5 Craftsman Home Improvement Tools Under $100 Worth Adding To Your Collection

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Craftsman tools have been a familiar U.S. tool brand for almost a century. Originally founded as part of Sears in 1927, this changed in 2017, when it became one of the tool brands owned by Stanley Black & Decker. Today, the brand sits in the mid-tier tool category. They aren’t quite an entry-level product, but they’re also not at the professional level like DeWalt or Milwaukee. However, for DIYers and homeowners who want versatility, performance, and durability without paying premium prices, Craftsman power tools are a brand worth considering. It’s also worth noting that the company doesn’t just manufacture power tools, and there are plenty of Craftsman hand tools for under $20 worth adding to your toolkit.

However, for this article, we’re going to stick with Craftsman power tools that will cost you less than $100. We describe the full methodology of how these tools were chosen at the bottom of the article, but in short, each tool needed a strong review rating from plenty of reviews and has real multi-purpose usefulness. Of course, each tool has to cost less than $100.

Let’s have a closer look at five Craftsman power tools that hit those benchmarks.

A good reciprocating saw is one of the most versatile cutting tools you can add to your tool collection. The Craftsman V20 reciprocating saw is a great option for DIYers who want cordless convenience without paying professional prices. Users seem to agree too; with a 4.7-star rating from over 1,500 Amazon reviews, the saw has a solid reputation.

The Craftsman reciprocating saw is available on Amazon for $88.18 for the tool only. However, because it is part of the Craftsman V20 range, the saw will work with other Craftsman V20 batteries and the Craftsman charger, which works with all V20 batteries. The saw features a high-performance motor that is capable of reaching 3,000 rpm and a six-inch blade with a one-inch stroke length. The cutting speed is easily controlled through its variable speed trigger. This gives it enough cutting power to handle a variety of household and DIY tasks across a wide range of materials. At about 15 inches long, it’s also compact enough to tackle jobs in confined spaces. Finally, the inclusion of a quick and easy blade-change system is also a plus.

Every home toolkit needs a reliable drill/driver, and the Craftsman V20 cordless drill/driver set hits the mark. It delivers dependable performance without crossing the $100 mark. Other users seem to agree with this too, as demonstrated by its Amazon rating of 4.7 stars from over 6,000 reviews. But it’s also important to break down just what you get for the money, because if you haven’t already got tools from the V20 range, or want to add to your existing battery and charger collection, then this has the added bonus of coming with both a battery and a charger.

The drill itself uses a high-performance motor rated at 280 unit watts out, giving it enough power to tackle a variety of DIY tasks, including drilling into wood, metal, and plastic. It also doubles as an electric screwdriver for driving screws in assembly, repair, and construction work. It also features a two-speed gearbox (0-350 rpm and 0-1,500 rpm). Additional points include a 1/2-inch keyless chuck, an LED work light, and a compact and ergonomic design.

The Craftsman V20 cordless drill/driver kit is available on Amazon and costs $99.

Another tool that’s worth adding to your collection is an angle grinder. These heavy-duty tools are one of the most versatile a DIYer can own. The Craftsman V20 angle grinder might not be the biggest angle grinder on the block, but that’s not its point. This is a tool that’s designed to be small enough to be used in comfort and in tight spaces, yet it still boasts an impressive 8,500 rpm performance – enough power for metal cutting, bolt removal, rust cleanup, weld grinding, and much more. As far as user feedback goes, the Craftsman grinder has Amazon ratings of 4.7 stars from over 3,000 reviews.

For the bare tool alone, the Craftsman V20 angle grinder is available on Amazon for $64.90, keeping it comfortably within our $100 budget. If you’re after batteries for the tool, these can also be purchased on Amazon, and a pack of two 2 Ah batteries will cost around $83. Other notable features include a three-position handle, tool-free guard adjustment, and a cast-metal gear housing designed to dissipate heat during longer grinding jobs.

This tool may not come out as often as a drill or a screwdriver, but when you need it, you’ll be glad it’s at hand. A quick word of caution: It should be noted that angle grinders are among some of the most difficult power tools for beginners to learn.

Home improvement projects often need that perfect finishing touch to turn them from a good job into a perfect job. This is why one of the simplest and most dependable finishing tools in your toolkit is a sheet sander. The Craftsman V20 quarter-sheet sander is one such tool. With an Amazon rating of 4.4 stars from over 120 reviews, this is a tool that can be used for applying finishing touches, preparing surfaces for painting, smoothing trim, working on corner details, general surface cleanup, and more.

Because this is a quarter-sheet sander, it’s small enough to get into tight corners and confined spaces, and it’s designed to leave a smooth finish. As a small but welcome bonus, this can help you shave a few cents from your sandpaper bill. Additionally, at just a touch over three pounds, it’s light enough to tackle longer jobs without fatigue becoming an issue. However, despite its diminutive size and weight, the Craftsman quarter-sheet sander still delivers 9,000 to 12,000 OPM. It also features a dust-sealed switch and a dust bag compatible with 1-1/4-inch vacuum connections.

The Craftsman V20 cordless quarter-sheet sander is available on Amazon for $79. However, because it uses the same batteries as the Craftsman cordless range, it’s an easy, useful addition for anyone already invested in the system.

A jigsaw is one of the most useful cutting tools in a DIYer’s armory. It’s a tool that’s especially useful for tasks that involve accurately cutting curves, notches, or detailed shaping. But that’s not where its versatility ends. It can also perform cutting tasks on a wide range of materials, including wood, plastic, metal, fiberglass, and much more. This versatility earns the Craftsman V20 cordless jigsaw a place on our list of home improvement tools worth adding to your collection. The tool-buying public seems to agree with this, as the tool has gained an impressive Amazon rating of 4.7 stars from over 1,300 reviews.

Performance-wise, the Craftsman jigsaw has a solid set of features for an under-$100 tool. Among them are a variable speed trigger that can deliver up to 2,500 spm and three orbital settings that let you fine-tune your cutting. It also features a beveling shoe that tilts up to 45 degrees for angled cuts. In terms of blade compatibility, its ability to accept both T- and U-shank blades is another plus. Other notable features include a dust blower to keep the cut line free of debris, and a contoured handle for comfort.

The Craftsman V20 jigsaw is available on Amazonand at $99 for the tool only, it just makes it onto our list, but if you do a lot of finer detail work, then a jigsaw could be worth adding to your power tool collection.

We used several selection filters to compile this list and ensure the tools delivered value and served practical purposes around the home. Firstly, and most obviously, the selected power tool had to cost less than $100. But delivering a low cost alone is not a strong enough argument to buy any tool. So, for the second selection criterion, we only selected tools with an Amazon rating of over four stars from a meaningful number of reviews. This ensured that enough users had bought the tool and found it to be a worthwhile investment.

For the final selection criteria, we included only tools that could handle more than one type of task or material and were genuinely useful additions to a home improvement toolkit.