Home Depot and Lowe's Tool Clearance: When and Where the Markdowns Hit

Updated May 19, 2026

Tool clearance at Home Depot and Lowe's is more predictable than most categories because manufacturer release cycles drive markdowns. DeWalt, Milwaukee, Makita, and Ryobi launch new tools annually — and the prior-year version usually gets cleared 30-50% off in the months leading up to the new launch.

Brand release cycles

DeWalt: Major release announcements every March. Prior-year combo kits get cleared January-February. Best time: late February.
Milwaukee: Annual Pipeline event in November showcases next year's tools. Prior generation cleared October-December at both Home Depot (Milwaukee exclusive for many SKUs) and independent dealers.
Makita: Two release cycles — Spring (March-April) and Fall (September). Both produce clearance opportunities in the month before launch.
Ryobi: Home Depot exclusive. Releases new tools quarterly, but the biggest clearance happens in January (post-holiday) and July (mid-summer). Ryobi clearance routinely runs 40-60% off list price.

The "Special Buy of the Day" trap

Home Depot's Special Buy of the Day is a marketing tactic — the discounts are usually small (10-15%) and often not deeper than the standard everyday price at a competing retailer. Don't treat Special Buys as clearance. Real clearance has a yellow tag, not a black-and-yellow promo banner.

The hidden combo-kit play

Most contractor combo kits (3-tool, 5-tool, etc.) get cleared faster than individual tools. The math works: a 5-tool DeWalt kit at 40% off vs. buying the same 5 tools individually at full price = same tools for ~60% of what they'd cost separately. Even if you only want 3 of the 5, you're still ahead.

Where the real clearance lives

Home Depot: special order returns end up at heavily discounted "Top Picks" pricing. Look for orange clearance stickers at the back of the tool aisle.
Lowe's: end-cap clearance gets reset weekly. The Pro Desk often has higher-tier returns that aren't on the public sales floor — worth asking.
Home Depot Outlet (homedepot.com/p/outlet): centralized online outlet for floor models, refurbished, returns. Less inventory but often deeper discounts.

Seasonal patterns

Garden / outdoor power equipment (lawn mowers, leaf blowers, trimmers) hits clearance in late August through October. By November, both Home Depot and Lowe's are clearing summer inventory at 50-70% off. Wait if you can.

Watch out for the price-match game

Home Depot will price-match Lowe's and vice versa on identical SKUs. If you find a clearance price at one, ask the other to match. Some employees decline; ask a different employee or visit a different store. Both chains have national price-match policies but enforce them inconsistently.

StealAlert tracks tool clearance from major retailers every 2 hours. Browse current tool deals →