6 Of The Best Cheap Power Tool Brands

Power tools are supremely useful devices. They allow us to accomplish tasks that would be either impossible or extremely tedious and difficult with basic hand tools, and they're a staple of both professional and DIY tool kits. The problem with power tools, though, is that they can be very expensive. While there are a lot of popular power tool brands on the market today, many of them are geared toward professionals and come with steep prices inaccessible to home improvement enthusiasts and DIYers. 

If you're someone who uses your tools daily to earn a living, paying a premium fee for high-quality devices isn't as big of a deal. However, if you only use your tools a few times a year to complete projects and hobbies, it can be harder to justify dropping hundreds of dollars on high-end power tools.

Fortunately, there are also various brands that sell more affordably-priced power tools, which is exactly what we're going to cover together in this article. As a former professional auto mechanic and a lifelong tinkerer who continues to use both hand and power tools regularly, I'll provide some insight into some of the most popular budget power tool brands. We'll explain why these brands are worth checking out, showcase some of the best tools each offers, and cover the places where you can buy them. So, from popular names like Ryobi to less well-known companies like Truper, here are six of the best cheap power tool brands.

Ryobi is one of the most popular power tool brands on the market right now. Founded in Japan during the 1940s, Ryobi started out as a die casting company. It began building power tools during the late 1960s and has since grown into one of the world's most popular tool suppliers. These days, Ryobi tools are built by Techtronic Industries, a Hong-Kong based company that owns other popular brands, like Milwaukee, Hoover, and Dirt Devil. 

Ryobi tools are manufactured around the world, and the brand maintains production bases in China, the United States, Mexico, Thailand. The company has an exclusivity agreement with Home Depot, meaning you can't buy Ryobi tools from other hardware stores like Lowe's. However, you can buy Ryobi products from various places online, and it's a good idea to check some of these sites, due to the differences in price that you're likely to encounter.

When it comes to price and quality, Ryobi products generally fall around the middle of the pack. They're not the cheapest tools on the market, but they're far from the most expensive. Ryobi sells various power tools under $100, including things like drills, circular saws, cordless ratchets and more. Most Ryobi power tools come with a solid warranty. However, the warranties provided differ based on the tool you buy. For example, products from the popular 18-volt ONE+ line come with a limited three-year warranty, while Ryobi USB Lithium tools come with a limited two-year guarantee. Ryobi power tools are solid options for both entry-level pros and hobbyists. However, if you're looking for something even cheaper, there are still various other brands from which you can choose.

Hercules is one of Harbor Freight's in-house tool brands and one of its higher-end lines that features everything from drills and impact wrenches to saws, work fans, and various other tools and accessories. Unlike Ryobi products, which you can find through various vendors, Hercules tools are only available through Harbor Freight. That's not necessarily a bad thing, as Harbor Freight is known for its deals and discounts, as well as its Inside Track Club, which entitles members to attractive discounts on various items.

Hercules sells both corded and cordless power tools and offers both 12-volt and 20-volt cordless battery systems. When it comes to cordless options, Hercules is immensely popular among home improvement enthusiasts and DIYers. The brand's 20V Brushless Cordless ½-inch Drill/Driver retails for $69.99 and is designed to compete with Milwaukee's 18-volt ½-inch Drill/Driver, which, at $189.00, costs more than double the price. Hercules products are well-rated, and the popular drill/driver mentioned above features an impressive 4.7 out of five stars based on more than 500 customer reviews.

Like Ryobi products, Hercules power tools come with fairly solid warranties. The drill highlighted above comes with a limited five-year warranty, while batteries come with a three-year limited warranty. Those lengthy guarantees, combined with Hercules products' impressive quality and power output, make them attractive and worthwhile options for not only homeowners and DIYers, but also for entry-level pros who don't want to invest in high-end equipment just yet.

Truper is a Mexican tool manufacturer, importer, and exporter. The company is less well-known in the United States, but it maintains an international presence, and you may have seen Truper tools in the lawn and garden section of your local hardware store. That's because the company's U.S. catalogue is limited to things like axes, hatchets, and snow shovels. However, that doesn't mean that you can't buy Truper power tools in the States. Amazon, the popular online marketplace, is full of Truper tools. You can also find Truper power tools through other vendors and retailers, but remember to do your research and read reviews when purchasing from a less well-known company.

When it comes to power tools, Truper's inventory is pretty large, especially if you're looking for corded power tools. Even in the United States, you can find everything from pneumatic nailers and hammer drills to circular saws, angle grinders, and more. I personally own the 650-watt version of Truper's Rotomartillo 1/2-inch Hammer Drill and am in love with its ability to drill large holes into thick concrete walls effortlessly. 

The more powerful Truper Rotomartillo 1/2-inch 700-watt version, available in the U.S. through Amazon, costs $85.54 and boasts 4.8 out of five stars based on nearly 2,000 customer reviews. When compared to a similar product sold by Milwaukee, the Truper tool represents a significant savings. While Truper is less well-known than many other brands, its corded power tools are worth checking out if you encounter them, especially if you're a DIYer or homeowner looking for robust power on a budget.

Bauer is another Harbor Freight brand. Like Hercules, Bauer tools are sold exclusively through the budget-themed hardware store. Harbor Freight designs its Bauer products in the United States but manufactures them internationally, and individual Bauer tools come with a label indicating their country of origin. Generally, Bauer power tools cost a little less than Hercules products and are geared more toward DIYers and entry-level tradespeople than higher-dollar brands. However, Bauer's extensive inventory is pretty popular among tool enthusiasts of all walks of life, and it's definitely worth checking out if you're in the market for some solid budget power tools.

Some of the best Bauer power tools that you may want to consider for your home garage include things like cordless drills, circular saws, and angle grinders. The brand's product line covers everything from cordless and corded power tools to lighting products and tool storage solutions. As mentioned, Bauer offers relatively low prices, even when compared to other prominent names on this list. 

One of the brand's most popular products is the Bauer 7.5 Amp ½-inch Variable Speed Hammer Drill. Compared to the Truper device covered above, the Bauer tool is nearly half the price at $44.99. It's extremely well-rated by customers and boasts 4.5 out of five stars based on more than 2,500 reviews, with users frequently celebrating the tool's power and affordability. Most Bauer products come with similarly high ratings and low prices, making the brand a great option for DIYers and hobbyists of various pursuits and interests.

Various power tool brands are exclusive to individual hardware stores. We've covered a couple of brands that you can only find at Harbor Freight. However, now, we're going to discuss Kobalt, a tool line exclusive to the popular home improvement store, Lowe's. Kobalt is owned by Lowe's and has been around since the late 1990s, when Lowe's and the J.H. Williams Tool Group partnered up to develop a line of products to compete with Sears and Home Depot. 

Kobalt tools are manufactured overseas for the most part. Some older Kobalt hand tools were built in the U.S. However, most of the Kobalt products you'll find these days, including its power tools, are built outside of the States. That's not a reflection of quality, though, as many people would like to believe. Most contemporary companies manufacture their products overseas, and country of origin is not an accurate measurement of quality or durability.

When it comes to Kobalt power tools, the company offers an expansive inventory and sells everything from corded and cordless drills, impact drivers, and saws to lawn and garden equipment, like mowers and trimmers, and air-powered pneumatic devices. One of the more popular tools sold by Kobalt is the Next-Gen 24-volt ½-inch Cordless Drill. It provides an impressive 850 inch-pounds of torque to install and remove fasteners or drill holes with ease and features a brushless motor capable of up to 2,000 max RPM. You can pick up the drill, along with one 24-volt battery, a battery charger, and a tool bag, from Lowe's for $139 (currently on sale for $79.00). Like most Kobalt tools, the drill kit is highly-rated by customers and boasts 4.5 out of five stars based on hundreds of user reviews.

Ridgid may not be the most popular power tool brand on this list, but that doesn't mean it's not a solid option worth considering. The company has been in existence for just over 100 years and is responsible for building the first modern pipe wrench all the way back in 1923. Since 1966, Ridgid has been owned by Emerson Electric, and it maintains its headquarters in Elyria, Ohio. Like the other companies on this list, Ridgid builds its tools around the globe. While some of its products are built in the States — like the handles for the company's famous pipe wrenches — others are built around the world, including some tools that are built in China by Techtronic, the same company that owns Milwaukee. Like Ryobi, in-person sales of Ridgid products are limited to Home Depot. However, you can buy Ridgid tools at various places online, including through vendors like Acme Tools, Supply House, and Zoro.

Ridgid's inventory is extensive and features power tools, battery systems, accessories, and even clothing. One of the most popular Ridgid power tools for sale on the Home Depot site is the 18V SubCompact Cordless ½ inch Impact Wrench Kit, which features 4.8 out of five stars based on nearly 3,000 customer reviews. The impact wrench itself provides 250 foot-pounds of breakaway torque and features three speeds and an auto-tightening mode. The kit costs $426.00 normally, but is on sale for $249.00 at the time of this writing. It comes with the compact ½-inch drive impact wrench, two 18-volt batteries, a battery charger, and a tool bag. Compared to the similar kit that Milwaukee sells for $618.00, the Ridgid product represents significant savings without sacrificing power.

We chose to include these power tool brands based on several criteria: price, features and power, and customer reviews. Additionally, as a former professional mechanic who owns tools built by various brands on this list, and who has used tools built by these companies in both professional and casual settings, I drew on my own experience.

Regarding price, we searched for brands that offer prices lower than many of the popular and more expensive manufacturers, like Milwaukee and DeWalt. Each of the brands on this list provide relatively affordable prices compared to other mainstream names while still offering robust quality and performance capabilities. That last part leads us to our next point: features and power. There are a lot of cheap power tools out there, but many of them are incapable of performing even basic tasks. We searched for brands that don't sacrifice power in the name of affordability, and each company on this list builds products that could be suitable for both DIYers and even entry-level pros. 

Finally, we considered what real owners have to say about these brands. We checked out the user reviews for some of the most popular tools sold by each company, and we filtered out those brands that had a multitude of bad reviews. I factored my own experience into this step, and I referenced my own use of various tools built by these brands when choosing companies to include.