Top Power Tool Brands In the Market
1. Makita Tools
Makita is the first power tool brand on our team’s list not for its higher price tag, but for its quality construction. Makita is often associated with durability and top quality when it comes to their power tools and has quickly become one of the most trusted power tool brands.
Established in 1915, it’s also one of the most long-standing names in construction tools. Although the brand was around for over a century, it wasn’t until 1958 when they really made a splash in the power tool business. They stunned the market with their exceptional planer, and then made their way to power drills and then branched out to all the different woodworking tools we see today.
2. Dewalt Tools/Black & Decker Brand
Let’s start with Dewalt first. It is one of the oldest and best-known tool makers on the market. Their claim to fame was thanks to the radial arm saw, invented by Raymond E. Dewalt, the namesake of the company. With all eyes on the brand, it captured the attention of what was deemed an amateur power tool brand, Black & Decker, which eventually acquired Dewalt and rebranded and created more innovative tools.
From there, Black & Decker has become a household name in itself, making not only power tools and also specialized tools, but they also created everyday products such as a portable electric drill and many other tools.
3. Milwaukee Tools
Milwaukee is another brand our team of professionals believe has made headway manufacturing power tools. Milwaukee, by no surprise, was first established in Wisconsin, back in 1924. To this day, the brand has been through its fair share of acquisitions and in 2005 has made a more permanent home under the umbrella of Techtonic, which also owns Ryobi and the famed Hoover brands.
As a power tool company, Milwaukee’s headlining product at the time was their lightweight one-handed drill that reduced operator fatigue. Of course, they have other power tools as well, but the Hole Shooter is when we can pinpoint their rapid rise to fame.
Now, when we take a look at the mark Milwaukee has made, we see a long line of the most innovative tools including ones meant for construction in both corded and cordless options. Milwaukee is our experts’ choice for diversity as they also offer gas-powered tools, impact drivers and even outdoor equipment!
Another characteristic of the brand that our experts really appreciated is the One Key system. This allows maximum compatibility within the tool company for all their products. Milwaukee has consistently been the go-to for the plumbing and HVAC industries.
4. Ridgid Tools
Rather than power tools, Ridgid focuses on hand tools. Next time your professional contractor comes over, you will definitely be able to find at least one Ridgid tool in his toolbox.
Our experts still feel their line of power tools deserves an honorable mention as our team has seen and used their miter saws and table saws and felt that they performed just as well as other brands.
5. Bosch Tools
Having been around for so long, it’s no surprise that Bosch finds a place among the most known brands on the market. To have become one of the most trusted power tool brands, Bosch has time and time again created top-quality and reliable power tools.
If you are looking for a cordless power tool brand, then our team stands fully behind Bosch. They perhaps have the most trusted battery platform and the widest selection of cordless tools all powered by industry-leading battery technology.
As you would expect, Bosch tools do charge a premium for its cordless tools, but knowing what you are getting will last longer than its rivals, perform better and help a cause, the price is worth it.
6. Craftsman Tools/Black & Decker
Craftsman is yet another brand that Black & Decker has acquired over the years. Its history starts in 1927 when Sears [1] first founded the company. Since the acquisition, Craftsman along with Dewalt has helped Black & Decker conquer the power tool industry and they still gave Sears the option to use existing suppliers for manufacturing.
You may find the Craftsman name on the side of some of the best power tools on the market, but our experts believe the WeedWhacker deserves an honorable mention. Craftsman owns the WeedWhacker brand and also manufactures a wide array of gas, corded and cordless power tool options plus outdoor equipment and yard equipment.
Craftsman also boasts the Versa System, which is a system for organizing tools. You won’t have to worry about having compact tools just to keep your workspace neat. With this system, Craftsman is the preferred brand for homeowner tools and for hobbyists.
(To know how this brand compares with other brands, you can initially check our Craftsman and Kobalt comparison)
7. Kobalt Tools
If you have heard of Lowe’s, then chances are you may have seen the Kobalt name. They are the tool division of the retail giant and produce power tools meant for homeowners and professionals alike.
8. Ryobi Tools
We can’t mention Kobalt without a nod towards Ryobi. The two brands are often compared to each other due to the price point and quality. However, our team feels Ryobi has a bit of an edge due to having been around for much longer. As we mentioned before, Ryobi is owned by Techtronic, the same parent company of Milwaukee.
Milwaukee is more of a professional-grade brand while Ryobi caters to homeowners and DIYers for the same company. Our team would recommend Ryobi-produced chainsaws for people dabbling in woodworking or construction, but some of their tools can visit job sites and do well. However, we would advise trying a different brand for more commercial purposes.
Ryobi has circular saws, excellent radial arm saws, impact drivers and many other tools in its arsenal that are great for small jobs.
9. Metabo HPT Hitachi
A part of Hitachi, the Japanese brand famous for home appliances, Metabo is their division for power tools. As you would expect, Metabo comes with the quality and care you would come to rely on from a large conglomerate like Hitachi. Like other brands, Metabo specializes in certain power tools such as angle grinders and other heavy-duty tools.
Not only does Metabo have the full weight of the Hitachi reputation behind them, but they also offer the same performance, which is why they come at a higher price similar to the Festool brand. If you require a tool that Metabo manufactures for the bulk of your work, our team wouldn’t recommend going with any other brand.
10. Hilti Tools
Hilti mainly focuses on larger commercial or industrial tools suited for professional use. For this reason, not many other companies are on the same playing field. Hilti products are even seen on bridge expansions.
Excellent power tool options are not the only thing Hilti has to offer as they also have excellent after-service and a large sales force that can come onsite to help with your power tool malfunctions.
11. Porter-Cable/Black & Decker
Porter-Cable is our team’s other recommendation for pneumatic tools. It is also a well-established company. It was founded in 1906 in New York and has also since then joined the Black & Decker family. Our pros would say they are middle of the line compared to its brothers also under the same parent company, but we also believe they provide excellent quality and value for the price.
12. Skil
We round out our list with Skil, a brand that has also seen its fair share of change ownership. Skil was first founded in 1926 in New Orleans, Louisiana, and was acquired by Bosch back in 1996. However, that was not the end of its journey and Skil was then acquired by Chevron, a Chinese power tool manufacturer.
Choosing Our Top Power Tool Brands
Experience in the Industry
Most of our options such as DeWalt and Craftsman were in the industry for over 50 years and counting. As you will also see, many of the brands have had a heavy hitter product to put them on the map. Since then, we also looked at how the brand has evolved, and how it has improved upon previous products.
We also answered questions such as whether or not the brand addressed customer dissatisfaction with certain products and created a better model from it.
Customer Experience
Speaking of taking customer opinions into account, the next characteristic is customer experience. The hallmark of an exceptional brand or company isn’t just the brushless tools or impact drivers, but the customer service.
It doesn’t matter if the brand manufactures gardening tools, yard equipment or a cordless drill, how the customer is treated will impact the reputation of the company. Our team did extensive digging into the customer reviews on most search engines and major rating websites such as Trustpilot.
What kind of after-service and customer care did the tool brands offer? Power tool brands need to include an extensive warranty with their products and hopefully a money-back guarantee as well.
We also considered the buying experience, delivery, and company response to any issues down the line. How easy was it to access the products list and find the products online? Was it easy to use the website interface? How does the company ship their products and do they offer free delivery?
When a loyal customer brings a problem to the table, how do the customer service representatives respond? These are all questions we asked ourselves on our detailed search for answers.
Expert and Professional Ratings
Aside from general user ratings, our team also took a very close look at expert and professional ratings for the power tool brands. Of course, we also tested power tools from each brand including Ryobi and Ridgid power tool brands, and compared their performance, reliability, durability and versatility to rank them accordingly.
Since we have many experts in the field, we made use of our team’s contacts and friends in the field to compile very detailed ratings to find the best power tools. For example, our team started noticing more people gravitating towards Makita than Skil, which explains their positions on the list.
Our experts also stress that each brand has their specialty. For example, Hilti is more of a professional and industrial brand rather than one that makes DIY power tools. For this reason, our team will advise homeowners to go for a brand like Porter-Cable rather than Hilti, even though it ranks higher on the list.
Warranty Length
Unfortunately, brands don’t usually offer an all-encompassing brand warranty, so most power tools come with individual ones that offer different coverage. Because of this, our team felt the best way was to compile the average warranty length for each brand. Our results showed brands that offered 1 to 2-year warranties were pretty standard and middle of the pack. The best tools are the ones that offer lifetime warranties.
It’s also important to read the fine print to see what is covered in the warranties. It won’t matter if the only protection you have is for cosmetic damage.
Sales
Online Trends and Reputation
Lastly, our team took to the forums to read and take part in the discussions on each brand. Questions about comparisons between tools and brands, to more specific questions such as compatibility issues and accessories are often discussed on these forums. We saw a focus of praise around the best tools for certain brands and our team made further judgements from there to find the best spot on the list.
In an effort to dig further, our team also engaged in constructive conversations with the posters on the forums. We asked questions as to why they formed their opinions about each brand and what tools they would recommend for different jobs. Our team also made it a point to solicit the advice of professionals and hobbyists alike to get the most well-rounded view of opinions.
We also looked through power tool brands websites and the reviews on there to ascertain which brands were the best.
(Tired of rough and uneven edges on your woodwork projects? We suggest you to use the best performing drum sander available here)
FAQ
Which power tool brand has the best batteries?
Is Milwaukee better than DeWalt?
Is Ryobi better than DeWalt?
Conclusion
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