I’m rebuilding my workshop. All my power tools are in a terrible state, so I’m basically going to buy new everything - cordless drills, angle grinder, jigsaw, belt sander… the lot.
So it makes sense to invest in one quality power-tool “ecosystem” to share batteries and chargers. But this time I will abstain from buying American for obvious reasons (so absolutely no Milwaukee or DeWalt) and I’d rather spend my money on European brands (so preferably no Makita or Ryobi).
I think I can’t go wrong if I buy Bosch tools, but maybe other brands are better? I’ll get tools mostly for metalworking, and I’ll get some woodworking tools also, but the main focus will be metalworking, if that’s a factor.
What’s your preference?
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Know your tool family tree.
Last check, Makita is still its own company and based in Japan.
I miss Einhell and Parkside on that
This chart is US-centric though, you won’t find brands not available there. The main flag I have is the orange Ridgid brand under TTI that goes under AEG in Europe. I believe this chart is at least 2-3 years old. The channel ProToolReviews (I think) did a couple of videos and updates on these a while back.
I’m sure it could use an update
I think you can add Scheppach and green Bosch to the list as well (the chart makes the distinction on brand tiers in other places).
Einhell is really hit or miss.
For DIY Lidl has a fantastic lineup, hand and power tools. Their battery ecosistem is really good, and batteries are half the price of Brand names.
Their black tools (Performance) are prosumer level. They can’t go head to head with DeWalt, Makita, Bosch blue, Milwaukee, etc. But they are definitely above The Ryobis, Bosch green, Black and Decker, etc. I own quite a few, and some are truly impressive.
I owned a sign shop for over a decade, so I kind of have an informed opinion. We were 80% Team Yellow, and I still keep a few. Also, the newer generations are just not the same as 10-20 years ago. Most of the DeWalts I kept were made in USA, UK, or Germany. Not usually the case now.
I haven’t owned Makita, but have only heard good things.
We had a couple of Hilti. Hilti is on another level, but you’ll pay for that quality.
Look at hilti and makita going at it alone.
Bosch pro is very good. While not european, Makita is very valuable too.
Do I understand from your comment that there’s a pro line of Bosch tools? Are pro tools compatible with non-pro ones?
Yes and no respectively
The blue bosch tools are from the professional line. The green ones are the “hobby”/homeowner ones. Batteries and chargers are not directly compatible between the two lines, Which is a dick move in my opnion. But the “green” batteries are compatible with products from Gardena and some other garden equipment manufacturers.
Blue bosch tools are very good quality but generally too expensive compared to their competitors, in my opinion. The green ones are alright but you could just as well buy some Einhell or Metabo tools then. They are alright as well and a bit cheaper from my experience.
Bosch green are garbage, like Black and Decker, etc.
Bosch should do as Black and Decker. Brand their tools by use level;
Black and Decker-garbage
Stanley-prosumer
DeWalt-pro.
That way B&D doesn’t dilute DeWalt.
I sugggest you to check out Torque Test Channel on youtube. They do a lot of testing and they have hard numbers to prove if one tool is better than another. They have tested Bosch ProFactor tools as well.
Edit: and they refuse any sponsor out of integrity. They buy and test all of the tools.
Depending on what you use your tools for, you don’t need all your tools to be top gear. I personally have a mix of Makita, pro Bosch (aka “dark blue” Bosch) and “diy” aka “green” Bosch. For me, a jigsaw doesn’t have to be hardcore, a green Bosch makes do. For a router, I chose the heavy weight Makita. The tool I use the most, the screwy was a gift for which I didn’t have a say. I ended up with a 12V green Bosch from the bargain bin. Still kicking 6 years on, turned out the batteries are the same on the Dremel line, unexpected combo. The tool took some abuse and impressed me on how good it is. I learned from it that a light tool is a better tool, and that it can then be faster than the big brother 18V from how easier it is to “aim”.
For the tools I use once or up to few times a year, I often go the the cheap options, avoiding knock-offs though.
I use most tools with a cord, so I tend to compare specs and prices and choose from brands I pledge (i.e. the three mentioned above). The thinking is very different if you need a battery comprehensive tool line “It’s quite expensive to marry twice at the same time”.
If you can get actual Japanese Makita, they’re excellent quality. I can’t speak on quality vs bosch, though.
I use Bosch tools at work (I’m a metal worker) and at home. Bosch is reliable and is definitely made to last.
If one Cares for morals: Bosch is 94℅ owened by a charitable foundation which usually donates between 100 and 300 Million a year to charitable causes
I assume you are talking blue, not green
Blue at work, green at home. Reliability is still not an issue with any of the two.
I can second the general voice for Bosch Blue (“professional”). Good quality but price performance is too steep for me.
Then there are two companies I’ve but yet seen; If you count Swiss made as made in Europe then Hilti and from Germany Festool. I had the chance to work with a few of both in the past. Absolute killers - but for a price you have to murder for.
If it’s swim in money I would go with Festool for everything wood related and Hilti for everything else. And would be down around 10k just to replace my current toolset - and I’m afraid it’s neither an exaggeration nor close.
I went with Makita personally, Japanese, but price/performance is awesome and they produce (d ?) in eastern Europe for the European market. Price/performance is still unbeaten in my opinion and if you’re patient there are sales for every individual item at one point.
. . .
Oh God I want the Hiltis again I used for a few days a year back. What machines … But what a price!! (TE 30, approx 2k euro (!!!), TE 60, another 2k. Oh but cases, charger and batteries not included, another 1k gone…
Absolutely this. I’ve made a comment before reading yours and said literally the same things.
Also, I agree, I’ve used plenty of Hilti tools at work too. It’s great when your boss pays for you to play with dangerous toys you couldn’t ever even imagine to afford, ain’t it?
Festool, Fein, Metabo, are German top shelf. Virutex, Spanish, make incredible woodworking tools.
You’ll get what you pay. A lot.
Thanks!
Virutex I have to check out, with metabo I had very mixed results - but Fein indont knownwhy I skipped over, I even have some cabled items from them.
My only power tools are Ryobi, which is Japanese, so this is not a recommendation I’m making. I just wanted to say, that thanks to your post, I read up on its history: https://www.ryobi-group.co.jp/en/glance/04.html
I hope you find an attractive alternative to Bosch!
To be clear, I have nothing against any brand. I do have an interest in not giving my money to brands that pay taxes in the US, and I would like to prioritize supporting the European industry when possible.
I don’t have experience with them more recent than 10 years but up to that time, Bosch was always a superior product to any of the Chinese/US brands.
Hilti, Metabo, Festool and Flex are all great non-US brands.
Festool is good if you can eat the cost and in my opinion they are not that much better than alternatives. Hilti is absolutely beast, but their pricing is pretty much “if you need to ask you can’t afford it”. Metabo owns also Hikoki tools and they are pretty good based on a limited personal experience.
But I’m spending my own money on Makita. Good tools and since I already have a bunch of their batteries it’s pretty easy to choose brand. With wall power or air I don’t have any brand loyalty, depends on the tool and how much I need it for.
The good thing is that 2nd hand hilti tools are around and easily kicking and working well.
My father in law found me a near perfect condition hilti TE 2M older model (turn lock) for under the cost of a new Makita (our other tools) and that thing can go all day through brick.
Metabo is a german brand that offers good quality for a fair price. they also offer great warranty and support. we damaged our cordless drill twice and they repaired it both times for free under warranty even if it wasnt really their fault. ive got arround 7 cordless tools from them and every single one of them works great.
Hey, what about festool. Original German company. Best quality. See: www.festool.de
Yato has factories in Poland and Romania
There is also an unhinged option that i’ve used, and i recommend as long as you know what are you doing, and it involves remaking your tools to accept T-shaped connector (or any other) on a short external cable, and carrying bigger battery with extension cable and the other side of connector in backpack. Alternatively old battery can be remade into backpack battery adapter. No handheld sized battery can get 30Ah capacity. As long as voltage is roughly the same you’re good to go (there is natural swing in voltage as battery discharges. you can probably guess internal structure of modern ones as Li-poly 3S to 5S)
https://www.slashgear.com/1925313/best-european-tool-brands-rival-milwaukee/ also Proxxon, Bgs.
Bosch, maybe? The professional line (the blue ones, not the green). I have an angular grinder and a small cordless drill from them. They’re great, but I usually find their tools a bit expensive, I bought both on sale. At normal price I would’ve went for another brand probably (a friend of mine has a Milwaukee that’s almost identical to my drill, similar price, purchased at the same time, but kinda nicer than my Bosch), I still swear by them and they’ll gonna last forever most likely, tho.
And of course, Hilti. I don’t own any, because they’re quite pricey and I don’t need that much power for my personal stuff. But at work, for heavy duty work it’s literally the gold standard. In that context the most expensive thing is your tools getting in the way of getting your job done. So if budget is not a problem go for it.
Makita has damn good quality too, tho. So I wouldn’t take them out of the question. But I’m probably one of the less nationalistic persons you can find, and find these attempts to build up European nationalism supper funny.
And, also, a good taking apart, cleaning, oiling/greasing, a putting together again (maybe new bearings, or cords, or whatever, if needed) makes wonders for old tools, if they were built well to start with, of course. Because, let’s be honest, European corporations are not that much better than American ones, so even better if you can avoid giving them your hard earned money too.
I went through the same doubts, but found out that the Milwaukee brand was purchased by TTI, which is a Hong Kong based company founded by a German.
Apparently they still have facilities in the US though.
And in Israel, though that is mostly their plastic storage IIRC.
One consideration is to look in detail on which tools you see yourself owning in the future and the extent which they are covered by each candidate brand. It can resolve the headache of having to adopt a second (or third) battery system. I went with AEG about ten years ago for my 18V tools and they are become scarce in my local stores now, and I am considering switching as well as the tools (and batteries) wear out, but haven’t decided to what yet. For 14V I have already switched to Milwaukee because of their angled driver and socket wrenches.
AEG were originally that, AEG. German quality. They were bought by Atlas Copco, and stayed top notch. They are now TTI, which has positioned as prosumer(ish) level, and they don’t make a marketing effort, so they are somewhat rare. I own an Atlas Copco era router that is simply great.
