5 Milwaukee Finds Under $20 That Are Actually Worth Buying, According To Reviews

Hardware brands like Milwaukee generally make quite a few different products, all intended for different jobs and niches. Naturally, when your brand covers that much ground, there's going to be quite a range as far as pricing is concerned, with some higher-end products like elaborate power tools easily running you several hundred dollars or more. However, pricing is a two-way street: The fancier products may cost you an arm and a leg, but there's plenty of simpler, more affordable options on the other end of the spectrum.

Products like compact hand tools and safety accessories can actually be surprisingly cheap, even less than $20. Of course, nobody likes to get something inexpensive if it means it's going to be of inferior quality, but thankfully, many of Milwaukee's cheaper offerings still maintain the level of quality that the brand is known for. If you need a little more assurance of that, just ask the many shoppers who purchase these Milwaukee products at their local Home Depot. For more information on how we selected these Milwaukee products, check out our methodology at the bottom of the page.

When bargains are the name of the game, you want to get as much bang for your buck as possible. The best way to achieve that is to purchase multifunctional products you can use regularly in more than one situation. If the goal is being multifunctional, one of Milwaukee's bestsellers at Home Depot is the Fastback 6-in-1 Utility Knife, available for $19.97.

This compact tool packs six handy features in a convenient package. The main tool is the quick-change utility knife blade, which flips out with a quick flick of the wrist. Besides the main blade, you also get a wire stripper, a folding screwdriver, a reversible bit holder with both a Phillips and slotted bit, and a bottle opener. All of this is packed into an all-metal body with a wire belt clip to firmly attach it to your utility belt.

The Milwaukee Fastback knife has a Home Depot user rating of 4.5 out of five from over 1,500 reviews. One user calls this tool "old reliable," making regular use of it in lieu of bulkier multi-tools. Consensus among other users is similarly positive, though there are also a decent number of complaints about the bit holder's ball bearing falling out.

Every standard worker's tool kit should have a proper means of measurement included. After all, you'll never know when you'll need to check the dimensions on a project you're building or if a piece of furniture would fit in a room, among other uses to help you as your work. For a tool with a little extra range, try the Milwaukee Tape Measure, available at Home Depot for $16.97, but at the time of writing its $12.97.

This SAE-certified compact tape measure can roll out to a maximum of 25 feet, made easier with a fractional measurement scale. Of those 25 feet, it has 12 feet of reach and 9 feet of standout, so you can extend it straight up a decent way without worrying about it falling over. The 5-point reinforced frame is impact resistant, perfect for those occasional drops, while the wear-resistant nylon blade protects the tape from the elements.

Over 1,600 Home Depot users have given the Milwaukee Tape Measure a 4.4 out of five-star rating. Users agree that it's a rugged and reliable measure, with one user getting eight years of use out of theirs before the tape started to get kinked. Several users also enjoy the fractional scale, which makes it easier to determine accurate measurements at a glance.

Returning to the subject of multifunctional tools, it can be a little difficult to pick just one tool to cover all of your bases. After all, there will almost always be at least one function that one tool has that another doesn't. Even if there's a little crossover between the Milwaukee Combination Wire Stripper/Cutter Pliers and other tools, you'll still be glad you had it. You can get it at Home Depot for $19.97.

This tool's forged dual-head design gives it the functionality of both a wire stripper and a pair of needle-nose pliers, not to mention the reaming edge built into the head. With these components, this tool can smooth the edges of a metal pipe, thread and cut #6 and #8 bolts, and strip 8-18 AWG and 10-20 AWG wires. Thanks to the special swing lock, you can flip open the head and operate it with just one hand. The whole tool is made of forged alloy steel for extra resilience, plus a rust-resistant coating.

The Milwaukee Combination Wire Stripper/Cutter Pliers have a Home Depot user rating of 4.7 out of five stars out of 2,500 reviews. One user called them the best pliers they own, particularly enjoying the convenient spring mechanism that you can operate without having to force your hands open. Another user called it a versatile tool, much easier to use than larger, specialized cutters.

The absolute necessity of proper safety equipment while engaged in intensive labor or detailed work can never be overstated. The last thing you want is to be working on a craft project, only to have a little splinter fly up and hit you in the eye. No matter what kind of work you do, a pair of safety glasses is required for safe work, full stop. If you're looking for such a pair of glasses, try Milwaukee's Performance Safety Glasses, available at Home Depot for $19.97.

These simple, yet sturdy safety glasses have all the necessary features to keep you safe and productive on the job. The lenses are made of military-grade materials, which makes them fog-proof, scratch-resistant, and resistant to high-velocity impacts. The temple arms are nice and soft, so they don't hurt to wear all day. The base glasses are clear, but there are also various levels of tinted lenses available for outdoor work.

Home Depot shoppers have given the Milwaukee Performance Safety Glasses a 4.6 out of five-star rating from over 3,000 reviews. Several users can attest to their durability, with one user claiming to have dropped them multiple times in one day with no visible damage. Other users enjoy the glasses' comfortable fit on their faces, though several users note that the arms can bend a little too easily at times.

In addition to proper face protection, the other part of your body that needs priority defense while working is your hands. They may be your primary means of getting work done, but if you accidentally cut or poke them, you won't be doing much of anything, much less working. For reliable digit protection on the job, try Milwaukee's Dipped Work Gloves, available in a large-size four-pack at Home Depot for $16.88.

These gloves are designed to afford you the most dexterity possible for detail work while still keeping those fingers safe. The actual gloves have a comfortable blend of nylon and lycra, while the palms and fingers are dipped in nitrile to give you that firm, textured grip. The index fingers also have Smartswipe pads, which allow you to use a smartphone touchscreen. The base gloves have an ANSI cut rating of 1, perfect for yard work, finish carpentry, plumbing, and light material handling, though there are higher-level gloves available for more dangerous work.

Milwaukee's Dipped Work Gloves have a 4.7 out of five-rating from almost 3,000 Home Depot shoppers, who praise them for their comfortable fit and dexterous, grippy coating. One user wears the level 1 gloves for lawn care and debris removal, and keeps them as part of their baseline PPE kit.

Anyone can waive a bargain item in your face and talk about what a great deal it is, but for products that will see rigorous use like Milwaukee's, you need a little more to go on than that. This is why, in order to select the preceding Milwaukee products, we stuck to items with a base price of less than $20 with a user rating of at least four out of five stars. Additionally, to ensure those high scores are properly weighted, we also sought items whose scores are based on at least 1,000 user reviews.