5 Gadgets Sold At Ace Hardware That Any DIYer Would Consider A Must-Have

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Across the board, DIYers looking to make a big impact on their home, yard, or under the hood have a lot of support available to assist in their causes. There are plenty of YouTube channels featuring home improvement topics that DIYers can take inspiration and lessons from, and numerous retail outlets stand ready to supply tools and other gear. Ace Hardware is among the top options for shopping locally, in particular. The big box retailer offers an online presence that makes browsing for equipment simple, and most of its physical locations are self-contained cooperatives rather than traditional franchises or company-owned pop ups. Local business owners are therefore serving their communities rather than acting as a forward-facing outlet that kicks everything back up the chain to a nondescript corporate office somewhere else.

Naturally, the brand delivers a wide selection of products ranging from top up fluids to accessories like cutting blades and hardware — and, of course, tools. Ace offers some own-brand products as well as a rangy selection of some of the best major power tool brands on the market. Power tools, hand tools, and other gadgets are often a big deal for home improvers and DIYers of all stripes, adding new dimensions to their capabilities and offering major inspiration for new endeavors. These five products available at Ace can do just that, and they're each highly rated by users who have hands-on experience.

Outdoor power tools are often major point of focus for home improvers. These tools tend to trend toward larger, more powerful solutions like lawn mowers and chainsaws. However, other critical power tools also play an important role in keeping your lawn and garden looking healthy and polished. The DeWalt 20V Max Steel Cordless Pruner is a great example. It's listed at Ace Hardware for $139 and is featured as part of a promotion that includes a free battery when buying two tools together. The pruner features 302 buyer reviews and carries a 4.7 star average rating. It weighs just 3 pounds and offers a 1-½-inch cut capacity with more than enough power to sheer through dense branches, stems, and shrubs.

The pruner can produce up to 1,100 cuts per charge and comes with an accessory tool to make blade changes easy. It utilizes non-stick, coated blades that help ensure smooth cuts that won't require repeat application to remove unwanted material while delivering a clean slice on the leftover plant for continued healthy growth. The tool promises to require 16 times less effort on average to make cuts when compared with a manual pruning tool. The difference is therefore obvious for anyone tackling extensive outdoor tasks.

The Irwin Strait-Line 4 oz. Blue Fast Retrieve Chalk Line Set is a layout tool that's listed at Ace Hardware for $13. It has only been reviewed by 33 buyers but features a 4.6 star average rating. Irwin is among the best hand tool brands around, and this is a tool I own personally and have used on numerous occasions to support renovation projects both inside and out. The tool features a chalk hopper inside the body with an easy-to-use fill door that's 70% larger than its previous model. The tool also features a 3:1 gear ratio that makes rewinding the line after you've snapped your marker three times faster than traditional chalk line tools.

Irwin's chalk liner also uses a steel handle and large ergonomic clutch alongside an abrasion resistant poly line that can deliver up to six strikes with each reset. The line is 100 feet long, offering plenty of range for small scale tasks and large outdoor layout requirements. Whether you're laying a new floor inside your home or setting a straight line for new fencing or installations beyond your interior walls, this is a key asset that can elevate your finished product significantly.

Outdoor tools follow the drum beat of a few common themes. There are the standard solutions like rakes and shovels that rarely change over time, and then there are those innovative products that sometimes exist as gimmicky fads but can easily become key assets in maintaining a yard when done right. The Garden Weasel 3 Tine Steel Rotary Hand Cultivator is a tool that looks to be a solid performer over the long term for gardeners and growers of all varieties. Garden Weasel has a 45 year history in making quality outdoor tools, and this follows in its tradition of heady performance.

The tool features three interchangeable rotary blade wheels. They can be oriented for use in tight spaces with a single wheel set in the center of the tool, or laid out with all three ready to churn a wide row of soil for improved seeding or weed removal. The tool features 159 reviews with a 4.4 star average rating. It works at a constant 1-½-inch depth with a long handle that eliminates the need to bend down to churn the earth. The tool aerates your soil with a back and forth rolling motion for better weed management, water and air access beneath the thatch layer, and improved seeding results. It's available from Ace Hardware for $37.

The DieHard Automatic 12V 2 Amp Battery Charger/Maintainer is available at Ace Hardware for $42.  It provides a critical asset for those keeping recreational vehicles in their garage needing a little extra juice to get started in the morning during cold winter weather. Whether you need it for your primary vehicle or another recreational tool you might fire up on the weekends, battery power is a must-have that can't be compromised. Keeping your batteries in good working order often requires only the addition of a trickle charger like this solution.

 At a favorable price with great reviews, the DieHard option is certainly a good choice. 110 buyers have given it a 4.7 star average rating, and its range of integrated functions and features help support that feedback. It's compatible with both 6V and 12V batteries in a variety of builds. It offers fully automatic power delivery with multi-stage charging, float mode monitoring, and auto voltage detection features. It delivers 2 amps of charging power with the ability to act as a battery maintainer for devices that will see less than standard use.

The tool also features non-sparking clamps that help promote safety while in use. It can also detect bad batteries so that you don't waste time trying to charge an expired unit. It features 64-inch booster cables with an 80-inch power cord, delivering 12 feet of combined reach from wall plug to vehicle.

A tool that may not seem quite as important as your regular fare, the Bernzomatic MAP-Pro 14.1 oz. High Heat Torch Kit is nevertheless a crucial element for a surprisingly wide range of tasks. It's available from Ace Hardware for $65 and features an instant on/off ignition with a continuous flame lock and pressure regulation for consistent use even in inverted orientations. The tool has been reviewed by 71 buyers with a 4.7 star average rating, and is compatible with MAP-Pro and propane fuels for versatile use across job requirements.

A torch kit is essential for plenty of home improvement projects, including soldering copper piping, burning or scorching wood to create desirable surface effects for installed cabinetry, shelving pieces, or table tops, and it even doubles as a quirky cooking tool to provide an exciting finish to dishes. It's also a key asset for rehandling steel tools, allowing you to ever-so-slightly expand the diameter of a shovel head's connection point, for instance, before knocking the handle into position for a tighter, secure fit.

All of these gadgets and accessory products fall outside the typical categories of standard tool options. However, they do promise to deliver niche productivity in the fringes of key areas. All of them have been highly rated by buyers at Ace Hardware, with the lowest receiving a 4.4 star average rating. With the exception of the Irwin chalk line tool that I personally own, each one has been reviewed by at least 70 buyers, providing stability to the average feedback score in the process.