Where to Buy Tools Online (Often with Free Shipping and No Sales Tax)

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Buying home improvement tools and other equipment online offers significant savings over buying at the big box retail stores. Many online tool and equipment vendors don’t have brick and mortar stores to maintain, which allows them to offer discounts to their customers. While online vendors do have to cover the cost of shipping (when it isn’t charged to the consumer), in many cases those costs are more than offset by the savings on retail space. Plus, you don’t have to use your gas to get to the store, and most online vendors don’t charge sales tax in every state, meaning even more savings to you.

We’ve compiled a list below of several places we like to buy tools and equipment online. Before you make your next purchase, it would be well worth your time to look up the tool online. You could save $100 or more over walking into a store and purchasing retail.

Editors note: We’ve since published a complete factory reconditioned tools vendors list that is worth looking at if you’re in the market for tools. Reconditioned tools save hundreds off their non-reconditioned counterparts.

Online Tool Retailers on our Short List

Amazon.com: Amazon is the world’s largest online retailer and has a HUGE inventory of tools. The site is incredibly easy to search, and Amazon boasts free Super Saver shipping on most purchases over $25.00 total order. The best part: Amazon doesn’t charge sales tax in most places which makes the savings even larger. Amazon is also a great place to find factory reconditioned (refurbished) tools, with a large and growing collection of these types of tools which are typically 25-50% off their retail counterparts and usual carry the same factory warranty. In the case of a large power tool, the savings can amount to hundreds of dollars off buying retail.

ToolKing.com: ToolKing is a large and rapidly growing online tool retailer that offers significant discounts off retail. ToolKing boasts all kinds of power tool brand names including Dewalt, Bosch, Milwaukee, Makita, and more. Like Amazon, ToolKing also offers a large selection of factory reconditioned tools at significant discounts. If you’re in the market for just about any large power tool, ToolKing is a definite place to stop.

Sears.com: Sears‘ online catalog mirrors their in store offerings. We love Craftsman hand tools (the standard in DIY and professional hand tools for their exceptional warranty), tool storage, and many of their Craftsman power tools. Sears also offers a wide variety of lawn and garden equipment online (inlcuding snow blowers, and even lawn tractors). And what would be Sears be without their almost unparalleld appliance offerings, featuring Kenmore, Maytag, Frigidaire, and more with hundreds upon hundreds available from their online catalog. Sears also offers coupons on their online products every week. Visit our Sears Coupon Page for all the current deals.

NorthernTool.com: Nothern Tool and Equipment offers a large online catalog of power tools and all types of commercial and residential equipment, including some hard-to-find parts and equipment not available at most DIY retailers (e.g., welding equipment).

HomeDepot.com: Home Depot is one of the two primary competitors for most of our home improvement tool purchases. With their virtually ubiquitous brand and huge catalog of products, it certainly doesn’t hurt to stop at Home Depot’s site. Unfortunately, Home Depot currently doesn’t offer reconditioned tools for sale, which reduces the number of highly discounted products they offer. Home Depot also doesn’t offer different online pricing, which reduces their competitiveness with online-only vendors.

Lowes.com: Lowes is the other home improvement titan competing for our hard-earned money. They too offer tens of thousands of products in store and online, and often serve as the first stop on our home improvement shopping Journey. As with Home Depot, Lowes doesn’t offer some discount products (like reconditioned tools), which limits their ability to compete with the cheapest of prices available on other sites.

What do you think? What other online retailers do you use for your tool purchases?

Photo courtesy of Batega.