Skil, which I consider to be Flex’s DIY power tool brand, has also launched its own modular tool boxes.
At this time, Skil tool boxes are sold in bundles at Sam’s Club, and a recent posting on social media revealed that they’re also sold at Costco. It doesn’t look like they’re being sold outside of the two warehouse clubs.
This Skil 4pc tool box combo, with rolling tool box, small suitcase-style tool box, and 2 compact organizers, are being sold for $79.98 (reg $99.98) at Sam’s Club.
This Skil 3pc tool box tower combo , with rolling tool box, large tool box, and small tool box, is priced at $149 at Costco stores. It doesn’t appear to be available online yet.
The tool boxes look a lot like Menard’s Masterforce modular tool boxes, but with enough differences that compatibility isn’t guaranteed. The Masterforce 3pc combo is $139.97, or $124.57 after mail-in rebate, beating Skil’s Costco pricing shown in social media posts.
Skil product images show that the tool boxes can also connect with the brand’s power tool accessory cases. I don’t recall seeing these power tool cases before.
Their interlocking bit set cases appear to be relatively new; I found this 15pc hex shank drill bit set available at Best Buy and Amazon.
There are an increasing number of limited-breadth modular tool storage combos. Black & Decker, for example, has a 3pc tower combo that seems to be exclusive to Amazon, priced at $121. What does Skil do differently?
Surprisingly, Skil doesn’t seme to have given the tool boxes a proper name.
Whereas their sibling company Flex has “StackPack,” Skil’s tool boxes are listed in the “accessories” section on their website, with product descriptions such as “rolling tool box and organizer box 4pc tower set.”
Related, I checked my local Lowe’s store recently, and it appears that the retailer has purged all Flex StackPack modular tool boxes and accessories, except for these two boxes of organizers up on the storage shelves.
The modular tool box market segment seems to have reached saturation, and it has become clear that there’s not enough room for all of them.
It will be interesting to see if Skil’s system picks up steam. It is perhaps telling that the Skil tool boxes are thus far only available at wholesale clubs, and not tool dealers and home improvement centers such as Home Depot and Lowe’s.
Chervon, parent company to Skil, Flex, and EGO, recently posted a 30.9% decrease in revenue (37.3% in North America) and a net loss for the year ending 12/31/2023.
The Skil combos being sold at Costco and Sam’s Club might boost the company’s sales, but the question remains whether we’ll see long-term growth or expansion of the system. I think it’s unlikely that home centers – most notably Lowe’s – will clear space for Skil tool boxes at their retail stores, but there could be other opportunities, similar to how they’ve popped up at wholesale clubs.