Battery Powered Tool Brands

[EddieWalker]

+1 on Ryobi, for all the reasons you noted. I fit in the "heavy duty homeowner/DIY" category, and they've stood up very well.
Most of the pros I know use DeWalt, rarely see anything else. Not a lot of love among the pros I know for Makita which is a bit surprising given the rave reviews you see online.

Black and Decker had total dominance in the power tool world until they started making appliances. As their name recognition grew as a toaster company, their sales of power tools decreased. People said that they didn't want to buy a tool made by a company that made appliance.

Black and Decker already owned DeWalt, which was a well known tool company for shop tools. Specifically high school shop tools that were old, lasted forever and well known. The changed the color of their tools to yellow because that's the color of heavy equipment on construction sites.

The main reason contractors use DeWalt is that they are available everywhere. All of my DeWalt tools are because I had to have a tool right now, and the closest Ace Hardware had what I needed. Some have lasted years, most died fairly quickly.

A friend has 14 crews working in the DFW area. He uses DeWalt tools because they are the easiest to replace when they disappear or fail.

DeWalt, Craftsman, Stanley, Black and Decker, Porter Cable, Bostic are all the same, they just have different batteries, so you have to keep buying the same tool.

Ryobi, Rigid, Milwaukee, Hart are all the same.

The best tool companies are not owned by a larger corporation that just changes the color of the tool to sell it for a different price.

 

[SPYDERLK]

Black and Decker had total dominance in the power tool world until they started making appliances. As their name recognition grew as a toaster company, their sales of power tools decreased. People said that they didn't want to buy a tool made by a company that made appliance.

Black and Decker already owned DeWalt, which was a well known tool company for shop tools. Specifically high school shop tools that were old, lasted forever and well known. The changed the color of their tools to yellow because that's the color of heavy equipment on construction sites.

The main reason contractors use DeWalt is that they are available everywhere. All of my DeWalt tools are because I had to have a tool right now, and the closest Ace Hardware had what I needed. Some have lasted years, most died fairly quickly.

A friend has 14 crews working in the DFW area. He uses DeWalt tools because they are the easiest to replace when they disappear or fail.

DeWalt, Craftsman, Stanley, Black and Decker, Porter Cable, Bostic are all the same, they just have different batteries, so you have to keep buying the same tool.

Ryobi, Rigid, Milwaukee, Hart are all the same.

The best tool companies are not owned by a larger corporation that just changes the color of the tool to sell it for a different price.

View attachment 5336721

The incompatibility of BD and DeWalt batteries is truly anger inducing.

 

[paulsharvey]

The incompatibility of BD and DeWalt batteries is truly anger inducing.

So, only correction, they are Owned by same company, the actual tools are not the same with different colors. Like almost everything, they are made to different price points. Even in a Brand, dewalt has cheaper, lower durability drills, and more expensive, better quality drills. There might be some over lapping on actual tools, but you can't simply say B&D drill is a black or orange dewalt.

 

[Dadnatron]

Just choose one Red or Yellow and stick with it. I went DeWalt with my first 12v drill about 30 years ago. I'm still all DeWalt. Although, I recently purchased my first Milwaukee (Fencing Staple driver), even though DeWalt makes one. But either will have a comparable system with little better here and little better there.

 

[chim]

If I had no cordless tools, I'd consider HF Hercules or Ridgid because of the replacement policies. Not so much of a concern about the tools, but more for the batteries. I've used and abused battery tools and only recall breaking one 1/4" impact. I've had a few batteries fail. Two were 4AH DeWalts that came as part of flash freebie/BOGO sales in stores that I couldn't resist. I had one other - a 5AH that a bud rebuilt for me.

DeWalt in the 20V platform is very firmly positioned here. Before retiring, the company I worked for bought more DeWalt tools than most retailers and that helped us develop a decent realtionship with them. We were invited to an airplane hangar in Maryland along with reps from major players for a pre-preview and demonstration of the Flexvolt line before it was introduced. We were given a few different prototype battery tools to test before they were mass produced. I borrowed a cordless DeWalt demo saw to cut the hole for a sump pump at our sportsmen's club long before they came on the market. Our company sold DeWalt tools to employees for less than they paid. If DeWalt had a tool that I even thought there may be a need for I bought at least one. Some are twins or triplets such as grinders (2) and 1/4" impacts (3 not counting an 18V). When the 18V tools were replaced with 20V DeWalt offered crazy rebates and that's when I really made sure to get stocked up. Below is a picture of 18V trade-ins taken in our tool shop during one of these campaigns. The guys spread them out and worked down the line recording S/N's. The only 18V tools I kept were one 1/4" impact, a double-cut shear, vacuum and a cutout tool. The adaptor for 20V/18V works for the cutout tool, impact and shear, but I did a redneck modification to the vac for 20V and it's still able to run as a corded unit.

DeWalt isn't perfect. DeWalt is very good, and I scored at great prices. I was gifted a Milwaukee work light and an 18V hammerdrill that I really enjoy using due to the exceptional variable speed control. The company received a few from a vendor as part of a promotion, but didn't want tools that weren't on the DeWalt battery platform. When there's some very long and serious grinding to do, the B&D corded grinder I bought in 1983 comes out while the cordless grinders sit and watch.

Some DeWalt tools perform surprisingly well to the point that corded - or even larger cordless tools - have been used less. I often use the 4-1/2" Atomic circular saw instead of a "real" saw. The Stihl M250 doesn't see much use since getting the cordless 12" chain saw and 8" pole saw. Normal string trimming is one battery with the 20V trimmer per mowing, but when I spend hours along the creek, it's with one of the gas trimmers and a fuel can.

 

[SPYDERLK]

So, only correction, they are Owned by same company, the actual tools are not the same with different colors. Like almost everything, they are made to different price points. Even in a Brand, dewalt has cheaper, lower durability drills, and more expensive, better quality drills. There might be some over lapping on actual tools, but you can't simply say B&D drill is a black or orange dewalt.

I was speaking of the batteries - same voltage, size, form, capacities, etc.

Different keying to prevent insertion.
( )​

 

[not2old]

Corded grinders? How bout this one, lol. Inherited it from my father-in-law when he passed

View attachment 5336715

I have one similar I got from my dad. Be careful when you turn it on or you might hurt your wrist.

 

[chim]

So, only correction, they are Owned by same company, the actual tools are not the same with different colors. Like almost everything, they are made to different price points. Even in a Brand, dewalt has cheaper, lower durability drills, and more expensive, better quality drills. There might be some over lapping on actual tools, but you can't simply say B&D drill is a black or orange dewalt.

I'm convinced as well that differences exist even within a brand. #3 Son bought a DeWalt drill at a box store Super Christmas sale a few years ago. It felt cheap alongside the one I bought through our tool distributor at work and the model number was different even though it looked the same.

I bought a few DeWalt tools at a very reputable nearby hardware store that were part of a promotion. I can't remember what the tools were but they came with 4AH batteries. The only batteries that have failed for me were two 4AH and one 5AH.

Time has a way of flying by, and this got me wondering how old my 20V batteries might be. None were purchased after I retired in 2021. So I went to the garage and pulled 3 batteries off the top of the box I toss them in after they're charged. One was from 2020 and the next two were 2015. Maybe battery longevity isn't such a big deal after all.

 

[chim]

I'm confused. My Post #64 was tagged "waiting for moderator approval". I went over and over it, searched and found out that it may be possible a single word (has to do with a device that may launch a projectile at a target) may have triggered someone? I have edited the post and replaced that word with "sportsmen's" so maybe it'll eventually show up.

EDIT: It looks like I solved the problem by using the word "sportsmen's". I'll need to remember that when speaking of lubricating tractors with "grease sportsmens" or fastening framing with "nail sportsmens"

 

[rontaki]

I'm confused. My Post #64 was tagged "waiting for moderator approval". I went over and over it, searched and found out that it may be possible a single word (has to do with a device that may launch a projectile at a target) may have triggered someone? I have edited the post and replaced that word with "sportsmen's" so maybe it'll eventually show up.

EDIT: It looks like I solved the problem by using the word "sportsmen's". I'll need to remember that when speaking of lubricating tractors with "grease sportsmens" or fastening framing with "nail sportsmens"

Let us keep our self-censorship to a dull roar. We need to train the sponsors to allow real-world conversations, lest we end up in some sort of Disney-Barbie dystopia.

 

[MossRoad]

I'm confused. My Post #64 was tagged "waiting for moderator approval". I went over and over it, searched and found out that it may be possible a single word (has to do with a device that may launch a projectile at a target) may have triggered someone? I have edited the post and replaced that word with "sportsmen's" so maybe it'll eventually show up.

EDIT: It looks like I solved the problem by using the word "sportsmen's". I'll need to remember that when speaking of lubricating tractors with "grease sportsmens" or fastening framing with "nail sportsmens"

Grease arquebus

 

[MossRoad]

Nail arquebus

 

[MossRoad]

Staple arquebus

 

[MossRoad]

Concealed arquebus

 

[MossRoad]

semi-automatic arquebus

 

[MossRoad]

Thesaurus is kinda fun.