Target clearance on crappy lights + tools! (gerber, victorinox)

Just at Target last nite, and they've marked down some tools plus lights to really cheap prices:

Retractable saw plus rubberized 3AAA LED:
Originally $16.99, now on clearance at $4.24
pic by ebay seller

HOTLINK REMOVED

The saw blade is pretty thin, but it's much longer than the saw on my Leatherman, so I'm sure it's better than no saw when trying to cut some wood for a campfire. The LED is Inova-like in that it's mostly spot and some rings of spill. But it's nice and rubberized with a recessed switch under the rubber, and it's easy to lend at two bucks or so.

Victorinox Recruit II plus 2AAA Minimaglite:
Originally $24.99, now on clearance for $6.24
pic by ebay seller

HOTLINK REMOVED

The Recruit II is a basic swiss army knife, couple blades, can and bottle opener, screwdrivers. Good for a beginner knife owner, or a backup knife in the bailout bag or car. No locking blades, which I dislike. I don't have to tell you about the 2AAA minimag, you can figger that out by yourself.

None of these tools are what I would EDC, but I'd throw any of them into my trunk for emergencies or my camping kit to use (or lend) on the run. At these prices, there really is no downside. A couple bucks for each tool, and the lights come with batteries, too! That's like a buck for duracells by themselves!

As you can see and guess, these things are already popping up on ebay at a couple times the price! I'm gonna use them as stocking stuffers this x-mas, all my relatives already expect some light related gadget every year anyways, so why disappoint them?

daloosh

Wow, thanks daloosh.

Those little Recruits are decent little knives. They do make great "beaters".

The folding saw is decent enough for light duty camping, or perhaps clearing an offending limb from your line of sight. Well worth the clearance price. The 3AAA light will get thrown away when the oem batteries are die! I don't even know where it ended up.
IMO the "blind engineer" from River Rock is now working for Gerber...:thumbsdow

Paladin

Gonna have to make a stop at Target today, it looks like.

Those saws are great! Light weight and portable. We take one rafting every year.

Bah shame I don't live in the US.

Argh, looks like I'm going to miss out on the Vic combo... no Target's near here... unless somebody's willing to ship one to me? I'd pay for one + shipping in a padded mailer...

carrot said:

Argh, looks like I'm going to miss out on the Vic combo... no Target's near here... unless somebody's willing to ship one to me? I'd pay for one + shipping in a padded mailer...

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Hi carrot,

I checked the nearby Target but they didn't have any of the Victorinox combo's. I'll check at another Target if I get time tomorrow evening. Maybe somebody else will manage to find one for you.

(I did see several of the Gerber combo packs with a folding saw and a ugly rubberized 3AAA LED light, it looks like a 5mm LED with an optic, on clearance for 75% off = $4.24).

daloosh said:

Retractable saw plus rubberized 3AAA LED:
Originally $16.99, now on clearance at $4.24
pic by ebay seller

The saw blade is pretty thin, but it's much longer than the saw on my Leatherman, so I'm sure it's better than no saw when trying to cut some wood for a campfire. The LED is Inova-like in that it's mostly spot and some rings of spill. But it's nice and rubberized with a recessed switch under the rubber, and it's easy to lend at two bucks or so.

Click to expand...

I picked up one of the Gerber combos because I wanted the saw.

The beam of rubberized 3AAA Gerber LED light is much like the River Rock 1AA light I have (both have optics). The Gerber beam is somewhat wider but not as bright as the River Rock. The Gerber also has some artifacts in the central spot and the spill seems to consist of a series of rings. Overall, I'd say it is one of the worst beams I've seen, but I'm not a fan of optics in general.

The rubberized light also has that lovely 'new tire' smell. While it might make the light more durable, it does little to improve the esthetics of the light. This would be a great light to loan to someone who I suspect may not return it.

The battery carrier on the 3AAA Gerber is interesting. It looks like a 2 cell long by 2 cell wide carrier designed for 4AAA's then changed to 3AAA's by bypassing one of the compartments. The unused compartment has some molded plastic bars to prevent a cell from being inserted in it. It could probably be modded to hold 4AAA NiMH cells with some effort.

The most interesting thing about the Gerber flashlight is that it is designed for a PR bulb. The 5mm LED is simply potted in a PR bulb base. The PR base, single 5mm bulb is easily removeable from the light and could be used for other purposes, such as a long duration LED bulb for a 3D Mag.

I removed the useful LED PR bulb and began searching for a 3 cell incandescent bulb to drop into this horr... uh, lovely light that I should be selling on B/S/T (sorry, I wouldn't do that to friends ).

Anyway, I found a spare 3 cell bulb in the base of a 3D M@g and put it into the Gerber. It is somewhat brighter this way. The beam is terrible up close but has decent throw.

I got the combo for the saw, but I may get another just for the 5mm LED PR bulb (oh, and another saw would be nice too).

carrot said:

Argh, looks like I'm going to miss out on the Vic combo... no Target's near here... unless somebody's willing to ship one to me? I'd pay for one + shipping in a padded mailer...

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Hi carrot,

I tried 4 different Target stores today, but none had the Victorinox combo left. Sorry. Maybe somebody else will find a store that still has some.

vortechs said:

Hi carrot,

I tried 4 different Target stores today, but none had the Victorinox combo left. Sorry. Maybe somebody else will find a store that still has some.

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Thanks for looking!

Just scored a Recruit II swiss army knife and Mini Mag Lite combo at Target yesterday for $6.24 clearenced down from $24.99. Hell of a deal for the money. Now if Target would just clearence price a Leatheman Wave say for $19.99!!!
Sorry just dreaming.

Gary

Thanks daloosh!

I scored what appeared to be the last one in the store. Victorinox Recruit II / Mag 2aaa combo for $6.24. It was marked with the infamous Target red markdown tag with the "75" in the upper right corner.

carrot, sorry there was only one. If I find one at another store and you haven't got one via this thread I'll pick one up for you.

Last week I picked up a Victorinox scissors/Climber combo for about 8 bucks and change. Also got the saw/crappy flashlight. They had at least half a dozen of each. They were also clearing out the Eddie Bauer stuff. I went back last night and that isle was empty. I asked the Target dude who directed me to the clearance endcaps. No luck - they were all gone. This stuff goes quick! It was dumb luck when I came across them the first time. I guess that's it with Target - you've got to get lucky (or go there every day - no thanks).

pedalinbob and not2, yer very welcome!

carrot, they still had more when I was at my Target on Sunday, I'll probably be by this weekend, so I'll pick one up if they remain, we can meet in the city sometime if that happens.

Paladin and greenlight, I'm totally bringing the saw camping, it's really light!

Commandr, probably won't find the Wave for a twenty, but sometimes they clear out Leatherman too, I remember getting a Juice for like thirteen last year!

vortechs, that new tire smell is gross! I remember buying the Dorcy 3D last year, and it smelled like that too. I left it in the closet and the odor slowly dissapated...

cheers,
daloosh

Unfortunately I do not think we can meet in the city as I am living outside of NYC, on campus at university, but it may be possible depending on the timing. :shrug:

If I was living in the city right now I'd probably be able to snatch one up myself. :/ I traded Target for Walmart when coming here.

Was at my Traget in Georgia today and looked all over in the clearance section and the lights and Leathermans. No such clearances here.

Hey carrot, that one Target seems to have taken down the clearance signs, so no one can tell those SAKs are on sale, but they still are cheap. Anyhoo, I got you one of the Recruit + Minimags. Let me know how you want to meet or mail. Anyone else interested, I got an extra you can have for cost + shipping.

daloosh

oh yeah, not related to lights, but I picked up a SAK + shears. The shears are made in Germany, the blade is marked "for Victorinox" whatever that means. But they are wicked sharp and don't have that stupid rounded front so my daughter doesn't get poked in the eye (actually, quite pointy). Better keep it out of her reach!

I checked out my Target in North NJ and nothing was on sale :thumbsdow . Oh well, a couple of years ago I scored big on grabbing about 20 Swiss Army knives. I did not pay more than $5 for any of them. I will have to keep my eye out. Maybe the sale didn't hit yet.