5 Useful Gadgets You Didn't Realize You Could Find At Menards

For those who call the American Midwest home, the family-owned Menards is a haven for consumers who prioritize budget when plotting out their various DIY projects on the home front. You may not realize it, but the big box home improvement chain actually ranks as the third largest in the country these days, slotting in behind only Lowe's and The Home Depot. 

Like those national retail chains, the shelves and aisles of any local Menards are stocked with all of the tools and materials a pro builder, DIYer, or lawn care enthusiast might need to get a job done the right way. And just like your local Lowe's or The Home Depot, Menards also carries a wide range of household appliances, as well as a full range of smaller electronic gadgets and accessories you may not even realize the retailer keeps in stock, both online and in-store.

Just FYI — some of those gadgets are beyond budget-friendly, too. Still, it might be difficult for some to discern which ones are not only worth the money but could actually be useful at some point in their lives. Here's a look at a few Menards gadgets that we think fit the bill.

Cleaning devices are one of those items that one might expect to find at any home improvement retail outlet worth its salt. But at some of the big box chains, available options tend to range more toward larger vacuums, shop-vacs for workshops and garages, or pricier handheld vacuums from some of the more recognizable major brands. 

If you're looking for a small, multi-use handheld cleaning device fit for use at home or in your car that won't cost you too much, Menards currently has a pretty good option available in the HY-IMPACT Air Duster and Vacuum. As its name implies, the pint-sized device — which is typically priced at just $14.99 — functions as both a duster and a vacuum, with users able to switch from suck to blow with relative ease, allowing them to blast air for the removal of dust from cracks and crevices, then vacuum up the debris when they're done.

The handheld HY-IMPACT also comes with several different attachment heads, including a blower nozzle, a pair of bristle nozzles , and a crevice nozzle. The blower vacuum also has a removable filter for easy cleaning and is USB-C rechargeable. Yes, there's a charging cable tucked away inside the box, and at just over a pound in weight, the vacuum-blower should be easy for anyone to use for extended periods of time. 

For some people, keeping track of the weather is a casual point of interest that helps them know what to expect from the skies when they head out for the day. But proper meteorological tracking can also be the difference between going out in a light shower and avoiding getting caught in a raging storm that's generating potentially hazardous weather. While most use television and mobile devices to these ends in the modern world, there's always a chance that broadcast channels can go down and that mobile service could be interrupted.

Should those options become unavailable, it's likely that the radio waves will still be up and running. In such a scenario, it's best to have a receiver of some sort around so you can get the weather updates you need, and Menards has you covered there with Midland's NOAA Weather Alert Radio. This particular device does indeed come with the branding of the NOAA, the federal agency that tracks climate and weather changes across the country, thus ensuring you're always hearing accurate updates.

The radio is also equipped with S.A.M.E. (Specific Area Message Encoding) localized reception, which means you'll only hear about the weather affecting your immediate region. It even functions as an alarm clock, can be powered by an AC adapter or 3 AAA batteries (not included), and is priced at a budget-friendly $49.99.

Like gaming gear, a video projector is not one of those items that you'd ever expect to find for sale in most home improvement outlets, even as most — including Menards — do offer exterior home projectors around the holidays. But just for the record, Menards does indeed carry a couple of traditional video projectors in its stock, including one that offers 4K capabilities. While both of the projectors are priced under $65, we're highlighting the non-4K GPX Mini Projector primarily because it's the only option that boasts Bluetooth connectivity.

That capability means, of course, that you won't have to connect any devices or drives directly to the GPX to use it, and that you should be able to feed it streaming content from a mobile device if you need to. The projector does, of course, also include USB ports as well as SD inputs and HDMI ports if you're in need of a more direct connection. Whatever content you're looking to showcase will be illuminated by 2,000 Lumens of light and can be projected on a screen as large as 110 inches.

The projector also comes with a remote control to provide you with extra control over your viewing experience from a distance. While it's surprising that Menards has such a useful piece of tech in its stock, what's more surprising is that the GPX Bluetooth projector is priced at just $61.79.

We can all agree that two-way radios are nowhere near as popular as they used to be. But for some in the population, they remain a legitimate point of joy and entertainment both at home and on the road. Of course, for those who enjoy chatting when they're cruising the freeway, finding a 2-way mobile radio — which is slightly different than a CB radio — that is both powerful enough to communicate with others on the road, but designed not to take up too much space in the cab of your rig or on the dash of your car can be a challenge.

You might be surprised to learn that Menards may well have a two-way talker that achieves both in Midland's 15 Watt Micromobile Radio. The tiny device is a mere 9 inches wide and 2.5 inches deep, making a legit space saver where you place it in your vehicle, and the kit comes with mounting gear, a microphone, a detachable magnetic antenna and a 12-V power cord with car adapter. As for its capabilities, the 15 Watt radio boasts access to all 8 repeater channels and 15 high-power GMRS channels, as well as 142 privacy codes, automatic channel scan, programmable squelch, and access to 10 NOAA channels.

At present, Menards is selling the Midland radio for $199.99. And if you're looking for a new 2-way radio, it could be worth a look.

We'd wager that high-definition GoPro-like cameras are about the last piece of tech you'd expect to find when perusing gear available from Menards. But the big box home improvement retailer does indeed have such an item in stock. And if you're interested in getting in on the action-camera craze, you should know it'll cost you a fraction of what you'd pay for an actual GoPro, like the SlashGear-recommended Max 2.

In fact, the normal sticker price on the 1080P HD Action Camera is a mere $19.99. Now, by no stretch of the imagination are we making claims that you're getting the same GoPro level of quality with Menards' $20 Action Camera. In all honesty, if you want that GoPro quality, you should probably just bite the proverbial bullet and pony up the coin for one of those celebrated cameras. If, however, you've got a youngster in the house who's looking to learn how to use a video camera while recording his acts of daring-do via bike, scooter, or skateboard, this may be the perfect introductory shooter.

That's even more true as the 1080P Action Camera boasts a 2-inch HD display, a 170-degree wide-angle lens, and a built-in microphone. It also supports multiple recording modes, is IP68 water resistant, comes with a fully waterproof case for underwater shots and includes gear for various methods of mounting.