Smart buys, value picks and money-saving guides for power tool shoppers
A budget plasma cutter makes sense for light fabrication: cutting sheet-metal brackets, trimming rusty panels, or turning scrap plate into small parts. The purchase price is only part of the cost. A cutter also...
What to buy for a beginner’s garage For most first-time garage welders, a 120-volt flux-core machine is the lowest-cost practical entry point. It runs from a standard household outlet, needs no shielding-gas bottle, and...
For a short, mostly flat driveway that holds one or two cars, a compact single-stage snow blower is usually the best value. It costs less than a two-stage machine, takes up less storage space,...
Small hedges rarely need a powerful, expensive trimmer. For a short run of soft new growth, a basic corded electric or entry-level cordless model can be easier to live with than a gas tool—and...
For occasional outages, the best value is usually a conventional portable generator in the 4,000–5,000 running-watt range—not the biggest machine you can afford. It can cover a refrigerator, lights, a modem, and a few...
A small suburban lawn usually does not need a large, self-propelled mower. If the grass is reasonably level and the lawn takes 20–30 minutes to cut, a basic 16- to 18-inch push mower is...
The best value cordless chainsaw for pruning and firewood is usually a 10- to 14-inch battery saw from a brand whose batteries you already own. That keeps the purchase price down without forcing you...
For routine lawn maintenance, the best affordable string trimmer is usually not the most powerful one. It is the trimmer that starts reliably, handles edging and grass around obstacles, and does not cost more...
For a small yard, the best-value electric leaf blower is usually not the most powerful one. A compact blower that clears a driveway, patio, and a few hundred square feet of lawn in 10...
A shop vacuum for sawdust does not need a huge tank or a long list of attachments. It needs enough airflow to collect the dust your tools produce, a filter that keeps fine particles...
