How To Choose A Power Tool Brand

In this video I talk through what I believe are the four "levels" of power tool brands based on price. This is based on my opinion and experiences - if you disagree with anything please do let me know in the comments, I'm keen to hear your thoughts. I also discuss corded vs cordless, brushed vs brushless and how to choose a tool brand to invest in.

0:00 Intro
0:11 Cheap Brands
1:29 Prosumer Brands
2:29 Trade Grade Brands
4:33 Premium Brands
5:36 Cordless Or Corded?
7:12 How To Choose A Tool Brand
7:40 Brushless or Brushed Motors?
8:10 Do You Really Get What You Pay For?
8:43 Secondhand Market
9:00 Sponsored Message
9:30 What I Use
10:29 Outro

Recommended Tool Performance Comparison Videos

My Mirka Sander Fault (Vlog)

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[hugov]

For me (as a hobbyist), another key reason for corded tools over cordless is longevity. For tools that I use infrequently and don't expect to do enough work with them to wear them out, corded has the advantage that they'll still work decades from now, whereas batteries compatible with current tools are IMO unlikely to still be available that far into the future. Another aspect is corded lets you pick the best tool from any brand, rather than being biased towards the battery platform you already have.

[jayt]

One point am not sure if anyone else has made yet... when buying second hand from any of those places Keith mentions, please do make as sure as you can that they're not knocked off. Roger Bisby's talked about works van tool thefts, and the thousands of bits of kit showing up on ebay/car boot sales etc.

[richardkeith]

I still use my Bosch Router and Jigsaw that I bought over 25 years ago, so that coloured my judgement and I have Bosch blue for all the important stuff. I supplement this with Ryobi for occassional use tools, and a Badaptor to utilise Bosch batteries throughout, I have a combined extraction hose / Neutrik plug/socket, so I intend to stick with corded if dust extraction is required. I particularly like the Bosch 12V system as the tools are light and very well balanced.

[gazgough]

personally i love the worx tools. specifically the cordless garden range. ive been using mine every day for around 3 years now (garden maintenance business) id definitely say the 20v series (brushless) at least is good quality. my cheaper tools (diy/woodwork) the lumberjack sanders i have are pretty decent for the price and have taken some abuse!
Great insight as always!

[RagnBoneBrown]

In this video I talk through what I believe are the four "levels" of power tool brands based on price. This is based on my opinion and experiences - if you disagree with anything please do let me know in the comments, I'm keen to hear your thoughts. I also discuss corded vs cordless, brushed vs brushless and how to choose a tool brand to invest in.

0:00 Intro
0:11 Cheap Brands
1:29 Prosumer Brands
2:29 Trade Grade Brands
4:33 Premium Brands
5:36 Cordless Or Corded?
7:12 How To Choose A Tool Brand
7:40 Brushless or Brushed Motors?
8:10 Do You Really Get What You Pay For?
8:43 Secondhand Market
9:00 Sponsored Message
9:30 What I Use
10:29 Outro

Recommended Tool Performance Comparison Videos

My Mirka Sander Fault (Vlog)

🔨 MY TOOLS 🔨
For links to the tools I use, plus some of my favourite consumables, finishes and more see links below. As an Amazon Associate I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases:

🤝 HELP SUPPORT THE CHANNEL 🤝

💰 SHOP 💰

🎧 WORKSHOP BANTER PODCAST 🎧
Also available on Spotify, Apple, Google and most other podcast platforms

🔗 LINKS: 🔗
Instagram: @ragnbonebrown

[neilf]

Hi Keith,

Thank you for your perspective. If I may, I tend to take such good care of my tools, they seem to have lasted me decades. It has been my experience that my batteries eventually just don't hold the charge they once did. When I tried to purchase new batteries, I was overwhelmed with sticker shock. The batteries cost nearly as much as my tool did when it was new, sometimes, they cost even more then my tool. But I still have my Black and Decker, corded hand drill from 1989, my Craftsman circular saw from 1996, and my Porter Cable router from 1987. All corded, powerful, reliable, and built to last. But I had to let go of many of my battery powered tools over the years because replacement batteries are way too expensive.

Anyway, it is only my thoughts, not that you asked. Thanks for always providing reasonable perspectives.

[stevechurm]

Hi Keith, I have worked for Makita manufacturing for years and all of our range come with a 3 year warranty plus our LXT 18v models are all professional quality and as for brushed or brushless the only difference is the battery life. Still a good video never the less.

[jackh]

A warning for Irish Makita users: I own 1000s of Euro worth of Makita tools alone, and I do love Makita - the tools are good quality and as a carpenter and builder, the line up is ideal for me (I do have a decent bit of Milwaukee, Hikoki/Metabo HPT and some Bosch Blue to supplement). The major issue is that the Makita service support in ROI (part of Makita UK's jurisdiction) is terrible. I've had a warrantied track saw in for repair for 8 weeks now, and apparently still no sign of the parts coming over from the UK to the Irish service centre. As someone who relies on their tools to make a living, this is a catastrophe, but also extremely disappointing given my avid support for Makita as a brand. I've been talking to the admin side of Makita UK for weeks now, but while they acknowledge the very poor support for Irish customers at present, they seem unable to do much about it in the short term, and haven't made efforts to provide a courtesy or replacement tool. Again, I love Makita, and I'll probably (perhaps foolishly) stick with them despite this debacle, but it's worth bearing in mind for Irish tradespeople, particularly given Keith's generally accurate comment in the video about how the trade grade brands will stand over and repair their warrantied tools!

[christopherinteriors]

One thing that you could have added ( I know it is easy to miss stuff as I miss loads in my own videos) is that brands from many years ago are not the same as today. For example, something by Ryobi or B&D from 40 years ago is a different class to what it is today. A 1970s Black and Decker workmate would be in a different class to say a Black and Decker drill found in the cheap shops in 2022. Diving deep into tool companies, takeovers, mergers, importing from China etc would require a whole separate video 😂

[JohnJones-oymd]

For my normal DIY non-pro use, I'm a big fan of Ryobi 18v cordless tools. Their brushless tools have especially impressed me. I used to try to stick to corded tools, fearing an eventual lack of batteries (remember NiCads)? But these days battery life is much better, there are no shortage of aftermarket batteries, and as a last resort, it's relatively simple to swap out new cells in old packs if absolutely needed.

[watcherofwatchers]

When looking at battery platforms, I would recommend not locking yourself into just one brand if possible. Many of these companies offer some tools that others don't, and it can be quite restrictive if you're tethered to one brand's battery platform.

I was exclusively in the Dewalt ecosystem for a few years, and I found that there were quite a few tools I couldn't get. It was actually frustrating. I broke down and bought a Milwaukee tool, and it was liberating! Now that I have a choice, I can choose between what is available, how those tools are reviewed, what's actually in stock in these end times, etc. I love having two platforms!

[AdamFahn]

I'm a fan of my Worx drill as a hobbyist. I use it infrequently and it does the job around home and on small jobs. I use the same batteries for my jet wash and grass trimmer. I've also got the mini circular saw and I've just ordered a bigger one. I may have a different opinion if I used it all day every day.

[robjworkshop]

With you on the Ryobi belt sander - mine seized the bearing after less than 2 years medium duty weekend use. Managed to source another one online, lasted about a month before the motor burnt out! Planned Obsolescence - we've got Henry Ford to thank for that! Only use Bosch, Triton, Metabo, Trend now - no problems, touch wood :) Oh, and Husqvarna for the BIG saw!

[MCsCreations]

Excellent tips, Keith! Thanks a bunch! 😃
I've got a few tools from Ryobi, never had an issue, BUT... Mine are all corded. 😬
Anyway, stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

[zihotki]

Parkside Professional definitely belongs to the Prosumer category. Worx is as well a premium Chinese brand, it also belongs to the Prosumer category. The reason for that is that it's a brand from a manufacturer, who produces tools for Grizzly and many others (probably even for Ryobi). And for batteries, Parkside batteries could be easily adjusted to almost any tool using a simple adapter or a 3-printed top plate.

[mark_loveless]

Enjoyed the video! Truthfully I've probably placed more emphasis on the "one brand of battery" element than I expected, and battery performance became a huge deciding factor for me. Before a temperature-controlled shop, I had better battery performance with Milwaukee cordless tools, and never had a tool failure for that brand (can't say the same for any others). So my whole battery issue drove my decision to focus on one particular brand.

[paultay]

Great honest advice Keith...Makita is my chosen brand now I have decided to go cordless... Except for my two existing 12volt Dewalt drill and impact driver. Cheers Paul

[its_marc]

Good advice. I was lucky and stumbled into woodworking as hitachi tools were rebranding and being sold off cheap so got some great bargains, bought hikoki since and no issues. Got a few parkside and ferrex cheapies too.

[laurentdumas]

Hi Keith, excellent video, I agree with you on almost all the content. Here are some remarks :
- cordless tool are an excellent way manufacturers use to buy always their brand, with corded tools it's much more easy to pick the best value for money tool as you're not tied to the brand. And cordless is pointless when you need dust extraction in a workshop.... On top of that, I fear that, after some years the specific batteries for the tool becomes unavailable and therefore the tool unusable
- I was surprised that you rated Ryobi a mid level brand as for me it's the equivalent in TTI group of the Black&Decker brand in the Stanley B&D Group. The intermediate brand in TTI group would be AEG, and Milwaukee beeing for TTI Group what Dewalt is for Stanley B&D group or Bosch blue for Bosch Group.
- What about Triton brand ? I mean from an Hobbyist perspective... Sure this brand is not playing in the same yard as Dewalt, Makita, Milwaukee or Bosch Blue.
But it seems they have some interesting tools such as the routers, or their new TCM S254 mitre saw that looks a cheap or entry level derivative to the 254 mm Hikoki mitre saw ( it seems to share parts but it's only corded and has a brushed motor when Hikoki has a brushless motor )
Triton generates passionate discussions and long threads on DIY forums here in France...

[mumihp]

I am a hobbies female diyer. I only buy Blue bosch or ryobi tools, mainly on sale like black Friday. I been buying for years, hoping to set up my own workshop once I get my own place. I stick with those brands as the tools were affordable and were always on sale, all my tools are cordless hence buying on sale. However if I was in trade then I would be looking into makita, milwakee ect. Getting blue bosch tools maybe overkill for me but I been buying for years and made some great savings. I would advise to research the brand, what tools they have and look on black Friday or sale to get your tools.