Pre-Halloween Sales at Black Friday Prices

We're five weeks away from Black Friday and already major retailers are dropping prices to entice early shoppers into the stores and onto their websites. Amazon has been discounting prices for months and, as a result, its third-quarter sales surged 39 percent. We combed the websites and sale circulars of some major appliance and equipment retailers and found prices cut on some top performers. Some stores are throwing in free delivery and haulaway deals to sweeten the deal.

If you’re a subscriber to ConsumerReports.org, remember that you can access our Ratings and other shopping advice free through your mobile phone. Consumer Reports also just introduced its Mobile Shopper. With this application, available on iTunes for $9.99, shoppers can scan a barcode and access product and pricing information as well as Ratings for CR's most popular products. Here are some of the major markdowns we found. Remember that availability can vary from location to location.

 

Hoover WindTunnel

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Amazon.com

• Hoover WindTunnel Anniversary Edition U6485-900 upright vacuum marked down to $189, with free shipping.

• Cuisinart DCC-1200 12-Cup Brew Central is $65.50; a factory-reconditioned model is $52.98.

• Weed Eater’s FB25 gasoline-powerd handheld leaf blower is $68.60. The handheld electric Toro 51599 is $69.97.

• Olympus’ Outback 8x21 RC1 binoculars are $43.99.

Dyson DC24 Ball Upright

Lowe's

• Five Dyson vacuums are $100 off: The Dyson DC24 Ball Upright ($299), the DC14 All Floors Upright ($349), and the DC23 Motorhead Canister ($499).

• Select Whirlpool, Maytag and KitchenAid appliances are 20 percent off.

• All Energy Star-qualified appliances are 10 percent off and include free delivery and recycling.

Maytag Dryer

Sears

• On “Sears Days” (Friday and Saturday) price cuts include Craftsman tools and Kenmore appliances. Shoppers can also get a $10 off coupon on the Sears website.

• Select Kenmore Elite dishwashers and Kenmore Elite high-efficiency washers and dryers are 30 percent off.

• All Kenmore Elite freezers are 25 percent off.

• Some Kenmore, KitchenAid and Whirlpool appliances and Maytag washers and dryers have had their prices cut by 20 percent.

• Craftsman 25 cc gas blower is $89.99; a Craftsman 30-inch poly leaf rake is $14.45.

 

Leaf Blower

Home Depot

• Prices have been lowered across a wide range of lawn and yard equipment, including leaf blowers and chain saws.

• All Energy Star-qualified appliances have been reduced by 10 percent, including free haulaway of old appliances.

• Select Maytag cooking appliances are reduced 15 percent and prices of some GE cooking appliances have been cut by 20 percent.

Viking Stand Mixer

Abt Appliance

• Online weekly specials on Bosch dishwashers, Whirlpool microwaves, Amana refrigerators, Viking stand mixers, and washers from GE and Whirlpool.

• Check the “Just reduced” page for more sales.

 

 

Appliance discounts

Best Buy

• Free delivery and recycling for all appliances over $599.

• Discounts of 10, 15 and 20 percent for buying two, three or four major appliances.

• Some pairs of steam-equipped washing machines and dryers are 15 percent off.

• Gift cards ranging from $25 to $150 are being offered with the purchase of some Maytag appliances.

 

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