# Big Box Stores Sell Inferior Tools?



## sourdough (Jan 31, 2010)

I heard a discussion in another Forum last night with several references to "....everybody knows the tools you buy in Big Box stores are lesser quality than those sold to contractors and professionals." I asked for some credible evidence that this is true and received none. Yet. Most folks here have been around a while so I thought I'd ask you. Personally, it makes no sense to me that Dewalt or Makita would go to the expense and hassle of selling TWO levels of tools. Frankly, in today's world I would not be surprised to see a major company selling crap they know is not all that good, but in that case I would assume they would be an Equal Opportunity Crap Seller and we'd alll get the same crummy stuff.
Any of you hear this. Any of you KNOW this takes place. What do you think would be the rationale for such a policy?
Just hadda ask.:wub:


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## Ralph Barker (Dec 15, 2008)

Perhaps we should submit this question to the "MythBusters" TV show. I'd love to see how they would blow up a router.


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## levon (Sep 14, 2008)

i think the construction grade tools they sell like dewalt are excelant tools.

i also think their entry level (homeowner) tools such as task force and ryobi are obviously cheaper in price and quality.

ive had a ryobi tablesaw, 9 inch bandsaw and a drill. they all worked but i was dissappointed in all 3.

i know there are a lot of ryobi owners here and love their ryobi's. 

this is just my experience and opinion and not meant to upset anyone.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi 

I will need to agree with you on the Ryobi tools, I got a belt sand for Xmax and use it a time or two and Sat. I got it out to work on a door frame,ran it for about 2 mins. and heard a snap and I said what the heck, took the cover off and the timing belt ( drive belt) snapped into ..I don't take my tools down most of the time but I said lets take a hard look at the tool, very poor/cheap design inside ,I order a new belt ( 2.66 ea.plus a 5.oo min.order charge, plus shipping, a 15.oo dollar repair cost) and fix the sander but it's one tool that will be on the shelf most of the time. don't tell my BOSS or she will not buy anymore tools for me for Xmax.. 

So to say the Ryobi , is the bottom of the tool barrel lines..  and why it's sold at the big box stores..

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levon said:


> i think the construction grade tools they sell like dewalt are excelant tools.
> 
> i also think their entry level (homeowner) tools such as task force and ryobi are obviously cheaper in price and quality.
> 
> ...


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## jschaben (Jun 21, 2009)

Hmm, the way I read Warrens original post was that the discussion was; * identical brand and models sold by Big Box stores were different from ones sold by "contractor" outlets.* Somehow, I would need some pretty persuasive evidence to believe that were true. 
JMHO


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## Gene Howe (Jul 10, 2007)

Don't know about differences in quality but, I have seen different letters following the models numbers on some De Walt tools sold by HD. Different from numbers found on web sites selling DeWalt, I mean.
It may just be a code to tell the warehouse that it goes to HD. Or, it may mean more....I don't know.


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## levon (Sep 14, 2008)

hi Gene

im not sure if you mean letters that were placed on there by dewalt or hd so pardon my blunder if im wrong. 

i cant remember there being a letter on my oldest dewalt drill, but dewalt has so many drills and combo kits available, i think some of the different letters denotes how a tool or combo comes.

here's an example about 1 1/2 years ago, my wife got me a combo kit with 6 or so different tools in it. i noticed similar sets with different letters. my kits came with a charger for li-ion and the older batteries. but it came with the older batteries. it will run on either.i also got a dewalt cordless jigsaw that will run on either and the yellow charger works for both.

the last drill i got recently had the yellow charger that will charge both, but came with the new li-ion batteries.

sorry for the long rambling, but what im trying to say is these letters denote these differences. or thats my opinion,, right or wrong.


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## Gene Howe (Jul 10, 2007)

Levon,
It was a planer and a miter saw I was looking at. 
I just bought a Makita 18v drill/driver at HD and noted the same thing. 
Like I said, it is just an observation, Don't know if it signifies a quality difference, or not.


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

Warren, I am sure the point the people on the other forum were trying to make is that the big box stores sell items designed for light home owner use more than professional tools. A tool with an identical model number is the same no matter where you buy it. Some places offer refurbished tools which can be a real value if they were quality tools to begin with. By way of example I have a Bosch 1617 router motor I bought refurbished so I would not have to switch bases. It has performed flawlessly like the original.


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## levon (Sep 14, 2008)

hmmm, im not sure.

but i will say it doesnt make sense for top companies to go to the expense to make 2 different quality machines, just as Warren said.

im also trying to picture what a nightmare they would have keeping the poor quality parts and the high quality parts separated and know which machine it fits??????

none of it makes sense to me that they would sells 2 different quality machines exactly alike. but people will believe what they want.


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## levon (Sep 14, 2008)

Mike said:


> Warren, I am sure the point the people on the other forum were trying to make is that the big box stores sell items designed for light home owner use more than professional tools. A tool with an identical model number is the same no matter where you buy it. Some places offer refurbished tools which can be a real value if they were quality tools to begin with. By way of example I have a Bosch 1617 router motor I bought refurbished so I would not have to switch bases. It has performed flawlessly like the original.


i will ditto this!


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi

I have seen some at the flee market that have diff. part numbers on them ,all new in the box, I ask the guy about it and said they get deals on some because they didn't pass QC 100 % ,but all are backed up by DeWalt.. 

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## sourdough (Jan 31, 2010)

Just to clarify fellas: I meant the identical tool by same maker but in the case of box store the quality was lower/cheaper built. I really doubt it myself. For example: these people were asserting that the BSS610 Makita saw I just bought would be one "grade" at a B.Box store and another where I bought it-major tool supplier. I say Balderdash!
I will note: I have a Toshiba laptop computer from WalMart and it carries a slightly different ser. no. and ID code than the SAME laptop from a big online place. A guy who knows told me it is just W'Marts way of identifying IT'S products.


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## MikeMa (Jul 27, 2006)

My observation is that what the box stores sell on the high end is the low end for specialty woodworking stores like Woodcraft. For example, you are probably not going to walk into woodcraft and buy a $200 benchtop table saw. From that regard, that could potentially justify that argument. However, I bought a Dewalt DW734 planer. Woodcraft sells the identical planer (albeit for more money), and I would be very surprised if there was any difference in the construction based on where it was bought.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Warren

I think it comes down to the bottom line I think, WalMart and Big Boxes stores have got the power to buy big lots and old models, they must make money too and they do that by buying the deals from the suppler,,, I just got a new chain saw (HomeLite) from the Big Box store, got it home and put some gas in and the gas ran out the side of the gas tank, took it back and all the ones (6ea.) they had on the floor had a error with them, parts not in the fac.sealed box,oil in the saw,extra chain saw blade in a plastic bag that was cut open with oil all over the place ,etc.etc. it took all 6 of them to get one that was ok...
At one time Frued had a older router model (1700) they wanted to dump,just was not selling , so the big box stores got the deal and they started to sell them off, smart on Frued part they didn't want to take a big hit on them...


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sourdough said:


> Just to clarify fellas: I meant the identical tool by same maker but in the case of box store the quality was lower/cheaper built. I really doubt it myself. For example: these people were asserting that the BSS610 Makita saw I just bought would be one "grade" at a B.Box store and another where I bought it-major tool supplier. I say Balderdash!
> I will note: I have a Toshiba laptop computer from WalMart and it carries a slightly different ser. no. and ID code than the SAME laptop from a big online place. A guy who knows told me it is just W'Marts way of identifying IT'S products.


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## kp91 (Sep 10, 2004)

I know on appliances there are 'different' model numbers for different resellers, because they can then say if you find a lower price on the EXACT model, they'll beat it. 

Some of the differences in tools are the accessories they are packed with. I think some of this conspiracy thinking starts when someone spends $240 at a specialty store or online, and then finds the same tool for $199 at Lowes. I think it's just economy of scale.

I think it's great that there are 2 or 3 different 'classes' of tools available at the box stores. Way back when all I could afford was Ryobi, I would still fondle the Porter Cable, Delta, etc and look forward to what I could buy in the future.


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## DGK (Oct 8, 2010)

I run a tool department for a big reatiler, and there are several reasons that our tools have unique serial and SKU numbers, the main reason being that we need an alphanumeric sequence that is compatable with our computer system... for inventory, identification, warranty, handeling returns & exchanges, and so on.


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## CanuckGal (Nov 26, 2008)

Having been in the computer business for a long time I can verify that they do use different model numbers for different retailers, but the models are identical. You see this a lot at the computer big box stores and Doug had it right, it's simply to avoid the price match because stores like Future Shop and Best Buy are owned by the same conglomerate. One week one will have it's model on sale then next week it's the other store. So this may be a system the Big Box hardware stores are adopting as well.


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