Expert Q&A Sessions, Tools, Part 5: How have tool deals changed over the past few years, particularly post-pandemic?

Question: How have tool deals changed over the past few years? Particularly post-pandemic, are deals for tools generally better or worse than they used to be? If it's not that black and white, what's better and what's worse?
Iconian: For a long time, I purchased tools internationally. I probably bought 50+ tools from places like Amazon Japan and Amazon Germany, where you could find better pricing and access to brands not always available in the U.S.

Post-COVID, two shifts made that much harder: international shipping costs rose significantly, and tariffs made overseas deals far less attractive. Where I used to regularly import tools, I've bought fewer than five internationally in the past few years. Now I mostly stick to U.S.-fulfilled options.

Not all categories were affected equally though. Hand tools, particularly German and Japanese brands, have gotten noticeably more expensive and the international arbitrage opportunities have mostly disappeared. Power tools, on the other hand, have stayed relatively flat or even improved in value. The shift from NiCad to lithium-ion is complete, and manufacturing scale has brought costs down. Back 10 to 12 years ago, lithium-ion carried a premium because it was still new. That transition is long done and pricing has normalized.

Question: Are German and Japanese brand tools available at local hardware stores like Lowe's or Home Depot, or do you have to go through specialty retailers?
Iconian: Some of them are available locally and on Amazon — brands like Knipex, Wiha, and Vera Fellow can be found at Home Depot, Lowe's, and Amazon. The issue is pricing. When I'd order directly from Germany or Japan, I'd never buy just one or two tools because of shipping costs. I'd build up a cart over weeks with 5 to 10 items, do the math until the savings justified the order, and then pull the trigger. Something that costs $30 on Amazon Germany might be $35–40 here. Not a big deal on its own, but multiply that across 10–12 tools and you're saving $100–150. Over time, as you figure out which tools you use most and how you use them, it's worth slowly upgrading to higher-quality options.

Question: How long do power tool batteries typically last, and does the lifespan vary a lot between brands in the same price class?
Iconian: A properly maintained battery should last 10 years or more. The key factors are the quality of the cells inside. Most battery packs use cells from manufacturers like Samsung, LG, or Sony, and that's what really determines performance, efficiency, and safety. The brand name on the outside matters less than the cells inside. To maintain them well: use the battery at least once every few weeks, or if it's in storage, run it for a couple of minutes and leave it at around half charge. Modern chargers are fast, you can charge a high-capacity battery in about an hour. One strong recommendation: do not go off-brand on batteries. Generic batteries typically use inferior cells with lower capacity and power delivery. Save money on other things, but not batteries.

Question: If someone lives somewhere with extreme temperatures — like very hot summers or very cold winters — and they store their tools and batteries in their garage or outdoor shed, will that affect battery life?
Iconian: It's worth paying attention to. Batteries are chemical devices, and I'd recommend avoiding regular exposure to temperatures above 90°F or below 40°F. An occasional day or two in those conditions probably won't cause noticeable damage, but leaving them there for weeks at a time will likely degrade performance faster. Exactly how much faster is hard to quantify without rigorous testing, but the general guidance is: store batteries somewhere cool, dry, and ideally at room temperature whenever possible.