10 Neat Ace Hardware Gadgets Under $25 That Are Worth Having Around

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With more than 5,000 stores worldwide, most of which are independently owned, Ace Hardware is a popular stop for those who value the chain’s personal approach to customer service. It’s renowned for its range of garden- and home-maintenance tools and hardware, including more than its share of gadgets for those who are always keen to expand their toolkit. And while some command prices that require serious budgetary consideration, there are a few choice finds that needn’t put a serious dent in your bank balance. It’s these that we’re here to find.

To help spend-savvy shoppers build their DIY tool collection, we’ve identified 10 that can be snagged for less than $25. Some are surprisingly useful, too. Several of the products below will enable you to perform multiple tasks with one tool. Others are designed for a very specific purpose, including one that’ll make light work of certain fall-time yard maintenance tasks like clearing away dead leaves. We’ll explain more about how we found these products at the end of the article. But if you’re interested in budget-friendly gadgets rated at least 4 stars by real users, then you’ll find something to pique your interest in the guide below.

Have you ever used a pair of pruning shears for a task that really needed scissors or even a knife? If so, you’ll know that a good knife and a trusty pair of scissors can go a surprisingly long way in the garden. A knife can be used for a variety of tasks, like trimming landscape fabric to size, cutting roots, and more. Scissors, meanwhile, can snip twine, cut rope, and deadhead flowers. 

Fiskars’ Multi-Purpose Stainless Steel Garden Scissors combine these two essential gardening tools into one handy gadget. It also has a built-in wire cutter, a pointed tip for easy piercing, plus a sheath with a built-in tape cutter and ceramic sharpener. A bottle opener may also come in handy on hot days.

Currently available for $22.99, 41 users have reviewed the tool online at Ace Hardware, and of those, 85% awarded it full marks, producing a 4.7-star rating. Some users love that you can sharpen the blade with the supplied sheath, while others appreciate the tool’s long-lasting versatility in different gardening scenarios. “Love this product,” said one buyer. “I use it for everything, literally.”

A utility knife is one of those items that every DIYer should have in their tool kit. Fitted with razor-sharp cutting blades, they are used for precision cutting on a variety of materials. Milwaukee’s Fastback Press and Flip Folding Utility Knife is a good example. It’s compatible with various Milwaukee-branded blades, which cover materials and disciplines including roofing, carpentry, insulation, drywall, sheet metal, and, of course, packaged goods. The knife itself folds away for pocketability, but it also has a lanyard hole, which is useful for buyers who need fast and regular access. For peace of mind, it also falls under Milwaukee’s limited lifetime warranty.

It’s currently available for $11.99 at Ace Hardware, where 40 reviews to date have lent to an overall 4.4-star rating. Of those, 75% awarded the tool 5 stars. Some appreciate how easily it stores thanks to the folding mechanism, plus how easy it is to change blades. As one user put it, it’s “Simply one of the best easy-to-use and heavy-duty utility knives out there.” Several suggest that the position of the lock button makes it trickier for left-handed users. But overall, it’s rated as reliable and easy to use.

Even some of the most basic DIY home-improvement projects can benefit from a level. If you need to install new shelves, for example, then ensuring they’re nice and straight will prevent your prized signed baseball from rolling off the edge. You don’t need to spend a fortune, either. At Ace Hardware, you can currently pick up its own-brand 24-inch Plastic I-Beam 3-Vial Level for $10.99. It’s made with a foam-plastic frame, which helps to avoid scratches on delicate surfaces. It’s also fitted with three durable acrylic vials, which allow you to read your edges at different angles and ensure you won’t have wonky shelves.

As for the reviews, it’s currently rated 4.7 stars overall. More than 50 buyers have taken the time to offer their feedback, and of those, 80% have awarded the level top marks. Reasons vary, with some suggesting that it’s an ideal size for medium-sized projects. Others appreciate its light weight, including a few who said it’s ideal for hanging pictures, mirrors, and shelves. “Inexpensive, lightweight, easy to use,” summarized one happy buyer. “Has a ruler on top, which is handy.”

One of several screwdrivers that are handy for DIY, torx screwdrivers lend themselves especially well to small electronics. They’re fitted with star-shaped heads, delivering extra torque and access to the interior of various devices. This, in turn, allows you to repair your home electronics yourself, potentially saving a small fortune versus the cost of a replacement device.

Ace’s own-brand 2-½-inch L Torx Precision Screwdriver Set comes with six drivers of varying sizes. Each has a chrome-plated steel handle with free-turning end-caps, allowing you to maintain finger pressure while turning the smallest screws. Soft-grip handles, meanwhile, help to optimize user comfort.

To date, more than 40 users have reviewed the set. 77% have given it 5 stars, and overall, it’s rated 4.4 out of 5. Some, while admitting these screwdrivers aren’t everyday tools, say that they’re handy when the need arises. Others praise the set’s quality given the price (it’s listed for $17.99) and the fact that it comes with a box, thus eliminating the risk of losing individual tools. One buyer urged caution when buying, to ensure that it has the right-sized driver to match the specific screws in question. But overall, they said, “Great quality set for the price.”

Whether you’re mounting cabinets, hanging shelves, or fixing new lights, finding the studs behind your walls is crucial to a safe and secure installation. You don’t necessarily need a specialized tool to do this. It’s quite possible to find your wall studs with nothing more than a magnet and some string. However, you’ll also need a level to ensure whatever you’re mounting doesn’t wind up wonky. 

C.H. Hanson’s pocket-sized stud finder also has a built-in level. Its magnetic design helps you to identify steel studs and drywall screws without the need for batteries, and for reassurance, C.H. Hanson guarantees against false reads. It’s currently priced at $14.99, with a strong overall rating of 4.7 out of 5. It’s received more than 120 user reviews to date, and of those, 85% awarded it top marks. 

Reading through the feedback, most users agreed that it’s simple yet highly effective, including several who described it as the best stud finder they’ve owned. “I was surprised to see such a small device worked so well,” said one buyer. “The only drawback is it also adheres to all the other tools in your toolbox.” Another user, who urged readers to “Throw out any and all other stud finders,” explained, “I can’t believe how simple and effective this little gadget is…the little bubble level guides are icing on the cake of this seemingly perfect product.”

Few gardeners are without a pair of pruners. However, given their exposure to both the elements and the sap of your plants, it’s not uncommon for pruners to corrode and start sticking. Depending on the severity, you can sometimes restore your pruners to working order with a drop of WD-40. Alternatively, if they’re corroded beyond repair and a replacement is unavoidable, then a set that’s built to resist these common ailments may well be worth the investment. 

Fiskars Carbon Steel Bypass Pruners have several features that contribute to their longevity. For example, the blades have a non-stick and corrosion-resistant coating. The tool also has a self-cleaning sap groove, which further helps prevent the blades from sticking. Per Fiskars, the blades are made from fully-hardened, precision-ground steel, which it says stays sharp for longer.

The pruners are currently available for $16.99 at Ace Hardware. There, they’re rated 4.7 stars overall, with 84% of 270 users having awarded the tool top marks. As for why, some buyers said they’re lightweight yet heavy-duty enough for most gardening tasks. They’re also praised for their comfortable grip and sharp blades. “I love these,” said one buyer. “I have fairly small hands so many shears are cumbersome or hard to squeeze. These are great and make yardwork so much easier.”

There are various ways to clear away fallen leaves without a leaf blower or rake. And as is often the case with such laborious tasks, simple solutions are the most effective. Ace’s own-brand 12.5-inch 11-Tine Poly Leaf Scoop features a simple plastic construction, in a size that fits easily inside the mouth of your chosen waste bags. Teeth-like tines are designed to scrape and scoop up leaves, along with pine needles and any other garden debris that may be poisonous or hazardous to handle. You may also find it comes in handy for leveling topsoil and spreading mulch.

It’s priced at $9.59, and out of more than 270 reviews to date, 85% have awarded it 5 stars. It’s rated 4.8 stars overall, with various buyers saying how useful it is for such a simple tool. Some warn that it’s best for dry leaves, since the plastic tends to bend under the extra weight of damp garden matter. But overall, buyers are pleased to have added this tool to their clean-up kit. “Love these scoops,” said one user. “I did over 100 bags of leaves this fall using both paper and plastic bags…So all in all this was the best year of doing leaves ever.”

Not only is working with dull blades frustrating, but it’s also dangerous. Blunt edges require more force to cut, which increases the risk of slips. Fortunately, you don’t need fancy tools to keep your blades well-honed. And even if you don’t have a dedicated sharpener, you needn’t spend a fortune to buy one. 

Fiskars’ Matte Plastic Axe and Knife Sharpener, available at Ace Hardware for $15.99, helps keep your household blades keen. Its non-slip, countertop design prevents accidental slips — one of the various dangers of improvised sharpening methods. It saves the need for awkward sharpening stones and maintains a steady 30° angle to ensure even sharpening from hilt to tip. It also includes a safety guard.

Rated 4.3 stars overall on Ace Hardware, over 40 users have reviewed the sharpener, with 33% awarding it 5 stars. Most users agreed that it’s a useful tool, especially for kitchen knives. Some questioned its usefulness for axes, including several who noted that it was tricky to use with larger, heavier axes. As one user put it, “This sharpener is great and was super easy to use. While the gap between the safety guard wasn’t wide enough for my axe, I opened it up and was still able to sharpen my old axe really well. It worked great on my knives as well!”

We’ve all been there. You go to open a jar mid-cook, and while the food continues to sizzle on the stove in anticipation of that key ingredient, the lid won’t budge. Several simple hacks can help you open stubborn jars, but if you’re unfamiliar with them, and your dinner is reaching a tipping point, you may not have time to scroll through your phone to find them. 

OXO’s Good Grips Manual Jar Opener can help you break stubborn seals quickly. It accommodates any size jar lid, with stainless steel teeth that grip the lid tightly. A non-slip handle improves leverage, and a non-slip base pad keeps the jar in place, reducing the force required and thus minimizing the risk of accidents.

Priced at $16.99, the gadget has received more than 120 user reviews on Ace Hardware, with 66% awarding it 5 stars. It’s rated 4.2 overall, and while feedback varies, most buyers agree that it’s both useful and easy to use. “Opens jar lids like magic,” said one buyer. “I had an old test jar of paint that was painted shut. That took a little more effort than a regular jar lid, but it did the job. Astounded.”

Electrical sprinkler systems can be very beneficial in the garden. Larger lawns are much easier to water evenly with a sprinkler, and they’re handy in busy households where homeowners don’t always have time to run out with the hose. The only downside is that preparing your lawn for in-ground sprinkler systems can be quite involved. Ace’s Metal Wheeled Base Rotating Sprinkler is more of a “plug and play” product. It features three sprinkler arms and is designed to water medium-sized lawns evenly. All it requires is a connection to a regular garden hose. Once connected, the water pressure alone is enough to rotate the head.

It’s priced at $22.99 and earns an overall 4-star rating from over 30 reviews. Of those, 66% have awarded the sprinkler 5 stars. Most customers agree that, provided your hose delivers decent water pressure, it’s an excellent, simple-to-use sprinkler. It’s also praised for its metal build versus the plastic construction of similar products. As one user said, “This is the best sprinkler that I have ever had. I have tried several different sprinklers. Most were cheaply made (plastic) or did not cover a large area.”

The products in this guide were chosen based on several factors. Each had to be applicable to common home and garden tasks, or useful for a variety of tasks that would otherwise require multiple tools. We focused on products with a minimal overall rating of 4 stars, and with at least 35 real user reviews. Finally, to ensure a fair appraisal of each product, we sought to identify and highlight any trends of negative feedback found in the reviews.