9 Home Depot Tools Under $50 That Are Actually Worth Buying

Sometimes, Home Depot is full of great deals on DIY tools, plants and patio decorations, home appliances, and even furniture. However, not every dollar saved is a dollar earned, and what might look like a great deal can turn out to be a poor investment. While some of Home Depot's tools under $10 are worth your time, most of the cheap stuff is, frankly, junk. Of course, this doesn't happen just at Home Depot; a cursory look at any Amazon search results after the first page makes this clear. That's why we've selected a variety of tools from Home Depot that are worth buying for under $50.

Every tool included in this list (and they really are tools, not accessories or replacement parts) is worth its price, and maybe more. Many could go head-to-head with more expensive models, within reason. Most importantly, everything on this list is worth owning regardless of the price. You shouldn't buy a cheap tool just for the sake of saving money over the hypothetical expensive tool you could have bought instead. That's why these entries focus on useful or fun versions of tools you probably already have, like a cordless or extra portable unit. Others are must-haves that lots of DIYers still don't own, and they really, really should, either because they make DIY safer or because they make life that much easier.

The Wen 130ft. Laser Measure is Home Depot's only cheap laser distance measurer (aka laser tape measurer) with a maximum range over 100ft. For $28.56, Wen's Laser Measure reaches up to 130ft. in a straight line, which is more than enough for most homes. Like other devices at this price point, it doesn't work well outdoors in direct sunlight. This makes the barebones segmented LED display, which would normally struggle in bright lights, less of an issue. Thanks to its various modes, the Wen laser measurer can detect distance, area, and volume. It can begin measurements starting from its base or top, and it displays results in feet and inches or meters.

That said, while it's good value for the money, this tool is pretty basic. It can only keep the last two readings in memory, and it doesn't have a built-in battery, relying instead on two AAA batteries. Home Depot's only real alternative, the DeWalt Pocket Laser Measurer, maxes out at 55ft. Like the Wen, it's designed for indoor use only, but even for that, 55ft. is a very limited range. It does come with an integrated battery and many positive reviews, but it's $11 more expensive than its competitor and offers fewer features in return. Both tools come with a warranty: two years for the Wen, three for the DeWalt.

This stud finder from Ryobi is very easy to use. Like all other stud finders, the Ryobi Whole Stud Finder is used by placing it flat on a wall and slowly moving it around. Once the machine detects a solid wooden piece (the stud), it will indicate its direction with the LED lights placed on the left and right sides of the unit. Move the stud finder toward the lights until the central Stud Marker button is illuminated. Then, use the dedicated pencil slot to take a precise measurement of its position. Alternatively, you can use the built-in Stud Marker.

A stud finder might sound like a simple tool, and it certainly is, but it's the kind of tool you'll want with you when moving to a new house or dealing with renovations. The Whole Stud Finder can spot wood and metal inside walls up to 1.5 inches deep. It will not find plastic, such as PVC pipes, so you'll have to be a little careful with it. Another strength of this tool is the price. At $37.97, it's quite cheap. On the off chance that you don't have a stud finder and you need to do some home improvements involving your walls, you should get one. The only real downside, besides the fact that it doesn't detect plastic pipes, is that it uses AAA batteries instead of a rechargeable one.

This drill/driver is incredible value for money. Sure, the Ryobi One+ 18V Cordless 3/8" Drill/Driver Kit comes with a positively tiny 18V/1.5Ah battery, and it doesn't include any drill or screwdriver bits, but neither of those things are particularly rare. You can buy a larger 18V Ryobi battery if you feel like you need more charge. If you use other cordless Ryobi products, you might already have one. As for the drill and driver bits, you don't even have to go with Ryobi's. Any 3/8" set will do. At $49.97, the whole set is ridiculously cheap, less expensive than a 2.0Ah Ryobi battery and a charger. This is one of Ryobi's most popular (and cheapest) tools, and it helped make the company one of the best cordless drill brands.

The drill/driver itself is pretty good, too. It's not a heavy-duty tool, of course — for that, you might want to look at Ryobi's hammer drill and impact drivers instead — but the drill/driver is perfectly capable of handling small DIY projects. It's not too heavy, either, at just 2.8lb, and has a variable drilling speed of up to 600 RPM and independent torque control, as high as 135 in/lb. As explained by some users, if you stick to driving screws in place and drilling into wood, plastic, laminate, and metal, you'll be all right. Just don't expect to do a lot of masonry.

The Ryobi USB Lithium Clamp Fan Kit is part of the brand's USB Lithium line of rechargeable, replaceable, USB-powered tools. Unlike some of Ryobi's newer USB tools in the ever-expanding battery system, this fan has been around for a while. Currently, it's the only battery-powered fan at Home Depot below $50. And for $39.97, it's a pretty good fan. It doesn't last as long as the One+ Ryobi fans (or most other brands, most likely), but the battery is included in the price and it doesn't need a charger: It uses a regular USB port and USB-C cable. Ryobi batteries and chargers can be very expensive, so having them in the kit saves more money than you might realize.

The clamp design makes this tool usable even in cramped spaces, but it can also be used as a regular stand. The fan can move as much air as 135 cubic feet per minute at 755 FPM when set on the highest speed mode, and it can last over 7 hours at the lowest speed. It might be worth stressing that 7 hours is almost a full workday, or if you need hours and hours of the fan running at full speed, a spare Ryobi USB Lithium battery is pretty cheap. The Ryobi USB Lithium Clamp Fan Kit is often found on sale or in a bundle with additional tools or extra batteries, so don't forget to shop around before you hit Buy.

A rotary tool is exactly the kind of power tool you should replace with a cordless version, and Wen is here to help. The Wen Variable Speed Cordless Rotary Tool is a compact device with 24 tips and an LED near the head for better visibility. It comes with several different tips, from precision sanders, engraving tools, wheels, cutters, and more, but that's not all this little gadget can do. The company sells a lot more accessories on Home Depot, including a frankly excessive 282-piece kit and a ridiculous 327-piece one. They're both quite cheap, priced at $16.23 and $17.11, respectively, and so are the kits that come with the rotary tool itself.

Those all-in-one packages include the $27.15 Wen Cordless Rotary Tool Kit with 24-Piece Accessory Set, some cheaper corded tools and kits, and a more powerful 1.3 Amp Variable Speed Rotary Tool with 190 accessories. All of them come with a charger and a carrying case. There are a lot of options to choose from, maybe too many, considering how little actually changes. But choosing doesn't have to be hard: For most regular users, Wen's cordless tool is the one. It might not be the most powerful, but it's good enough for most applications. Plus, the internal rechargeable battery makes it comfortable to use, especially in precision jobs where a wire could get in the way. The built-in LED light mounted on the tool's head is another feature that makes detailed work, like engraving or pet nail filing, a little easier.

The Black+Decker Corded Mouse Sander is a small, affordable ($36.03), 1.2-amp-powered detail sander that comes with a decently sized dust canister and cheap sandpaper replacement kits. While generally not as powerful as belt or orbital sanders, this unit has its strengths. It's not too bulky, at 2.5lb and 10"x4.5"x5.5", and it has more than enough power for the precision jobs it's meant for. The only major downside, something that might make it unusable for certain applications, is the wire. This is a corded tool, which doesn't gel well with the portability of its size and weight and the precision you might require from it.

The Black+Decker mouse sander has a fixed speed of 14,000 RPM. That's hardly ideal, but not unexpected from an affordable sander made by the one major power tool brand most focused on budget-friendly gear. Being a mouse sander, or "detail sander," its base is arched in the back and pointy at the top, making it easy to reach awkward angles and cover larger areas with a single tool. That said, this sander is designed for small surfaces and was tested only on wood, metal, and plastic, as well as a lightweight paint remover. Like most Black+Decker tools, it comes with a two-year warranty.

Another sander, the Wen 7.5 Amp Corded 3"x21" Portable Belt Sander, is much more powerful than any detail sander. Don't let that "portable" label fool you either. This tool can cover quite a bit of surface and work across a range of materials, thanks to its variable speed. According to the store page, the included 80-grit sandpaper can run as fast as 1,200 feet per minute and as low as 620. Of course, the grit can be changed by replacing the sandpaper, which is made easier by a quick-release lever. While this tool is relatively compact and lightweight at 6.4lb, it's not only for light work. And it's priced slightly under $50, at $46.55.

This belt sander doesn't have a lot of reviews yet, but other Wen sanders do, and many of them are even cheaper than this one. Compared to the alternatives, the 7.5 Amp version has more power, variable speed, and comparable portability. It's natural to be skeptical of a tool like this, given the price, but users seem to really like Wen's sanders. Just about the only downside mentioned in reviews is that the dust bag doesn't collect all the dust, but that's a common complaint for sanders in general. As with other Wen tools, this one comes with a two-year warranty.

The Ryobi 5.5 Amp Corded Angle Grinder is barely under $50, at $49.00. It's quite light at 4.1lb, and doesn't take up much space, measuring only 12.6" in length. But even if it isn't as bulky as some of the competition, that doesn't make it underpowered. The rotating grinding disk is 4.5", a common size, though slightly on the smaller side. Meanwhile, the amperage is significantly lower than that of any larger corded angle grinder, including Ryobi's own higher-end models. The rotating speed of 11,000 RPM, while much faster than bigger disks, is what you'd expect for this size.

Why pick up this tool instead of a Ryobi angle grinder with different disk sizes, especially since you could get a much bigger, stronger one for just $20 more? For one, this one is cheaper, and so are the replacement grinding wheels, which are also more broadly available. Second, the smaller Ryobi angle grinder comes with a handle (and adjustable wheel guard) that can be positioned in three ways. This is a standard feature in more expensive tools, but it's nice to have at this price point as well. Then there's the fact that this is one of the most-reviewed hobbyist angle grinders on Home Depot's website. It comes with a three-year warranty.

Have you ever had a screwdriver that was just plain fun? Probably not. It's time to change that. The Klein Tools 27-in-1 Multi-Bit Precision Screwdriver is a regular, affordable precision screwdriver with 27 magnetic bits that attach to the head. You could get a more traditional all-in-one 40-piece set for about $10 more ($29.97 instead of $19.97), but that's no fun. Sure, it might be more usable, and it might have a spin cap, but does it hold all the bits inside the screwdriver's body? No, it doesn't. And that's no fun. Jokes aside, this little tool is beloved by its users, partly because of the compact design you can always bring along, and partly because of the many bits included — made possible thanks to the clever design that makes every bit double-sided. 

The Klein 27-in-1 screwdriver is like a Transformers toy aimed at tinkerers and electricians (not that the two audiences were ever wholly separate). The only possible issue with this tool is that a third-party replacement bit might not fit inside the "case." That said, you can replace the bits, even if you have to find another way to carry them. According to Klein Tools, this screwdriver is compatible with regular 3.5mm hex bits. That's also good news for anyone not planning to use the magnetic bits that come with the tool, either because they don't like them or because they're worried about the magnet causing damage (even though they're almost always safe).