How to Choose the Right Tool Brand!

Choosing a Tool Brand is an expensive decision, and it pays to get it right.

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[festushaggen]

I went Makita when choosing a primary. I bought into Ridgid later when I found a deal for their impact wrench. That got me into the line since it came with a charger and 2 batteries. Having the 2 lines has worked well for me for years now.

[JB]

As a non-pro, DIY enthusiast, I love the 2-platform advice. I have Ridgid and DeWalt and I’ve found the two platform strategy provides a great balance for my needs

[peterc]

I have a soft spot for makita one the first power tools I used was in shop class was the makita corded sander

[realfloridaredneck]

Excellent video, I'm an electrician by trade, my primary platform is Milwaukee, my secondary platform is Ryobi (tools that I use every once in awhile). I don't see myself switching platforms, but I've started to see some Hercules tools on the jobsite and I'm quite impressed with what Harbor Freight has to offer at a lower cost than the other big box stores offer. To be honest, if I were just a DIY weekend warrior, I'd look into checking out Hercules or Bauer. Ryobi and Hart are good platforms for the average DIYer to check out as well. If there isn't a Home Depot in your area, but you've got a Lowe's, Skil and Craftsman are also very viable options. Avoid Porter-Cable though, despite being Stanley- Black & Decker, their line is getting smaller and smaller.

[tylerfraker]

As a business owner with 55+ cordless tools, I’ve got 8 cordless lines 😂👌 top quality where I need it, save a ton of money where I don’t

[gbeast]

I have a combination of Dewalt 12v and 20v tools. Doing the basement renovation, 12v tools are being used 90% of the time. For 20v, i got the dcf845, cutoff tool, DCD805 hammer drill and Atomic 4 1/2 circular saw. This is all i need.

[harlanborders]

I bet most of us are on a couple different platforms. I’m on 3 different ones Bosh, Makita and Milwaukee. Makita is my favorite but the others have there place.

[jeroen]

Finally someone with the 2-platform advice for the DIY user. I use the more expensive brand X for tools I use often but I also have inexpensive brand Y for tools I don't use that much or are simply to expensive to justify for me in brand X.

[GregBrecker]

Like your review and reasoning. I’ve been able to cut it down to only 6 platforms. Milwaukee, 12 and 18 volt Makita 18 & 40 volt, DeWalt, Bosch, Ryobi, Metabo HPT, and one remaining Rigid 71/4 inch sliding compound miter saw, I just can’t seem to part with 😅😁
I might have a problem here, or not!

[ZENO]

With corded tools it has made sense to me to buy whichever tool I like best - not important to stick to one brand. With battery tools it's nice to stick with one brand.

[racekar]

There is an Irish guy that repairs tools on YouTube. He absolutely shits on Milwaukee, says there basically unrepairable, use crap parts and are built poorly. Can’t get replacement parts, last just till warranty ends.

[snoll]

I've got multiple different lines as a plumber, hvac tech and electrician. Have Ridgid, Flex, Milwaukee, Makita, Ryopi, Ego, Kress and Echo. It all makes the world go round

[juanserna]

My concensus on this for the top brands:
-For smaller scale maintenance/installation jobs like hvac, electrical repair, post-construction smaller scale installation, or any other final stage detail oriented jobs, or home maintenance, id choose bosh/milwaukee 12v tools and maybe some 18v. Specifically, for fine woodworking/cabinetry, definitely Bosch 12v. For auto repair/maintenance, definitely milwaukee 12v.

-For heavier construction/general contractor jobs, when you are in a small team or by yourself and you own your own tools instead of your company buying you tools, then metabo hpt. Flexible tool range, great warranty, and great battery system plus the bonus of an A/C adapter for your 36v cordless tools to become corded.

-For someone that wants their tools to be exclusively or almost entirely on one battery platform, but still wants to be able dip their toe in a wide range of industries or tasks, while being ok with not necessarily having access to some specialized tools and doesnt mind paying a little more, then makita it is. Even though they have a wide range, they might not have some of the more specialized specific cordless tools that you might want as a specific trades person, depending on the trade of course, such as 12v planers and routers like bosch has.

-For working for a larger scale general construction company that buys you tool kits, and/or urges everyone to be on the same battery platform for the sake of big group productivity and to be able to borrow batteries from each other, then itll most likely be Dewalt in the U.S. (makita and bosch in europe/asia probably) and even sometimes Milwaukee.

-I would argue that if you will be mixing tools that run on different voltages, I would run bosch or milwaukee 12v platforms (depends on what youre specializing in), and would also run Metabo Hpt 18v/36v tools alongside that for when you need a tool with more power or just as your general construction power tools.
I cant justify spending money on Dewalt, because their 20v tools are comparable or the same to most other brand's 18v tool performance. I think the 20v label is a gimmick and really just a cheap way to charge more for batteries. And I think they were actually caught at one point advertising their 18v as 20v. 18v is the magic number, thats enough voltage to do construction, have decent battery life, be decent size. Its been the baseline for years for a reason. A measly 2v more is dishonest and cheap. I have the same gripe with hilti's 22v tools, 4v more is still not enough to be substantially different. And 22v is just such a silly number. If youre honestly looking for more battery output than 18v, but dont need as much as 36v tools, then buy Kobalt or spend a little more on Flex(black) since they both run 24v platforms. Theyre 6v more than 18v and 12v less than 36v so I think its the best battery for someone that wants more than 18v, but not as much as 36v or the size of 36v batteries... and thats why I love Metabo hpt multivolts. The batteries change between running 18v output in 18v tools and 36v output in 36v tools... and unlike makita, you dont need two 18v batteries to run a 36v tool, also unlike dewalt flexvolts, theyre not cartoonishly enormous to the point where they look ridiculous in a smaller tool like a driver. Another thing with makita is that I have the same gripe with their 40v platform as I do with dewalts 20v platform. Makita's 40v tools are comparable to Metabo hpt's 36v tools and metabo often blows them away. 40v is just a cheap gimmick for more money as 20v is. The only way id consider buying into the makita 40v is if I buy their 80v heavy construction tools that take two whole 40v battieries... but at that point, the tools are so big that It defeats the purpose of portability of cordless battery tools... so literally just buy the corded, air, or gas powered versions of those tools from Stihl, Ingersoll Rand, or Hilti or something instead of having those big goofy batteries charging (having to do 2 at a time sometimes), taking up chargers/outlets that your normal batteries could be using.

[IMPACT-NATION]

A great breakdown video brother. To be honest I don’t see how one can stick with a single platform nowadays 😂. So many great options across all brands👌.

[kvernesdotten]

2:46 - I came to the same conclusion a long time ago tbh. I ended up with Milwaukee for the main platform, a bunch of Ryobi for occasional use, and some spesific Makita stuff that they just seem to do better than everyone else. I have considered swapping out Ryobi and Makita for Dewalt though, partly because i want some stuff from them like the multitool, but also because i have friends and family who use Dewalt so it would be easier to borrow / lend out to eachother that way. So far decided against it simply because of the price for "secondary" tools though.

Edit: I didnt mean this as a "I already know better than you" thing, I meant it as "yeah thats great advice!". Way too many prominent figures will hardcore claim that you MUST pick a platform and stick with it or else you will have more than 1 charger and God will smite you.

[AJim-ffsl]

Thanks for the advice.. very thorough..I just bought into the M12 fuel line ..I'm about to start som diy projects at home.

[rcud]

For the non professional user (like me) I would start out with a larger kit and I like the Dewalt 12v and Milwaukee Fuel 12v tools quite a bit. For larger tools like a grinder and sawzall, going to want 18v or higher tools with bigger batteries for those. I have Dewalt 12v and 20v tools and Milwaukee 12v and 18v tools, and a few Makita and Ryobi tools. I also have a couple newer Skil 12v tools that were a great value that made them worth getting. I've upgraded and changed several of my power tools the last few years and sold several tools. The more power tools you get the more brands your likely to want to try out.

[thereloadingcraft]

Great video, and well said all around! I do think the volume is a bit low on this one, as I had to dial way back for the ads and dial back up by a bunch for the video itself. Thanks again for the great content!

[KansasTools]

I have a mix of one platform and multiple. I keep one platform at home to make it easy and straight forward. But at work I have 3-4 different brands. That works well for me because each brand has good tools and not so good tools. I can mix and match depending on the job at hand. Great video man

[engineer_alv]

That's a great advice.
I'm on three brands right now (Bosch, Milwaukee, Ryobi) and I got into two of these by BOGO deals that otherwise would've costed me the same as a bare tool on the brand that I already owned.

It's all about getting a good deal and now you have a backup brand when you want the best performance, price, ergonomics, weight or a combination of these.

I'll eventually keep only 2 brands as I only have a Ryobi hammerdrill and impact driver, though