How many power tool brands do you use?

[Balakay]

Who here uses more than one brand of power tools and do you find it annoying/troublesome? I currently only use two at home. I have Milwaukee 18v tools, and my Ego lawn equipment. At work, I have all DeWalt power tools. I'm really thinking about swapping over to DeWalt at home as I highly prefer my work tools to my home tools. One thing that bothers me though... I've been thinking of picking up a cordless electric ratchet and DeWalt doesnt make one that I've seen. This would essentially be my only Milwaukee tool I'd own amongst a bunch of DeWalt stuff if I swap over. Maybe I just need to stick with Milwaukee to please my OCD and cut down the number of different chargers and batteries I have. Anyway, just wondering who all mixes brands of stuff like that and if it gets old having all different sorts of batteries and chargers.

 

[SK-Mike]

All Makita cordless power tools (Recently switched from Dewalt)
1 Dewalt corded circular saw
1Dremel
Stihl gas powered chainsaw/trimmer

 

[freudianfloyd]

I love variety. I have Porter Cable and Milwaukee, I also use Dewalt and Bosch. I have Husqvarna and Stihl chainsaws along with Homelite and Mac. I also own my fair share of Craftsman, and Black and Decker.

 

[Real_PhillBert]

All of my cordless tools are Dewalt, and most of my corded tools are Bosch.

I hate mixing up battery standards so I stick with Dewalt cordless stuff, when it comes to corded tools I'm much less brand loyal, just seems that Bosch has what I need on sale when I need something.

 

[sweet victory]

I own Snap On and Milwaukee cordless tool. I don't see myself owning any more than two different brands of corldess. I don't want to own half a dozen different battery types and chargers.

Corded tools I have bosch, metabo, and dewalt. Haven't used them in a while tho.

 

[joseywales]

I began years ago with Makita 9.6 drills and saw. Can't bring myself to get rid them. Even grabbed some drills at yard sales

Also had B&D Firestorm 18V - other than the reversible chuck, which i loved but it broke, I've never had any issues with them and their batteries lasted a while. My hedge trimmer battery would get charged every other year, i kid you not. No, i didn't use it a lot, but the battery would sit, I'd forget to charge it the following season, and it worked enough to finish the job.

I went all kinds of Ryobi crazy a couple years ago, so I'm neck deep in that line.

I have EGO 56V weed wacker, and hand held blower that will lift you off the ground if you're not careful - great for clearing carp from around and off the pool cover.

two weeks ago, I couldn't resist a good deal on Dewalt 20V brushless

Last week, I jumped in to the M12 quicksand and I'm trying desperately to hold my ground...but I am weak.

As much as I would love to have one brand, one type of battery, charger, etc. , it just hasn't worked out for me. Ryobi had too many niche items that I make use of and some of the other brands have more ergonomic drills, etc.

The fact is, I've had chargers fail right out of the box. Sure, I can return them, but what about the job at hand? I get small windows of opportunity to get things done, so my theory on chargers, batteries, tools, etc., is: two is one, one is none. So, if I have to buy two, what's work with variety. At some point, favorites my rise to the top and that's what yard sales, loaner tools, and kids are for. If i decide I really don't need a spare, I'm offload it somehow. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

 

[karl1672]

All my cordless are Milwaukee (except 1 Festool). Like having one charger and the same batteries (M18).

 

[seber]

I started with Makita battery tools but switched to all Milwaukee some time ago. Got tired of replacing batteries. Corded tools are a mix of everything imaginable.

 

[alcorelli]

All Milwaukee 12 and 18v

Gave all my DeWalt stuff to my son.

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[Rabid Badger]

My cordless stuff is Makita. My corded tools are Fein, Dewalt, Craftsman, Skil, Bosch, Dremel, Senco and Wen.

 

[Balakay]

I may just go ahead and swap over to DeWalt and buy the Milwaukee ratchet until DeWalt comes out with a similar product. I'd just really like to avoid having multiple platforms if at all possible. I'll pass my Milwaukee stuff along to my dad and I guess the ratchet as well if DeWalt ever has a replacement for it.

 

[rmsg0040]

Cordless - all milwaukee

Corded - mixed

 

[Handyandy23]

I may just go ahead and swap over to DeWalt and buy the Milwaukee ratchet until DeWalt comes out with a similar product. I'd just really like to avoid having multiple platforms if at all possible. I'll pass my Milwaukee stuff along to my dad and I guess the ratchet as well if DeWalt ever has a replacement for it.

I'm currently all DeWalt 20V, outside of a Ryobi weed whacker and blower combo that came with one 18V 4ah battery and charger. I was planning to stay all DeWalt with my cordless tools, but I've recently been thinking that combining the yellow 20V with Milwaukee M12 is the best of both worlds.

As you said, M12 has the ratchets that DeWalt doesn't have. They also offer other specialty tools like stubby impacts and various lights that DW either doesn't offer, or don't have an offering that is nearly as good.

I think there's a happy medium to battery platforms. OCD wants me to stay with one, but there is no logical reason to limit yourself to one. They mostly all offer good sales on 'tool, battery, and charger' kits where you essentially get a couple batteries and charger free with the tool. So if you get into the line that way the cost difference is pretty minimal.

I wouldn't go crazy with every line out there, but for me I think having DW 20V, M12, and then currently Ryobi 18V OPE with the option of grabbing some other tools from that line if I really wanted, that combo makes a lot of sense. The Ryobi setup was half the price of the comparable DW 20V OPE, and it opens up another avenue and battery line to me of budget tools if I wanted to go that route.

 

[Michael_in_DE]

I have 2. Dewalt and milwaukee. I don't seem to have any issues, and frankly as badass as I am I can generally only use one tool in my hand at a time. but if you're worried about it get one these battery adapters.

 

[barev]

Main is M12 since it works for me, I have Ryobi for OPE, brad nailer, sander, caulk gun (M12 was too expensive to justify), fan, light, etc. Also just got into M18 for the table saw since my garage can't support a table saw with a shop vac. I also have Makita and Porter Cable impacts/drills that are just backups or loaners at this point.

 

[koenbro]

Main is Milwaukee M12 for woodworking, M18 for metal.

Woodworking is Festool across the board.

Ryobi ½” impact for auto.

Metabo 4-½” grinders.

All corded except the Milwaukee, Ryobi and one Festool 10V drill for cabinet work.


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[uncwstudent]

For me, its just Makita and Ridgid.

 

[vavet]

Ridgid for cordless, table saw, low speed-high torque drill, belt sander and shop vac
Also own dewalt corded drill and, recip saw.
Craftsman bench belt sander
Porter cable drill press
Hitachi miter saw

I buy the tool with the best value and capabilities at the time of purchase.

 

[Coach James]

Corded: C-man, Dewalt, Hitachi, Harbor Freight, Bosch, Makita, Ryobi, Black and Decker, Porter Cable

Cordless: Ryobi, Bosch, Hitachi, Porter Cable

It doesn't get old or bothersome to me. The top of my HF 4 drawer card holds all the batteries and chargers. I just get the one I need.

That's all I can think of.

Coach

 

[jd_1138]

I am in Makita, Ryobi, and just picked up some Porter Cable stuff (used off OfferUp). There's really no downside to being in 2 brands, as it gives you more variety as you can pick from 2 large ecosystems of tools. Once you pick up a couple of tools in a brand you get the charger/batteries if it's a kit, then if you go with a 2nd brand you then get a charger/battery in that brand. Having 2 chargers can speed up charging on a large project.

I am in Makita for my drills (regular and 1/4 impact driver) and Ryobi for less critical tools like jobsite radio, lights, spare 1/4 impact driver (great when working with a partner). I also have corded Makita and DeWalt tools (recip saw, circular saw).

I helped a friend redo his deck. I handed him the Ryobi impact driver, and I used my Makita impact driver.

 

[BajaScout]

16


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[GRB]

16

We have a winner but I'm thinking that is Corded and Cordless. I think the OP meant Battery Powered. Battery/charger platforms still in use personally and businesses:
Makita 7.2 NiCad. Still use the 3.5" saw but drills are for loaners. 40 years old and still working.
Bosch 12v, 24v NiCad.
Makita 18v LXT and 2x18v LXT - around 60 tools and 100 batteries.
Bosch 36v Lithium for first serious cordless SDS. Also kept one 36v Hammer Drill for rough work.
Panasonic 12v Production assembly torque specific drivers
Panasonic 14.4v and 18v Production assembly torque specific drivers
Milwaukee 2.4v
Festool CXT drill/driver
Festool 15v & 18v Drills and Cordless LED
Bosch 10.8v (12v max) drills drivers and a ton of flashlights and work lights.
Dewalt 18v NiCad for their 2gal corded/cordless vac.

 

[Pitalplace]

All my new stuff the last couple years are 18v Milwaukee. The old was 19.2 Porter Cable so when the batteries finally gave it up I bought a conversion so I can use the 18v Milwaukee. That is nice as I didn't have to replace these tools.

 

[RKA]

I tried to consolidate and inevitably someone comes up with a tool I want on a different battery platform. It's hopeless, so I just settled for getting the best tool regardless of the platform. The cost of the extra batteries and chargers aren't terrible. The space allocated to the chargers is a nuisance though. One of these days I'll find a clever way to organize the chargers.

Milwaukee 12V/18V
Festool 10.8V/18V
Stihl 36V
Ryobi 18V
Dewalt 20V (but not really 20V)
Fein 18V

 

[928'er]

I'd prefer to have just one battery platform, but oh well...

Ryobi 18v/4v
Nextec 12v
Hitatchi 3.6v

 

[77thor]

Cordless -> All DeWalt

Corded -> Milwaukee, Ryobi, Delta, Black & Decker...

 

[Tbird22]

I have snap on, ingersoll Rand, m12 and dewalt 20v. Snappy and ir I bought into in 2013 because the snappy 3/8 impact and it’s 1/2 had nothing to be compared to. At times I kick myself for doing so, but I still use them every single day in a shop so I guess I got my money’s worth. Only prob is if I want to upgrade, snappys got nothing to offer and ir is a fortune and m18 is a fight these days in both 1/2 and 3/8. M12 I bought into off a friend who was selling cheap and now I use it everyday with the ratchet. Dewalt I got after hurricane sandy as a present to help rebuild my parents home. Practically, it’s a bit annoying because I leave the chargers home so I have to remember to charge the batteries when need be, but I kind of like not being “blinded”... if you are with one battery platform, you may not view other brands as an option and just buy whatever they offer. Although m18 pretty much wins every time with every tool


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[reader2580]

Cordless: Makita, Ego, Ryobi, Dewalt Floxvolt.

Makita is my primary, but each of the others has something that Makita did not make at the time.

 

[PartsGuy]

Who here uses more than one brand of power tools and do you find it annoying/troublesome? I currently only use two at home. I have Milwaukee 18v tools, and my Ego lawn equipment. At work, I have all DeWalt power tools. I'm really thinking about swapping over to DeWalt at home as I highly prefer my work tools to my home tools. One thing that bothers me though... I've been thinking of picking up a cordless electric ratchet and DeWalt doesnt make one that I've seen. This would essentially be my only Milwaukee tool I'd own amongst a bunch of DeWalt stuff if I swap over. Maybe I just need to stick with Milwaukee to please my OCD and cut down the number of different chargers and batteries I have. Anyway, just wondering who all mixes brands of stuff like that and if it gets old having all different sorts of batteries and chargers.

I have all DeWalt 20V tools, except for the Milwaukee 12V 1/4 ratchet. Have had no issue with two brands of charger mounted in my toolbox (and I'm pretty damn OCD). I have a drawer full of Makita 12V and even 9.6V that I don't touch much at all anymore, and a Ryobi OnePLUS string trimmer. So technically I'm on 4 battery platforms, but only 2 are used "in the shop"

 

[f121]

Makita 18v, dewalt 10.8v, milwauke m12 for the cordless stuff, because I like to limit to as few battery systems as possible.

Corded stuff depends on the right tool and brand is irrelevant, table saw is dewalt, chop saw is bosch, routers are dewalt and makita, router bench is trend, extractor is festool. For stuff that doesn't get used a bunch like biscuit jointers and polishers, it's spurious Chinese brands.

 

[619DioFan]

Cordless- milwaukee fuel for the 1/2 and 3/8 impacts
ryobi for drills , hex drivers , recip saw, trim saw , grinder and my weedeater

Corded- craftsman , B&D , skil , ryobi , dewalt and HF.

 

[Reese]

In corded I have Makita, Rockwell US, Rockwell China, Porter Cable, Skil, Craftsman, Stanley, Bosch, Dremel, Rotozip, B&D, Milwaukee, Dewalt, and I think Paslode. In cordless I have Dewalt and Milwaukee.

 

[usdemt]

Corded is all over the place.

Cordless:
Primarily 18v Makita and 12v Milwaukee.
Also have a ton of 14.4 Snap On and 2 18v Milwaukee tools

 

[Blstr88]

I have mostly a Milwaukee and Dewalt mix. Have some Craftsman stuff, a Delta belt sander...others I'm forgetting. Lawn tools are mostly Stihl with 1 Husqvarna chainsaw thrown in.

Going forward I'll stick with Milwaukee most likely but the other brand tools serve me well and won't be going anywhere.

 

[dr_clyde]

I discovered it’s ok to have more than one battery type. They don’t fight amongst themselves or spontaneously combust when they get close to one another.

For cordless I have Metabo as my daily drivers, with Makita, Bosch Milwaukee and Snap-on filling out the remainder.

For corded I have most common brands, Metabo is my main brand, but Milwaukee is close second. Dewalt, Bosch, Hitachi, Craftsman, Rockwell, and a bunch more I’m forgetting.

 

[Lisamelting]

All Milwaukee cordless. The one corded tool I have is a Porter Cable tiger saw purchased 25 years ago that's still going strong.

 

[BDT/NWMN]

Cordless power tools that I actually use are DeWALT 20V MAX XR series.
Various makes of corded power tools that are used span at least eight decades.

 

[Back In The Saddle]

Just Bosch, corded and cordless. Been buying from them since they hit the market. Hell, even have a few Euro only tools I made work on US outlets. Never see much Bosch love here.

 

[2Busy]

Cordless in the shop is all 12 and 20v Dewalt, except for an old Porter Cable drill and NiCD battery that just will not die. For the lawn I bought an inexpensive set of Ryobi cordless, thinking they’d get abused and broken so why spend a lot. That was 10 years ago, they’re still going great. Seems these cordless tools don’t need to be red, yellow or teal to work! My corded tools are very mixed.

Monday morning quarterbacking myself, I now wish I had gone Milwaukee M12 and Dewalt 20v. At the time I thought I should do all of one or the other but now I realize the M12 line has so many good tools for automotive use that Dewalt 12 doesn’t. Plus, what’s the big deal in having two different chargers? Maybe it’s not too late to head that direction...

 

[Parrothead]

Let’s see...

DeWalt, Porter-Cable, Makita, Chicago Electric, Black & Decker, Masterforce, Craftsman, Skil, Performax, Milwaukee, Dremel, Genesis, Husky,...

I “think” that’s all of them?

Most of my cordless is 18v DeWalt.
My lawn equipment is all Black and Decker 20v
Corded is a variety.