I don’t know enough to have any brand loyalty, though there might be a handful of brands that I probably won’t buy from again. If I could buy some of my cordless tools again though I’d try to consolidate down to a single brand so I didn’t have so many dumb chargers to sort through.
If you’re in the market for something specific check out Project Farm on Youtube. He does a pretty good job of putting whatever he’s reviewing through its paces - sometimes I watch his videos for stuff I know I’ll never buy
I’ve got Ryobi battery tools and Bosch Professional corded tools (vacuum lock-in…). The Bosch tools are nice to have but at least for me Ryobi is good enough for most applications.
ozito is a local brand stocked at bunnings, i wouldnt rely on them to make a living with but they are more than good enough around the house and im so deep into the ecosystem at this point it makes no sense to change
Have a few Rigid tools (cordless drill, impact driver, router, contractor table saw, orbital sander). Originally started buying Rigid for their “lifetime warranties,” but after using their registration process, it appears they’re doing everything they can to make people give up, so I don’t buy this brand any more. The contractor table saw is great, regardless.
I now buy Dewalt cordless tools. Good quality, but battery prices are ridiculous.
For tools I don’t need to use very often, I buy from Harbor Freight. Some tools are barely usable, some of their hand tools are superior to other store brands from other stores.
Harbor Freight is a lifesaver brand, by that I mean if you have very little cash but you REALLY need something to finish the job, they’ll do that one job and you’d still have a tool you can use ocasionally
There have only been a handful of times where going with a cheapo HF tool was the correct answer in the long run. HF’s higher end tools are not bad, but then again they are priced at a similar level to “real” brands, so why go with HF? Their lower end tools are mostly throw-away and something that you will need to replace - the old adage of “buy once, cry once” applies. Now I am not saying ALL HF stuff is garbage (their car jacks are good), but it’s just not worth it to me. Other’s can buy what they want.
The icon line is supposed to be comparable to the tool trucks and I have some of them and so far, I’d agree and it’s about 1/5th of the cost. I’ve been beating the hell out of the 3/8 impact swivel sockets and haven’t broken one yet. They’re still tight.
Its not like they are the exact same tool.
I have a ton of Ryobi tools and am perfectly fine with them, but they are not designed and built to the same standards of use and durability as Milwaukee. That’s why companies have multiple tiers to cover everyone from the occasional user to the professional. Some companies really go nuts with that and have seemingly a million brands (I’m looking at your SBD) but thinning out a company’s lineup of too many brands is sometimes very tough from a customer loyalty perspective.
Even so, it’s not about who owns them, it’s about their design, specifications and quality assurance. Milwaukee is head and shoulders above Ryobi in quality and durability (and cost).
Doesn’t matter too much to me. One is Dewalt and the other Ryobi. I like them both but I prefer yellow over green. The Ryobi has a large battery that lasts a very long time. The Dewalt has better ergonomics and is older, the batteries are gone (but that’s the benefit of having two drills/four batteries). I’ve dropped the Dewalt a bunch. The Ryobi is quieter and smoother torque at variable speeds.
I’ve eyed Festool for their sanders and dust collection, but soo expensive I don’t think I could buy them unless I’m getting paid for my work.
As of now I only have two drills and a measuring tape from them (I know Makita from working dry construction during college). I think it’s really hard to cut off an arm with those :D
Hitachi/Makita/Metabo (Metabo is Hitachi) Some bosch sometimes. I think the saw stop is nice for table saws after using it in a hackerspace, saw it save enough people from losing fingers it seems like a good idea. For woodworking and gardening I mostly use cheap (but not knockoffs from amazon) japanese tools, as long as you clean the blades and keep them sharp they are a really good value.
Thought I’d be alone to admitting using Hitachi/Metabo HPT. They kinda suck but get light duty stuff done and they don’t cost much, especially if you buy gray market versions.
Metabo HPT is called Hikoki outside of USA afaik. Only seen them at hardware stores but I remember the DV18DD being remarkably quiet for an 18V brushless drill driver, even compared to the competitors’ smaller models. In what way do they suck? At least here they are in the same price range as Makita and Dewalt.
Recently inherited my dad’s collection. It’s a mix of ryobi, rigid, Milwaukee, and dewalt (along with a few miscellaneous brands I don’t remember). The Milwaukee tool cabinet and work bench are probably my favourite pieces (followed closely by the Ridgid radial arm saw)
RYOBI: Recommend You Other Brands Instead (especially applies their gas stuff which has high failure rates, the cordless handhelds are decent for household and even light commercial use though)
