12 Ryobi Finds Under $20 Actually Worth Buying

Every tool owner has their own opinions on which of the affordable power tool brands is the best, but there's a good reason why so many people prefer Ryobi. The brand might be exclusive to Home Depot's physical retail stores, but it can also be bought in various other places online, making it easily accessible for all kinds of buyers.

Its range is also a wide and comprehensive one, with the brand offering tools to cater for everything from wrenching on cars to crafting miniature models of them. Then, there's its outdoor and yard work range, which includes a variety of hand tools and power tools.

The key to Ryobi's appeal is that it offers something for everyone, including buyers who aren't looking to spend a fortune on tools. In fact, the brand even offers a range of tools and accessories for under $20, with these 12 being among the most useful in its current lineup.

While Ryobi is best known for its brightly colored range of power tools and its interchangeable battery system, the brand also offers a range of affordably priced hand tools. The Ryobi 15' Compact Laser Level is one of the cheapest, with a retail price of $19.97. Its 15-foot range and accuracy of ±3/8 inch make it suitable for a variety of jobs, and its compact dimensions mean that it won't take up too much space when it's not in use. It measures a little over 3 inches in depth, 1 inch in width, and two inches in height, and so can be carried around in bags or pockets.

It offers one-button operation, and there are also built-in wall mounting pins for extra ease of use. A simple bubble vial also ensures accuracy. The laser level can be bought at a Home Depot store or online via the brand's website, but in the latter instance, returns will still need to be handled in a store. Ryobi offers a three-year warranty for the tool for extra peace of mind.

While the brand's interchangeable battery system comes with plenty of benefits, there are a few downsides. One of the biggest is that, in order to make the most of cordless tools' convenience, you'll need to ensure that you keep all of your Ryobi batteries properly charged. The brand offers a lineup of chargers for its popular battery packs, and it also sells charging options for other small devices thanks to the Ryobi 30 Watt USB Wall Charger.

Retailing for $19.97, the charger sports a 30W USB-C port and an 18W USB-A port, enabling you to charge two devices at once. It can be used to charge any compatible small devices, such as smartphones or cameras, and can also be used to charge Ryobi's own battery packs. To ensure it doesn't get damaged in a tool bag or in storage, the charger's outlet prongs fold away when they're not in use.

Few tools are as essential as a screwdriver, and it always pays to stock up on spares in case you lose one or two. With the Ryobi 12-Piece Screwdriver Set, you can stock up on 12 new screwdrivers for $14.97, with each one sporting cushion grip handles for added comfort.

The top of each screwdriver is magnetic and the tip type is printed on the end of the tool for straightforward identification. The set consists of six full-size screwdrivers and six slimline screwdrivers, with a mix of slotted, Phillips, and Torx heads across them.

Each tool in the set is built to be durable, with Ryobi offering a limited lifetime warranty on the set and a return period of up to 90 days if customers aren't happy. Although the 12-piece set is arguably the best value, Ryobi also offers a seven-piece set and a four-piece set for even lower prices for buyers with limited space in their tool boxes.

We previously included Ryobi's tape measure in our list of the best Ryobi hand tools for mechanics, but everyone from DIY enthusiasts to home landscapers might also find it a worthwhile purchase. Retailing for $12.97, the Ryobi 25' Compact Tape Measure is one of the brand's cheapest tools, yet it's offered with a limited lifetime warranty. Ryobi claims that the tape measure can reach up to 13 feet without bending, with the blade itself made from nylon-coated steel.

The tool features a belt clip and durable ABS casing, so when it's not in use, it can be kept on a belt or thrown back into a tool box without worry. Unlike some tape measures, Ryobi's tool only features imperial measurements, and not metric. Fractional measurements are shown alongside inch markers, but there are no centimeters to be found here. Anyone looking to stock up on multiple tape measures might also want to consider Ryobi's dual pack, which retails for $24.64, offering a slight discount compared to buying two separately.

With a retail price of $16.47, the Ryobi Door Latch Installation Kit won't break the bank, but it might just save a lot of hassle. It's designed to make installing door latches as easy as possible, and features an integrated screwdriver to make it an all-in-one solution. Also built in is a 90-degree fence, and when it's not needed, it can be stored onboard the tool. It can tackle both round and square latches, and negates the need for measurements before installation.

It's safe to assume that fitting door latches won't be a regular occurrence for most DIY enthusiasts, but when it's not in use, the kit won't take up much room. It measures around 10 inches in height, 5 inches in width, and 2 inches in depth, and so can be squirreled away in a tool box or drawer until it's needed again. Like most of the other tools here, buyers can return the purchase to a Home Depot store for up to 90 days if they're not satisfied with it, assuming they've bought the tool from either the retailer's website or a physical store.

While Ryobi also offers a 12-piece screwdriver set for anyone who prefers to do without the fiddliness of changing bits, the Ryobi 11-in-1 Multi-bit Screwdriver is undoubtedly the better space-saving option. It retails for $12.07 and offers similar functionality to the aforementioned 12-piece set, but with the bonus that each of the eight bits and three nut drivers can be stored away within the tool when they're not needed.

Buyers also get access to a wider range of bits and drivers than in the 12-piece set, with slotted, Phillips, Torx, hex, and square types available. The downside is that there's no slimline handle with the multi-bit screwdriver, which limits its usefulness in tight workspaces. Still, given the low prices of both the multi-bit screwdriver and the 12-piece screwdriver set, buyers looking for the best of both worlds could simply add both sets to their baskets.

The Ryobi Multi-Function Folding Knife with 3.25-inch Blade retails for $18.19 and features a built-in bottle and package opening tool alongside its primary stainless steel blade. Like many of Ryobi's hand tools, it's covered by a limited lifetime warranty that protects against manufacturing defects. An included pocket clip adds to its usefulness, although it can be removed when it's not needed.

Buyers looking for a utility knife have a huge range of options at their disposal, including other options from Ryobi, but this particular knife arguably stands out as better value from the rest. The brand's folding knife can also be picked up for just under $20 — $19.97 to be exact — but its smaller 2.25-inch blade is not as useful for tackling larger, tougher cuts. However, it's still offered with the same lifetime warranty, and can also be bought via Home Depot's website or in store.

As well as offering a range of products to cut everything from paper to steel, Ryobi also sells a number of items aimed at ensuring that things don't get cut when they're not meant to. Among them is the Ryobi A3 Self-Healing Cutting Mat, which is designed to protect work surfaces against damage as well as ensure extra cutting precision with its non-slip surface. It retails for $11.97 in A3 size, but a smaller, cheaper A4 cutting mat is also available from Home Depot's website.

Printed onto the cutting mat are grid lines and a protractor, again with the intention of making cuts as accurate as possible. The work surface is double sided, with one side finished in black and the other finished in Ryobi's traditional shade of bright green. Since it can self-heal, it should also last longer than an old-school cutting mat.

Ryobi's line of power saws are among its best-known products, but its hand saws shouldn't be overlooked. The Ryobi 20 Inch 7 TPI Hand Saw with Steel Blade is among the very cheapest, with a retail price of $14.97. It comes with a sheath for when it's not in use, and so can be stored away in a tool box or hung on a wall using Ryobi's Link mounted storage system.

According to the brand, it's best suited for cutting wood, with its teeth made from hardened steel to quickly cut through tougher timber. Like most of its other hand tools, Ryobi offers the saw with a limited lifetime warranty. In comparison, most of its power tools only have a three-year warranty, with its USB Lithium tools only guaranteed for two years. All of these tools, whether they're hand tools or power tools, can be returned for a refund within 90 days after purchase.

Even in tool-only form, most of Ryobi's 18V power tools cost more than $20. The ONE+ 18V Cordless Handheld Sprayer is an exception, with a retail price of only $19.97. It will, however, require a suitable Ryobi 18V One+ battery to run. Ryobi claims that the tool should deliver 120 tankfuls of spray per charge on a 1.5Ah battery. It's suitable for use with multiple types of spray, including disinfectants, bug spray, and cleaning sprays.

That makes it suitable for both indoor and outdoor use, from cleaning the kitchen to ensuring plants in the yard stay pest-free. The 70-degree nozzle is designed to ensure that each job is done as quickly as possible no matter where it's used. The tank can hold up to 15 ounces of liquid, and is operated by a simple trigger that can be pressed with one finger. Since it's part of Ryobi's 18V One+ line, the sprayer is only offered with a three-year warranty rather than a lifetime warranty like most of the brand's hand tools.

UPDATE: This product was, at time of writing, priced at approximately $19.97, but it seems to have jumped a bit in the interim -– regardless, it's still worth the cash.

Filling a basket full of new tools is no use if you have nowhere to store them, but Ryobi's Link storage system offers a handy way to make better use of your garage or workshop for anyone who's short on space. The Link system allows owners to mount tools to their walls as well as stack boxes securely on top of one another, and they're not just limited to storing the brand's own tools. The Ryobi Link Screwdriver Holder, for example, will store up to six screwdrivers, but can also be used for other small hand tools like pliers and scissors.

It can hold up to 25 pounds, with each of its hooks covered in a non-slip coating for secure storage. It can be used on its own or as part of a wider Link storage setup, with the Link system able to hold everything from hand tools to bicycles. The screwdriver holder retails for $16.98 on its own.

Alongside things like screwdrivers and tape measures, another workshop basic that's frustratingly easy to misplace is the black marker pen. Buying Ryobi's 12-Pack of Black Fine Point Permanent Workshop Markers should help solve the problem, particularly since they're suitable for use on a wide variety of materials and will last up to 72 hours without the cap on. They're cheap too, with a retail price of $11.64.

Anyone who's confident that they won't lose their marker could also buy a single pack for $0.97, or a six-pack for $5.82. Either way, it's worth keeping spares, and since they're finished in the same shade of bright green as the brand's power tools, they should be easier to spot at a glance than the dull gray casing of a Sharpie. Like virtually all of Ryobi's other products, the markers can be returned within 90 days to a Home Depot store for a refund if necessary.

As any fan of the brand will know, Ryobi's lineup is an expansive one, with hundreds of items available for under $20. To pick out the ones most worth buying, we combed through every single item in the brand's current $10-$20 range at Home Depot and selected items based on individual usability. In this instance, that refers to how easy it would be for buyers of all kinds to get plenty of use out of the tool, whether they're a long-time fan of the brand or a relative newcomer.

We also considered how well each tool would blend in with a setup consisting mostly of other tool brands. Each of these top picks does not rely on the owner having a tool box full of other Ryobi tools, and isn't simply an accessory for another Ryobi product. During selection, we also excluded products that had a retail price over $20 but were available on sale for less, to ensure that the listed products should always be available within budget.