7 Cheap Milwaukee Finds Under $10 Worth Adding To Your Collection
For countless tool enthusiasts and DIYers, no brand comes close to Milwaukee's lineup. It's not hard to see why, as practically everything under Milwaukee's label is designed with power, versatility, and longevity in mind, ranking it rightfully as one of the best power tool manufacturers out there. As you can imagine, the downside of holding such a high reputation is that Milwaukee products can charge an equally high price tag for many of its most acclaimed products. That's more than enough to deter many from wanting to give the brand a try or add to their Milwaukee collection. However, not only does Milwaukee have its fair share of economically priced tools, but even has a fair share of items in the ultra-low cost zone worth considering.
Sure, you won't find Milwaukee's most power-packed drill within this selection, but you still may be pleasantly surprised by what the brand has up its sleeves. Whether you're a newcomer to Milwaukee or are looking to beef up your collection, there's a good variety of tools and accessories here that can prove useful for various scenarios. We've scoured through Milwaukee's catalogue and retailers that carry their items to determine what $10 or less products from the famous red brand pack the biggest punch. Each item on this list was chosen based on their versatility, overall value, and reception from buyers, which we dive more into at the end of this article.
100-foot Bold Line Chalk Reel Kit
Making a straight line may not be all that difficult if you're doing so on a piece of paper with a ruler, but have you ever wondered how those working in more advanced industries go about achieving such symmetry? For those in fields such as construction or carpentry, a chalk line reel is a must-have straight edge tool thanks to itswwww ability to extend extremely far and provide a thick, bold line that's easy to see. Thankfully, you can find this capable tool at an affordable price, with the Milwaukee 100-foot Bold Line Chalk Reel Kit only going for $9.97 at The Home Depot.
As with countless other Milwaukee tools, this item is equipped with plenty of features and functions that make it a cut above the rest. The braided bold line makes it easy to view your marks, while also being made to resist abrasion and similar damage. This toughness, combined with the tool's special StripGuard Clutch gives this plenty of durability and strength, ensuring your gear has the longest possible life. It can reach 100 feet in length, as its name implies, and possesses a super speedy 6:1 retraction ratio.
Along with being at a low price, this tool is also well-liked by buyers. Nearly 400 Home Depot shoppers have rated this a 4.3-star rating on average, with many praising its ease of use in a wide range of applications including floor tiles, fences, and decks among others.
4-1/2 in. Metal Trim Square
While a bold chalk line reel may be ideal for more advanced situations, there's nothing wrong with possessing a simpler tool for simpler needs. The Milwaukee 4.5-inch Metal Trim Square may not have much in the way of bells and whistles, but that shouldn't discount it as a quality tool. If anything, its $9.97 price tag makes this an inexpensive and harmless little addition to any tool box.
Coming in at a far smaller size than traditional trim squares, this tool is exceptionally easy to transport and use in smaller work areas. The trim square sports Milwaukee's distinct red coloration which contrasts perfectly with the bold white markings that line the tool. Being laser etched makes them not only easy to see, but gives them increased resistance to most common workplace abuse situations. The tool itself comes with some handy features such as a grooved precision scribe and extended reinforced heel for additional increment markings.
As of this writing, the Milwaukee 4.5-inch Metal Trim Square holds a near perfect 4.9 out of 5-star rating average from over 1,200 Home Depot buyers. Its durability, portability, and ease of reading have made it a winner for customers working on smaller-scaled projects.
Fastback Compact Folding Utility Knife
It shouldn't come as a surprise that Milwakuee's utility knives aren't all that expensive, with the Fastback Compact Folding Utility Knife coming in at only $9.97 at The Home Depot. Such a low price tag implies that this is a rather simplistic item and while that's true to some extent, it doesn't make this a weak performer by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, there are a number of handy features present in this utility knife that may surprise you.
Primarily made for quick and easy use, the Fastback Utility Knife was designed with efficiency and convenience in mind above all else. Its titular folding capabilities take little to activate, requiring only one hand to press and flip it open. Likewise, changing out its blades are also easy to do with a button located at the top of the tool allowing for the removal of a dull blade so you can add in a new one. Along with its small size, the knife also comes with both a belt clip and lanyard hole for added portability. It even possesses safety features such as a special holder and an added extension to avoid unintentional blade removal or tearing.
While relatively simple, this hasn't stopped the Fastback Compact Folding Utility Knife from being a winner with customers. The product holds a 4.8-star average rating on The Home Depot's website from over 1,700 buyers, indicating that this is a reliable and handy tool worthy for a wide variety of users and purposes.
3-Pack Corded Red Earplugs
If you regularly work around heavy tools and machinery, you may be doing more damage to your hearing than you realize. Just as it's important to protect your eyes, hands and other sensitive body parts in such environments, you should also make an effort to protect your hearing. A report from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health says that 14% of construction workers report hearing difficulty. Protection doesn't require anything elaborate or expensive by any means, with solutions such as the 3-Pack Corded Red Earplugs from Milwaukee costing a shockingly low $5.67.
For such a low investment, these earplugs provide a surprising amount of support. Each is made out of soft silicon that is simultaneously comfortable for all-day use while possessing an impressive noise reduction rate of 26, making them more than ideal for use in abrasive work noise situations. Being corded, they are also easy to transport and keep track of during busy, hectic days. When not in use, you can store your plugs in the handy container that comes with them.
Given its low cost and high safety value, this should be a no-brainer purchase for power tool aficionados. It sports a 4.3-star rating from more than 200 Home Depot customers, who have commented on the snug fit of these earplugs compared to cheaper foam models while also praising their overall effectiveness and convenience.
6-foot Keychain Compact Tape Measure
A tape measure is simply one of those tools that no handyman should be without. But while some of these can be somewhat bulky, the Milwaukee 6-foot Keychain Compact Tape Measure offers an equally capable performance in a far more convenient and portable package. Additionally, it's also the most affordable of Milwaukee's tape measure selection, costing only $5.97.
Being a Milwaukee tape measure, it's made to take a licking and keep on kicking thanks to its durable steel and ABS plastic construction. The blade itself features both metric and SAE scales to best adapt with whatever The entirety of this tool measures less than 2 inches in length, making it very easy to take it about with you anywhere. As its name suggests, it also possesses a secure keychain, as well as an additional belt clip, that makes it easy to attach and store onto keychains, backpacks, and belts with ease. This combination of portability and durability makes this a great pick for buyers with more casual needs or professionals who need a tape measure that can be used for quick and easy measurements.
Its ratings on Home Depot's website more than vow to its value. The tool has a perfect 5-star average rating based on its 71 reviews that, while likely to drop to some degree as more reviews are added on, nevertheless speaks to this tape measures convenience, solid quality, and ease of use.
12-24 AWG Adjustable Compact Wire Stripper/Cutter
The Milwaukee 12-24 AWG Adjustable Compact Wire Stripper/Cutter lives up to its name, giving those who regularly work with wires a handy tool that's up to any task. Best of all, it won't break the bank by any means, costing only $9.97 at The Home Depot.
wwwAdaptability is the name of the game when it comes to this handy tool. It can go between stripping 10-22 AWG solid and 12-24 stranded wire with ease thanks to its built-in V-Notch design that is even good at cutting through copper wire. When it comes time to bend wires, you can use its built-in slots to do so. An adjustment dial makes it easy to alter the wire size when needed while its markings are made to be bold and easy to read.
The combination of a low price, adjustable set of features, and lightweight build have helped Milwaukee's wire cutter and stripper gain a solid reputation. It has a 4.4-star rating average on The Home Depot's site, with some users even comparing it to preferably to those from other brands such as Klein. It has proven especially useful for those working on smaller projects with thinner wires.
Clear Safety Glasses Anti-Scratch Lenses
For anyone who's ever taken a chemistry or woodworking class in high school, it's common knowledge that a pair of safety glasses are essential to working around hazardous materials and tools. The reasons are obvious, but it can be surprisingly common to forget this basic precaution as you get more comfortable working in your personal workspace. Thankfully, this is another safety measure from Milwaukee that's practically effortless to invest in with the $7.97 Clear Anti-Scratch Lenses Safety Glasses.
This product gets its moniker from its pair of durable lenses that come equipped with an anti-scratch coat. Given all the things that fly and fling about in any given workplace, these safety glasses aren't only good at keeping your eyes safe, but their added layer of protection will also help the glasses themselves last longer. They thankfully won't be as tough on your face as you're wearing them, with the glass' nose bridge and temple arms being made of comfortable, flexible material. Its durability and ease of wearing makes these glasses perfect for donning in various situations.
Buyers certainly seem to think so at least, with the product sporting a 4.6-star rating average on The Home Depot. The over 4.200 customers who helped it reach this rating have largely appreciated its comfortability and resistance to damage, although it doesn't seem as compatible with some face sizes as it is with others according to reviews.
Methodology
When it came to picking what would make this list, we sought to make sure that each tool was a quality item first and foremost. We did this by inspecting their functions and using our judgement to decide if they were worth recommending. Many inexpensive Milwaukee products are little more than replacement parts and accessories for their more premium tools and, as good as they might be, we wanted to find items that displayed had a more robust sense of versatility and could stand on their own as worthwhile buys.
From there, we could judge their overall value. While all these picks were all of exceptionally low cost, we still wanted to make sure that you get what you pay for. That doesn't mean these items are cheap in a derogatory sense. Far from in fact, as there's no point of wasting any amount of money on a tool of low quality that will end up needing to be replaced within a short amount of time. Rather, we looked for items that served economical purposes while still possessing a surprising function or two. As consumers ourselves, we could judge whether these would be tools we'd find ample use in while remaining realistic of their limitations. Finally, we sought customer reviews to get a well-rounded idea of how actual buyers have responded to each item. We made sure to keep away from products with middling or low average rates while still doing our best to take note of consistent criticisms that came up about one element or another.