Comparison

Lowes vs Home Depot Review 

Lowes vs Home Depot Review 

About Lowes

Although Father’s Day is still months away, there’s still work to be done around the house. And when there are repairs to be made you need the right tools for the job. 

Lowes has been around for over 100 years and was formerly the largest home improvement company in the United States. They distribute tools and products for nearly every job imaginable. 

About Home Depot

You’re probably wondering who Lowes lost their crown to, and the answer would be Home Depot.

Home Depot is the biggest homecare store in North America. They’ve been a titan in the industry for the past 40 years, providing tools and services to customers in Canada, the US, and Mexico.

So whether you’re looking for the perfect gift for your dad or you’re looking to fix a leaky pipe, these two stores might offer what you need.

In this Lowes vs Home Depot review, I’ll compare each outlet’s products, prices, installation services, promotions, and more so that you can make the most informed choice possible.

What To Consider

Lowes vs Home Depot Review 

Range of products and brands  

Both of these hardware stores feature extensive product and brand line-ups. You’ll find products from Ryomi, Dewalt, Kobalt, Titan, and more. Lowes and Home Depot sell items for both inside and outside the house. 

Extras 

These two companies have extra goodies to keep customers coming back besides installation services. They both inspire buyers with DIY project ideas, buying guides for certain products, and recipes for select kitchenware.

Warranty Plans 

Lowes and Home Depot each have deep warranty plans that cover most of their items. These warranties allow customers to replace broken parts, find answers to their questions, and repair malfunctioning machines.

Accessibility 

While researching for this Lowes vs Home Depot review, I found that these two stores are located across North America and make it easy for customers to buy, return, or exchange products. 

Member Benefits 

Each company has their own membership plan. Lowes has the Lowes for Pros benefits while Home Depot has the Pro Xtra plan. These programs have different tiers that each provide in-store perks, chances to earn money back, gift cards, exclusive offers, and more.

Lowes Dewalt 6-Tool Power Tool Combo Kit with Soft Case vs Home Depot Ryobi ONE+ 18V Cordless 6-Tool Combo Kit Review: 

Stores can be made or dismantled by their catalog. You wouldn’t want to enter a store called Linens and Things and find out that they don’t sell linen or things.

That’s why this piece of my Lowes vs Home Depot review will compare two of each store’s multi-purpose products.

Up first is the Lowes Dewalt 6-Tool Power Tool Combo Kit with Soft Case. This kit comes with enough tools that you could build a house and then tear it down without needing any additional components. 

It includes a 20V max drill and driver, a reciprocating saw and a circular saw, a work light, an impact driver, batteries, a charger, and a matching bag. Each tool is one of the finest from Dewalt, from the maneuverable driver to the illuminating LED work light.

Home Depot’s Ryobi kit is nothing to scoff at, though. This package contains a drill/driver and an impact driver, a circular and a reciprocating saw, a work light, batteries, a charger, a multi-tool, and a glue gun.

The entire Home Depot Ryobi ONE+ 18V Cordless 6-Tool Combo Kit can provide a hassle-free user experience since every tool is cordless. Ryobi is a noted brand in the hardware world with over 70 years of product development experience.

Both the Home Depot Ryobi ONE+ 18V Cordless 6-Tool Combo Kit and the Lowes Dewalt 6-Tool Power Tool Combo Kit with Soft Case offer similar equipment.

The deciding factor between the two is whether you’re more of a Ryobi diehard or a Dewalt supporter.

Lowes Portfolio 48-ft 18-Light Novelty String Lights vs Home Depot Hampton Bay 20-ft Solar Edison Bulb String Light Review: 

This component of my head-to-head Lowes vs Home Depot review will look at a staple item for both outdoor patios and college dorm rooms; the string light. 

The Lowes Portfolio 48-ft 18-Light Novelty String Lights is a pattern of heavy light bulbs snaked together by wire. They are UL listed, meaning that if you do hang them outside then they can survive wet weather.

The light bulbs are bulky, which can be a pleasing aesthetic choice for those who want a larger light bulb. They’re also shatterproof and use LEDs to illuminate their surroundings.

The Lowes Portfolio 48-ft 18-Light Novelty String Lights expel warm light that’s easy on the eyes.

Not to be outshone by their competitors (see what I did there?), Home Depot has their own Edison string light product. It has 20 feet of string that connect solar-powered light bulbs together.

The Home Depot Hampton Bay 20-ft Solar Edison Bulb String Light is weatherproof too. It’s built to survive rain and snowstorms though I haven’t heard back from the lab about whether they can last through cloudy forecasts with a chance of meatballs.

Both sets of Edison light bulb strings are picturesque, however, I maintain in this Lowes vs Home Depot review that Home Depot’s offering is best kept outside since it’s solar-powered.

Lowes GE Window Air Conditioner vs Home Depot LG Electronics Window Air Conditioner With WiFi and Remote Review: 

Most 20-something-aged readers who have lived in older buildings know the challenge that comes with staying cool during the summer months. Thankfully, this section of my Lowes vs Home Depot review will examine two products that can help you during those times. 

The Lowes GE Window Air Conditioner can reduce rooms of 250 square feet from sweltering deserts to habitable places of gathering. It has an energy saver mode that automatically powers the machine down once the room reaches the ideal temperature.

And if you’re really too hot to get up and adjust the temperature then you’ll be happy to read that this product comes with a remote control. Its easy installation is also a plus for lazy buyers.

The Lowes GE Window Air Conditioner comes with an EZ Mount installation kit.

Meanwhile, the Home Depot LG Electronics Window Air Conditioner With WiFi and Remote bases its appeal on accessibility. You can control the temperature and strength from your mobile phone using the LG ThinQ app.

This product also syncs up with Alexa or Google Home, meaning you don’t even need to lift a finger. It also has a sleep mode that dampens its already-quiet noise output so that you can rest easy. It can cover rooms up to 1,000 square feet.

With all of that in mind, the Home Depot LG Electronics Window Air Conditioner With WiFi and Remote has more than a few features that the Lowes GE Window Air Conditioner lacks.

However, the latter may be the better option if you want a simple air conditioner. 

Lowes vs Home Depot: Installation Services 

Lowes vs Home Depot Review 

The products found on Lowes and Home Depot’s store shelves usually require professional installation, unless you want to spend a week watching YouTube videos about how to connect a dishwasher to your pipes.

Home Depot offers a multitude of installation services. Actually, they offer nearly as many installations as they do products. They hire contractors to install certain products.

They install kitchens, flooring, doors, windows, plumbing, water heaters, and more

However, the company’s installation services have received poor customer ratings. Buyers have warned that Home Depot’s installation is less-than-satisfactory and that their contractors are low quality.

Similarly, Lowes offers a bevy of installation options that are performed by licensed contractors. Lowes states that they check the backgrounds of all their contractors to ensure optimal service.

They can install flooring, bathroom products, kitchen appliances, garages, and yard care items, among other services

Lowes installation received mixed customer reception. Many customers were happy with their contractors but others reported poor installation of their purchases.

The quality of both Lowes and Home Depot’s installation comes down to which contractor they assign to the task. It’s disappointing that there’s so much variance in that regard, but the other option is that you select your own contractor to install the items for you.

Lowes vs Home Depot: Price & Value

Lowes vs Home Depot Review 

This segment of my Lowes vs Home Depot review will compare the prices of the products I mentioned earlier.

Here are the prices for what Lowes brings to the table:

  • Lowes Dewalt 6-Tool Power Tool Combo Kit with Soft Case: $599
  • Lowes Portfolio 48-ft 18-Light Novelty String Lights: $80 regularly, on sale now for $50
  • Lowes GE Window Air Conditioner: $249

And here’s what Home Depot has up their sleeves in regards to prices:

  • Home Depot Ryobi ONE+ 18V Cordless 6-Tool Combo Kit: $308 regularly, on sale now for $199 
  • Home Depot Hampton Bay 20-ft Solar Edison Bulb String Light: $50
  • Home Depot LG Electronics Window Air Conditioner With WiFi and Remote: $549

You can get out a calculator to crunch the numbers, but here’s the conclusion I came to: these two stores have similar prices and the variances come down to the products. 

Anybody can see that the Lowes Dewalt 6-Tool Power Tool Combo Kit with Soft Case costs more than the Home Depot Ryobi ONE+ 18V Cordless 6-Tool Combo Kit, but these are collections made by two separate brands. 

Thus, deciding between Lowes and Home Depot when it comes to prices is more about which product you’ll purchase than it is which store has the lowest price.

Lowes vs Home Depot: What do Customers Think?  

Lowes vs Home Depot Review 

As I mentioned earlier in this Lowes vs Home Depot review, both brands were criticized for their installation services. However, that’s mostly due to the fact that they outsource their installations to private contractors instead of handling them themselves.

That’s why I’ll be looking more closely at what buyers said about the stores themselves. That way I can accurately summarize the shopping experience for both Lowes and Home Depot.

Lowes earned praise for their friendly in-store staff. One reviewer from TrustPilot complimented both Lowes’ staff and their delivery service. They wrote,

The sales service was friendly, informative, & very professional. The sales agent was Mercedes Villaramar, & she looked after us right until the refrigerator was delivered in early Jan. Also the delivery in Jan. was awesome, with Sergei & Dylan. Out with the old model & in with the new, set up in about 30 min.

That wasn’t the only customer report that praised Lowes’ professional service.

Another fan had this to say about the store: “I bought a Fridge on Black Friday…They delivered in it in 2 days! Oh …and took my old fridge too. From the salesperson to the delivery guys.. they rocked … thank you…

However, many reviews were less than enthusiastic about Lowes’ customer service and online shopping experience. They cited some problems with shipping and returns.

Home Depot, on the other hand, was popular among small business owners for their willingness to help. An extremely grateful customer was head-over-heels in love with the store in their review:

Recently, I rented a forklift to unpack my 40ft container of goods and the container delivery was delayed by three days. I explained my situation to Home Depot staff and instead of charging me for all three days, they gave me a third day free. As a small business owner, I greatly appreciate that.”

Other customers reported that Home Depot’s employees were eager to help them find the products they were looking for. Customers appreciate the extra care that the brand’s workers put into ensuring customer satisfaction.

But, just like Lowes, there were some buyers who felt that Home Depot slighted them when it came time to return products, following up with their complaints, or poorly dealing with shipping issues.

So, both companies earned love and ire from buyers, meaning I can’t properly say whether one is more recommended for you than the other.

Lowes vs Home Depot: Promotions & Discounts

Lowes vs Home Depot Review 

Both companies made it easy for me to see what promotions and discounts they have for this Lowes vs Home Depot review. And if it’s easy for me to discover ways to save money then I know it’ll be easy for my educated readers.

The two stores dedicate portions of their websites to discounted items. At the time of publication, Lowes has discounts as high as 43% off of selected items. You can filter through their sales by product category.

Home Depot also offers buyers the chance to save up to 45% on certain items. Additionally, you can pilfer through their overstock category or buy in bulk to save more.

These discounts rotate on a regular basis, so there’s always a chance for you to save money with either Lowes or Home Depot.

Lowes vs Home Depot: Shipping & Returns 

Lowes vs Home Depot Review 

Finally, let’s look at how both Lowes and Home Depot will get their items into your hands.

Home Depot offers free delivery on purchases of $45 and over. Most of their items take two days to deliver but they also offer expedited, express, and priority shipping options.

Additionally, you can exchange any item at a Home Depot retail location. They have a 30-day return policy on some items, but I recommend you imagine that everything they sell falls under that policy.

You can also schedule returns to a Home Depot store through their website, meaning you can handle all the paperwork from your computer. 

Lowes offers a fair return policy too. You can bring any purchase back to any Lowes location so long as you have the original proof of purchase. From there, you can either get a full refund or exchange the item. You’ll have up to 90 days to return your purchase.

Another similarity between Lowes and Home Depot is that the former provides free shipping on products that cost more than $45 and weighs less than 150 pounds. 

Standard Lowes shipping takes 1 to 4 business days to arrive, but they do have expedited shipping options for some items.

There really isn’t much to differentiate Lowes’ shipping and return policies from Home Depot’s. 

Who Will You Shop With?

Lowes vs Home Depot Review 

Let’s conclude this Lowes vs Home Depot review by going over what these two companies have in common:

  1. They’re both accessible across the United States
  2. They both use private contractors to install their products
  3. They both have ongoing sales and discounts

The difference between Lowes and Home Depot lay in their product minutiae, but besides that, they’re both so big that choosing one over the other mostly comes down to convenience.

Since they’re nearly equally huge brands I recommend picking whichever store is closest to you.

However, I’m not the buyer, nor the seller, nor the fortune-teller. The choice between Lowes and Home Depot is ultimately in your hands.


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