When you enter a hardware store with no idea what project you might have, the options seem overwhelming. The shelves in a hardware store stretch on for a long time. Each shelf are lined with tools from many different brands.
Each brand promises that their products are better than other brands: tougher, smarter, or cheaper. However, the actual difference between finishing a project on time and having a broken wrist or a burned-out motor depend upon the brand of the tools that you purchase. Power tools, no matter what project a person is completing, depend upon the brand that a person trusts with their projects.
Whether a person is completing a treehouse or framing a house, the brand of the tools that a person purchases will determine not just how often they can use those tools, but also the quality of the projects that they complete. Fortunately, not every brand offer the same tools and services as other brands. However, a few brands dominate the market for specific types of power tools.
The list that follows will explain the brands that you should be aware of and the reasons that they remain some of the most trusted in the tool industry. Each brand has earned its place in the market for a specific reason. Some brands offer the most power, some the most innovation in their tools, and others the best value for their money.
After reading the following descriptions, you will be able to recognize the strengths of each brand and which brand might best solve your problems.
The Best Power Tool Brands to Know
1. DeWalt
DeWalt tools are some of the most dominant brands in the market for a specific reason. People easily recognize the yellow cases in which the DeWalt tools are housed by their durability; they have endured drops, hammerings, and applications of concrete dust for decades without the tools failing within a project.
The 20-volt MAX line from DeWalt tools provides a balance between the weight of the tool and the torque that it can create, allowing those who use them to drive screws for structurally strong projects for long hours without tiredness. Additionally, if something should break on a DeWalt tool, the company sends out replacement motors quick; a person will be waiting at most a week for their replacement motor. The rubber grips on these tools maintain their tackiness even when a person’s hands is sweaty.
Additionally, the triggers on these tools are strong enough to prevent the tool from being accidentally started when a person is not using the tool, but they are still easy to release after a person has used the tool many times.
2. Milwaukee
Milwaukee is a brand that sits at the more expensive portion of the market. However, Milwaukee has earned its place as one of the most trusted brands because they focus on innovation.
For instance, the M18 Fuel line from Milwaukee use brushless motors for their tools. These motors allow the tools made by Milwaukee to extract every ounce of power from their batteries and run cooler than motors from other brands. If a person has struggled with a circular saw splitting on hardwood may find that a Milwaukee saw will make the same cut without difficulty.
Other products from Milwaukee include a Packout storage system that can be used in their vans for the storage of their tools. Additionally, Milwaukee makes wireless lighting systems that can be used in the tools that they make to brightly illuminate even the darkest of crawl spaces. These tools cost more money up front, but they save many hour of work over the lifetime of a user of these Milwaukee tools.
Some cons of the Milwaukee brand are in the weight of their products. Milwaukee tools are heavy and may be difficult to transport from one location to another. However, the weight of their tools contributes to the durability of the products; the heavier the tool, the more likely that it will last for the years that a person uses it in their projects.
3. Bosch
Bosch tools are trusted by many users because they use German engineering for their products. German engineering in tools from the Bosch company allows their power tools to run with less vibration than other brands. Additionally, the Bosch company invests in the technology of their batteries.
For instance, their lithium-ion batteries hold their charge in cold weather. For a contractor who works in the winter, this is an essential feature of their tools. The Bosch company manufactures both professional tools and tools for home use.
A professional rotary hammer from the Bosch brand is available and a jigsaw for those who would like to use their tools in their homes can be purchased from the same company. The only downside for users of the Bosch brand are the availability of replacement parts in small towns.
4. Makita
Makita built their reputation on manufacturing tools that are lightweight but still contain enough power for heavy projects.
For instance, the 18-volt LXT line from Makita tools is some of the most popular among finish carpenters. These carpenters who hold their tools above their heads for long hours will agree that a Makita framing nailer will not cause pain in their shoulders after extensive use. Additionally, cordless miter saws from the Makita brand will not cause pain in the backs of those who have to carry the saw up ladders to reach the projects that they create.
Makita also places an emphasis on the extraction of dust from the projects that their saws complete. Many Makita tools have ports and systems that will extract the majority of the fine saw dust from projects; this helps the health of the worker and their workspaces. Additionally, the plastic on Makita tools is less durable than brands like Milwaukee or DeWalt tools.
However, the failure rates for Makita tools are just as low as those of other brands.
5. Ryobi
Ryobi is a brand that has become the default for many homeowners. Ryobi shares a company with many other professional brands.
Additionally, their 18-volt ONE+ battery platform includes more than 200 different tools, meaning that a single charger and few batteries can start many tools, such as a leaf blower or a table saw. Ryobi offers high value for its products. For the same price of one brand for their most expensive drill, a person can purchase a workshop of Ryobi tools.
Ryobi does not manufacture tools that is built for eight-hour workdays at job sites for professionals. However, they are able to complete weekend projects. A potential con to Ryobi is the plastic for the products; it feels cheaper.
Additionally, the motors run warmer than other brands. However, these downsides are not an issue for the intended users of these tools. Ryobi is a brand that shows that people do not necessarily need to spend serious amounts of money to complete projects at a home.
6. Festool
Festool is the most expensive brand. Their track saws and their dust extractors are some of the best in the market for a specific reason. Festool is the inventor of the guide rail system for saws.
This allows a person to use a handheld saw to create the same cuts that a table saw can make. If a person has ever used a Festool saw, they can understand how often time can be saved by using these saws. In addition to their saws, Festool also manufactures vacuums that have clever connectors to their tools that will extract nearly all the sawdust that was made in the projects.
Woodworkers who have suffered from lung irritation for many years have switched to Festool tools and seen a difference in their health. The obvious con to Festool products is the price. One Festool kit will cost as much as an entire Ryobi workshop.
However, Festool tools are more common in high-end cabinet shops than in the garages of individuals.
Craftsman is a brand that evokes nostalgia. Craftsman was the default brand for Sears and their stores.
Even with various changes to the owners of Craftsman, the brand and the quality of its tools remain accessible to those who would like to purchase them. While Craftsman has switched to using moddern batteries for their cordless tools, the cordless tools from Craftsman still use the red color scheme that was seen in the basements of those who had Craftsman tools from their fathers. Craftsman offers complete tool kits that include multiple tools, batteries, and a charger for a reasonable price.
For individuals who would like to start using tools in their home, these kits remove the difficulty of having to purchase individual tools. Craftsman tools are not as durable as brands like Milwaukee, but they are also not as fragile as brands like Ryobi. This is a great brand for those who have a few projects per month with their tools.
7. Metabo HPT
Metabo HPT, formerly Hitachi, puts Japanese manufacturing into the tool market. Pneumatic nailers from Metabo HPT are favorite tools of the framers because of their lightweight aluminum bodies. Additionally, the corded tools from the brand run smoothly; their grinders do not vibrate after being used for many years.
When using a Metabo HPT tool, a person will notice the precision with which the tools are manufactured. For instance, a miter saw from the brand will adjust to the desired miter with a smooth click, and it will not change its setting while the saw is running. This precision is essential for tasks like crown molding.
While the brand offers fewer products in the battery platform compared to other brands, their tools are some of the most trusted with precision tasks.
8. Harbor Freight
Additionally, the Bauer and Hercules lines from Harbor Freight have forced other brands to pay attention to the competition from Harbor Freight. Their tools were once import brands; however, they have become some of the most competitive tools available.
Tools from Harbor Freight are slightly less expensive than many of the more popular brands and offer similar performances in the tools. A 20-volt cordless drill kit from Harbor Freight costs half the price of the same kit from other brands. The reason that the Harbor Freight tools are priced this way is because the company understands what tools people need.
For many tools, people only need to be able to perform their tasks well enough for occasional use. They also do not want to spend too much of their money on a tool that will wear out in a few years. Additionally, Harbor Freight offers many coupons for their products, and they offer long-term warranties on their products.
Thus, when a tool breaks, people save money. However, professional users avoid Harbor Freight tools because they are not made for daily use. However, for those who use their tools for weekend projects, these brands offer high value for their products.
In choosing between the various brands of power tools, there are a few things to consider. For instance, a person who only creates a few projects per year will require a different set of tools than a person who spends five days a week working with power tools. However, there are decent options for almost every price point for power tools.
Look at the projects that you plan to complete with your tools. Consider the number of hours that you will require your tools to run. Then, choose the brand of tools that will best solve the problems that you have identified for yourself.
Instead of choosing the brand of tools whose products are most widely advertised, choose the brand that will solve your problems. This single decision will create a sense of flow in your projects instead of frustration at every task that you complete.
