12 Ace Hardware Finds That Are No-Brainers At Their Price







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Ace Hardware has a lot of tools, accessories, and other home improvement products, but the retailer doesn’t always put its best products forward at the door or on the website. Instead, it often prioritizes advertising the newest products to hit the shelves, or items that are part of a big sale or promotion across all of its stores. With these distracting ads and so many different items to choose from throughout the store, it can understandably be hard to discern which goods are worth your money.

If you have time to spare and money burning a hole in your pocket, it can be fun to simply browse the Ace Hardware aisles, physically or virtually, and throw items into your cart when something speaks to you. However, most people don’t have that luxury. Every dollar counts, even if it’s in the form of an Ace Hardware gift card you need to spend. For budget-conscious shoppers, shopping online is the way to go because you can easily filter items by price and average ratings, making sure you get the best bang for your buck. To make things even easier for you, we’ve done the research for you and chosen 12 finds that are no-brainers at their price.

Ace 24-Inch Bolt Cutters

If you need to cut through chains, padlocks, thick wires, or other metal pieces, having a good pair of bolt cutters on hand can save you a ton of time and effort. And luckily, investing in a solid pair of bolt cutters won’t break the bank. The Ace Hardware-branded 24-Inch Bolt Cutters retail for just $38.99, and despite the tool’s affordable price, these bolt cutters have gathered an impressive 4.3-star average with over 75 reviews, at time of writing.

This Ace tool features the brand’s signature black and red colors, with black rubber grips on the handle ends, black elements on the cutter head, and red handles with a matte finish in between. The cutter head is fully polished and, along with the jaws, made with strong chromium-vanadium alloy steel (50CRV) that’s been heat treated to withstand even tougher use, resist wear easier, and ultimately last longer.

Black + Decker 20V Cordless Drill/Driver Kit

A cordless drill is one home improvement item everyone should own, no matter how regularly you tackle DIY projects or need to hang items, assemble furniture, and make simple repairs. If you have the cash to spare, you can easily spend hundreds on a cordless drill with loads of power and a beefy battery that seemingly lasts forever, but there are simple, budget-friendly drills you can shop, too.

For example, this positively reviewed Black + Decker Cordless Drill is only $67 at Ace Hardware. When you sign up for the store’s free rewards program, you gain access to a $15 Ace Rewards Exclusive discount, knocking the price down to $52. The drill features an 11-position clutch to help prevent you from accidentally stripping screws, can reach speeds up to 600 RPM, and uses a 20V Max rechargeable lithium battery to power everything, including the built-in LED light. There’s also integrated storage for compatible drill bits, though this particular product listing doesn’t include any bits.

Toro Power Sweep Handheld Blower

With so many practical uses for your leaf blower that aren’t simply blowing leaves, this $74.99 Toro Power Sweep Handheld Blower is a worthy addition to your collection. It’s equipped with a two-speed motor capable of delivering up to 160 mph of air force. This max speed is great for tasks like quickly drying a vehicle or wet clothes and clearing away large amounts of leaves or lawn clippings from your sidewalk.

If you don’t need quite that much air speed, you can easily adjust the speed with a switch conveniently placed on the handle below where your thumb rests while using the tool. For most tasks, you’ll likely use Toro’s blower in its high-speed mode, but its low speed is helpful for cleaning extremely dusty or dirty items, like an air filter or a power tool you use on your lawn, to ensure you don’t just kick up a big cloud of dust all at once. Whether you’re using it at max speed or not, it’s easy to handle, thanks to its 4.6-pound weight.

Dremel Versa Multi-Purpose Tool Kit

Dremel is one of the most well-known major rotary tool brands and has a ton of unique models in its catalog, including the cleaning-focused Versa Multi-Purpose Tool. It might not be one of those niche tools you’re not aware of, but it is a tool that’s easily forgotten yet incredibly useful. Dremel’s Versa tool is only $59.99, and it’s a cleaning powerhouse.

Fueled by a 4-volt battery, this corded rotary tool can reach speeds up to 2,200 RPM and easily clean away baked-on food, soap scum, grease stains, dirt, and other tough messes. Included with the tool, there’s a heavy duty pad, an eraser pad, a non-scratch pad, a backing pad, a splash pad, and a bristle brush, and it’s easy to swap between accessories with the tool’s hook and loop interface. You can also add other Dremel cleaning accessories to your collection in the future.

The included accessories do a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to cleaning, but the Versa’s compact form factor plays a part as well. It only weighs one pound and measures just over 10 inches long. These specs paired with a textured, soft-grip handle make the rotary tool comfortable to hold and gives you lots of leverage to help efficiently scrub whatever surface you’re cleaning.

Craftsman 2.5-Gallon Corded Wet/Dry Vacuum

At only $44.99, Craftsman’s 2.5-Gallon Wet/Dry Vacuum can help keep multiple spaces clean, including your garage, home, and vehicles. And with its wet capabilities, you can use it to drain a broken washing machine, clear away wet leaves, and tidy up accidental spills that might involve broken glass. It can even function as a blower, making it a bit easier to quicken the drying process on soaked carpets or other materials after you’ve cleaned up.

This must-have tool for your garage from Ace Hardware is equipped with a 2.5-gallon drum volume, powered by a 2.5 peak HP motor, and sold with a variety of accessories, including a five-foot Friction Fit hose, a filter bag, a utility nozzle, and a crevice tool to help clean less accessible areas. It’s easy to carry around between rooms or jobsites and stash discreetly when not in use, with a weight of only 6.7 pounds, a convenient carrying handle, and a 14.7-inch height.

Milwaukee 10-Piece Screwdriver Set

A set of screwdrivers might seem like a boring Ace Hardware find, but at only $44.99, this Milwaukee 10-Piece Screwdriver Set seems like a no-brainer. The set also often goes on sale and gets Ace Rewards Exclusive discounts to bring its price down even further. And despite this find’s affordable price, it’s well-reviewed for longevity, with an almost perfect 4.9-star average among nearly 300 customer reviews.

Each screwdriver in Milwaukee’s set is made with a durable forged shank and a hardened, magnetic tip that makes it easy to direct and hold screws while you’re working. Then, every screwdriver’s tri-lobe handle is comfortable to hold, has a lanyard hole for convenient storage, and comes with indicators on the side and top cap of the handle that let you identify Phillips, slotted, and square screwdrivers at a glance. In the whole set, there are four Phillips screwdrivers, four slotted screwdrivers, and two square screwdrivers.

Ace Steel Straight Edge Hedge Shears

There are some great electric hedge trimmers from top brands, but investing in a power tool like this generally only pays off if you have an extensive amount of hedges to keep trimmed. However, if you only have a few hedges to maintain or you prefer to have greater control over the amount you’re trimming, opting for manual shears instead would be a smarter bet.

Ace Hardware offers an affordable $29.99 pair of Steel Straight Edge Hedge Shears that are crafted with an American Ash hardwood handle, comfortable grips that are bright orange and easy to spot in a tool collection, and heat-treated, non-stick coated steel blades designed to glide through hedges, leaves, and thin branches and twigs. For light trimming tasks, most Ace customers are happy with the overall quality and value these shears offer, awarding an average 4.3-star rating among just over 100 reviews, though some customers do wish the blades were a little sharper for more intensive trimming tasks.

DeWalt 60-Piece Screwdriver Bit Set

For anyone with an extensive tool collection or gearheads in need of a gift they haven’t already bought themselves, this $31.99 60-Piece Screwdriver Bit Set from DeWalt could be a fantastic buy. It comes with a great variety of Phillips, Torx, slotted, and square bits, along with ¼-inch and 5/16-inch nut driver sizes. These DeWalt Max Fit bits work well in screwdrivers, impact drivers, and drill/driver combo power tools.

Every bit in this set is made with steel and features a tip that’s precision-machined to fit better inside screw head recesses and leave you with less stripped screws. Then, each bit’s tip is coated with a magnetic material to help hold screws in place while you’re lining it up with a hole or trying to fasten a screw in a hard-to-reach space. This set also comes with a storage case to keep all the tiny bits organized. It has a few different compartments to make organization easier and clear lids so you can easily see where each piece is at any given moment, and it’s compatible with DeWalt’s ToughCase+ stacking system.

Skil Rechargeable Screwdriver with Bit Set

One of the most frequently recommended tools for everyone, whether you own or rent your home, is a drill. But some people might not have enough space to spare for a drill, even a compact model. If you’re short on space, opt for an electric screwdriver instead, like Skil’s Rechargeable Screwdriver. This compact tool is only $32.99 at Ace Hardware, and for that price, you’ll also get a USB-A to USB-C charging cable, a two-inch Phillips bit, and a two-inch slotted bit.

The integrated battery powers a built-in LED light as well as the tool itself, making it easier to see what you’re doing when assembling furniture, hanging photos, or tightening screws around the home. It’s generally able to get into tighter spaces than a drill can, thanks to its pivoting head that can lock at three different positions: 0, 22.5, and 45 degrees. Then, it also features three torque settings, forward and reverse modes, and a trigger button that can be used with only one finger.

Craftsman Wide Mouth Tool Bag

One of the best sub-$20 finds at Ace Hardware right now is this Craftsman Wide Mouth Tool Bag. DIY enthusiasts love to expand their tool collections, but often forget about buying bags and organizers to store them in. With six mesh exterior pockets, a 13-inch width, and an open area inside to stash larger tools, this tool bag can hold quite a few essential tools, including multiple screwdrivers, a drill and its accessories, a level, a tape measure, and any other essential tool you might want around the home or at a jobsite.

Craftsman’s Wide Mouth bag is able to withstand the often harsh conditions of jobsites, thanks to its construction with 600D Denier material, which can resist wear and tear and moisture. It’s easy to see and access the tools you need via the wide-mouth opening or the exterior mesh pockets, and when you’re done using the tools it’s carrying, there’s a built-in handle made with the same durable material as the rest of the bag.

Ace 6-Cubic-Foot Wheelbarrow

Ace Hardware’s own branded wheelbarrow slides in just under our $74.99 budget, and for that price, it’s an extremely solid, well-rated option. With nearly 500 customer reviews, this wheelbarrow has maintained a 4.1-star average rating. Whether you intend to move dirt between parts of your flower bed, haul stone pavers around your front lawn, or clean up fallen leaves and debris from your backyard, this wheelbarrow’s capacity of 6 cubic feet should be more than enough.

This Ace Brand wheelbarrow is solidly constructed and designed to withstand both the elements and tough jobs. It’s built with a steel undercarriage to help it hold up to accidental scrapes, front tray braces to support heavier loads, and a black poly tray that’s designed to last years and resist rust and corrosion. The wheelbarrow also comes with two hardwood handles that have been lacquered and sealed to help them last longer.

Milwaukee Packout Compact Organizer

The Milwaukee Packout modular storage system is extensive, offering a wide range of storage bin sizes and styles that are all compatible with one another. One of the most highly rated options at Ace Hardware is this Compact Packout Organizer with five separate compartments. This includes four square compartments and one rectangular compartment that measure 4 x 4 x 3.9 inches and 8 x 4 x 3.9 inches, respectively. Then, the exterior case these compartments go into has dimensions of 15.2 x 9.8 x 4.6 inches.

The organizer is made to withstand accidental drops and relatively harsh conditions, and it’s IP65 rated for resistance to water and debris from jobsites. It’s also designed with reinforced hinges, heavy duty latches, and no-travel bin seals to prevent any bits, screws, or other small parts from moving between their designated compartments while you’re traveling with the organizer. If you mix and match this $38.99 organizer with other Milwaukee Packout storage solutions, its clear lid lets you easily identify what’s in this organizer versus other ones.

How we picked these no-brainer tools

There’s a lot to choose from at Ace Hardware, so we needed to have some guidelines to select all these products that are no-brainers at their price. Each item needed to have at least 75 customer reviews, an average rating of at least four stars, and a typical retail price of $75 or less. This retail price for each product is current at the time of writing and doesn’t include any limited-time deals or promotions that might be temporarily dropping its price.

Past these guidelines, we also prioritized finding products that you might not find at other hardware stores. This includes Ace’s own branded products and items with Ace Rewards Exclusive discounts.





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Recent Reviews


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Artie Beaty/ZDNET

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ZDNET’s key takeaways

  • Several mobile games are compatible with Android Auto.
  • The games all have simple touch-screen controls.
  • These are slow-paced, short-burst games. 

If you spend downtime in your car waiting for school pickup or during a lunch break, there’s a good chance you pass the time with mobile games. Here’s what you probably didn’t know: You could be playing some of those games on your car’s screen instead. A handful of popular mobile games are compatible with Android Auto, meaning you can play them in your car.  

Also: 4 Android Auto developer settings that make driving so much easier – how to enable them

You might have browsed your Android Auto apps and already seen the Gamesnacks app, which hosts several dozen light games that are not unlike early internet flash games. However, these games are more robust; they’re the same games you’d play on your phone, just on a bigger screen.

The catalog of Android Auto-compatible games isn’t huge, but it’s worth a look. None of these titles has complex controls or a steep learning curve, and all are perfect for short sessions. 

How to get started

To play on your car’s screen, you will need to install these games on your phone and have your vehicle in park. The good thing is, though, when you’re connected to your car and open the app on Android Auto, you can still use your phone for other things. This is ideal when you have a child in the car with you and need to pass the time, but don’t want to hand over your phone. 

Also: 4 Android Auto apps I highly recommend for your next road trip – beyond Maps and Spotify

I tried a quick run-through of the available games; while they didn’t run as smoothly as on my phone, they’re enough to play comfortably. Here’s a rundown of my favorites.

angry-birds-android-auto

Artie Beaty/ZDNET

Angry Birds Friends: I hadn’t played Angry Birds in years, but the slingshot-style gameplay was easy to pick back up. It works well on a car touchscreen, and the levels go by quickly. Since the game is actually on your phone, your progress saves, so you can keep going across multiple sessions. I enjoyed not just beating levels, but immediately replaying a level I had just beaten to get a higher score. 

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Artie Beaty/ZDNET

Beach Buggy Racing (1 and 2): Both versions of this cart-racing game feature colorful racers with very simple controls, making them the perfect games to kill 5 or 10 minutes. The tracks are filled with powerups, shortcuts, and other racers to beat (computer players, not online). I feel like this game takes more advantage of the bigger screen than any other on this list, and it’s the one that feels most like a “real” video game.

candy-crush-android-auto

Artie Beaty/ZDNET

Candy Crush Soda Saga: I’ve never been a fan of Candy Crush or its many versions or clones, but this is probably the most popular game available for Android Auto. The match-three gameplay is easy to pick up and play in short bursts, and it is relaxing to just zone out for a few minutes. Since the action is slower, it’s easy to play on a car screen than are games that require more movement.

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Artie Beaty/ZDNET

Also: I saw the future of Android Auto, and now Google has me dreading my own car

Farm Heroes Saga: This game is from the same developers as Candy Crush and functions the same way, you’re just matching fruit, vegetables, and water instead of candy. This game goes a bit beyond the standard match-three format, as it sometimes requires you to collect a specific number of a particular piece. I still enjoyed this game, I just gave the more popular name the nod first.





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