Northern Tool and Equipment is a family owned and operated tool and equipment retailer founded in 1981 in Burnsville, Minnesota. Today, they have over 100 stores across 19 states.
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What Is Northern Tool?
Northern Tool has a lot of fans. The reason? Founder Don Kotula wanted to build a company dedicated to helping every single customer tackle their projects with quality tools and equipment.
The company wants to build a relationship with their customers, not simply sell them tools. In fact, Northern Tool + Equipment has a set of core values they strive to operate by. These include:
- Always providing value to customers
- Acting with integrity
- Empowering customers
- Developing lasting relationships with customers
Northern Tool has customers that range from weekend DIY-ers to nonprofits to construction companies. Basically, you’re doing business with a company you can trust and that will support you in accomplishing what you need with the tools you buy.
How to Buy Tools
You can buy products from Northern Tool in a few different ways. They have a website that offers over 40,000 products.They also have a catalog you can order from if you prefer, and in person at one of their retail locations.
The Northern Tool Website
Northern Tool does a lot of their business through their website, www.northerntool.com. It’s a massive website and can be a bit overwhelming if you’re not sure what you’re looking for.
Luckily, they realize the maze of machinery presented to the average person can be intimidating, so the website is broken down into main categories to make it a little easier to navigate.
These categories are:
The major categories are broken down further on their site to help you easily navigate to what you need, allowing you to refine your search even more.
Tool Brands Sold
Northern Tool + Equipment sells a lot of different brands, over 1,500. Some of the most popular brands they carry include:
- Hobart
- Milwaukee
- Gravel Gear
- Carhartt
- DeWalt
- Bannon
- Ingersoll-Rand
- Honda Engines
- Briggs & Stratton
- North Star
- Powerhorse
- Warn
- Ultra Tow
- All Power America
- US Stove Company
- Pennzoil
- Solar Infra Systems
- Little Giant Ladder
Northern Tool carries all of these tools online, in their catalog, and at their stores. So, chances are even if you’re looking for something really specific, Northern Tool has it!
If you’re not sure what you need, you can find helping buyer’s guides on their website to help you find the perfect fit.
Saving Money at Northern Tool
There are several ways to save a little money when shopping at Northern Tool. In fact, they have a whole category of deals on their website. Under this tab you’ll find:
Sale Items
They have everything listed here that is on sale. You can filter the results by category, whether or not it’s sold in stores, brand price, and even whether it includes free shipping or a rebate.
You can also compare items on sale by checking a box that will allow you to look at them side by side.
Clearance
Just like the sale category, you can refine your search here by items on clearance that are sold in stores, the category, brand, price, whether it’s a reconditioned item, and if it includes free shipping. You can also compare items.
Free Shipping
Sometimes when you’re buying something really large, shipping can really add up. Northern Tool has a category of over 2,500 products that include free shipping. Narrow down your search by category, price, brand, and compare items too.
Deal of the Day
Each day Northern Tool features a “Deal of the Day.” It’s an item at a significant discount, so make sure to check online each day to see if it’s something you’ve been looking for.
Rebates and Special Offers
Rebates are a big deal in the tool and equipment world, where items can cost a lot of money. A rebate can help take a little of the pressure off your wallet.
It’ll also help you get the job done a little cheaper. You can view all the items with special offers or rebates on Northern Tool’s website.
Reconditioned
Another way to save a boatload of money on tools and other high-priced items is to buy one that’s been reconditioned. These are items that are returned by a customer.
They’re cleaned up, and then tested to make sure they’re in good working order before being repackaged and resold. Northern Tool has a variety of reconditioned products for sale.
Email Exclusives
You can sign up on Northern Tool’s website for their email deals. This puts you on a list to be notified of exclusive specials, clearance sales, and new products. You may also receive free shipping on items periodically.
The Advantage Membership
If you’re a frequent buyer of merchandise at Northern Tool, then you may want to consider their Advantage membership. A one-year membership will cost you $39.99 but it has a lot of advantages to help you save money such as:
- Free shipping on standard shipped items
- Price discounts
- Email deals exclusive to members
- Catalogs exclusive to members
- Coupon only for members
- A $25 gift card each time you renew the membership
- Access to a 24-hour support hotline
- 100 Percent Lowest Price Guarantee
Northern Tools wants to give you the best deal, which is why they offer their lowest price guarantee. With this guarantee, you can get a refund of the difference you paid over a competitors price within 30 days of purchase.
To be eligible for the refund, you simply need to email a copy of the competitor’s advertisement along with their name, item make, model number, and the offer’s expiration date along with a copy of your invoice.
Email all this to lowprice@northerntool.com. If you prefer snail mail, then you can send all this information to their mailing address as well.
Tool Warranties
Northern Tool offers warranties on the products they manufacture. These warranties differ by item and are stated in the owner’s manual.
In order to have something repaired or replaced under warranty, you must contact their customer care department for service referral options.
For the tools not manufactured by Northern Tool, the manufacturer’s warranty applies.
Product Returns
Northern Tool doesn’t want you to be stuck with a damaged or improperly working tool, which is why they have a comprehensive returns policy that allows you to return any item for any reason.
As long as you return them within 45 days of the date on your receipt, you can get your money back. If you order online, by catalog, or by phone, you can return the product either online or in person to one of their retail stores.
You can also process a return via their chat feature on their website, by email, or via phone. When you purchase a product in store, then it must be returned to a Northern Tools store, but it doesn’t have to be the one you bought it from originally.
There are a few exceptions to their return policy. You cannot return a diesel or gas-powered product once it has been oiled or gassed. You also cannot return:
- NorTrack equipment
- Winches
- Gang reels
- Surface cleaners
- Books
- Blueprints
- Videos
- DVDs
- Clearance items
- Reconditioned forklifts
How to Pay
There are a few ways you can pay at Northern Tool. These include:
- PayPal
- Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, Northern Tool Card, and NT Net 30 Account
- Purchase orders via their 24-hour hotline
- Northern Tool gift cards
- Northern Tool Credit Cards
To best suit the needs of a variety of customers, Northern Tool offers three different credit options. They are:
- Northern Tool Consumer Credit Card
- Commercial Net30 Account for Business
- Commercial Equipment Extended Business Financing
With the consumer credit card, you receive three percent back on Northern Tool purchases, two percent back on gas and groceries, and one percent on other purchases.
Plus, anytime you spend a minimum of $500 at Northern Tool, you get a zero percent APR for six billing cycles.
Should You Shop at Northern Tool?
Northern Tool + Equipment is a leader in its industry. They’ve been around a long time and constantly rate high for customer satisfaction.
If you’re looking to make a big equipment or tool purchase, then they’re definitely a retailer that should be on your radar.
