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When it comes to tools and things you need for your home and garage, gadgets aren’t always worth owning the way a hammer or a saw is. Most gadgets end up in a drawer or closet after the novelty wears off, while others are cheap items that break after only a few uses. But every once in a while, a gadget hits that sweet spot of being affordable, genuinely useful, and worth adding to your garage. With that in mind, we found five Ace Hardware items under $25 that fit the bill.
With its high customer satisfaction ratings, Ace Hardware is a good place to shop for gadgets like these. Rather than filling your junk drawer with stud finders, pen lights, and hex tool keychain sets, we focused on items that can actually earn a place on your workbench. We’ve included unexpected items like a digital tire pressure gauge, a pair of scissors for your garage, and a handy rivet toolkit that comes with everything you actually need to use it. It’s hard to find gadgets more legitimately useful in this price range, but if it made this list, then it’s because we think it will outlive the novelty. Whether it’s a gift for Dad, a grad, or yourself, this list is a good place to start if you want to turn your junk drawer into something more useful.
Slime 150 psi Digital Tire Pressure Gauge
Unlike inexpensive tire pressure gauges with a metered stick, you can trust the readings you get from the Slime 150 psi Digital Tire Pressure Gauge. Priced at $19.99, this tire gauge is as easy to use as it is to read, so you can actually tell how much air you’re putting in your tires instead of feeling like you’re guessing. Many of the gadgets in this price range don’t have a lot of reviews on Ace’s website, but with 34 reviews and a 4.6-out-of-5-star rating, the peace of mind alone makes this gadget feel worth the price. We don’t want to overstate it, but tire pressure matters for safety, and it can also help you save money on fuel costs, so this may be one of the best deals here.
Perhaps one of the handiest tools for the summer, this digital tire pressure gauge is useful for monthly tire-pressure checks on the car, the spare tire nobody ever thinks about, and a variety of lawn and garden tires. There’s also the kids’ bikes, sports balls, pool toys, inflatable kayaks, and paddleboards that all need their pressure checked for safety. And in the winter, you’ll appreciate the lighted digital display on this even more when you’re trying to air up your vehicle tires on a cold, dark morning.
Fiskars Stainless Steel Scissors
If you’re thinking that scissors are more of a garden or kitchen tool than a gadget for your garage, then why do all the scissors keep ending up there? The truth is, the Fiskars Stainless Steel Scissors are a 9-in-1 tool featuring precision-ground steel blades with a titanium coating. At $23.99 at Ace Hardware, this pair of scissors earns its place on our list of garage gadgets under $25 once you see its feature list.
The Fiskars Stainless Steel Scissors feature a power notch for cutting light rope, wire, and twine, and you can do it without feeling guilty about borrowing the scissors from the kitchen or sewing room. Other features include a pointed awl, a bottle opener, and a detachable blade that turns into a knife. They come with a sheath that has a built-in tape cutter and ceramic sharpener. They’re also dishwasher safe, which may be the only time they need to end up back in the kitchen.
Although this product only has 10 reviews on Ace’s website at the time of publishing, giving it a combined 4.5-out-of-5-star rating, Fiskars is a well-known brand, and most reviewers were happy with how sharp and useful these scissors were. The only recurring complaint was that the screw holding the scissors together needed to be tightened frequently.
Magnet Source Rotating Magnetic Hook
Magnetic tools are decidedly gadget-y. Whether it’s a wristband to keep small tools handy during your next DIY project, a magnetic stud finder, or a magnetic pickup tool, you probably already have several of these in your garage. One you might not have, which is also priced in the under $25 range, is the Magnet Source Rotating Magnetic Hook. Before you roll your eyes at another magnetic hook, you’ll want to know that this one is made from neodymium and has a 65-pound pull capacity. That’s enough to hold a coiled heavy-gauge extension cord, secure a work light under the hood of your vehicle, or support the end of a shade cloth or tarp, making it genuinely useful in certain situations.
With its swinging hook and 360-degree rotation, this magnetic hook attaches to ferrous surfaces around the garage without screws or drilling. Thanks to its portability, you can stick it to a metal shelf one day and move it to the side of your workbench the next. It’s only been reviewed by eight shoppers, but the Magnet Source brand is Colorado-based and has been in business for 50 years. With a 4.8-out-of-5-star average and no major concerns mentioned in reviews, it could be worth adding to your garage for $22.99.
Milwaukee Hook and Pick Set
Next on our list of garage-worthy gadgets for under $25 is the Milwaukee 4-inch Chrome Plated Steel Hook and Pick Set. While technically not a “gadget” per se, this four-piece set includes a straight pick, a hooked pick, a 90-degree bent pick, and a scraper tool with a wide hook. As a set, it’s so useful that it falls into that niche gadget territory, and while it could end up in your junk drawer, it’s not going to end up at the back.
There are plenty of reasons to consider adding the hook and pick set to your garage for $23.99. These aren’t just great for scraping old caulk out of crevices or clearing gunk from garage door tracks; they’re also useful for removing worn O-rings or retaining clips. They look like a set of dental tools, but they’re designed for those situations where prying with a clumsy flathead screwdriver just won’t do the trick.
With only 23 reviews on Ace’s website, that’s not a lot to go on, but the set has received positive reviews elsewhere. Even if they get as much use as we think they will, they’re still going to last, and if they don’t, Milwaukee’s automatic limited lifetime warranty has you covered.
Stanley Steel Blind Rivet Tool Kit
Instead of buying a cheap rivet tool and rivets separately, the 60-piece Stanley Steel Blind Rivet Tool Kit bundles everything together for $18.99, well below the price limit we set. There are plenty of neat gadgets at Ace Hardware for under $25, and as the final item on our list, this one makes the cut because it’s simply handy to keep around. You can open the box and start setting rivets right away for jobs involving sheet metal, ductwork, license plates, and brackets. It’s useful for anything from lawn mower repairs to mailbox patches, and it’s the type of tool you’ll appreciate having around when a handle falls off and can’t simply be screwed back into place.
With 48 reviews and an average 4.5-out-of-5-star rating, this rivet tool kit has earned strong feedback from shoppers. Like Milwaukee, Stanley is a well-known brand that offers a lifetime warranty on this tool. Founded in 1843, the brand is coming up on its 200th anniversary, so it’s no surprise that everyone recognizes the name and understands the level of quality that you get with it.
