But as you say “time will tell.”
Garrick
Pick The Makita set: 5 tools and 2 good batteries.
The Dewalt is only 4 tools and tiny batteries for only $50 less
Rigid is the same price as the Makita
Craftsman is an unknown, because their reputation is not what it used to be.
Ryobi is 1/3 of the tool life (and 2/3s the price)
Skil is ok, but not nearly as good a deal as the Makita
Please note: A flashlight is not really a tool, but it never hurts to have around
Bonson
Competition seems to have kept inflation at bay. Ten years ago, you’d get about the same amount of tools for the price, but older tech.
John
What it costs me for a sabre saw here I can get the whole Ridgid or Makita package….plus freight….which is the killer for me. With USPS costing as much as it does it’s often cheaper to get the item from Britain and sent Royal Mail!
Andrew
I have the Makita set. Good tools. Made me money with no issues. Updated some to brushless but only for extended run time on jobsite. Nothing the homeowner needs.
Julian Tracy
Makita has good batteries, well engineered durable tools (look at some of the tool breakdown videos), fast charging, and a huge variety of options.
Further – with their constant free batteries or free tools promotion – it’s super easy to get into some nice stuff very cheap after selling off the excess. For instance, they had their (2) 5.0 cordless dual base trim router kit with Systainer down to about $345… plus you got a free cordless jigsaw. Sold the cordless jigsaw for $175, sold the batts and charger for about $145, do the math – great deal.
Currently, you can get the brushless string trimmer kit (w one 4.0) and get the hedge trimmer free for $179. I’ll sell off the 4.0 batt and charger for $80 or so and have both yard tools for $50 each.
Michael P
The Kobalt 24v system would be a noteworthy addition to this list. They have a lot of interesting new tools, endless combinations, and ridiculously cheap batteries. As a pro I stay away from such brands but I have played around with many and must admit the look and feel of some of the Kobalt tools is on par with some top brands’ offerings.
Gordon
The issue with Kobalt is that no one is making definitive statements on its longevity. As a brand, they recently cut a lot of tools out. What’s to say they won’t do the same with the power tools? It’s going to create a feedback loop where no one wants to buy into a platform that isn’t guaranteed, so the platform dies off.
Matt
I dunno, it’s not a bad deal if you’re a homeowner looking to get a kit. And the Versatrack box is a plus. I love Versatrack. The ones that stand out above to me are the Rigid and Makita. You get a recip saw with those but they’re also another 100 bucks. Is it worth that? I’m also not seeing that any of the others are the nicer brushless versions of those tools so is the Craftsman kit really at a disadvantage? I think it would be a great deal at $169-179 for a father’s day special. All of that aside, I just prefer to buy the higher end versions of the individual tools. There’s good value in kits but there’s always compromises to offer that value. And that’s fine for many folks.. I’m personally waiting for more higher end Craftsman brushless stuff.
Another poster mentioned the Craftsman shovels and rakes looking ‘cheap’. I agree with that. There’s lots of things especially in their outdoor line I think are great. The V60 stuff I looked at last week is now on my to buy list. Man those are nice. Those shovels and rakes however are almost embarrassing. They’re like something you’d see at Wal Mart in the low cost clearance section with a Craftsman sticker just slapped on. SBD really needs to fix that and fast. Is that really the Craftsman image they want to portray? Is that a good representation of Lowe’s? To Sears credit, their shovels and rakes were really good quality. I have several.
Joseph
The other poster is me! Haha you noticed that too! I saw that price online and what to know why it was so much lower than Sears, then I picked on up in the store and saw why! They literally have a Craftsman sticker instead of the grip. I agree about the Sears version being very good; we have a quite a few too.
Unfortunately, SBD gave licenses to over 20 manufactures to design and manufacture products using the Craftsman name. Clearly, the manufacturer doesn’t about quality. I don’t think SBD controls the design of licensed products.
Robear
I really like this website, but why do they constantly promote Skil power tools? Nobody uses them, and they look like toys ?
Bruce
I’ve had Ryobi since they were blue. 🙂 I’ve got a blue drill that sucks, but I’ve got the green brushless hammer drill which rocks as long as you let it spin up before loading it up. Something is weird in the computer, too low an amp overdraw setting. Anyway, it has all the tools I want and the batteries have been great. One of the old ni-cads is even still trucking along. Even the Impact wrench is adequate for suspension bolts on big trucks. I think it is the best choice for the home gamer that doesn’t want to spend Red or Yellow premium.
Kent
The Craftsman brand is such a terrible mess at the moment.
I can’t think of a situation where I would buy any of their products at the moment, unless it was something at fire sale prices, that I was 100% certain was of high quality (like NOS wrenches).
Raven Lee
The Craftsman line is vastly superior to DeWalt. DeWalt may be phased out of production and replaced by the Craftsman as their high end lineup.
Take a look at this head to head between Craftsman and DeWalt.
Reno
I agree looks like Craftsman is out performing DeWalt great comparison video really tells the story SBD will never drop the name mainly because they need to have a deferent brand to sell to Lowes your not going to see Craftsman at Home Depot only reason the paid all the money to buy the brand
Altan
I think SBD will sell Craftsman after a few years, now they are developing it very easily and quickly for very less price using the technology and the production facilities they have already to produce DeWALT and other brands they have, Their 60V line is quite impressive also, SDB is creating a strong power tool brand from nothing basically (if we consider Craftsman as a hand tool brand in general) and will make good money on that when it comes to selling that. For now it can look stupid to work on two or more different brands at the same time, but in long term would make more benefit. I would not be surprised if later they sell Craftsman to Chinese…
Charles
You see Ryobi on jobsites. We don’t make much fun of it. They are a solid line. I only buy Milwaukee and Makita myself, but I won’t knock someone for making the choice of Ryobi for money
I have never seen Craftsman on a job site. It’s not in the same league. It should not be the same price as real tools like Ryobi.