My 7 or so year old crapsman cordless drill/driver (15.2v) doesn’t seem to last as long between charges as it should, so after reading about the Borg clearances here on SMC I decided to take a look. I started at the blue box, but didn’t find much to get excited about. The best thing I saw was a Bosch 14.4 for around $150. Interestingly, I was asked three times by at least two different people if they could help me find anything. Checked the orange box and found a Makita Mforce 14.4 for $124. After looking all through the tool dept. I tracked down a clerk and asked if they had any in stock. A check of the computer indicated that they had 10 in stock, but no one could find any. Apparently they have a shrinkage problem. Came home and checked some on-line prices to see if $124 was a good price. Found that one outlet was selling reconditioned drill drivers for $159, and Sears was asking $199. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on your view) there are four orange boxes near the house. I checked one and found a similar situation, two in stock, but only the display to be found. At the second stop I found three units plus the display. One came with the free tool belt and a certificate for up to $40 rebate on the next Makita tool purchase. All three orange boxes didn’t seem to care about helping customers. I had to track down sales help at each of them. In the last one, a newer store, the person I flagged down to unlock the stock cage was friendly enough once he was engaged, and even accompanied me to the register in case the tool belt deal wasn’t the same price as the others without. At both Borgs, the majority of tools were Roybe (sp?), B&D, and Rigid. I did see two NIB PC 14.4 drivers at the second orange box, but nothing on display. It seems apparent to me, as some here on the creek have opined, that the Borgs are getting out of better tools and concentrating on the occasional weekend warrior’s needs.

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So there’s the mini gloat, and report, and my thanks to those creekers who gave me a heads up on the clearances.