6 Of The Best Milwaukee Tools Under $100
Inexpensive tools don't always mean they're low quality, and you can often find good options under the $100 price range. Milwaukee is a brand you've no doubt seen if you've been inside a Home Depot lately, and it's a solid brand that won't break the bank. If you're a new homeowner or somebody looking to bolster their collection, Milwaukee has plenty of options for that.
Staying under the $100 threshold isn't impossible, but it effectively prices you out of most cordless power tools, so don't expect to pick up much branding the Milwaukee name at this price point. Instead, you'll see a bigger focus on hand tools. Those are very important to have as things like screwdrivers and wrenches still have their place even if you won't have the same versatility a power drill has. Everything on this list is available at Home Depot and is backed up by high user reviews. A more in-depth explanation of how these tools were picked can be found at the end.
Milwaukee Screwdriver Set (10-Piece)
A set of screwdrivers is handy because you never know what size you'll need for a particular situation. Milwaukee offers a 10-piece set at Home Depot for $37.97, and it'll cover all of your bases. A mix of Phillips, slotted, and square heads are included with the bundle. Everything you might need is here with a single set, and with the lifetime warranty, it could be the only set you ever buy. Each screwdriver has a slot in the handle that makes it easy to hang from a tool belt, and each boasts a magnetic tip.
It's a popular set among Home Depot shoppers and has more than 1,000 user scores and a nearly perfect rating of 4.8 out of five. Durability and comfort are two standout selling points, and if you do have issues with them you are backed by the warranty. There's a lot of wiggle room with how many screwdrivers you get in the set as well. You can pick up as few as six and grab as many as 35, and that'll drive up or lower the price depending on which way you go.
Milwaukee Compact 25 ft. SAE Tape Measure
A tape measure is something that'll be right at home in any tool collection. Milwaukee has a 25-foot tape measure available at Home Depot for $17.97. The tape is built with a reinforced frame that lets it hold up over several uses. On top of that, the measure has a clip that lets it latch right onto your build — something that makes it a solid pick for a work site. Simply put, it's a Milwaukee tool no handyman should be without.
Tape measures are something a lot of people already own, so it can be a frivolous buy if you have an old one already. If you don't, Milwaukee's sweetens the pot by offering a limited lifetime warranty, a blade lock, and fractional measurement on the tape to allow you to get the most precise readings you can. All of this is backed by a 4.4 out of five user score based on over 2,000 reviews on Home Depot's website. If you don't want to clip it to your belt, the tape measure is lanyard-ready for a different way to carry it.
Milwaukee 20 oz. Curved Claw Smooth Face Hammer
There are plenty of hammers to pick up from Home Depot, and a solid Milwaukee choice is the claw smooth face hammer. Claw hammers are the most popular type of hammer, and they are usually the pick for a DIYer hammering nails into walls. You can pick up Milwaukee's hammer from Home Depot for $32.97 where it has a 4.6 out of five score based on more than 400 reviews.
The hammer has a magnetic nail set that lets you guide nails into place without having to put your fingers in harm's way. The shockshield grip makes it easy and comfortable to use. If you run into problems after your purchase, you're backed by Milwaukee's limited lifetime warranty like you see with the manufacturer's other hand tools. A specialty of a claw hammer is the ability to pull out nails you didn't mean to drive with ease, and you're getting that here.
Milwaukee M12 12V Lithium-Ion Cordless 1/4 in. Hex Screwdriver
Having a set of hand screwdrivers is nice to have, but if you're looking to unscrew something for a quick job, the M12 cordless hex screwdriver can come in clutch. Picking up a kit that comes with the tool, two batteries, a charger, and a tool bag costs $99 from Home Depot. If you have already bought into Milwaukee's M12 ecosystem, that means you might have an extra battery or two lying around, and if that's the case you can save some cash and pick up just the tool for $79.
There are a lot of benefits of this hex screwdriver if you can spring for it. It weighs just two pounds and it's small enough to fit into tight spots where a longer screwdriver could struggle. It comes equipped with an onboard LED light that illuminates your workspace, which can greatly come in handy while working in cabinets. User scores come in with an impressive 4.7 out of five rating on Home Depot's website with 1,900 reviews and counting.
Milwaukee 9 in. 7-in-1 High Leverage Combination Pliers
A nice pair of pliers is good for any situation where you have to work with wires. This applies to working on cords for power outlets along with simply cutting wires that are too long. Milwaukee has a pair of pliers available at Home Depot for $29.97. That might seem expensive for a pair of pliers, but Milwaukee's set comes with seven different uses, hence the 7-in-1. Cutting, crimping, and stripping are all things these pliers can do with ease — and they work with both insulated and non-insulated wires.
This type of functionality is a big reason why the Milwaukee pliers have a 4.7 out of five rating on Home Depot's website with more than 2,000 reviews. Some buyers note the cutting blades aren't as durable as they could be when used on harder materials, so there's a possible downside you can run into. For basic household use, you'll be just fine. The pliers are backed by Milwaukee's limited lifetime warranty.
Milwaukee M12 12V Lithium-Ion Cordless Rotary Tool
A rotary tool can be useful for a variety of different jobs ranging from sanding, cutting, and polishing. Milwaukee's rotary tool comes in just under the $100 threshold at $99. Keep in mind that this purchase doesn't include a battery or charger, so you'll need to spend extra for those accessories or use your existing ones. This is part of the M12 line, so your battery and charger from other Milwaukee M12 tools, like the hex screwdriver on the list, will work.
With more than 1,300 reviews on Home Depot's website, the Milwaukee M12 rotary tool has a 4.4 out of five rating. The cordless and portable nature of the tool is a standout among reviewers, and at 1.3 lbs it's about as lightweight as it can get. The rotary tool comes with plenty out of the box as it includes five cutting wheels, a mandrel and a wrench. Speeds range from 5,000 to 32,000 RPM, so you have plenty of control over how fast or slow you want to go. The purchase includes a five-year limited warranty.
Why were these six Milwaukee tools chosen?
While Milwaukee might not be the cheapest budget brand available, there are plenty of solid picks that come in at or under the $100 price point. Everything on the list can tackle a variety of different jobs, so whether you're on a worksite or at home you have some solid tools to work with. There aren't many power tools you can get from Milwaukee for this cheap, but of the few that are available, you can get something high quality and reliable.
Every Milwaukee tool comes with a warranty whether it's one year or five, so you'll be covered in case anything goes wrong for quite a while. All Milwaukee tools featured on this list are available at Home Depot, where you can go in person to make a purchase or buy them online and have them shipped to you. Everything has higher than a four out of five user score, so there shouldn't be many concerns about whether or not you made a good decision grabbing something listed here.