These Underrated Tools Are Up to 39% Off Ahead of Black Friday

5 min readEvery toolbox has its stars. The cordless drill, the circular saw, the impact driver. Big, powerful tools that get most of the attention. But tucked away in the corners of my own tool drawers are the unsung heroes—those little problem solvers that I barely think of until that moment I desperately need them. And when I do—Wow—I sure am glad they’re there.I’m talking about the clever tools specifically designed for certain situations that make everyday jobs easier. A Klein Voltage Tester so I don’t mistakenly zap myself as I replace a wall receptacle. A Bosch Laser Measure that saves me from wrestling a tape across a ceiling. Or a Japanese-style pull saw that makes clean, precise cuts the old-school way—by hand. These might not be the flashiest tools in my shop, but I’ve come to dedicate a singular drawer to them as I use them so often.With Black Friday deals already rolling in, now’s a great time to give these underrated workhorses a little love. I’ve rounded up a few of my favorite useful, affordable unsung-hero-type tools that are currently enjoying some pretty significant discounts. They’re great gifts for the DIYer who seems to have everything, and even better excuses to treat yourself to a tool that perhaps you didn’t know you needed.Here’s a holiday tool purchase that won’t hurt your gift budget. For less than $20 on sale, this little Klein Voltage Tester deserves a spot in your handyperson’s toolbox. Touch the receiver to a live wire, outlet, or switch and the tester lights up and beeps, indicating a flow of current. I keep mine right in its own small pocket in my tool belt, and another in my tool drawer so it’s an easy grab to make sure that wire isn’t lighting me up in addition to the fixture it’s connected to. Is it a “head-turner” gift? Not really. Is it a gift that will be appreciated for years to come? You bet.I’m a huge fan of these Craftsman Ratcheting Wrenches, and at 36 percent off, my enthusiasm is growing. There’s nothing like trying to loosen a stubborn bolt in a cramped space, where you barely have room to fit a conventional ratchet, let alone your knuckles. That’s where these wrenches shine. Each has a 90-tooth mechanism requiring only four degrees of swing to engage the next tooth, which makes work in tight quarters possible. This 20-piece set includes both metric and SAE, so you should be covered in terms of sizes across the board. At this price, it’s a lot of wrench for the money.Ever stretched a tape measure across a wall or ceiling only to have it buckle halfway there? So much for your measurement–and your patience. At just around $50, this Bosch is a smart holiday tool for anyone measuring rooms for flooring, paint, or furniture. It measures distances up to 100 feet and comes with two AA batteries so your lucky DIY enthusiast can put it straight to work.Nothing ruins your day quite like that little Check Engine light coming on. But before you pay your mechanic just to tell you what’s wrong, plug in this code reader. The ANCEL AD310 reads engine fault codes, gives you a bit of insight into what’s happening beneath the hood, and can clear codes as well. No batteries. No subscriptions. No Bluetooth pairing required. Just more information about what’s going on with your car or truck, which—at $30—is a pretty sweet little tool for a home mechanic, or anyone who wants to know where they stand before taking their vehicle to a shop.If you’re building a birdhouse, repairing furniture, or taking your first shot at joinery, here’s an inexpensive way to get acquainted with a pull saw if you’ve never owned one before. This $18 saw from RUITOOL is a great entry point for beginning woodworkers–and useful as well for DIYers making small, precision cuts. Its thin blade cuts on the pull-stroke, with separate edges for more difficult cuts across the grain. At more than 20 percent off, it’s an affordable addition to anyone’s woodworking toolbox.When I first started working at Popular Mechanics, this Klein Hybrid Screwdriver was up for grabs. I practically looked over both shoulders before claiming it. Years of working with tools have taught me to spot a good one, and this one had me at “Free”. It has onboard bit storage, nut drivers, and those bits are impact-rated to boot. Maybe it’s not exactly free, but at $20 for Black Friday, you, too, can have your own little “wait, seriously??” moment.This is probably the most basic pocket hole jig that Kreg makes. I use mine all the time, mostly because it’s simple to work with. Maybe you’re building a cabinet and you want to hide a fastener in a pre-drilled pocket hole–or have another situation that calls for a hidden screw that won’t crack the material. Simply set the jig stop against the edge of your workpiece, clamp it in place, and use the enclosed drill bit to bore through the guide and into your wood. Perfect pocket holes every time, ready to accept–and hide–your fastener of choice.These extra-slim pliers are great for reaching nuts and fittings in tight spots. Think plumbing repairs, awkward connections, and spaces where a conventional wrench just won’t cut it. The rubber grips are comfortable on the hands, and I like the serrated teeth in the jaws for gripping and pulling nails (there’s even a handy groove for holding nails and screws in place as you start to drive them). They’re not particularly flashy, but they are a genuinely useful problem-solver. And at nearly 40 percent off, they certainly deserve that spot in my tool drawer.Have you ever cut a baseboard miter on an outside corner, only to discover when you go to nail it that there’s a sizable gap in the joint? Odds are your miter saw isn’t wrong–the construction of the wall corner is. Sure, there are methods for stacking and scribing lines on the trim to determine the exact angle–or you could simply reach for this Digital Angle Finder by Klein and uncover the truth in seconds. Use this once and you’ll come to realize that caulk isn’t your best friend in these situations–this angle finder is.Paul Russell Smith is a former NYC ironworker turned screenwriter (Grace Point) and home renovation specialist. He lives in a crooked old farmhouse in Stockton, NJ, where he’s just as likely to be clearing a clogged pipe as rewriting a third act. When he’s not working, he enjoys hiking, pedestrian beer, and cooking over a live fire. His self-proclaimed spirit animal is the English Bulldog.