Our Methodology

How we calculate Deal Scores - transparent, data-driven analysis

The Problem

Tool bundles are confusing. Retailers push "special buys" and "exclusive kits" with inflated "was" prices. You see a $179 bundle marked down to $129, but is that actually a good deal?

Tool Value Index cuts through the noise with data-driven analysis. Every deal gets a Deal Score (0-100) based on three key metrics.

The Three Metrics

1. Price per Watt-hour

Battery efficiency matters. We calculate total Watt-hours (Wh) in each bundle and divide by price. Lower $/Wh = better battery value.

2. Price per Tool

Multi-tool bundles should offer tool savings. We count bare tools in each bundle and calculate price per tool. Lower $/tool = better tool value.

3. Discount vs Baseline

Real savings matter. We estimate baseline value by summing individual component prices, then calculate actual discount percentage.

How We Weight the Metrics

Not all bundles are the same. A battery-heavy kit should prioritize $/Wh efficiency. A multi-tool kit should balance tool value and savings.

We calculate a "battery weight" based on bundle composition:

  • High battery weight: $/Wh gets 70% weight, other metrics get 15% each
  • Low battery weight: $/tool and discount% get 42.5% each, $/Wh gets 15%
  • Balanced bundles: All three metrics weighted equally at ~33% each

The final score is normalized to 0-100 where 100 = best possible deal in our dataset.

Baseline Component Prices

Our baseline prices represent typical "street prices" for individual components, not MSRP. These are based on regular retail prices at major outlets:

Batteries:
• 2.0Ah: ~$59
• 3.0Ah: ~$79
• 4.0Ah: ~$99
• 6.0Ah: ~$149
Accessories:
• Charger: ~$49
• Tool bags: ~$20-40

Limitations & Disclaimers

  • Tool quality isn't scored: A high score doesn't mean the tools are high-quality, just that the bundle offers good value for what's included.
  • Your needs matter: A 90-score bundle you don't need is worse than a 60-score bundle you'll actually use.
  • Baselines are estimates: Our component prices are based on typical retail, but deals and sales happen everywhere.
  • Use as one input: Our scores are a starting point for research, not the final word.

Open & Transparent

Everything is open for review. Our scoring algorithms are documented in our codebase. If you disagree with our baseline prices or weighting, that's totally fine – use our data as one input, not the only input.

Questions about our methodology? Contact us – we're always happy to explain our reasoning.