What’s the best DIY bidirectional scan tool for diagnosing a Ford Escape?

[Nicko]

I’ve been looking into getting a DIY bidirectional scan tool for my Ford Escape, mainly to avoid costly trips to the mechanic. There are tons of options out there, but which ones actually work well with the Escape? I’m hoping to find something easy to use but still packed with features. If you’ve used one, let me know what’s worth the investment and what’s just a waste of cash!