6 Underrated Tools You Can Find At Walmart
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Many people rely on big-box retailers like Walmart to take care of most, if not of all, of their shopping needs. There is certainly a convenience to getting everything you need under one roof, saving you the time and effort it would take to go from store to store. Online shopping has made the process even more convenient, especially since Walmart has beefed up its online store over the years to better compete with Amazon.
Among the many different things you can buy at Walmart — or from its online store — are tools. While you could go to a retailer that primarily focuses on hardware, like Home Depot or Lowe's, Walmart has a wide range of tools and equipment available that you can use to stock your garage. Whether you need power tools, hand tools, tool kits, protective wear, tool storage, lawn equipment, work lights, or measuring gearm, Walmart will have you covered.
Not only does the superstore offer staples like cordless drills and nail guns, but there are also plenty of underrated options available as well. These might not come immediately to mind when you're looking to start or add to your tool collection, but they can come in very handy nonetheless. Here are six underrated tools you can find at Walmart, based on strong reviews from both customers and professional experts who've tested the products themselves (more information on how these tools were selected can be found at the end of the article.)
Slice Manual Mini Cutter
If you're the type of person who is always buying things online (whether from Walmart, Amazon, or other retailers), you'll want to invest in the Slice Manual Mini Cutter. While you could use a kitchen knife or a pair of scissors to open a constant supply of packages, these items aren't ideally suited for the task and you risk either hurting yourself or damaging the contents inside the box. You should be using a dedicated boxcutter instead, and the Slice Manual Mini Cutter stands out from others for a few reasons.
For one thing, it's very compact and lightweight, making it easy to store and use, as well as portable if you're taking it with you to the garage or a school event, for example. It has a built-in magnet, so you can conveniently keep it on the fridge or other metal surface. It's also equipped with a "finger-friendly" safety blade and an easy-grip slider that manually retracts the blade when not in use. Plus, it's suitable for both lefties and righties, and has a reinforced nylon handle that makes it more durable.
Slice also claims its blades "last 11.2x longer than traditional blades." Walmart shoppers seem to love the cutter — it has a 4.8 out of 5 score based on over 175 customer reviews. However, since it's a little bigger than a keychain, it could be easy to lose — especially in a cluttered kitchen or garage. Make sure to use the magnet and put it somewhere you won't forget and where it can't fall behind a heavy appliance or piece of furniture. The Slice Manual Mini Cutter is available from Walmart for $9.99.
Lexivon Aluminum Miter Saw Protractor
A miter saw protractor comes in very handy when you need to measure and transfer angles onto pieces of wood and other materials that need to be cut, like when you're working on trims, framing, or crown molding. These projects demand precise angle cuts, and you definitely don't want to eyeball it. The Lexivon Aluminum Miter Saw Protractor is a solid option because it's very durable and simplifies angle cutting, especially when they're not straightforward 45-degree or right-angle cuts. Whether you're a professional or into DIY projects, it would be smart to add this underrated tool to your collection.
The seven-inch protractor is a quarter-inch thick and made of rust-proof professional-grade aluminum. It's designed to stay securely in position when transferring measurements, and its markings and scales are laser-engraved, making them precise, distinct, and permanent — they won't fade on you after a few years. The product also comes with crown molding layout and compound tables within a detailed measuring guide to assist you in making accurate cuts.
While it does have a somewhat limited use case and you may only end up needing it a few times a year, you'll be glad you have it when you do. The Lexivon Aluminum Miter Saw Protractor has a nearly perfect score with over 475 user ratings on Walmart's online store, where you can purchase the tool for less than $20.
Metabo HPT 36V MultiVolt 7.25-inch Cordless Circular Saw
While Metabo's HPT 36V MultiVolt 7.25-inch Cordless Circular Saw may not be an underrated tool in its own right, a refurbished one may be, because many people overlook just what a good deal a pre-owned, professionally restored tool can be — a refurb can give you all the benefits of a new tool while saving you a lot of money. Fortunately, Walmart sells many refurbished tools, including the Metabo HPT 36V MultiVolt 7.25-inch Cordless Circular Saw.
It's a quality product worthy of your toolkit, which shouldn't be a surprise if you remember that Metabo is actually a rebrand of Hitachi power tools. Capable of up to 220 cross cuts to a 2-by-8-inch piece of wood on a single charge, it can be powered two different ways: with an AC adapter or cordless by a 36V battery.
Pro Tool Reviews got its hands on this tool and gave it a very positive review and a score of 9.4 out of 10, though it did note that its secondary handle is both undersized and too close to the main handle, if you're looking for nits to pick. A refurbished Metabo HPT 36V MultiVolt 7.25-inch Cordless Circular Saw is a smart way to own this tool for less, and you can purchase it from Walmart for $129.99.
72-inch B'Root Bar
The B'Root Bar is one of those very-niche products that really only performs one function (chopping thick roots), but is the best tool for the job if that's what you need done. It's a clever conceit — a vertically designed axe that enables you to chop roots as you would firewood, except with the ability to drive it straight down into the ground. A 58-inch or 72-inch driver bar gives you a firm grip to properly thrust down with the axe with enough force to cut roots and flora too thick for a traditional tamping bar.
If you're removing thick tree roots while gardening or landscaping, you're likely not digging a huge hole around them, so you'll appreciate the ability to chop them despite limited horizontal space, which the B'Root Bar affords you. It's also handy in removing unwanted roots when digging holes for fence posts and similar situations.
It has a perfect score on Walmart's store, though that's only averaged from two customer reviews — not enough to accurately gauge what people think about the product. However, nearly 100 people have also reviewed it on Amazon, where it has an impressive 4.6 out of 5 user rating. You can also see how the tool functions thanks to a YouTube video produced by the manufacturer (so you get a sense of how it would work in your own backyard). You can find the underrated 72-inch B'Root Bar for $124.95 at Walmart.
G & F Safety Muffs
If you're safety-conscious (and you should be), you likely work with gloves and goggles to protect your hands and eyes when using certain power tools. If you're working with particularly loud tools, you should also be protecting your ears, as long-term exposure to very loud sounds can cause serious damage to your hearing. So, while protective gear like G & F Safety Muffs may not be at the top of your list when shopping for tools, it would be wise to pick up a pair.
The safety muffs have a very high noise-reduction rating and a range between 26 dB and 41 dB, able to heavily minimize the potentially ear-damaging sounds that emit from equipment like power saws, jackhammers, and angle grinders. They also have a smart double-shell design that both adds noise dampening and makes the muffs more comfortable and better-fitting, which is especially important if you're using them for extended periods. The foam earcups are soft and the padded headband is adjustable, so it can fit heads of nearly all sizes. The muffs are also compact, making them easy to store to carry around with you.
One drawback to the product is that they don't have any built-in Bluetooth or other technology that can provide you with music or talk radio while you work, like the 3M WorkTunes. However, those cost a lot more money and you may prefer to focus on the job without distractions anyway. You can purchase G & F Safety Muffs from Walmart, where they have a 4.6 out of 5 customer rating based on nearly 200 reviews, for $13.99.
Metabo MultiVolt 36V Brushless 1.25-inch Cordless Reciprocating Saw
The Metabo MultiVolt 36V Brushless 1.25-inch Cordless Reciprocating Saw is a great tool that is available by itself or as part of one of the top-rated power tool combo kits available at Lowe's. Walmart also sells them refurbished, where you can save a lot of money by going with a pre-owned (but still high-quality) product. It can be operated corded or cordless, and its 36V battery is backwards compatible with other Hitachi or Metabo HPT 18V cordless tools.
Equipped with brushless motor technology, the saw is both powerful and durable. The tool has a slim ergonomic design that makes it easier to handle, as well as a large rafter hook for convenient storage and an LED light for better visibility. Pro Tool Reviews gave the saw a very impressive 9.6 out of 10 score in its hands-on review, though it did remark that the tool isn't as good as Milwaukee's Super Sawzall. However, the publication also noted that no other tool but the Sawzall comes close to Metabo's, so if you're willing to save some cash by settling for second best, you can get a refurbished Metabo MultiVolt 36V Brushless 1.25-inch Cordless Reciprocating Saw from Walmart for $125.99.
How these tools were selected for this list
While the tools available from Walmart mentioned on this list are indeed underrated, that doesn't necessarily mean they have poor customer ratings. In fact, quite the opposite is true, because if you're going to spend money on a tool, you want to make sure it's of high quality and worth your investment. All the tools on this list have a high user rating (at least 4.6 out of 5) from at least 100 online customers (or nearly 100 in the case of the B'Root Bar). With dozens of customers who've bought and used the products weighing in, the average rating is a good indicator of the general quality of each product.
Additionally, the reviews of experts who've gotten their hands on the tools for a professional evaluation were taken into account for the power tools on this list. Power tools are generally more expensive and have more components that can break down or not work as advertised, so you don't want to purchase any lightly. The two power tools on this list both received very high scores from Pro Tool Reviews, however. They're also refurbished — professionally restored tools can be very underrated. Just because they've been used before doesn't mean they've lost any quality, and you can save a lot of money by buying refurbished. The other tools on this list are underrated because they're typically not the first thing you think of when picturing a tool collection — but they will still make great additions to your kit and come in useful when you need them.