5 power tools you should never buy (because you can get them for free)

Published Jul 27, 2026, 8:45 AM EDT Aggy is a veteran writer and editor in the technology and gaming space. Having served as a Managing Editor for high-traffic digital publications, alongside being an editor and consultant for over a dozen sites. Aggy's published work spans a wide and respected array of tech and gaming outlets, including WePC, Screen Rant, How-To Geek, Android Police, PC Invasion, and Try Hard Guides. Beyond editorial work, Aggy's direct experience in the tech sphere extends to app development. Aggy has published two games under Tales and is always eager to learn and do more. He also likes working on computers and researching in his spare time. He knows about Windows, Linux, Audio, Video, and much more. You may be in a rush to replace or get new power tools, but you really shouldn't try to buy everything you can. Manufacturers tend to add in things that help you pick their kits. It's better to just grab all the tools you need as extra additions. It's like buying your loyalty to a battery platform because you should never buy off brand, and everything else follows from that one decision. Stores give them away to lock you into their battery platform If you're putting together a tool collection, the cordless drill is almost always the thing manufacturers throw in for free when you buy a multi-tool combo kit. Brands like DeWalt, Milwaukee, and Ryobi do this constantly, especially around Father's Day and the holidays. Don't expect high-powered versions, but you can expect them to work. Buy a bare tool or a battery starter pack, and you'll usually walk away with a drill at no extra cost. Home improvement stores love this tactic because it works two real cool ways. It moves product and locks you into a battery platform you'll be stuck with for years. That last part is the whole point. The power tool industry runs on selling the drill cheaply or giving it away, because once you own a brand's battery and charger, you're pretty much committed to their system. DeWalt batteries don't work in Milwaukee tools. Milwaukee batteries don't work in Ryobi tools. So the moment you've got a drawer full of one brand's battery packs, switching becomes expensive fast. Skip your house vacuum for heavy garage messes Shop vacuums handle dust without ruining the motor Credit: Craftsman Doing projects around the house creates a lot of dust and debris, and one of the bigger mistakes you can make is reaching for your regular household vacuum to clean it up. Those vacuums just aren't built for that kind of mess. The filters clog easily, and when they do, the motor has to work harder than it should, which can cause it to overheat and die. A job site or shop vacuum is a much better fit for this. They're tougher, most can handle wet and dry messes, and the motor and bucket design is simple enough that there's not much to break over time. They're easy to move around, great for sweeping up sawdust in the garage, and surprisingly handy for cleaning out your car too. You should never pay full price for one. You can usually get these as part of a starter kit or sometimes at the counter when you buy it. I've even seen them sent out if you register a kit. Although the high powered ones are worth the money. Accessory kits are built to pad the piece counter Brands throw in bits and sockets to make deals look bigger Credit: Milwaukee Impact driver bit sets and socket sets are constantly being taped to the front of tool boxes as free add-ons or inside. I have plenty just sitting around that I never needed. Brands do this to nudge you toward picking their drill over the one sitting right next to it. So don't bother buying these accessory kits on their own; the right bundle deal will always throw them in for free. It is one of the easiest ways to inflate the number of pieces you're getting when you buy anything. If you have 10 more bits than another product, the customer will likely buy yours. I fall for it all the time with first aid kits. Flip open one of those big promotional bit sets, and you'll find that most of what's inside is just the same few bits repeated over and over. My brother once bought one, and I saw about six identical Phillips #2s, a handful of duplicate Torx sizes, and so on. Companies add lights to boost kit numbers without spending much Credit: Jorge Aguilar / How To Geek If you're setting up a garage or workshop, never pay full price for an LED work light or flashlight. They almost always get thrown into multi-tool bundles for free, and once you understand how the power tool industry works, it's easy to see why. Some of these are very cheap, so it's kind of a hard draw. Toss out the bad ones and keep the good ones. You'll get plenty to choose from, so this shouldn't be an issue over time. Big box stores give away core tools during the holidays just to lock you into their platform. Once you're in, that's when the higher-margin items like saws, hand tools, and work lights start looking attractive. A light is cheap to make because it has no motor or gears. You can make one with just some LEDs and plastic. It's basically something that can be thrown into a box without much thought. While you can't inflate the numbers with bits, bumping a five-piece kit into a six-piece kit and showing a flashlight can make it more appealing. This is especially true during holidays, where you can go to stores and see them taped onto other products. It's a real easy win if you need something extra for Father's Day. Impact drivers drive heavy fasteners without hurting your wrist Buying two-tool combo kits gives you the driver for free Credit: Ryobi An impact driver is built to drive fasteners hard. It works differently than a regular drill. Instead of applying smooth, continuous rotation, it uses an internal hammer and anvil mechanism that fires off rapid bursts of force. That's what lets it sink long lag bolts or fat structural screws into dense wood without wrenching your wrist in the process. As useful as they are, an impact driver is one tool you really shouldn't buy on its own. You normally don't even need it unless you have a project specifically designed for it. Impact drivers are usually sold alongside a cordless drill in two-tool combo kits, and stores price those kits at roughly the same cost as buying just the drill by itself. The impact driver, a charger, and a set of batteries essentially come along for free. Shop for extras too, not just the main product Not every free tool that comes in a bundle is worth keeping. The flashlights and bit sets that get taped onto combo kits are often just good enough, and occasionally they're genuinely useful. A little patience usually pays off faster than you'd expect. Ryobi ONE+ 18V 6-Port Fast Charger Ensure you always have a full power tool battery with Ryobi's 6-port fast charger.