I’m pretty sure this is it. It only comes with the 1/4" collet though.
I am pretty sure that does not have the ER11 collet.
Notice that after initially pricing it lower, it’s now up to $80 after the competing Lowes product is being cleared out.
Short: Found and bought discounted Kobalt Trim Router from my local Issaquah, WA store. Don’t believe the website price/stock, don’t believe the stock mentioned by staff and system. Don’t believe the full $99 price listed when you stumble on them in seasonal/rotating section. Persist, and you will succeed! Bought for $70 (+tax) today.
Long:
Observations/Feedback for Lowes/Kobalt Product Marketing, and/or Designers that invested time into creating this router…
-
Reality:
- https://www.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt/5014100299 says “Unavailable in your local stores”. This is wrong. I just drove to the Issaquah WA store and personally saw 4.
- https://www.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt/5014100299 also says “Clearance” $99.98. Yet in store it’s listed for $69.97 or $99.98 depending which section you look within the store…
- Trim Router section has a spot for the router, listed as $69.97. Great, but… There’s no Kobalt routers on the shelf.
- A normal Customer would reasonably assume out of stock and pick up a Competitor product.
- However, I asked friendly staff what their system says about stock. System said 2 in stock, but system doesn’t give Staff any hint/clue as to where to look to find them. No problem, we both aimlessly burn time wandering around staring up at the overhead inventory. Giving up after 5 mins.
- A normal Customer would reasonably say fluff-it at this point and walk out sad and empty handed.
- However, I suspect maybe the system is wrong, maybe they’re out of stock, but I spent 20mins driving to the store, so I may as well wander around, and look for some other stuff/deals…
- Trim Router section has a spot for the router, listed as $69.97. Great, but… There’s no Kobalt routers on the shelf.
- Saw a well placed Kobalt clearance section at end of aisle near power tools, a logical place, had great deals. But no Kobalt trim router. The aimless hunt continues…
- Had mentally given up, but then recalled forum posts of the router being spotted mainly on temporary cardboard displays in seasonal/rotating sections of the store. So, I head over there, and behold…
- I see 4 Kobalt routers, but listed for $99.97, huh? A mismatch between the labeled priced at the Trim Router sections (where you’d expect to find these routers in the first place…).
- Grabbed one, and paid $70 +tax at the till. Photo’d receipt to hold onto for 5yrs…
Expected:
- Ideally, Customers should be able to find Kobalt Trim Routers in the Trim Router section.
- Ideally, stock inventory and location would be accurate, and easy for helpful Staff to accurately discover.
- Ideally, website would reflect accurate price, and store stock levels.
Effects of mislabeling, placement and inventory fluff ups are occurring elsewhere. People are understandably sharing pics/info based on what they observe, for example Lowe’s Launched a Mysterious Kobalt CNC Router says (incorrectly/incompletely) …
- It was a “limited time buy” at $100. Now it’s $60 and seemingly no longer available.
@Kobalt, for the love of Delighted Customers, and your bottom line, consider tweaking some things.
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Harbor freight already has 2 trim routers in the same category/price range that is made for their stores. They won’t be adding a 3rd.
Change that, they have the cobalt at $40 online price but ‘in store only’.
Currently the Lowe’s website (set to my local store) has it listed for 'Clearance" at $64.97, but in-store only.
Wow! My zip shows $39.97 but unavailable in store. When I was in there last week I couldn’t find them.
Yeah, I saw that on Reddit yesterday, forgot to post, they are trying to get rid of em for some reason! Bummer, I bought right away!
Searching online, website says my closest store sells for $99. Yet I bought it for $69.
The same fib telling website also shows $39 if I select 2nd closest store. 
. Tempted to drive for the $30 saving (potentially…), and understand this mystery better. So bizarre.
Our’s aren’t with the other trim routers, but in the main aisle in front of them on the cardboard stand. Last time I walked past it, there were like 8 of them. Still waiting for them to take down the cardboard display. 
So weird how it varies. At my local Lowes, they are with the other trim routers. I’m planning to go check again when I see the price online go down again, or maybe in a few days. Weirdly, online today it was back up to $99. So very odd…
Modern companies are also constantly doing A/B testing on us. Maybe they are trying to measure what the right price is to move them in different markets.
Tempting to test their A/B testing to measure where’s the right place to move for the best price. Maybe prices vary depending on how far they need to ship and it’s not just about maximizing what the market will bear
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I stopped by the store yesterday evening. The employee I talked with said their inventory system listed six in stock, and that they were at the back of the store with the clearance items. I went back there and found twelve for $39.97. I picked up one for myself, and one for a family member.
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Dang, that is just awesome.
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I’d take two… not that I need more… but I don’t have 1/8" collets…
Dang! I finally bought one at $59 at the beginning of January thinking they were going to be all snapped up!
Also, I don’t recall seeing it mentioned anywhere in this thread, but then again, it’s been going for a few months. If you want ER11 collets, you will need to get an ER11 collet nut as well. The collets will not fit into the 1/8" or 1/4" nuts that are included with the Kobalt. I had a set for some Rocky (Makita clones) that had ER11 collets and nuts, but upon popping the collets out of the nuts on the Kobalt, I soon found that the ER11 collets won’t snap in. Just an FYI.
Yeah, strange… Website price and inventory don’t match reality…
Website currently says $39 at one store, and $99 for another ~10miles away. With “Pickup ready by Feb 13th” (week from today), seems far off, not something I would wait for.
Earlier today, I ignored the website and drove to a store where website listed $99 today, but listed $39 just a few days ago… I failed to locate by myself, ended up asking friendly helpful staff, they eventually found with assistance from their colleague. Finally picked up two for $39 each, separate receipts so can gift. Shared some of my experience below, hope something here helps Others/Lowes/Kobalt…
1min video…
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Too funny! And congrats on the good deal!
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