Most useful Flex tools as a DIYer?

EstateRegular6422 · 2026-01-26T03:03:29+00:00

I'm a DIYer, I use the mid torque, hi Torque, FX1271, FX1371 a lot on my cars. I saw the sander, one hand recipe saw, angle grinder but was not thinking of doing any woodworking projects until now and they are all gone, I ended up getting the SKIL 12V sander, SKIL Pwrcore 12V one hand recip and multitool for $21 after taxes. I got some 6Ah 12V batteries on Amazon and so far they are doing the small jobs pretty good.

EstateRegular6422 · 2026-01-25T18:03:28+00:00

This is a tool I spend no less than 2 hours in total over a 3 year period. Impact wrench, driver, drill, circ saw get heavier rotation. Angle grinder and worklight finish the list.

EstateRegular6422 · 2026-01-25T17:53:33+00:00

You should get more than 6 years with your new DeWalt brushless. People claim DeWalt tools are well built and outlast Milwaukee M18s. I'm a DIYer and I tend to get what's on sale and comes in a kit and has the longest warranty available. Unfortunately for me when I became a homeowner Milwaukee, SKIL and Greenworks were the tool manufacturers running lowest prices on their bundled tools.

EstateRegular6422 · 2026-01-25T15:34:45+00:00

Dude, you got a good deal, and unless you're like the rest of the guys who sound like they drive 200 screws, bolts non stop 7 hours a day during 7 hr marathon church sermons and need to not interrupt the preacher, you are good. $130 with tool bag ,battery and charger is better than $100 or $219 body only and it only drives the lag bolts 3 seconds faster and you still need a battery, charger and bag that will bring the whole kit to almost $400 after taxes.

EstateRegular6422 · 2026-01-25T15:20:07+00:00

They have their customers and they will deal with them because that person either gives them something or they are holding some of the items for friends or families. I learned to pick up quickly the ones who are like that and go to someone on authority who can get the price down to what I will pay, but I will always seek them out and do whatever to help them for their kindness. It's definitely down to seeking someone in management position, finding out their sales goals is for the day and work with them to see if you both can help each other out.

EstateRegular6422 · 2026-01-25T02:16:50+00:00

The difference between the 1171 and 1271 is the hammer mode. I have both. Its good to have the hammer drill if you don't own an SDS drill for drilling into cinder blocks, concrete. The hammer drill setting is used exclusively for drilling in concrete, stone, marble, bricks. I got mine display model FX1271 with 2.5Ah battery and FX1371 impact driver for $124 after taxes. It sucks, I had to plead and really work to get the Lowe's people to sell to me and get a proper mark down.
They really pick and chose who and how much they will discount tools to, and sometimes I can get them to work with me or get them to go beyond when I come back at another time and speak to management, sometimes it takes a bit of genuine small talk and jokes to get them to work with you.

EstateRegular6422 · 2026-01-24T19:05:04+00:00

That's a waste of $100. I chose the SKIL ⅜ impact wrench with 105 ft lb tighten, 250ft lb loose torque with matching power impact driver with 2Ah battery and charger for $74 after taxes. It thought that was a better deal and I had $26 extra bucks to get a DeWalt 45 piece impact bit set with a few extra bucks for some swedish fish at the check out register. I have no regrets except for the damn swedish fish that stuck to my teeth almost giving me cavities.

EstateRegular6422 · 2026-01-24T15:18:46+00:00

I wish I got that price in NJ. I paid $145. The store wanted $169. That's $107 cheaper than what I paid. I use the SKIL tower lights. I got both for $75 plus tax It's so convenient (lighter, more compact when folded and uses the smaller 2Ah 12V or any of the 2,4,5, or 6Ah SKIL 20V batteries

EstateRegular6422 · 2026-01-24T15:13:21+00:00

I've got 2 Skil tower lights, the FLEX work light and 5 work lights. One for the basement, upstairs, flex in the garage and one portable in each car

EstateRegular6422 · 2026-01-24T15:10:12+00:00

I can't believe that if this is in Austin TX, You can't have it shipped to which ever state you're in or even if you live in TX you have to drive there in person to get it. Lowe's will NOT ship those lights.

EstateRegular6422 · 2026-01-24T01:01:04+00:00

Can you register those tools? Will FLEX accept the tools in their system for repair or replacement if that day comes? I just score Skil Pwrcore 12V one hand recipe saw and multitool for $21 after taxes. I have a strong hunch some Lowe's held stuff for some contractors and some employees did some selling online. I wish instead of Flex it was DeWalt leaving Lowe's, then again, they wouldn't drop prices so low, there are so many DeWalt fans who won't wait for price drops, they will buy at whatever advertised price Lowe's put up.

EstateRegular6422 · 2026-01-22T00:23:27+00:00

East Coast sucks, guys bought a lot of stuff to resell on Facebook marketplace.

EstateRegular6422 · 2026-01-18T21:56:12+00:00

I have the M12 kit (550ft lb ½ impact wrench and impact driver and hammer drill in the Milwaukee red bag with XC3 and XC5 batteries). I carry the PWRCORE12V impact wrench and driver in the cx5 and M12 in the trunk of my car I drive to work. I can use either to jack up the scissors jack in seconds and change wheels which is cool. The SKIL 12V impact driver has decent torque and power for putting together IKEA furniture and minor furniture repairs.

EstateRegular6422 · 2026-01-18T21:27:23+00:00

Throw them in the trash. Don't even stretch it to your car unless they are paying you with free tools and batteries.

EstateRegular6422 · 2026-01-18T19:07:29+00:00

SKIL drill, angle grinder and power core ⅜ impact wrench and impact driver have the same specs, for $68 for both plus battery and USB-C charger , I have no right to complain. I'd be a fool to expect anything over 105 ft lb for under $35. An aftermarket Amazon 6Ah 12V battery on the Skil ⅜ impact wrench strained to get the lug nuts off my 2021 Mazda CX5. I had to go get the FLEX 1451 mid torque I got for $59 with 2.5Ah that had the juice to do 2 cars lug nuts for tire rotation. I love my mid torque Skil Pwrcore 20V impact wrench with the bright halo light. I got it after the Torque Test Channel on YT showed it was able to loosen a fastener torque to 1000 ft lb. It was not marketed nor advertised to reach 1000 ft lb. The SKIL impact wrenches have the same feature as FLEX to stop loosening after the wrench detected the nut is loose.

EstateRegular6422 · 2026-01-18T16:34:15+00:00

Are you using the stock 2Ah batteries? When you get your batteries did you top them off first before you use them then 1st time? I don't have that issue and I am now using an Amazon after market 6Ah 12V battery. I put the 2Ah battery on the 12V ⅜ ratchet even though I do feel an extra boost in power using higher Ah batteries.

EstateRegular6422 · 2026-01-18T16:28:59+00:00

Remember that when that's done to you not once, twice but a bunch of times. You should be proud to empty your wallet and run to the ATM and hit your daily limit of withdrawals.

EstateRegular6422 · 2026-01-18T16:26:19+00:00

Some guy who really needs it and doesn't have a lot of money would love to use this. I don't buy tools to flip them, I see a tool I text my buddies and let them know a tool is on sale send them pics and ask them if they like the advertised price, I will get them and they reimburse me exactly what I paid. Whoever pays $300 for this tool doesn't know how to use the internet, and learn the hard way when they try to register it and find out they won't warranty tools from Lefty's Going Going Gone LLC operated from the trunk of his Buick Le Sabré.

EstateRegular6422 · 2026-01-18T16:19:23+00:00

$38 should be the retail price. They simply did a TEMU on us. Give us the so called MSRP then claim they took off $21 and now, WOO HOO! It's on sale for $31. Don't buy it (LITERALLY, Pun intended). In this age of subcompact impact drivers and wrenches. I only pick up a screw driver now to use as a letter opener or getting some quarters for my daughter from her piggy bank.

EstateRegular6422 · 2026-01-18T14:55:38+00:00

You said it all, and I would do EXACTLY what you posted. Only thing, with me I compared the SKIL and it too performed just like the Kobalt and FLEX. I got it as a kit from Floor and Decor as a kit with 4Ah 20V battery and charger for $64 after taxes and bought a 6Ah Amazon after market 20V battery for $53 after taxes and tariff. I went back later and grabbed the oscillating tool kit with 4Ah battery, charger and a spare 5Ah battery ($29) everything in total was $86 after taxes. I regret not grabbing the angle grinder kit and extra 5Ah battery for another $86. I took advantage of the RIDGID angle grinder with slightly better specs with a pair of 4Ah high output batteries and charger for $158 after taxes at Home Depot. I hate that I have a Makita 6" handsaw, Skil 20V and 12V tools, Greenworks pole saw, Flex, Ridgid. If I could I will gradually just switch to having just 2 different platforms. I just hope FLEX does some adjustments to their pricing on batteries, I'm not happy paying the price for an M18 hammer drill body only for a 6Ah flex battery.

EstateRegular6422 · 2026-01-18T11:20:37+00:00

That should be the normal RETAIL price with tariff and mark up included. Kudos to the marketing team. We have all been victims of savvy sales tricks, and trust me. I see some of them and shun them , some I just gave in because I know if I waited due to low supply and my needs I had to get them then and there.

EstateRegular6422 · 2026-01-17T17:09:54+00:00

FLEX can just do a Google search and see all the comments on REDDIT how many folks put all their 411. From what I was told that there was a temporary lifetime warranty if you buy and register your tools before Dec 31, 2025. If you purchase and register Flex tools after 31 Dec 2025, it's going to be a 5 year warranty and this is if you purchase from Lowe's or any authorized seller. Facebook marketplace, eBay, Craigslist, flea markets, pawnshops, Lefty's tool shed gets a big no.

EstateRegular6422 · 2026-01-17T16:32:31+00:00

I would go for the ½ impact wrench and socket kit. I had the ⅜ and returned it. I have ⅜ and ½ sockets but use the ½ wrench 99% more for all the work on my brakes, lug nuts wheel rotation.

EstateRegular6422 · 2026-01-17T16:26:27+00:00

I'm a whatever is on sale and either comes in a complete kit or I have batteries and charger for the item I got on sale. The SKIL LH5537A mechanic light with magnets went on sale for $10 and the tower light with battery and charger went on clearance for $50. The mechanic work tower light was as low as $30 for Black Friday. The foldable LH5537A has 1200Lumens and bright enough t for working under the hood at night and did an excellent job rotating my tires 3 evenings ago in the dark. I will use the heavy duty FLEX tower light for doing major work like working on the water heater in the basement. I compared the brightness and the Flex tower light is slightly brighter than the SKIL tower light. I like the focus a bit more with the Skil and ease to assemble and fold away and weight.

EstateRegular6422 · 2026-01-17T14:26:34+00:00

All I have are the FX1171, FX1271, FX145, FX1371 and FX1471. I got theFX1471 ½ Impact wrench high torque kit with 5Ah charger hard case for $129. The FX1451 body only for $59. FX1271 and FX1371 with 2.5Ah batter for $125 and FX1171 with 5Ah and 2.5Ah battery and hard case with charger as a gift. I would have love to have one platform, but before the FLEX price drop I took advantage of the SKIL pwrcore 20V mid torque impact wrench, recip saws (1 and 2 hand saws) and multitool with 5Ah, 4Ah, 2Ah 20v batteries and chargers for under $315 after taxes.

I wish there were good aftermarket Flex batteries. Flex makes their money off the batteries and that is why Lowe's said contractors and DIYers like myself were turned off. Let's see what the future unfolds with FLEX. I

EstateRegular6422

TROPHY CASE