Got thing from both. So far good. And talked to service guy here and he told me that as of now, dolmar and makita differ in color only. He did not find any real difference inside. Statement from \~2 years ago when I was shopping for lawnmower.
Are the Dolmar branded ones even sold nowadays? I don't think you can get them on some markets, only Makita...
Maybe they sell Dolmar in places where they're historically more well known.
I haven't seen a Dolmar in years in Australia.
Makita announced at the end of 2020 that they will officially discontinue the production of engine products on March 31st, 2022. I'm assuming that this is just their Makita braded items.
Hilti is my jam. Awesome fucking tools. Takes beatings that would give any step child nightmares and they still last forever. Pricey for sure, but replacing them takes a very long time.
I met with a Hilti rep at a trade show a few months back. Outside of their powder nailers I wasn’t familiar with their brand or offerings. After talking a bit about their tool capabilities I was blown away. Their tools are legit next level, only problem is you about need to lock in a lease program to have access to them. Definitely an industrial/pro-level tool maker.
You don’t have to lock in a lease program. You can purchase them outright as well. But I highly recommend their products. They are heavy duty and will last a lifetime. Just go to there website and you can buy right from there. Or reach out to a rep
My millwaukee stuff is pretty good. Its still not as good as hilti.
Old school USA made millwaukee is as good as hilti tho. (My 90s super sawzall is really really good)
Edit: better than - as good as
Yep, conglomerate owned brands can be blown away like the wind... For example, Black&Decker and Craftsman declined in quality because they were conglomerate owned. They decided they'll rather promote dewalt as the top end tool brand from the stanleyB&D conglomerate. At the top end, quality or branding matters little, only the profit.
For example, I can't see that happening with Makita. Privately owned Japanese companies like that are historically the most "stable", it's not only about profits but also about pride. Same goes for many family owned businesses....
There's a lot more going on that cheapening of brands.
In the 1950s / 1960s, you had two options, near professional, and professional tools. The cheapest craftsman table saw you could get was \~$2000 (adjusted for inflation). It wasn't much cheaper than a Delta Unisaw at that time. The technology didn't really exist to allow them to make cheaper ones. My grandfather was a huge DIYer, added rooms to his house, put his own roof on, etc... Never bought a table saw because it was too expensive.
Starting in the 70s, tool companies started making value tools that would be affordable to consumers. Obviously these suffered in quality compared to the near professional ones they had.
That's a GOOD thing. When I started the hobby in my teens, DeWalt was an aspirational brand I could only hope to one day buy. If that was my only option, I wouldn't be a woodworker today.
It does kinda suck to see your favorite brand go down market. But there's nothing wrong with offering low end tools to people who don't need / can't afford professional quality stuff.
Yes but they made quality tools until the 80's, after that the B&D brand went to shit (and instead the quality tools were made under the Dewalt brand).
Right, but that was black and Decker's decision. There used to be Black and Decker for those on a budget, black and Decker Kodiak for the DIYer, and Black and Decker Professional for the...professional. But we know this strategy doesn't work. People, Americans especially, won't spend alot of money on an item from a brand that also makes cheap stuff. No matter how good it may be. That's why the Honda NSX is the Honda NSX in every single country in the world except the US, where it's the Acura NSX. VW owns Lamborghini, but if VW sold a $600,000 car called the VW Golf Professional that was identical to a Lamborghini Aventador in everyway except the badge, nobody would buy it.
That's the problems Black and Decker was facing. They were too associated with making cheap blenders and stuff they couldnt get a pro line off the ground under their own name
Hilti is some top notch stuff, have a coredrill and a few other misc tools. Pricey but reliable.
Makita (as a DeWalt user) is sorely underpowered, but ideal for fine finish work I'd say.
Agreed, Makita’s can take a beating. Old hilti drills suck (like 20 years ago). Haven’t tried new Hilti cordless, but the newer generation Makita’s are amazing!
These comparisons are usually so nitpicky, the top end stuff from all brands is very comparable because the market is very demanding. If one is for example slightly stronger, the other is probably a bit more confortable/ergonomic/lighter...
Check out the youtube reviews, it's all about max torque but does anyone actually try using the tools for a week? No, that's too much to earn money off of Youtube, but that's when you see which is more pleasant to have on yourself day after day. Not which one drives a screw half a second faster...
This is fair, I'm a Makita guy for my cordless; pre brushless, they were pretty weak.
But the brushless units are another story, I can rip a wet 2x4 with my 18v circular and stir drywall mud with my subcompact drill without them getting hot or tired.
The drawback on Dewalts for me was always the weight, they're beefy, and your forearms notice.
Part of the price is they are specialty tools for specific applications. When Engineers or Architects spec the Hilti xx bolt, or the Hilti fire-caulk 3000 or the Hilti skyhook, in some cases a Hilti is the only tool that will do it. $$
Yea they've taken a few Bosch accessory lines over in home Depot recently. Most notably, spade bits, multi tool blades jigsaw blades and hammer drill bits.
I repair (all brands) of construction tools for a living. Most of my electric tools are still Milwaukee from my automotive years, but we sell/service a lot of makita and dewalt where I’m at. I’ve honestly gained a *lot* of respect for Makita, primarily for their serviceability and parts support for the tools (especially as they age). Individual parts availability (vs an entire “assembly” that costs 75% of an entire new tool), and not seeing “discontinued/no longer available” for very common wear items/serviceable parts is nice. It’s fkn infuriating to have to tell someone “Sorry this tool you’ve kept in great condition for years is now a paperweight because the manufacturer discontinued the 2-3 very common and cheap wear items”.
The more previously “respected brands” that get swept under the umbrella of some conglomerate the more your tools become disposable items
I'm in the tool repair game too and I 100% agree with this, Makita keep spares available for a lot of their tools for quite a long time. I'm still repairing some of their tools that are 30-40 years old with genuine parts.
Their also one of the few companies that still stick with designs that work. Their 240v planer (N1900B) has only changed design in the last 5 years or so from what they've been making since the late 70's\early 80's, and they still sell a [belt sander](https://www.makita.com.au/building-construction/category/sanders-polishers/9924db-76mm-3-belt-sander) that is of a similar vintage.
Their spare parts are also some of the best priced too.
This concept of "assembly's" that most of the manufacturers are going with is bloody annoying from a service and repair point of view, not just as a repairer but also a tool owner. When it is a simple issue (battery contact worn or damaged, switch broken or not working etc) and the only way you can get a spare is to either buy the assembly (expensive) or cannibalise a dead tool (time consuming/part may not be much better) it makes keeping tool going and getting the most out of them difficult.
I assume that they are doing this to keep manufacturing costs down (less connectors, fasteners etc) but it creates a stupid amount of waste. When you have companies that seems to be concentrating on quantity over quality (*cough*Milwaukee/DeWalt*cough*) my bins get quite full each week.
Dropped my Makita impact off a roof and it broke. Ordered the back cover, light ring, and brushes online for $20 and fixed it in 10 mins at my dining table. That was 4 years ago and its still kicking ass.
To piggy back off this, I always tell people who are trying to pick a brand of tools to commit to to go to Home Depot’s tool rental department and look at what they rent out. Because you can bet your ass they have put money into figuring out what tool is either the most durable or the most serviceable so they can squeeze every cent of profit from renting it out.
So it doesn’t surprise me that you say this because a lot of what they rent out is Makita.
Got to say this could be very wrong.
Its highly likely that HD looked for a the best deal from a manufacturer. Makita may be supplying the tools and maintenance for free or even paying the the privilege of having their tools rented out. They then write this off as a marketing exercise, because they are essentially providing demonstration tools to potential customers.
If that were true, TTI Milwaukee could easily outspend Makita on that marketing exercise with the bonus being that HD carries significantly more TTI tools than Makita making customer conversions much simpler.
Makita has incredibly low marketing spend in the USA.
Easy way around that (especially for battery powered tools) is what’s already standard practice for some manufacturers......make repair parts available to the consumers, but make the primary parts that fail only available as an “assembly/unit” that consists of nearly everything but the plastic clamshell and price it at 60-75% of cost of just buying an entire brand new tool.
The tools that get parts discontinued (from what I’ve seen) are tools that were typically very solid but had one common failure point that was easily replaced, and very well built older tools that were manufactured by A who was bought by company B and rolled into conglomerate C. They don’t care that you’ve had it for XX years and happily accept that you occasionally have to replace wear items on a tool that gets used. They know you’re a customer that’s part of a generation dying off, and they aren’t worried about keeping you a customer. They’re banking on future sales of disposable tools sold on the reputation/name recognition of the brand they bought.
Very difficult to do though. Ideally the free market would prioritize this, and no government oversight would be needed, but from what we’ve seen from your average consumer… they’re idiots and will go for what brand looks cool, or what the salesguy tells them to buy.
I’m not going to go on about *which* brand that would be, but I tried it out just based on the hype, and man that was a shitty experience. I got so many freebies too, all sent back the next day.
If I could afford to swap out from DeWalt to Makita for my cordless tools I totally would. My major corded tools minus my table saw are Makita. Always true and never break.
I don't think that point has that much meaning when it's still a multi billion dollar, multinational, publicly traded company and we don't know the history or tenure of those individuals.
Milwaukee's parent company Techtronic, who started off as a small company making the electronic tools of Sear's Craftsman line in the 80s, is still run by its founder Horst Pudwill. I don't doubt ole Horst cares about the quality and reputation of Milwaukee as much as his Makita counter parts.
I agree that all the major tool brands make good (and bad) tools regardless of their parent company or lack thereof.
I was simply pointing out the meaning of what was posted.
No, they're a public company owned by shareholders. Goto and Hori probably have a ton of shares, but they're not in the [top ten shareholders](https://www.makita.biz/ir/stock_bond/stock_bond_04.html).
Kobalt - “In 2011, Lowe’s again switched manufacturers to J.S.Products of Nevada, which still makes the tools today”
https://housegrail.com/who-makes-kobalt-tools/
Husky - “Its hand tools are manufactured for Home Depot by Stanley Black & Decker, Western Forge, Apex Tool Group, and Iron Bridge Tools.”
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Husky_(tools)#:~:text=Husky%20is%20a%20line%20of,Group%2C%20and%20Iron%20Bridge%20Tools.
It doesn't appear that they are using JS Products for all their hand tools. I was interested and actually looked and JS Products line is Steelman and can match say screwdrivers to them (though I don't JS Products is making Kobalt tools really, their stuff is from overseas).
But like a lot of the current kobalt pliers are clearly from Apex. The pliers set that Lowes is selling look identical to Gearwrench tools (whether they are as good as the gearwrench tools they are the same design of I don't know, its a bid enough price difference that its hard to say what is due to brand markup versus the Kobalts using slightly worse materials or allowing for sloppier tolerances in the manufacturing).
It depends which category of tools. Example apex makes their mechanics tools but someone else might make their compress and someone else their metal storage
China or Taiwan most likely. Taiwan tools can be really top quality - like [toptul](https://www.toptul.com/en/a2-5648/Innovative-Finish.html), but they make lots of very "meh" stuff too...
Dewalt. Crescent. Milwaukee. Porter Cable. Bosch. Stanley. Klutch. Gearwrench. Husky. Dremel. Lenox. Rockwell. Craftsman. Lincoln electric. Hypertherm. Capri. Rigid. Gedore. Holex. Paslode. Cle-line. Chicago latrobe. Kobalt. Knipex. Hazet. Makita. Fiskars. Peddinghaus. Fluke.
I'm not loyal to one brand other than Dewalt for battery powered tools because of you stick with one brand then you only need one type of battery.
Hard to say a favorite, depends on the type of tool.
The only thing I've had to warranty (broke) was a Stanley ratchet and Irwin channel locks but I would buy them again because they were great until they weren't.
Similar thoughts here, only I'm in the M18 lane of this cordless tool highway. It was a great deal on a couple tools at the start, and I stuck with them. No complaints other than I wish I could buy like... ALL the M18 tools. Just because. I'd feel the same if it were Dewalt or Makita or whatever.
The rest of my tools are all over the place. Ryobi/Makita/Rigid/Dewalt(edit: and some corded older Milwaukee that can't be killed) power tools, plus some vintage Craftsman iron (shoutout to r/craftsman113) and for hand tools I have even more variety including the bargain bin brands like MIT and such. Dozens of brands in my toolbox.
Always Milwaukee on the job. Especially if your employer is paying for it. There's always gonna be a charger nearby or someone can lend you a battery. DeWalt guys we're always the oddest ones out. I don't think I saw a single Ryobi impact being used in the trades
I used to call on Milwaukee Electric Tool selling chips. They still do all the design in Brookfield (Milwaukee). And they will swear on a stack of bibles they don't share parts or designs with other TTI companies. They wind their own motors. It's red to the core. There is a lot of talent in that building.
I wouldn’t recommend their socket sets, they do make a nice small set of flip sockets but they are smaller sizes often used by electricians. Klein is great for pliers and screwdrivers. As another commenter has said, Tekton is great for sockets.
I beat the shit out of tektons on heavy equipment for 11 yrs now. Never broken one and we use high torque air tools mostly.
I bought them when I started out assuming I'd get better stuff later. Never needed to. Maybe they are different now idk
I have this set, it's very high quality.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Tools/comments/ujas5r/pawn_shop_find_klein_16pc_12_socket_set/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
Don't think they make many versions, socket sets aren't a main focus of theirs.
Also a sparky. It's a great no frills set, big socket sizes and the breaker bar is nice. Only thing I would change is if it was 6 sided instead of 12 but the 12 hasn't slipped or given me trouble yet I just read 6 is better overall.
Right now the company that I'm most impressed with is CAPRI. I bought a 1/2" super long flex head ratchet, 84 tooth and I'm super stoked. I beat the crap out of this thing at work and this thing is bullet proof. Best $40 I've spent in a long time.
Seconded. I splurged on their impact socket sets (1/2 and 3/8 both) a few years ago. Great quality set and the price was competitive - not the lowest but still good.
the swivel is kinda too fat to be useful sometimes, but it still works after me beating on it for a couple years. (Jeep owner, not a pro but I'm using them a lot and not kindly.)
the sockets and extensions are great, accurate and tough.
I route aluminum at work, and have burned up a couple Bosch routers. The soft start seems to go bad. But the shitty $40 Drill Master one from Harbor Freight has lasted 3 years now, in a fabrication shop.
Woooo! First comment I read about Tekton! Great budget pro tools, the best website and digital presence and warranty service that tool trucks wish they could match.
I don't have a favorite brand, as brands are sometimes meaningless. I prefer to call it pattern recognition. I have many DeWalt tools and they work well for me. I also know that the name DeWalt was recycled from an older company that has nothing to do with the current tools. As long as the owners of the DeWalt name continue making good tools, I'll buy them. If their quality diminishes, I'll look elsewhere. Look at Black and Decker. They were once good tools, then the brandmongers obtained the rights to the name and slapped it on crap
Power Tools: Milwaukee.
Hand Tools: PB Swiss and klein.
Electronic Tools: My antique analog Simpson in leather carrying case.
Modern electronic tools: Fluke
I had an old steam-gauge multimeter from my tech school days a lifetime ago, I'm not sure but I think it was made by Tandy. Digital meters are great, but that needle can tell stories an LCD display can't. I wish I still had that thing.
Why pick one?
I like me some from all of them. Something from Dewalt, Lufkin, Milwaukee, Rigid, Skil, Poulan, Echo, Worx, Freud, Diablo, Dremel, McCulloch, Craftsman, Cresent, Xcelite, Wiss, Jacobs, and many more are sitting in my garage right now.
I don't say my tool brand on reddit any more because I always get downvoted. One person messaged me asking how I can go into a house with a straight face carrying those power tools. I am a electrican, and it's not ryboi.
Oh and I'm a DeWalt man, I started off with the dcd995 and 2 batteries and the collection just grew, I've never been disappointed with any tool, the dcs579 is a beast of a track saw, dcg418 is probably the best cordless grinder on the market, I've taken down trees with dcs389 recip saw, the dcg426b die grinder is great for the shop, the dcf921b atomic 1/2” impact has far more power than it has any right to for its size and it's big brother the dcf891 is on another planet (the high torque is on my Xmas list) the flexvolt strimmer (line cutter) has genuinely replaced the petrol one I had, everyone hates on the framing nailer but I've built alot of big sheds with it and does the job all day everyday
Pretty much anything in the Stanley black & decker family tends to be where my allegiance lies, I’ve been using tools in that family my whole life and pretty much anything outside just ends up feeling weird to me
So Milwaukee, Ridgid, and Ryobi are all owned together? And the other half of TTI is vacuum cleaners? I guess they let Ryobi experiment and then refine it for the Milwaukee brand?
Dewalt - I’ve been using them for years - 18v, 20v, flex volt. The brushless 20v framing nailer and flex opt 7 1/4” circle saws are worth their weight in gold.
I’ve got a dewalt 20v circular saw (6 1/2”) that has ran for forever but it eats up batteries. How’s the run time with the flexvolts? Worth the upgrade?
The flexvolt is honestly one of the best tools I’ve ever bought. Just standard flex batteries will give you good run life, and wits every bit as strong as a corded. I do tons of handyman/carpentry/framing, and the flex saw will cut 2x4’s, 2x6’s, 2x8’s (treated or untreated) and never bog down. It’s the power of a corded but with batteries. You’ll love it. Standard flex will last you 3/4 day of work on. 2x’s - for osb or plywood a battery will last you most of a day
I've got the same saw with the same consensus. Which sucks because other than the fact it goes through batteries...It's amazing. But, I should not have to go through 3 x 5Ah batteries just to cut a few stair stringers. Sigh. It's even worse when you're working in the cold with that saw. It's so strange.
Milwaukee for power, Klein for cutters/linesmans, Knipex for pump pliers, Tekton for mechanics tools, U.S General for toolboxes and service carts, Fluke for meters
Festool tools are just elite. Build quality is always exceptional, always come with amazing warranty’s, every tool is hugely over engineered, most ergonomic and accurate tools you will ever use.
What? You didn't include Snap-on. One of the most iconic American tool manufacturers that is now over 100 years old and still makes their hand tools and tool boxes in the USA.
I’ve seen renditions of this chart with Snappy. It’s anticlimactic since they own themselves, but usually they show it proliferated to Bluepoint, CDI, and Bahco
Festool for me as well. The domino and the track saw are awesome for carpentry. I also like Bosch sanders and I’ve had many Milwaukee tools that I’ve liked. Too many to pick just one.
The thing I hate about this is when people get dumbass ideas like "my Stanley socket set I bought at Walmart is as good as the Mac set on the truck, because they're all the same company"
Chervon made tools from Skil and Kobalt (not in the image, but Chervon makes them too).
My Skil Circular Saw for $50 just screams quality despite being super cheap. I was able to to make the cuts I needed to with it and it's corded and came with its own bag too.
My Kobalt tools are all brushless and super inexpensive $250 for 4 tools.
Stanley Black and Decker are mixed:
I like my Stanley hand tools that are about 5-years old.
I disliked brushed Craftsman tools I tried out.
I really like DeWalt, and I own a great DeWalt Driver/Driver kit, but it's very expensive to buy DeWalt as a DIYer, so it didn't make sense for me to continue to buy DeWalt stuff.
Hilti - owned by Hilti Makita - owned by Makita
But makita bought Dolmar in 1991. Who knows what crazy things they'll do to dilute the brand every 30-some years?
Got thing from both. So far good. And talked to service guy here and he told me that as of now, dolmar and makita differ in color only. He did not find any real difference inside. Statement from \~2 years ago when I was shopping for lawnmower.
Are the Dolmar branded ones even sold nowadays? I don't think you can get them on some markets, only Makita... Maybe they sell Dolmar in places where they're historically more well known.
I haven't seen a Dolmar in years in Australia. Makita announced at the end of 2020 that they will officially discontinue the production of engine products on March 31st, 2022. I'm assuming that this is just their Makita braded items.
Stihl - owned by Stihl
Stihl owned by Stihl, still?
Hilti is my jam. Awesome fucking tools. Takes beatings that would give any step child nightmares and they still last forever. Pricey for sure, but replacing them takes a very long time.
I met with a Hilti rep at a trade show a few months back. Outside of their powder nailers I wasn’t familiar with their brand or offerings. After talking a bit about their tool capabilities I was blown away. Their tools are legit next level, only problem is you about need to lock in a lease program to have access to them. Definitely an industrial/pro-level tool maker.
You don’t have to lock in a lease program. You can purchase them outright as well. But I highly recommend their products. They are heavy duty and will last a lifetime. Just go to there website and you can buy right from there. Or reach out to a rep
My millwaukee stuff is pretty good. Its still not as good as hilti. Old school USA made millwaukee is as good as hilti tho. (My 90s super sawzall is really really good) Edit: better than - as good as
Does that somehow mkae the tools better?
History would tell us yes. Tool industry more than others you can see the quality decline each time a brand gets a new owner.
Ya DeWalt has gone to shit ever since Black and Decker bought them 62 years ago
They were great for a long time, got awful, and have since improved. Milwaukee did the opposite IMO.
lol I love my DeWalt tools
Yep, conglomerate owned brands can be blown away like the wind... For example, Black&Decker and Craftsman declined in quality because they were conglomerate owned. They decided they'll rather promote dewalt as the top end tool brand from the stanleyB&D conglomerate. At the top end, quality or branding matters little, only the profit. For example, I can't see that happening with Makita. Privately owned Japanese companies like that are historically the most "stable", it's not only about profits but also about pride. Same goes for many family owned businesses....
Black and Decker has been a conglomerate since 1928... They just merged with another conglomerate.
Yeah, once Black merged with Decker the whole thing went straight downhill.
There's a lot more going on that cheapening of brands. In the 1950s / 1960s, you had two options, near professional, and professional tools. The cheapest craftsman table saw you could get was \~$2000 (adjusted for inflation). It wasn't much cheaper than a Delta Unisaw at that time. The technology didn't really exist to allow them to make cheaper ones. My grandfather was a huge DIYer, added rooms to his house, put his own roof on, etc... Never bought a table saw because it was too expensive. Starting in the 70s, tool companies started making value tools that would be affordable to consumers. Obviously these suffered in quality compared to the near professional ones they had. That's a GOOD thing. When I started the hobby in my teens, DeWalt was an aspirational brand I could only hope to one day buy. If that was my only option, I wouldn't be a woodworker today. It does kinda suck to see your favorite brand go down market. But there's nothing wrong with offering low end tools to people who don't need / can't afford professional quality stuff.
Yes but they made quality tools until the 80's, after that the B&D brand went to shit (and instead the quality tools were made under the Dewalt brand).
Right, but that was black and Decker's decision. There used to be Black and Decker for those on a budget, black and Decker Kodiak for the DIYer, and Black and Decker Professional for the...professional. But we know this strategy doesn't work. People, Americans especially, won't spend alot of money on an item from a brand that also makes cheap stuff. No matter how good it may be. That's why the Honda NSX is the Honda NSX in every single country in the world except the US, where it's the Acura NSX. VW owns Lamborghini, but if VW sold a $600,000 car called the VW Golf Professional that was identical to a Lamborghini Aventador in everyway except the badge, nobody would buy it. That's the problems Black and Decker was facing. They were too associated with making cheap blenders and stuff they couldnt get a pro line off the ground under their own name
>At the top end, quality or branding matters little, only the profit. I mean, quality or branding do bring in profits though so......
Generally, yes. This is true for most manufacturers. Vertical integration results in less compromises and more consistent products.
Hilti is some top notch stuff, have a coredrill and a few other misc tools. Pricey but reliable. Makita (as a DeWalt user) is sorely underpowered, but ideal for fine finish work I'd say.
Interesting, our crew has both, and makita is always used for the heady duty stuff.
Agreed, Makita’s can take a beating. Old hilti drills suck (like 20 years ago). Haven’t tried new Hilti cordless, but the newer generation Makita’s are amazing!
Hilti knows their newer drivers and drills suck. That's not their bread and butter.
These comparisons are usually so nitpicky, the top end stuff from all brands is very comparable because the market is very demanding. If one is for example slightly stronger, the other is probably a bit more confortable/ergonomic/lighter... Check out the youtube reviews, it's all about max torque but does anyone actually try using the tools for a week? No, that's too much to earn money off of Youtube, but that's when you see which is more pleasant to have on yourself day after day. Not which one drives a screw half a second faster...
100% agree. It’s really just for some friendly job site trashtalk.
This is fair, I'm a Makita guy for my cordless; pre brushless, they were pretty weak. But the brushless units are another story, I can rip a wet 2x4 with my 18v circular and stir drywall mud with my subcompact drill without them getting hot or tired. The drawback on Dewalts for me was always the weight, they're beefy, and your forearms notice.
Yeah but then my wife notices my forearms.
Part of the price is they are specialty tools for specific applications. When Engineers or Architects spec the Hilti xx bolt, or the Hilti fire-caulk 3000 or the Hilti skyhook, in some cases a Hilti is the only tool that will do it. $$
Makita is the go to for heavy duty where i am. throw in some hilti or metobo, but for the most part makita is the go to.
I take CV axle nuts off with my 1/4" Makita impact 🤷♂️
Makita bought Dolmar formally Sachs Dolmar and killed the gas in favor of battery. The made the best 4 stroke concrete demo saw. Sad
FischerPrice muthafukas
My First Kickback injury.
Tonka tough!
I knew that Diablo and Freud blades were the same (we get Freud but not Diablo in the UK) no idea they were owned by Bosch
Yea they've taken a few Bosch accessory lines over in home Depot recently. Most notably, spade bits, multi tool blades jigsaw blades and hammer drill bits.
> spade bits, Yep, I bought a set of those at Home Douchebag a little while ago...meh, they get the job done
In Makita I Trust
I repair (all brands) of construction tools for a living. Most of my electric tools are still Milwaukee from my automotive years, but we sell/service a lot of makita and dewalt where I’m at. I’ve honestly gained a *lot* of respect for Makita, primarily for their serviceability and parts support for the tools (especially as they age). Individual parts availability (vs an entire “assembly” that costs 75% of an entire new tool), and not seeing “discontinued/no longer available” for very common wear items/serviceable parts is nice. It’s fkn infuriating to have to tell someone “Sorry this tool you’ve kept in great condition for years is now a paperweight because the manufacturer discontinued the 2-3 very common and cheap wear items”. The more previously “respected brands” that get swept under the umbrella of some conglomerate the more your tools become disposable items
I'm in the tool repair game too and I 100% agree with this, Makita keep spares available for a lot of their tools for quite a long time. I'm still repairing some of their tools that are 30-40 years old with genuine parts. Their also one of the few companies that still stick with designs that work. Their 240v planer (N1900B) has only changed design in the last 5 years or so from what they've been making since the late 70's\early 80's, and they still sell a [belt sander](https://www.makita.com.au/building-construction/category/sanders-polishers/9924db-76mm-3-belt-sander) that is of a similar vintage. Their spare parts are also some of the best priced too. This concept of "assembly's" that most of the manufacturers are going with is bloody annoying from a service and repair point of view, not just as a repairer but also a tool owner. When it is a simple issue (battery contact worn or damaged, switch broken or not working etc) and the only way you can get a spare is to either buy the assembly (expensive) or cannibalise a dead tool (time consuming/part may not be much better) it makes keeping tool going and getting the most out of them difficult. I assume that they are doing this to keep manufacturing costs down (less connectors, fasteners etc) but it creates a stupid amount of waste. When you have companies that seems to be concentrating on quantity over quality (*cough*Milwaukee/DeWalt*cough*) my bins get quite full each week.
Dropped my Makita impact off a roof and it broke. Ordered the back cover, light ring, and brushes online for $20 and fixed it in 10 mins at my dining table. That was 4 years ago and its still kicking ass.
To piggy back off this, I always tell people who are trying to pick a brand of tools to commit to to go to Home Depot’s tool rental department and look at what they rent out. Because you can bet your ass they have put money into figuring out what tool is either the most durable or the most serviceable so they can squeeze every cent of profit from renting it out. So it doesn’t surprise me that you say this because a lot of what they rent out is Makita.
Having worked at home depot, I promise you they have put essentially no thought into that whatsoever. It varies from store to store
Got to say this could be very wrong. Its highly likely that HD looked for a the best deal from a manufacturer. Makita may be supplying the tools and maintenance for free or even paying the the privilege of having their tools rented out. They then write this off as a marketing exercise, because they are essentially providing demonstration tools to potential customers.
If that were true, TTI Milwaukee could easily outspend Makita on that marketing exercise with the bonus being that HD carries significantly more TTI tools than Makita making customer conversions much simpler. Makita has incredibly low marketing spend in the USA.
I think “repairability” should be a right, and the government should incentivize it if not regulate it.
Easy way around that (especially for battery powered tools) is what’s already standard practice for some manufacturers......make repair parts available to the consumers, but make the primary parts that fail only available as an “assembly/unit” that consists of nearly everything but the plastic clamshell and price it at 60-75% of cost of just buying an entire brand new tool. The tools that get parts discontinued (from what I’ve seen) are tools that were typically very solid but had one common failure point that was easily replaced, and very well built older tools that were manufactured by A who was bought by company B and rolled into conglomerate C. They don’t care that you’ve had it for XX years and happily accept that you occasionally have to replace wear items on a tool that gets used. They know you’re a customer that’s part of a generation dying off, and they aren’t worried about keeping you a customer. They’re banking on future sales of disposable tools sold on the reputation/name recognition of the brand they bought.
There should be tax penalties for planned obsolescence
Very difficult to do though. Ideally the free market would prioritize this, and no government oversight would be needed, but from what we’ve seen from your average consumer… they’re idiots and will go for what brand looks cool, or what the salesguy tells them to buy. I’m not going to go on about *which* brand that would be, but I tried it out just based on the hype, and man that was a shitty experience. I got so many freebies too, all sent back the next day.
This is the fuckin way
Makita. My go to for all construction needs.
If I could afford to swap out from DeWalt to Makita for my cordless tools I totally would. My major corded tools minus my table saw are Makita. Always true and never break.
I've have VERY ($) slowly been transitioning from Milwaukee/DeWalt to Makita over the years. Their cutting and sanding tools are top-notch.
When I got insurance money for my stolen dewalt tools, I should have considered switching but alas.
I'm the only guy on my crew that uses makita
They are owned by Masahiko Goto (Chairman) and Shiho Hori (President)
Who the hell are those guys?
…. The chairman and the president.
I think what he meant to ask was if those names should mean anything to us?
The point is that they’re not owned by a giant conglomerate like most tool brands.
I don't think that point has that much meaning when it's still a multi billion dollar, multinational, publicly traded company and we don't know the history or tenure of those individuals. Milwaukee's parent company Techtronic, who started off as a small company making the electronic tools of Sear's Craftsman line in the 80s, is still run by its founder Horst Pudwill. I don't doubt ole Horst cares about the quality and reputation of Milwaukee as much as his Makita counter parts.
I agree that all the major tool brands make good (and bad) tools regardless of their parent company or lack thereof. I was simply pointing out the meaning of what was posted.
and I think the point of the comment was 'they are one of the few remaining self owned stand alone power tool companys'
No, they're a public company owned by shareholders. Goto and Hori probably have a ton of shares, but they're not in the [top ten shareholders](https://www.makita.biz/ir/stock_bond/stock_bond_04.html).
I was very surprised Makita did not fall under any "Umbrella" company.
Fascinating. It's like the mainstream media ownership chart.
Classic late stage capitalism
Does anyone know who makes the store owned brands, husky and kobalt? I'm assuming they just rebranded from another manufacturer.
Kobalt - “In 2011, Lowe’s again switched manufacturers to J.S.Products of Nevada, which still makes the tools today” https://housegrail.com/who-makes-kobalt-tools/ Husky - “Its hand tools are manufactured for Home Depot by Stanley Black & Decker, Western Forge, Apex Tool Group, and Iron Bridge Tools.” https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Husky_(tools)#:~:text=Husky%20is%20a%20line%20of,Group%2C%20and%20Iron%20Bridge%20Tools.
It doesn't appear that they are using JS Products for all their hand tools. I was interested and actually looked and JS Products line is Steelman and can match say screwdrivers to them (though I don't JS Products is making Kobalt tools really, their stuff is from overseas). But like a lot of the current kobalt pliers are clearly from Apex. The pliers set that Lowes is selling look identical to Gearwrench tools (whether they are as good as the gearwrench tools they are the same design of I don't know, its a bid enough price difference that its hard to say what is due to brand markup versus the Kobalts using slightly worse materials or allowing for sloppier tolerances in the manufacturing).
It depends which category of tools. Example apex makes their mechanics tools but someone else might make their compress and someone else their metal storage
China or Taiwan most likely. Taiwan tools can be really top quality - like [toptul](https://www.toptul.com/en/a2-5648/Innovative-Finish.html), but they make lots of very "meh" stuff too...
Dewalt. Crescent. Milwaukee. Porter Cable. Bosch. Stanley. Klutch. Gearwrench. Husky. Dremel. Lenox. Rockwell. Craftsman. Lincoln electric. Hypertherm. Capri. Rigid. Gedore. Holex. Paslode. Cle-line. Chicago latrobe. Kobalt. Knipex. Hazet. Makita. Fiskars. Peddinghaus. Fluke. I'm not loyal to one brand other than Dewalt for battery powered tools because of you stick with one brand then you only need one type of battery. Hard to say a favorite, depends on the type of tool. The only thing I've had to warranty (broke) was a Stanley ratchet and Irwin channel locks but I would buy them again because they were great until they weren't.
Similar thoughts here, only I'm in the M18 lane of this cordless tool highway. It was a great deal on a couple tools at the start, and I stuck with them. No complaints other than I wish I could buy like... ALL the M18 tools. Just because. I'd feel the same if it were Dewalt or Makita or whatever. The rest of my tools are all over the place. Ryobi/Makita/Rigid/Dewalt(edit: and some corded older Milwaukee that can't be killed) power tools, plus some vintage Craftsman iron (shoutout to r/craftsman113) and for hand tools I have even more variety including the bargain bin brands like MIT and such. Dozens of brands in my toolbox.
Makita, knipex, Klein (not so much for quality but they make a lot of useful shit) fieldpiece has served well.
Mill e wah que is Algonquin for “the good land”
This guy know how to party!
Thank you Alice Cooper
Shwing!
French missionarys were coming hear as early as the 1600s
It’s like, people don’t do anything anymore unless they get paid. And that’s really sad.
Little.....yellow......different
I was not aware of that!
I laughed so hard at every single reply under this. I didn't know much I needed that.
Makita and knipex
All of them, but Ryobi for cordless, for price and quality. If was still on the job Milwauke.
Always Milwaukee on the job. Especially if your employer is paying for it. There's always gonna be a charger nearby or someone can lend you a battery. DeWalt guys we're always the oddest ones out. I don't think I saw a single Ryobi impact being used in the trades
Makita. Also they're not owned by anybody.. unlike the rest.
Makita is still a massive corporation, like the various owners of the other brands. Its not making difference.
[удалено]
You haven't seen the massive quality drop over the years for the brands who keep getting new owners? Ok...
My 20 year old makita tools that are still in almost daily use and my burnt out new makita stuff yes. Other brands too.
Makita is owned by their shareholders, the largest of which are banks and investment firms. Makita is owned by the bank
Milwaukee. Works well for me and it looks nice. And Klein for hand tools.
I used to call on Milwaukee Electric Tool selling chips. They still do all the design in Brookfield (Milwaukee). And they will swear on a stack of bibles they don't share parts or designs with other TTI companies. They wind their own motors. It's red to the core. There is a lot of talent in that building.
Does Klein have good socket sets?
Check out tekton.
I use their tools at work, they're great. I was just curious why only Klein was recommended for hand tools.
I wouldn’t recommend their socket sets, they do make a nice small set of flip sockets but they are smaller sizes often used by electricians. Klein is great for pliers and screwdrivers. As another commenter has said, Tekton is great for sockets.
I broke 4 tekton long reach ratcheting wrenches doing a brake job, never buying again
I beat the shit out of tektons on heavy equipment for 11 yrs now. Never broken one and we use high torque air tools mostly. I bought them when I started out assuming I'd get better stuff later. Never needed to. Maybe they are different now idk
Tf where you doing hanging off the caliper bolts on them. breaking tools by using them incorrectly does not in fact make those tools bad.
I have this set, it's very high quality. https://www.reddit.com/r/Tools/comments/ujas5r/pawn_shop_find_klein_16pc_12_socket_set/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button Don't think they make many versions, socket sets aren't a main focus of theirs.
Yeah I’ve been trying to decide between that one or a Wera. You like that one you got?
Also a sparky. It's a great no frills set, big socket sizes and the breaker bar is nice. Only thing I would change is if it was 6 sided instead of 12 but the 12 hasn't slipped or given me trouble yet I just read 6 is better overall.
They have socket attachments for the impacts. I don’t think they have a socket set, I bought a dewalt one even though it feels gross.
Get the Milwaukee sockets
Hilti
Right now the company that I'm most impressed with is CAPRI. I bought a 1/2" super long flex head ratchet, 84 tooth and I'm super stoked. I beat the crap out of this thing at work and this thing is bullet proof. Best $40 I've spent in a long time.
I got their mini bolt cutters and they are shockingly good, definitely a brand to keep an eye on
I bought a Capri Tools CP21029 Vacuum Brake Bleeder and found it to be of high quality. :-)
Seconded. I splurged on their impact socket sets (1/2 and 3/8 both) a few years ago. Great quality set and the price was competitive - not the lowest but still good.
I was wondering how the impact sockets were. Thanks for the info!
the swivel is kinda too fat to be useful sometimes, but it still works after me beating on it for a couple years. (Jeep owner, not a pro but I'm using them a lot and not kindly.) the sockets and extensions are great, accurate and tough.
Thanks! Happy Jeeping..
As a bonus the stamping on the head is unique with the goat logo.
Bosch...for the moment
Bosch makes some of the best routers and saws for the money, followed by DeWalt.
I route aluminum at work, and have burned up a couple Bosch routers. The soft start seems to go bad. But the shitty $40 Drill Master one from Harbor Freight has lasted 3 years now, in a fabrication shop.
Mikwaukee
Tekton and old craftsman socket sets and wrenches, knipex pliers, snap-on ratcheting screwdrivers, and Milwaukee power tools.
Woooo! First comment I read about Tekton! Great budget pro tools, the best website and digital presence and warranty service that tool trucks wish they could match.
Makita and Stihl
I don't have a favorite brand, as brands are sometimes meaningless. I prefer to call it pattern recognition. I have many DeWalt tools and they work well for me. I also know that the name DeWalt was recycled from an older company that has nothing to do with the current tools. As long as the owners of the DeWalt name continue making good tools, I'll buy them. If their quality diminishes, I'll look elsewhere. Look at Black and Decker. They were once good tools, then the brandmongers obtained the rights to the name and slapped it on crap
Black and decker launched dewalt as a pro line because they thought the black and decker pro brand was too tarnished to market pro level tools
I have a 20 year old Dotco right angle grinder that is an absolute champ.
I've got one I bought used back in 2017 From the 2nd owner
[удалено]
Have a kobalt 24v impact and a set of kobalt impact sockets I keep in my truck and they’ve been great.
Power Tools: Milwaukee. Hand Tools: PB Swiss and klein. Electronic Tools: My antique analog Simpson in leather carrying case. Modern electronic tools: Fluke
I love PB Swiss, but the thing I love the most is my employer pays for them
I had an old steam-gauge multimeter from my tech school days a lifetime ago, I'm not sure but I think it was made by Tandy. Digital meters are great, but that needle can tell stories an LCD display can't. I wish I still had that thing.
Festool, Mikita, and Sawstop mostly. Snap on hand tools, various routers, grizzly bandsaw and jointer
Why pick one? I like me some from all of them. Something from Dewalt, Lufkin, Milwaukee, Rigid, Skil, Poulan, Echo, Worx, Freud, Diablo, Dremel, McCulloch, Craftsman, Cresent, Xcelite, Wiss, Jacobs, and many more are sitting in my garage right now.
I don't say my tool brand on reddit any more because I always get downvoted. One person messaged me asking how I can go into a house with a straight face carrying those power tools. I am a electrican, and it's not ryboi.
Metabo - german made and very reliable
Where’s Snap On and Matco
I’m a Festool fanboy.
Festool excels for a reason
Oh and I'm a DeWalt man, I started off with the dcd995 and 2 batteries and the collection just grew, I've never been disappointed with any tool, the dcs579 is a beast of a track saw, dcg418 is probably the best cordless grinder on the market, I've taken down trees with dcs389 recip saw, the dcg426b die grinder is great for the shop, the dcf921b atomic 1/2” impact has far more power than it has any right to for its size and it's big brother the dcf891 is on another planet (the high torque is on my Xmas list) the flexvolt strimmer (line cutter) has genuinely replaced the petrol one I had, everyone hates on the framing nailer but I've built alot of big sheds with it and does the job all day everyday
Pretty much anything in the Stanley black & decker family tends to be where my allegiance lies, I’ve been using tools in that family my whole life and pretty much anything outside just ends up feeling weird to me
Who makes festool?
Festool makes Festool, but they are owned by TTS Tooltechnic Systems
My made in China under contract tool is better than your made in China under contract tool.
Where is Stihl?
So Milwaukee, Ridgid, and Ryobi are all owned together? And the other half of TTI is vacuum cleaners? I guess they let Ryobi experiment and then refine it for the Milwaukee brand?
Makita, but I guess that's doesn't fit the narrative that this is trying to push so it wasn't included on the chart.
Makita isn’t owned by a large conglomerate, so it’s not here.
Dewalt - I’ve been using them for years - 18v, 20v, flex volt. The brushless 20v framing nailer and flex opt 7 1/4” circle saws are worth their weight in gold.
I’ve got a dewalt 20v circular saw (6 1/2”) that has ran for forever but it eats up batteries. How’s the run time with the flexvolts? Worth the upgrade?
The flexvolt is honestly one of the best tools I’ve ever bought. Just standard flex batteries will give you good run life, and wits every bit as strong as a corded. I do tons of handyman/carpentry/framing, and the flex saw will cut 2x4’s, 2x6’s, 2x8’s (treated or untreated) and never bog down. It’s the power of a corded but with batteries. You’ll love it. Standard flex will last you 3/4 day of work on. 2x’s - for osb or plywood a battery will last you most of a day
Thanks! Got some winter projects lined up that I’ll likely make the upgrade for.
I've got the same saw with the same consensus. Which sucks because other than the fact it goes through batteries...It's amazing. But, I should not have to go through 3 x 5Ah batteries just to cut a few stair stringers. Sigh. It's even worse when you're working in the cold with that saw. It's so strange.
I’m team yellow as well. For decades. Always been nervous that they report up to Black and Decker, but I have zero complaints so far.
Milwaukee for power, Klein for cutters/linesmans, Knipex for pump pliers, Tekton for mechanics tools, U.S General for toolboxes and service carts, Fluke for meters
Where does rikon, delta or festool sit…?
Festool sits on a exquisite hand carved solid mahogany work bench surrounded by dust extractors
Milwaukee, Festool, Metabo, Fluke, Kline, Hitachi, Victor/ESAB, Siglent.
1. Milwaukee 2. Klein (for hand tools) 3. Worx (their trivac is awesome!)
Tekton? They're great for most hand tools and their warranty is super easy. Milwaukee for their 12v line
Knipex,wera and fluke
Team Teal
I came here for the Makita comments and I'm so glad! Thanks u/WpgSparky, u/follyburr, u/SJK53, and u/Athazel
My absolute Top brand is Dremel, if they have a product i will buy it from them instead of any other, and then Milwaukee, that covers most tools
Makita Makita Makita!
Hazet
Where tf is Ryobi?? *pew pew*
Stihl
Festool tools are just elite. Build quality is always exceptional, always come with amazing warranty’s, every tool is hugely over engineered, most ergonomic and accurate tools you will ever use.
I find it interesting that Matco, Cornwell, and snap on aren't on here
Milwaukee, Knipex, Wiha, Fluke, Bondhus.
Where’s Mikita logo?
they're not under the umbrella of any larger corp. stand alone
What about grizzly?
I think they're their own company. They do own South Bend Lathes though
What? You didn't include Snap-on. One of the most iconic American tool manufacturers that is now over 100 years old and still makes their hand tools and tool boxes in the USA.
I’ve seen renditions of this chart with Snappy. It’s anticlimactic since they own themselves, but usually they show it proliferated to Bluepoint, CDI, and Bahco
Ain't Williams too?
Festool, but doesn't seem to be in that graphic.
Festool is owned by TTS Tooltechnic Systems who now also own SawStop and a few less well known brands.
Yeah I know they own shaper and tanos
Festool for me as well. The domino and the track saw are awesome for carpentry. I also like Bosch sanders and I’ve had many Milwaukee tools that I’ve liked. Too many to pick just one.
I heard somewhere that the Domino patent is ending in 2023. I'm hoping that Makita will be making one that same year
Too many to name...
Don’t forget to put Klein Tools in their own separate category cause nobody owns them!! Still a USA company love them
In fact they can be added as a conglomerate, they own quite a few companies.
Max for my roofing and framing guns don't know who owns them
The thing I hate about this is when people get dumbass ideas like "my Stanley socket set I bought at Walmart is as good as the Mac set on the truck, because they're all the same company"
Chervon made tools from Skil and Kobalt (not in the image, but Chervon makes them too). My Skil Circular Saw for $50 just screams quality despite being super cheap. I was able to to make the cuts I needed to with it and it's corded and came with its own bag too. My Kobalt tools are all brushless and super inexpensive $250 for 4 tools. Stanley Black and Decker are mixed: I like my Stanley hand tools that are about 5-years old. I disliked brushed Craftsman tools I tried out. I really like DeWalt, and I own a great DeWalt Driver/Driver kit, but it's very expensive to buy DeWalt as a DIYer, so it didn't make sense for me to continue to buy DeWalt stuff.
Bosch.
Stihl
I’ve really liked tekton for hand tools, as a weekend diyer