Tool inflation

[Sine Swept]

I find myself in the tool departments in the big box stores from time to time. Over the past few years I have noticed my local Lowes (Canada) just keeps upping the ante. Knipex linesmans are now $74, Knipex electrical needlenose are a whopping $54. Meanwhile in Home Depot, they still have 4 Knipex tools available. The 10" pliers wrench is $54.

I'm confused at what I see. Luckily I purchased wanted available tools before they became so un-affordable.

 

[MikeF2316]

I find myself in the tool departments in the big box stores from time to time. Over the past few years I have noticed my local Lowes (Canada) just keeps upping the ante. Knipex linesmans are now $74, Knipex electrical needlenose are a whopping $54. Meanwhile in Home Depot, they still have 4 Knipex tools available. The 10" pliers wrench is $54.

I'm confused at what I see. Luckily I purchased wanted available tools before they became so un-affordable.

That's what's so good about online vendors. If the price is comparable at a local store, I'll buy it there. If it's not, then I'll put up with the 2 day wait and order it online. I almost never buy anything without checking prices online.

 

[tvtaurus]

I find myself in the tool departments in the big box stores from time to time. Over the past few years I have noticed my local Lowes (Canada) just keeps upping the ante. Knipex linesmans are now $74, Knipex electrical needlenose are a whopping $54. Meanwhile in Home Depot, they still have 4 Knipex tools available. The 10" pliers wrench is $54.

I'm confused at what I see. Luckily I purchased wanted available tools before they became so un-affordable.

I haven't been too pleased with Lowes either. I definitely prefer Home Depot or Menards. The Canadian dollar is also not worth what it use to be. That doesn't help your case trying to purchase tools.

 

[Infinia]

The Canadian dollar is also not worth what it use to be.

You need to adjust for currency fluctuations. these aren't timbits

 

[zendriver]

I find myself in the tool departments in the big box stores from time to time. Over the past few years I have noticed my local Lowes (Canada) just keeps upping the ante. Knipex linesmans are now $74, Knipex electrical needlenose are a whopping $54. Meanwhile in Home Depot, they still have 4 Knipex tools available. The 10" pliers wrench is $54.

I'm confused at what I see. Luckily I purchased wanted available tools before they became so un-affordable.

Just like America, Canada's economy is improving.

When that happens, the first thing everybody does is start jacking up prices.

Walk through the lumber department, the next time you are there. They are no longer giving that stuff away, either.

 

[bixxjs]

I'm over in the United Kingdom and quality USA/German tools are way expensive.If I import them I have to pay import duty and VAT as well as paying for currency fluctuation.So a 50 Dollar item can easily turn 100 dollars.

 

[TangoFoxTrot]

A weakening Canadian dollar is partly to blame, it's been pretty significant over the last year or two.

 

[drink]

New trade restrictions might be in play in the future. So far I have rounded up a good supply of tools so I shouldn't have to worry much. No matter how much you prepare it seems like you will always need some sort of tool to get a job done.

 

[dogdog]

I find myself in the tool departments in the big box stores from time to time. Over the past few years I have noticed my local Lowes (Canada) just keeps upping the ante. Knipex linesmans are now $74, Knipex electrical needlenose are a whopping $54. Meanwhile in Home Depot, they still have 4 Knipex tools available. The 10" pliers wrench is $54.

I'm confused at what I see. Luckily I purchased wanted available tools before they became so un-affordable.

It's going to get worse.

 

[ecotec]

Does Sears in Canada have the Craftsman sets of 10" and 7" Cobras for $40ish?

Also... I have always found Canada to be a lot more expensive. It is more expensive when the Canadian dollar is doing good and when it's doing bad.

 

[neophyte]

I find myself in the tool departments in the big box stores from time to time. Over the past few years I have noticed my local Lowes (Canada) just keeps upping the ante. Knipex linesmans are now $74, Knipex electrical needlenose are a whopping $54. Meanwhile in Home Depot, they still have 4 Knipex tools available. The 10" pliers wrench is $54.

I'm confused at what I see. Luckily I purchased wanted available tools before they became so un-affordable.

The Knipex Pliers Wrench has always been expensive. I purchased one close to 20 years ago from MSC Industrial, back before the brand was well known in the USA. I think the price was $57 for the 7" and in the high $60s for the 10". Nowadays with more tool discounting, and wider availability, the prices are actually much better. The linesman pliers back then would have been less than $40 though, and that would have been for the dip insulated VDE version, which was usually the most expensive variation.

 

[M6erfan]

this is the exact reason why "made in China/Taiwan" is appealing to most consumers, it's all about the price point...

 

[[memphis]]

this is the exact reason why "made in China/Taiwan" is appealing to most consumers, it's all about the price point...

Exactly, everyone shops with their wallets, I'm starting to come around and buying quality when and where I can but it's not easy.

I am hoping with Trump in power things will change for the better in Canada. Hoping some manufacturing comes back here!

 

[K13]

I find myself in the tool departments in the big box stores from time to time. Over the past few years I have noticed my local Lowes (Canada) just keeps upping the ante. Knipex linesmans are now $74, Knipex electrical needlenose are a whopping $54. Meanwhile in Home Depot, they still have 4 Knipex tools available. The 10" pliers wrench is $54.

I'm confused at what I see. Luckily I purchased wanted available tools before they became so un-affordable.

You do understand that the Canadian dollar has dropped in value about 30% in that same time frame right?

 

[shockwave]

Now keep in mind you can find it online for cheaper always but having in store you have to pay more overhead than just a warehouse that's usually why you see cheaper tools in the stores and those are hefty prices but resonable for the products you get

A lot of bigger chains like Best Buy and target price match online thru major online retailers like amazon but has to be sold and shipped thru them and can be cheaper considering shipping

 

[hedgehog]

Hard to justify 75 Canadian pesos for a set of pliers. ... amazon.ca has the same pricing so things are on the rise


At least you only have to buy them once, unless you loose them

 

[6PTsocket]

Exactly, everyone shops with their wallets, I'm starting to come around and buying quality when and where I can but it's not easy.

I am hoping with Trump in power things will change for the better in Canada. Hoping some manufacturing comes back here!

His bait is lower corporate taxes, less regulation and easier credit. I don't know the business environmemt in Canada but businesses go where it is friendly. Make it easy to do business and they will come. I guees business health South of the border helps you, too, raw materials, components and we are finally building the pipe line.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[BDT/NWMN]

That's what's so good about online vendors. If the price is comparable at a local store, I'll buy it there. If it's not, then I'll put up with the 2 day wait and order it online. I almost never buy anything without checking prices online.

I agree about keeping business local when the the price is within reason, and I like to look a tool over before I buy it. But the brand choices and price competition of online sellers are often the best deal.. It has been that way for years, only the catalogs have been pretty much replaced by the internet..

 

[Sine Swept]

To the guy that mentioned Sears. You guys would have a heart attack going into a Sears around here. Their tool department is a few boxes and a few random tools. I would be lucky to build a couch fort with the tools available there.

 

[M6erfan]

I stopped going to sears years ago, so depressing...

 

[Packard V8]

I've long wondered how our government is cooking the books on the inflation numbers. According to them, there isn't any, but shopping whether for tools or for groceries and prices just keep going up.

jack vines

 

[PFSard]

I've long wondered how our government is cooking the books on the inflation numbers. According to them, there isn't any, but shopping whether for tools or for groceries and prices just keep going up.

jack vines

If you are referring to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers BLS CPI-U, here is the latest report. I'm seeing 2.1% overall for 2016. Your individual rate is going to depend on location and the basket of items you consume. Food-bought-in-stores rate of inflation has been relatively benign.

For me, I'm experiencing an increase in prices the past year or so. Prior to that, relatively stable prices on what I normally buy.

My personal opinion (no hard data) is that the items that affect the poorer people and elderly disproportionately have gone up faster than more discretionary items. I think BLS should modify their weighting scheme.

https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm