5 Lesser-Known DeWalt Tools That Any Homeowner Would Find Useful

When you go to your local Home Depot to shop around for tools, there's an assumption that you'll be using them primarily for handiwork purposes, professional or otherwise. However, the neat thing about tools is that their uses aren't limited to what's printed on the box. With a little bit of creativity and ingenuity, a tool for the worksite could become a trusted helper in your own home.

No matter how work-tough a tool brand presents itself, that brand's products could make great household implements if you know what you're doing. Take, for example, the tools produced by DeWalt: they're burly and colored construction-yellow, something intended first and foremost for a jobsite. If you dig a little deeper into DeWalt's back catalog, though, you can find some tools with a little less buzz behind them that could prove handy in several of the situations that a homeowner may encounter. Even if you don't use them for their intended purposes, you might just be glad you picked them up.

For more information on how we selected these tools, check the bottom of the page for our methodology.

The best kind of tools to keep around the house are those you can rely on to accomplish more than one task. It's nice when a tool can reliably handle a single recurring job in your daily life, but it's even nicer when you can keep pulling the same tool out for several different purposes. The DeWalt Jump Starter, Compressor, and Power Bank can tackle three kinds of tasks at once and in several scenarios.

As the name implies, this tool has three functions. First, it's a 1,600 peak amp jump starter that can jolt any kind of car, truck, or van with up to a V8 engine. You can keep it in your garage or car trunk for an emergency jump whenever. Second, it's a 120 PSI air compressor with a digital controller, allowing you to inflate tires, sporting equipment, pool toys, and more. It has an autostop function to automatically end the airflow when your set PSI is reached. Finally, this tool has 25W USB-C and 15W USB-A charging ports, allowing it to serve as a source of emergency electricity at home or on the road.

527 Home Depot shoppers have collectively given this tool a 4.4 out of 5-star rating. Several users claim they originally bought one just to keep in their car but found it to be exceptionally useful around the house as well for dealing with blackouts or blowing up summer pool toys.

No one likes to randomly discover a wet spot in their home where they'd rather not have one, such as on the kitchen floor when you're in your socks. Unfortunately, some damp spots can't be remedied with just a paper towel — you need to address the source, and that means applying concentrated heat to dry it out. Various hardware brands like Ryobi make heating tools that can address this, and DeWalt is no exception with the MAX Compact Heat Gun.

This cordless heating tool uses a 20V battery pack to deliver up to 990 degrees Fahrenheit of heat directly at whatever you point it toward. The trigger has a locking button, so you can engage the heat gun and place it down to slowly heat up your target without straining your finger. The tool comes with a reflector hook attachment for holding and heating small objects like wiring, as well as a spreader nozzle for spreading the heat over a wider area.

This tool has a 4.4 out of 5 rating, courtesy of 972 Home Depot customers. While some have expressed disappointment in this tool's worksite efficacy, homeowners and D.I.Y. enthusiasts have found a use for it in de-icing purposes like thawing frozen pipes.

The importance of reliable lighting sources in any home cannot be overstated. Whether you're trying to fix something in a dark corner of the basement or need emergency illumination in a blackout, you should always have a strong, long-lasting light on standby. For both strength and longevity, the DeWalt Folding Panel Work Light will light your way.

This case-style light features a pair of pop-up panels that can deliver a full 360 degrees of illumination when working together. There are seven different brightness settings you can switch to, with the brightest one providing a powerful 4,000 lumens of illumination. Stick in a 20V battery pack, and you'll get up to 3 hours of continuous light. It can stand on its own, hook onto a hanging point, or be attached to an external tripod. As an added bonus, this light is compatible with DeWalt's Tough System, which means it can hook onto certain storage containers for easier organization.

This light has a 4.2 out of 5 rating based on reviews from 53 Home Depot shoppers. Users generally agree it's a nice, heavy-duty light with powerful illumination. Some customers note, though, that the tool incorrectly bills itself as being compatible with corded power when it is cordless only.

Every home needs a proper vacuum cleaner, though if you live in a smaller home or apartment, a beefy Dyson vacuum might be a bit excessive. If you need something that can capture various kinds of messes without taking up too much space, the DeWalt Portable Wet/Dry Vacuum is an attractive option.

This vacuum is small enough to be held comfortably in one hand with an onboard half-gallon storage tank. The tank has a simple yet sturdy latch, so you can easily unplug it and clean it between cleaning sessions. The built-in HEPA filter traps 99.7% of particulates can handle both wet and dry messes, and is itself machine washable. You can capture large debris with the front utility nozzle, or unplug and use the extending rubber hose for smaller messes.

580 Home Depot shoppers have given this vacuum a 4.3 out of 5 rating. As users clarify, it's obviously not as powerful as a full-sized vac, but for small jobs in small places, it's a simple and handy option. It's also great for cleaning spots in and around your car.

In a perfect world, we would all have central air conditioning with digital controls. Unfortunately, we don't live in that world, which means you occasionally need to resort to other measures when it gets hot out. Whether the air conditioning is on the fritz or you just need a nice breeze in the backyard, try the DeWalt MAX Jobsite Fan.

This thick yet compact fan is ostensibly for work purposes, but thanks to its resilient build, you can use it pretty much anywhere. It's IP54 rated for resistance against the elements and is compatible with both free-hanging hooks and wall mounts. When powered on and set to its highest setting, you'll get up to 650 CFM of airflow, which you can tweak with the variable speed dial. With the help of a 20V battery pack, you can get up to 4.5 hours of runtime on the highest setting.

This fan has a 4.7 out of 5 rating based on reviews from 849 Home Depot shoppers. Many users appreciate this fan for its intended purpose at the job site, though others also enjoy using it to circulate air in cramped confines like a truck or the attic of their home.

While the name of the game is "lesser-known" DeWalt tools, you do need at least a little bit of positive buzz to warrant a potentially expensive power tool purchase. This is why, in order to select the preceding DeWalt products, we looked for tools available at Home Depot with a user rating of at least 4 out of 5 stars but fewer than 1,000 user reviews.