Forget Pricey Home Depot Products: 5 Amazon Finds That Are A Better Value

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With over 2,000 outlets, it's no surprise that Home Depot is the go-to home improvement store for many. It's far from the only option though, and budget-savvy shoppers might want to browse around for better prices. Amazon can be a good source for alternative tools and accessories that still get the job done, for a lower cost. We've rounded up a few products on Amazon that are cheaper alternatives to pricier tools at The Home Depot.

We compared products in a variety of tool categories across Home Depot and Amazon listings and chose five pairs of tools. Each had high ratings on their respective sites, but the Amazon options were more affordable. You can find more information on our research and selection methodology at the end of this article. While you won't receive some of the perks you can get at The Home Depot, these Amazon finds offer a more economical cost for highly-rated products.

Simple hand tools are one category where you can often find cheaper alternatives to brand-name sets. A great example is hex keys, which just need to be the right size and made of a sturdy material. You could buy the Husky SAE/Metric 26-Piece Hex Key Set from Home Depot, which includes 13 metric and 13 SAE hex keys for $19.97. Or, there's the Amazon Basics 36-Piece Allen Wrench/Hex Key Set, which includes more tools for about half the price, at $10.49.

Like the Husky set, this 36-piece Amazon version runs the gamut of common Allen wrench sizes. It comes in SAE and metric sizes with both long and short lengths. They're made of vanadium steel and come in two organized, hinged cases. Amazon reviewers rate the set 4.7 stars overall from over 14,000 reviews, with over 80% giving it 5 stars. One buyer said, "Having both SAE and metric sizes in one place is really convenient, and the two storage cases keep everything organized so you're not hunting for the right size ... This covers pretty much every hex key need I've run into for home assembly and repairs. Great value for the completeness of the set." A number of reviews agree that the set is sturdy and suitable for a range of jobs, for a decent price.

Any homeowner's guide to power drills will tell you that a cordless model is a must-have. But it's not always necessary to splurge on a top-of-the-line version. If you're doing a ton of renovation work that involves drilling, it might make sense to buy a tool from an established brand, like the Milwaukee M18 18V Compact Drill/Driver. This drill (minus the battery) costs $149 from The Home Depot. If you're mounting the odd shelf or building a few furniture pieces, it might not be necessary to pay such a premium. The Avid Power 20V Cordless Drill Set is well-rated and much more affordable. This cordless drill costs $39.99, so it's a fraction of the price of the Milwaukee, and includes a battery, charger, and a variety of drill bits.

The Avid tool has features you would expect from a well-rated drill, like variable speed control, a lightweight build (it weighs 2.5 pounds), and an LED light to illuminate the work area. The pricier Milwaukee drill is more powerful, offering 550 inch-pounds of torque and up to 1,700 RPM. The Avid Power drill provides 280 inch-pounds and 550 RPM, which many reviews say is enough for light-duty home improvement tasks. Plus, it costs less than a third of the price of the name brand tool. For those who aren't working on big projects like building a deck or fence, it offers much better value for simple household jobs.

Amazon shoppers are happy with the cheaper tool, awarding it 4.6 stars from over 23,000 reviews. Around 75% of those reviewers gave it 5 stars. One reviewer explains that it "makes assembly, craft and home repairs easy and even fun. It works great, has speed and torque control, fits perfectly in my hand and isn't too heavy. Great for home use and [the] purchase price was affordable." Several others also say it offers a good balance between power and price for everyday use.

Dremel is a big name in rotary tools and the Dremel 3100 Rotary Tool Kit is highly rated on The Home Depot website. It costs $64.97, which isn't awfully expensive, but it is a lot pricier than the Wen 2305 Rotary Tool Kit. The latter costs $21.50 on Amazon, but is still backed by thousands of positive reviews. Not only is the tool cheaper, but it includes more accessories, with an 80-piece set of bits, polishing pads, sanding discs, and more. The Dremel model includes only 16 accessories and attachments for a higher price, so this Wen model offers great value.

The tool also has an important feature, even if it's less expensive: Variable speed control from 8,000 to 30,000 RPM. While this is a slightly narrower range than the Dremel's (5,000 to 35,0000 RPM) the Wen model is still suitable for a range of cutting, sanding, drilling, polishing, and other DIY jobs. It's lightweight and the set comes with a flexible shaft attachment for more intricate tasks. 

Shoppers give this tool an average rating of 4.4 stars from more than 17,000 reviews, with 68% awarding it 5 stars. A reviewer explains, "For the price, it's hard to beat. It's not some heavy-duty industrial machine, but for home DIY and woodworking projects, it does a great job and has held up well. If you like doing detailed woodwork or small craft projects, this kit is a really solid addition to the toolbox." With its accessory range and low price, various reviews mention it's a good starter kit.

Whether to repair a pair of glasses or replace the battery on a kitchen scale, most households will need a precision screwdriver at some point. Kits don't cost much and will ensure you have the right tips for a range of jobs. For $16.97, the 25-piece Husky Precision Driver Kit is a highly-rated choice at The Home Depot. But you can have twice the accessories for a lower price with the Jorest 52-in-1 Precision Screwdriver Set. This set includes 24 double-ended bits, which means 48 types and sizes.

These are full-on precision bits, ideal for electronics, glasses, and very small projects. The types include Philips, flathead, and hex bits — as well a few that are specific to electronic products, such as the Pentelobe bits. These all attach to a slim handle with a non-slip grip. The tool has a magnetic head and the included storage case is also magnetic, to better contain the drill bits. While you will want a full-size screwdriver for more heavy-duty use, this one is excellent for precision jobs. At $9.99, the Jorest set is extremely well-priced considering how much it offers.

Based on over 8,000 reviews, this screwdriver set has a 4.6-star rating, with more than 80% of reviewers giving it 5 stars. One explains, "This kit is so well conceived. The design, function and price is a rare thing. I ordered this to take my Braun shaver apart which required small Torx heads ... I now have every kind of miniature head I will ever need and they all fit this magnetic handle."

A mini chainsaw can cut down pruning time significantly, and you don't have to pay an arm and a leg for the benefit. From Home Depot, you can snag the Ryobi One+ 18V 6-inch Mini Chainsaw. It's a well-liked, store-favorite brand; and this oil-less saw has thousands of good reviews, costing $129 (including the battery and charger). But with even more positive reviews, Amazon sells a cheaper alternative. The Seesii Mini Chainsaw costs $35.99, and reviews say it works great for cutting and pruning tasks.

While it might not have a major brand name behind it, the Seesii model still has several user-friendly features. It's the same size as the Ryobi saw, with a 6-inch bar, and both are compact. The Ryobi model cuts branches up to 4 inches, and the Seesii Mini Chainsaw can match that. At 2.7 and 2.62 pounds, they both weigh basically the same and are light enough to use one-handed. The Seessi set includes the mini chainsaw, two batteries, a charger, two chains, an oil bottle, a pair of gloves, and a couple of tools. It's set up so you can start using it right out of the box and comes with more accessories than the Ryobi option, which just has the chainsaw, one battery, and a charger.

Thousands of reviewers rate this affordable tool positively, giving it a 4.5-star average rating from over 16,000 reviews. In one review, a buyer says, "I am so impressed with this mini chainsaw! It is lightweight, super easy to use with one hand, and cuts through branches like butter. Perfect for quick yard cleanup and trimming. Having two batteries is a huge bonus so I never have to stop mid-project." With over 75% of reviewers giving it a full 5 stars, a large majority seem to consider it a great tool.

The Home Depot and Amazon both have tons of tools in their catalogue. To narrow down our picks in this list, we found a variety of tools that were top-rated in their category and ran comparisons to uncover whether other site had a similar model. The tools we chose shared similar functions and were equally as highly-rated, but the Amazon options came at a more modest price.

Each product has at least a 4-star rating from over 350 reviews, both on the Home Depot and Amazon side, since we wanted to compare tools shoppers were actually buying. The high overall rating and large number of reviews showed shopper satisfaction with the product. It also gave us information on whether the cheaper alternative was worth buying. We looked for at least 65% of shoppers giving a 5-star rating on the Amazon products. This was an important factor since Amazon alternatives tend to come from lesser-known brands, so we took this as further proof that most shoppers were happy with their purchase.