This Week's Best Tool and Gear Deals Worth Buying

Introduction

Some weeks the deal list is padded with filler. This week it is not. There are genuinely strong prices on a Flex cordless combo kit, a professional-grade bidirectional scan tool for about a third of what these usually cost, and a Knipex Cobra triple pack at a buy-it-now price. Here are the eight picks that stand out, plus what to check before you click buy.

Best Small Yard Saw: Craftsman V20 Mini Chainsaw

Most mini chainsaws run four to six inch bars. This one is a 10 inch, which puts it in almost a proper compact chainsaw territory rather than toy territory. It is well suited to small yard work like cutting dead limbs and pruning. It is sold tool only, so you need to already own a Craftsman V20 battery and charger. At $129 it is worth considering if you are already in that battery line.

Best Jump Starter: Fanttik T8

This is one of the best built jump starters around, with really good clamps and a robust cable, and it finally ships with a case. The 2,000 amp version is rated for up to 8.5L gasoline and 6L diesel engines, so very large diesels may be beyond its reach. A $20 coupon takes it down to about $90, which is a stellar price for this quality level.

If you need maximum starting power, there are higher-output alternatives around $135 that add a digital display and could handle bigger diesel engines. But for most drivers, the Fanttik T8 at this price is the pick.

Best Value Combo Kit: Skil PowerCore Brushless 20V

Skil is a brand many buyers overlook, and that is a mistake. The company is part of the same group behind Flex and Ego, and it shows. This 20V kit gets you two brushless tools with a ring light and metal chuck, plus a battery and charger, for about $70. At 29% off the $100 list price, two prosumer-grade brushless tools at this money is hard to argue with.

Best Full Upgrade: Flex Cordless Combo Kit

Flex took criticism when the line launched, then quietly proved itself. It is arguably the best new cordless line in years. This four-tool kit includes the standout reciprocating saw, a strong grinder, a really good circular saw, and a great drill driver, with two batteries, an excellent charger, and probably the best contractor bag on the market. At 27% off, it lands at $400. If that is too much of a jump, the two-tool drill and impact version comes in at $250 and Flex still backs it with a lifetime tool warranty and three battery replacements.

Best Automotive Buy: GearWrench Bidirectional Scan Tool

Real vehicle diagnostics usually means stepping up to a bidirectional scan tool, and those typically run $300 to $500 or more. This one does it for $131. You get live data mapping, 23 reset functions, free FCA security gateway access, and free lifetime updates. If you own a car and want to do your own diagnostics, this is close to a must-own at this price.

Buy-It-Now Pliers: Knipex Cobra Triple Pack

Knipex Cobra pliers have been a decent buy around $99 before, but 21% off brings the three-piece set with plastic tray down to about $83. That is a one-and-done, do-not-think-twice price for a set of pliers that will outlast most of your other tools. If you have been waiting to add Cobras to the drawer, wait no longer.

Best Pro Deal: Makita 18V LXT Finish Nailer

This 16 gauge, 2-1/2 inch finish nailer is listed at 61% off, down to $238. The realistic normal street price is closer to $400, so the discount is not quite as dramatic as it looks, but it is still a good price. It is tool only, so budget for a battery and charger. This is not a DIY pick; it is for pros, Makita loyalists, or anyone who wants serious pro-grade quality.

Best Laptop Deal: ASUS TUF Gaming Laptop

For heavy workloads, the ASUS TUF with an AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX and an Nvidia RTX graphics card is well made and durable; one of these has survived daily student use without issue. You get 16GB of RAM and a 1TB Gen 4 SSD, with Windows 11, at 29% off for $1,275. Budget buyers should look at the Acer Nitro instead: about $600 after 22% off, with a discrete graphics card that makes it a solid starter machine for gaming, video editing, or CAD.

Buying Advice

Match the deal to the ecosystem you are already in. The Craftsman chainsaw and Makita nailer are only good values if you already own compatible batteries. The Skil and Flex kits are the smart way to start a new battery platform, with Flex being the long-term pro-grade investment and Skil the unbeatable value play. The GearWrench scan tool and Fanttik jump starter are no-brainers for almost any car owner, and the Knipex set is simply a great price on tools that hold their value. Check coupon boxes at checkout on several of these; the listed price is not always the final price.

Conclusion

This week’s list rewards both the budget buyer and the person ready to invest: a $70 brushless combo kit at one end, a $400 Flex four-tool kit at the other. Add in a sub-$100 jump starter and a bidirectional scan tool at a third of the usual price, and there is something here for nearly every workbench.