5 Lowe's Finds That Could Come In Handy For Off-Road Enthusiasts
Like many hobbies, off-roading requires a wide range of various accessories and other items in order for you to successfully spend your downtime doing it. Once you've bought that jeep or ATV you've always dreamed about — and perhaps a really cool looking helmet — you might be ready to hit the road (so you can drive off of it.) But, there are still other things you should consider purchasing ahead of time for a better, and safer, experience.
Perhaps more than most hobbies, some of these accessories are especially important, as off-roading can be a particularly more dangerous pastime than most. One way to better ensure your safety is to make sure the vehicles you're using are properly maintained, and that you're prepared to make fixes and tune-ups on the fly before getting back behind the wheel. You can find many of these accessories, like mechanics tools and trailer attachments, at hardware retailers such as Lowe's Home Improvement. With these items so conveniently easy to find and purchase, you don't really have an excuse not to prepare yourself before your next off-roading excursion.
Here are five Lowe's finds that can come in handy for off-road enthusiasts, based on positive reviews from customers who've purchased and used them. More information on how these items were selected can be found at the end of this list.
Reese 7 Way Round to 4 Way Flat Adapter
If you're off-roading with a truck or jeep, you can usually just drive straight from your garage to the wilderness — but that's not usually practical for an ATV or motorbike. Many off-road enthusiasts will bring their rides along with them on a trailer. When attaching a trailer to your vehicle, you'll often use a standard four-way flat connector, which includes ports and connections for electrical wiring you'll need for your trailer's tail lights and the like. However, larger or more complex trailers — like the ones designed to carry more than one ATV or motorbike, as well as enclosed ones that better protect them — typically require extra electrical connections and use a seven-way connector.
If you're about to head out for a planned off-roading trip and suddenly realize your trailer can't attach to your vehicle, there's no need to panic — the situation can easily be resolved with the Reese 7 Way Round to 4 Way Flat Adapter, which has a 4.8 out of five overall user rating, based on over 65 customer reviews. Reese's adapter is designed for 12V systems and rated for 7.5 amps per circuit. It simply plugs right in, converting a seven-way blade connector into a standard four-flat connector, and it's compatible with both plastic or metal connectors. It's small and easy to store, and it'll last you a long time, as it's built with non-corroding brass contacts and thermoplastic material.
Of course, many bike trailers may not need this adapter at all, but if you do find yourself with an incompatible trailer, you'll be glad this inexpensive little adapter exists. Lowe's sells the Reese 7 Way Round to 4 Way Flat Adapter for $12.48.
Craftsman V20 Air Inflator
Off-roading enthusiasts are not strangers to flat tires or tires running low on air, which is why it's a good idea to keep an air compressor or air inflator on hand. The Craftsman V20 Air Inflator is a great cordless option made by one of the top brands named in SlashGear's Air Compressor Buyers Guide. Based on over 440 customer reviews, it has a 4.3 out of five user rating at Lowe's.
Its high pressure capability makes it great for large tires. The inflator uses three different power sources for your convenience — an AC wall plug, a 12V car adapter, or a Craftsman 20V Max battery. Once you set your desired PSI, the unit can automatically shut off, and an easy-to-read digital PSI gauge is also built into the unit so you can keep track.
Also included with the tool is a ball needle, Presta valve adapter, small inflatable adapter, and a large volume hose. One downside is that, if you're not using other tools that are part of Craftsman's line of V20 cordless tools, you'll need to purchase a separate charger and battery, which isn't that efficient if most of your cordless tools use a different brand's proprietary system of batteries. You can find the Craftsman V20 Air Inflator at Lowe's for $79.
Eagle 5-Gallon Red Metal Gas Can
Driving off-road usually means being far from any gas stations, which is why it's a good idea to stock up on spare fuel if you're planning on an extended trip. The Eagle 5-Gallon Red Metal Gas Can is a solid option from a reliable brand that has earned a 4.5 out of five average customer rating based on over 150 user reviews. Metal cans are more durable than plastic, which is especially important on rougher roads (or no roads at all). It's constructed of 24-gauge, hot-dipped galvanized steel that meets OSHA, FM, UL, ULC, and NFPA code 30 requirements for handling and storing gasoline and other flammable liquids. Eagle boasts that it's the only deep-drawn gasoline can that has no top or side seams.
With a 5-gallon capacity, the can provides plenty of fuel in a small package, and its fire red color makes it easy to spot and be aware of for safety reasons. It's built with a comfort grip trigger release, non-sparking flame arrestor, and brass pour spout that's both easy to use and safe to handle.
One problem with the product, however, is that its round shape is not nearly as ergonomic as the flat, rectangular design used by Vevor and some other brands. However, Lowe's customers tend to rate those cans lower than Eagle's, so while it might be trickier to store Eagle's cans or attach them to your ride, it may still be the better option in the long run. You can purchase the Eagle 5-Gallon Red Metal Gas Can from Lowe's for $69.98.
Kobalt 64-piece Mechanic's Tool Set
Off-roading can do a number on your vehicle, and if you want to save money and avoid constantly going to the body shop for fixes and tune-ups, you'll want to invest in a solid mechanic's tool set. The Kobalt 64-piece Mechanic's Tool Set is one tool set from Lowe's no DIY mechanic should be without, thanks to its inclusion of basic yet universally useful items.
Included in the kit is a ratchet that's conveniently compatible with three different sizes: 1/4-inch, 3/8-inch, and 1/2-inch. The many different sockets that are also included with the kit come in both metric and SAE-standard sizes, so you won't have to worry about your vehicle not being compatible with the tool set. The kit also comes with 22 hex bits, a ¼-inch spinner, an adapter, and an extension for each ratchet size.
If you want to take the kit with you to make on-the-fly repairs, you'll be glad the set is also rugged enough to handle rough rides through tough terrain. The sockets and ratchet are strong, durable, and long-lasting thanks to their chrome vanadium steel and heat-treated construction. The hard case that comes with the tool set is also durable and will keep everything inside well protected.
If you're truly a DIY mechanic who wants to handle every repair yourself, you may want to opt for an even more comprehensive toolkit, like Kobalt's 100-piece anniversary set, which offers a wider range of socket sizes. However, with 64 pieces, this kit will still be useful for many repairs, both basic and advanced. The Kobalt 64-piece Mechanic's Tool Set is available for $64.98 from Lowe's, where it has an average 4.6 out of five user rating based on over 320 customer reviews.
Trailer Valet 5000-pound Capacity Side Wind Trailer Jack
If you're towing your off-road vehicles, you'll want a quality jack, such as the Trailer Valet 5000-pound Capacity Side Wind Trailer Jack, which has a solid 4.7 out of five overall customer score based on dozens of user reviews. The manual hand-crank jack has enough lift capacity for many off-road vehicles, and is compatible with any 18-24V non-impact drill (for a 1,250-pound capacity). It's built with water-resistant and weather-resistant materials that also reduce heat retention, as well as a wrinkle black powder to extend its durability. Additional features include a standard footplate, drill attachment, and optional wheel attachment.
The jack uses a three-position circular mount plate and has a 23-inch retracted height, 37-inch extended height, and a total extension of 14 inches. It can lift a trailer 9.5 to 23.5 inches and has a 13.5-inch clearance from the mount point to the top of the jack. If you prefer top wind jacks, this may not be the product for you, but if you don't have an issue with side wind jacks, you can purchase the Trailer Valet 5000-pound Capacity Side Wind Trailer Jack for $129 from Lowe's.
How these items were selected
It's one thing to judge an item based on the listed specs and features from its product page, but these often aren't accurate in real-world applications. That's why it's important to also consider the experience of customers who've purchased and used a particular product before purchasing one yourself, ensuring it works as advertised and is reliable enough to be worth your investment. All of the Lowe's products that off-road enthusiasts may find useful recommended in this list have an average customer rating of 4.3 out of five or higher.
The user scores for these items are averaged from dozens of reviews each, if not many more. This is an important factor to consider, as a larger base of reviews makes for a more accurate customer rating — any outlier reviews made in bad faith, whether positively or negatively, will have much less of an impact on the overall score.