Best Budget Cordless Tools Under $150 (2026)
You don't need a $250 flagship to hang a deck or rough in a basement. Every pick here costs $150 or less as a bare tool and is ranked by retailer buyer rating, so the value champions that owners actually recommend come first. First on the list is the Craftsman V20 Brushless RP CMCF830 Impact Driver.
Craftsman's September 2025 flagship replaces the CMCF820 at the top of the V20 Brushless RP line, bumping output to 1,800 in-lbs, 3,200 RPM, and 4,200 IPM with a proper 3-speed selector. Pro Tool Reviews scored it 9.7/10 almost entirely on value: it hangs with mid-tier pro impacts for $119 bare or $169 with two 2.0Ah batteries, and Lowe's buyers rate the kit 4.9 stars. The trade-offs are a longish 5.2 in head and no smart assist modes.
The flagship of Craftsman's V20 recip lineup, the Brushless RP CMCS351B (launched with the RP line in 2022, superseding the CMCS350) delivers up to 75% more power than the brushed CMCS300 and tops the value class at 3,200 SPM. A two-speed selector, tool-free blade release, and LED light cover the essentials, and Ace Hardware buyers rate it 5.0 stars across 76 reviews — though it skips pro features like orbital action and a rafter hook.
The PBLID02 is the flagship 4-mode impact driver in Ryobi's ONE+ HP brushless line, released in early 2021. Its brushless motor delivers up to 2,200 in-lbs of torque, 0-2,900 RPM across three speed ranges, and 4,000 IPM, plus an Assist Mode that slows the driver as the fastener seats. It runs on the same 18V ONE+ batteries as 260+ other Ryobi tools and is sold exclusively at Home Depot.
The PBLHM101 pairs Ryobi's HP brushless motor with its High Performance batteries to deliver 750 in-lbs of torque, 0-2,100 RPM, and 31,000 BPM from a compact 7.5-inch, 2.8-lb body. It uses a 24-position clutch with dedicated hammer mode and a 1/2-inch ratcheting metal chuck, and runs on the 300-plus tool ONE+ 18V ecosystem. Pro Tool Reviews found it outdrilled Ryobi's older P251 flagship by a wide margin while shrinking in size and weight.
Ryobi's brushless ONE+ HP sidewinder brought a full 7-1/4 in blade to the value platform. It shares blades with every pro saw and cuts standard framing lumber in one pass — the spec that separates it from compact 6-1/2 in budget saws.
Ryobi's brushless ONE+ HP recip saw — the highest stroke rate in this comparison at 3,200 SPM and the lightest tool in it at 5 lbs, for roughly half the price of the pro flagships. Runs on the same ONE+ batteries as 300+ other Ryobi tools.
Ridgid's current 18V flagship grinder (May 2022), superseding the Octane-era R86042B with a brushless motor Ridgid rates at up to 25% more power than its predecessor. Runs 4-1/2-inch wheels at 9,000 RPM with an electric brake, a grip-spanning paddle switch, tool-free guard and wheel changes via a folding-tab flange nut, and a 2-position side handle. Sold exclusively at Home Depot; registering unlocks Ridgid's free-parts-and-service Lifetime Service Agreement.
Craftsman's V20 flagship sidewinder pairs a Brushless RP motor — up to 75% more power than the brushed CMCS550 it supersedes — with a 2-9/16 in depth of cut that out-specs most 18V pro saws. In Pro Tool Reviews' testing it ripped two stacked sheets of 3/4-in OSB in 20.22 seconds, placing third against far pricier competition while coming in second-lightest, making it one of the strongest value plays in cordless circular saws.
Craftsman's flagship grinder, part of the higher-output V20 BRUSHLESS RP line (2022) that sits above the brushed CMCG400. The brushless motor delivers up to 65% more power than Craftsman's base grinder, spinning 4-1/2-inch wheels at 8,500 RPM. A no-lock paddle switch, tool-free guard adjustment, 3-position side handle, and VERSATRACK wall-storage compatibility round out a simple, light 4.4-lb package. Listed at $149 but persistently discounted - Lowe's had it at $99 and Amazon deals dip to $79.
Ryobi's second-generation ONE+ HP brushless grinder (2024), superseding the PBLAG01. Same 11-amp-equivalent brushless motor and 9,200 RPM top speed, but adds improved heat management, an angled foot for flush cuts, a 3-position side handle, and a safer tooled flange nut. Ryobi claims up to 210 cuts through 3/8-inch rebar per charge. Regularly $129 bare and frequently promoted to $99.
Part of Craftsman's October 2024 V20 BRUSHLESS RP expansion, the CMCD725 is the non-hammer twin of the CMCD726 hammer drill. It shares that drill's 495 UWO rating and 0-500/0-2,000 RPM two-speed gearbox, and Craftsman claims 60% more power and 34% faster drilling than the brushed CMCD700. Craftsman rates it in UWO, not in-lbs, so its torque can't be compared directly with the others here. In the US it is sold only as the CMCD725D2 kit with two 2.0Ah batteries, a charger and a bag, which went for $99 at Lowe's.
Launched in Craftsman's October 2024 V20 BRUSHLESS RP line expansion, the CMCD726 displaced the older made-in-USA CMCD721 as the brand's most powerful hammer drill, jumping from 400 to 495 UWO. A 2-speed gearbox (0-500/0-2,000 RPM) drives up to 34% faster drilling, hammer mode hits 34,000 BPM for masonry anchors, and the 3.09 lb body carries an LED light, bit holder, and belt hook. It is sold tool-only at $119 with a 3-year warranty and VERSATRACK compatibility.
Sitting above the SubCompact R87012, this is the strongest drill/driver in Ridgid's 18V lineup without a hammer mode: a brushless motor rated at 800 in-lbs and a two-speed gearbox topping out at 2,100 RPM. It carries an all-metal 1/2-inch ratcheting chuck, a metal gear case, a 24-position clutch, a foot LED and an auxiliary side handle. Registration within 90 days adds Ridgid's Lifetime Service Agreement, which covers parts, service and batteries. Anyone who wants more torque has to step up to the R861152 hammer drill, since Ridgid sells no high-torque drill without the hammer.
The GDR18V-1950CN is Bosch's flagship 18V connected-ready impact driver, launched in fall 2024 to replace the GDR18V-1860CN. Its brushless motor produces 1,950 in-lbs of torque at up to 3,400 RPM and 4,000 IPM through three speed/torque settings, with Auto Stop and Auto Slow Down electronics to prevent overdriving screws. A 4.5-inch head, one-handed quick-insert 1/4-inch hex collet, and dual LED worklights round out the compact design.
Ridgid's flagship 18V impact driver punches far above its price: 2,400 in-lbs of torque puts it near the top of the class, and Pro Tool Reviews' head-to-head ranked it third overall, ahead of pricier DeWalt and Makita flagships. Three speeds plus a self-tapping assist mode, backed by Ridgid's registration-based Lifetime Service Agreement covering parts, service, and batteries.
Ryobi launched this second-generation HP brushless drill/driver in March 2025 as a Home Depot exclusive, and it replaced the 750 in-lbs PBLDD01 as the most powerful drill/driver in the ONE+ range. It makes 850 in-lbs through a 2-speed gearbox (0-700 and 0-2,150 RPM), with a 24-position clutch and a 1/2-inch ratcheting metal chuck. At 2.3 lbs bare it is the lightest drill/driver here, 0.8 lb under the Ridgid R86114. Ryobi's '65% more torque' claim is measured against its basic brushed PCL206, not against the previous HP model.
Of the impact wrenches here, Craftsman's Brushless RP 1/2-inch is the lightest-duty: 275 ft-lbs of max fastening torque, a 1,900 RPM top speed and two mode settings. A hog ring anvil makes socket swaps quick, and an LED work light and variable-speed trigger help in tight wheel wells. Craftsman doesn't publish a breakaway or impact-rate figure, so it's hard to compare directly against rivals that do. At around $149 bare it's the cheapest impact wrench in the catalog.