When Does the EOFY Tool Sale Start in 2026? Sydney Tools, Total Tools, Bunnings & Amazon AU Timing Guide

Every tradie running an ABN asks the same question around this time of year: when does the EOFY tool sale actually start, and is it worth holding off until the back half of June? Short answer first, because you're probably reading this on a smoko break. The catalogues are already live - Sydney Tools and Total Tools both kicked their May specials off around the 12th - but the sharpest pricing, the genuine clearance gear and the bundled kits tend to land in the final two weeks of June, right up against the June 30 cut-off. The trick is knowing which deals to jump on early and which ones reward patience. We've broken down the timing retailer by retailer below, and if you just want a fast shortlist of what's worth claiming, our cordless drills buying guide and the live top7tools.au deals page roll up what's currently on sale across every category.

One thing worth getting straight up front: this EOFY carries more weight than most. The $20,000 instant asset write-off for eligible small businesses applies to assets first used or installed ready for use between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2026, and it's currently legislated to drop back to $1,000 from 1 July 2026. So unless the government extends it again, the tools you buy and put to work before June 30 sit under a threshold that's twenty times higher than what's coming next financial year. That's general information, not advice - more on the tax side at the bottom of this post, and definitely have a yarn to your accountant before you bank on anything.

Quick Picks - EOFY Tool Deals Worth Watching

Milwaukee M18FPD30 18V M18 FUEL Gen 4 Brushless 13mm Hammer Drill/Driver (Skin)A$289Check Price →

Prices move daily through June, so treat these as a guide. The skins (tool only) are the smart EOFY buy if you're already on a platform - you're paying for the motor, not another pair of batteries you don't need.

When does the EOFY tool sale start at each retailer in 2026?

There's no single national start date - each retailer runs its own calendar - but the pattern repeats every year, so you can plan around it.

Sydney Tools

Sydney Tools runs near-continuous catalogue specials, and the current run started rolling out around 12 May. Their EOFY push proper builds through June, with the big-ticket combo kits and clearance lines getting their deepest cuts in the last fortnight. If you're chasing a specific kit, watch it across a couple of weeks rather than buying the first price you see - Sydney Tools and Total Tools tend to leapfrog each other on the headline platforms. The catch with both is that the loss-leader kits sell through fast once the price drops, so the best deal and the in-stock deal aren't always the same thing.

Total Tools

Total Tools has its EOFY Deals hub live now, online and in-store. Like Sydney Tools, the May catalogue is already running, but the genuine end-of-year clearance - saws, compact table saws, demolition gear, outdoor powerheads - lands closer to the June 30 deadline. Total Tools is usually the one to beat on bundled saw deals and standalone power tools, so if a sliding mitre saw or circular saw is on your list, it's worth a look. For the platform-by-platform breakdown on cutting tools, our circular saws guide sorts the M18, XR and LXT options.

Bunnings

Bunnings doesn't shout EOFY the way the dedicated tool shops do, but it quietly runs strong June bundle pricing across AEG, DeWalt, Bosch and Makita. You'll see 18V kits - combi drill, impact driver, angle grinder, circ saw, recip saw, batteries, charger and a bag - landing around the A$1,999 mark through June. The Bunnings advantage is availability and the no-fuss returns policy; the trade-off is the range skews toward homeowner and prosumer kits rather than the FUEL-grade or XGT gear the specialist stores carry. For a sole trader or DIYer building a first platform, that's often exactly the right call.

Amazon AU

Amazon AU is the odd one out - it doesn't run a formal "EOFY sale" banner, but it tracks the market, and prices on Milwaukee, Makita, DeWalt and Bosch skins routinely dip through June to stay competitive with the bricks-and-mortar mob. The upside is that Amazon AU pricing tends to be sharpest on individual skins rather than full kits, which suits anyone already invested in a battery platform. It's also where most of the tools we link to actually convert, so it's worth setting up a watch on the specific model you want. Just mind the warranty channel - check whether a listing is Australian stock with local warranty or a parallel import before you commit on anything pricey.

When should you buy - early June or wait until the 30th?

This is the real question, and the honest answer is: it depends on what you're after.

Buy early if you're chasing a specific kit or a popular skin. The deepest discounts come late, but so do the stockouts. If your business genuinely needs that impact driver to keep earning, a A$20 saving in the last week isn't worth the risk of it being sold out when you need it installed and working before June 30. Remember, for the write-off the asset has to be first used or installed ready for use by 30 June - a tool still in transit on the 29th is cutting it fine.

Wait if you're flexible on brand or model and just want the best price on a category - a general-purpose drill, a grinder, a storage unit. The last fortnight is where the genuine clearance happens as retailers move old stock before stocktake. If you can be patient and you're not fussed whether you end up on M18 or XR, waiting usually pays.

What to skip: be wary of "was/now" pricing on gear that's been sitting at the "now" price for months - it's not an EOFY deal, it's just the price. And skip the giant 8-piece kits if you only need two of the tools; you're often better buying the two skins you'll actually use and a decent battery, which also keeps you under the write-off threshold per asset. We dig into that maths in our M18 combo kit guide.

EOFY buying checklist for tradies

• Pick your platform first. A drill is a one-off; a battery ecosystem is a ten-year marriage. Sort whether you're M18, XR, LXT, ONE+ or PXC before you chase deals. Our battery platform showdown lays out the trade-offs.
• Buy skins, not kits, if you're already on a platform. You don't need a fourth charger.
• Check the warranty channel. Australian stock with local warranty beats a grey import the day a tool dies on site.
• Get it working before June 30. For the instant asset write-off, eligible assets must be first used or installed ready for use by the end of the financial year.
• Keep the tax invoice. Itemised, with the ABN and GST shown. Your accountant will thank you.

What you can claim and how (the general version)

Here's the context, framed as general information only. For the 2025-26 financial year, eligible small businesses with an aggregated annual turnover under $10 million may be able to immediately deduct the business-use portion of eligible assets costing less than $20,000, where the asset is first used or installed ready for use between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2026. The $20,000 limit applies per asset, so in principle multiple sub-$20k tools can each be written off. That threshold is currently legislated to fall to $1,000 from 1 July 2026, which is why this EOFY is getting so much attention from tradies.

Two things to keep in mind. First, you can only claim the business-use percentage - if a drill does 70% work and 30% weekend jobs around the house, only the 70% is in play. Second, eligibility depends on your business structure and turnover, not just the price of the tool. None of this is a recommendation to buy a tool because of the deduction - buy the tool because it's the right tool, and treat the write-off as context if it happens to apply to you.

A note on tax: This article is general information only and is not tax advice. top7tools.au is not a registered tax agent. Whether you can claim a deduction depends on your circumstances - your work-use percentage, your business structure, and current ATO rules. Talk to a registered tax agent or check ato.gov.au before claiming any deduction based on information you read here.

The verdict: timing the 2026 EOFY tool sale

The EOFY tool sale isn't a single event with a start gun - it's a slow build from the May catalogues through to a June 30 crescendo. Sydney Tools and Total Tools are already running specials and will sharpen them late; Bunnings does its bundle thing through June; Amazon AU tracks the lot and tends to win on individual skins. Buy early if you need a specific tool earning before tax time, wait if you're flexible and chasing the rock-bottom price, and always get the thing installed and working before June 30 if the write-off matters to you. Get the platform right, buy the skin, keep the invoice.

From here, line up your shortlist: the best cordless drill deals this EOFY, the picks in our impact drivers guide, storage in the tool chests and storage guide, and everything currently discounted on the top7tools.au deals page. Buy before June 30 to claim against this financial year if you're eligible - talk to your accountant first.