Some powertools are still made in Germany...
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Ton ton
Well-known member
I wonder if they are available from brick and mortar stores in the USA?
Goosedowner
Active member
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- Mar 18, 2022
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The nice thing about the German metabos is that the same battery fits every series. So the battery from my 10 year old drill would fit a brand new drill.
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neophyte
Well-known member
Metabo still makes some tools in Germany.
Bosch does as well, if you check the COO while at Lowes.
Fein does most of their production in Germany, accept certain consumables like Oscillating blades, and certain tool like vacuums and maybe dome pneumatic models. Also some of Fein’s less expensive cordless tools, and the touter they used to sell.
High end corded tools from Flex are still likely German made.
Eibenstock, Mafell, Festool, all still produce most tools in Germany, as well as some other weird specialty brands.
Bosch does as well, if you check the COO while at Lowes.
Fein does most of their production in Germany, accept certain consumables like Oscillating blades, and certain tool like vacuums and maybe dome pneumatic models. Also some of Fein’s less expensive cordless tools, and the touter they used to sell.
High end corded tools from Flex are still likely German made.
Eibenstock, Mafell, Festool, all still produce most tools in Germany, as well as some other weird specialty brands.
Most or all Duss and Baier electric tools are still made in Germany , some Starmix vacuums, as well as AMB-Elektrik tools and some Stihl electric tools (and gasoline tools). You also can find german made power tools from Kärcher, Hilti, Collomix, Makita, Snap-On, Rothenberger, and dozens of other manufacturers and rebranders. (Or german made parts (motors) ......from Lamello etc.)
A glimpse: www.cordless-alliance-system.com
A glimpse: www.cordless-alliance-system.com
Never owned one, but I know Makita bought out Dolmar and likely makes their gasoline chainsaws in Germany too. They're not accepted like Stihl and Husqvarna in my area due to the very long tradition, so they might sell worse than if they kept the Dolmar name, but the products are probably very good.
dnschmidt
Well-known member
Unlike us, the Germans think past the next quarter and into the long term. German corporations realize that building things in Germany keeps their people employed and able to buy their ****. They do care about the stock price but not above all other considerations. I worked for a French/Italian company (STMicroelectronics) for 14 years which was ten thousand times better than working for either Intel or Motorola both of which treated their people like ****. Moto was bad, Intel far worse.
I used to work with some former and very senior Intel people where I heard this story;
Intel guy A comes up to a conference room that he has reserved. He can see through the glass door that a VP is in the room with intel guy B. The VP is standing up, pointing at guy B, and screaming. Guy B is seated and looks dejected.
Guy A is junior to the VP so he knocks on the door and says he has the room reserved. The VP shouts through the door “Dammit! Go away! Can’t you see I am giving this guy his evaluation?”
And yes I worked with that former VP, and he confirmed it…
Intel guy A comes up to a conference room that he has reserved. He can see through the glass door that a VP is in the room with intel guy B. The VP is standing up, pointing at guy B, and screaming. Guy B is seated and looks dejected.
Guy A is junior to the VP so he knocks on the door and says he has the room reserved. The VP shouts through the door “Dammit! Go away! Can’t you see I am giving this guy his evaluation?”
And yes I worked with that former VP, and he confirmed it…
paulsomlo
Well-known member
I bought a Makita cordless jigsaw a while back, and was surprised to see it labeled "Made in the United Kingdom".
Shocker
Well-known member
I loved my time at Intel. Never had anything like that happen nor did I ever see it and I worked with many of the executive staff.
Glad to hear intel worked out well for you. Companies change - I worked at HP for many years, and it was different from when the founders where there, vs when they were gone but their handpicked people were there, vs when CEOs like Carly came and started dismantling the company. Companies change over time.
All I can tell you is that the story is true and that the VP that was in the story confirmed it for me. (He was a board member at one of my employers.) I’d mention names but that would not be cool.
dnschmidt
Well-known member
I can tell by your location that you probably worked in one of Intel's research fabs in Oregon like D1. It's not the same in their production fabs here in Chandler, AZ.
Shocker
Well-known member
I actually was based in DuPont, but traveled to most of the campuses at one time or another. I have been on every manufacturing floor in the US at least once. But you are right that I was in the lab most of the time cooking up new stuff and working on demo's as I spent most of my time in front of a camera, at a show presenting or teaching classes.
HenryAZ
MEMBER EMERITUS
I have two of those cordless drills, plus a Metabo corded BEV_1300-2 1/2" drill, all three made in Germany. The quality and ease of use is very high. One nice feature of the corded 1/2" is the ability to preset maximum speeds. Using a 6 position dial plus two speed ranges, you can preset the maximum speed anywhere from 180rpm to 3100rpm. One of the cordless drills has replaced my Bosch drill in the drill/driver set, and the Bosch drill has gone to live in the bedroom.
Paul_The_Builder
Well-known member
I have a bunch of Metabo tools. About half the cordless tools I have are made in Germany. 90% of their corded tools are made in Germany.
We have the same drill at work (just without the hammer function). It's really strong, but it also won't stop - it twisted me a couple times and even broke my coworkers arm a while ago. I don't know if it should have an e-clutch and it's not working, but I am definitely convinced a manual clutch is more reliable.
Worked well for a few years so I definitely wouldn't fault it, but this year it started to work oddly - sometimes runs slowly and sometimes it starts and stops (even if that function is not selected on the bottom wheel). No matter which battery is used (new or old). Probably something with the electronics... But it's really badly abused and is often used in unusually dusty environments (technical ceramic factory, in the research department... so it was often exposed to very agressive and abrasive ceramic dust, I'm actually impressed it lasted ~4 years... Now even the chuck is all polished and wobbly from dust abrasion...).
Worked well for a few years so I definitely wouldn't fault it, but this year it started to work oddly - sometimes runs slowly and sometimes it starts and stops (even if that function is not selected on the bottom wheel). No matter which battery is used (new or old). Probably something with the electronics... But it's really badly abused and is often used in unusually dusty environments (technical ceramic factory, in the research department... so it was often exposed to very agressive and abrasive ceramic dust, I'm actually impressed it lasted ~4 years... Now even the chuck is all polished and wobbly from dust abrasion...).
Under_Pressure
Well-known member
I bought a Bosch 4 1/2" angle grinder from Menards several years ago that was German made. As I recall, they had a cheaper Bosch 4 1/2" and this one that was maybe $20 more. Both paddle switch type grinders- the German one had a few fancier/more ergonomic looking features, maybe slightly higher amperage, but basically I would consider them equivalent. Don't have that option any longer though. I also noticed recently that at least one of the SDS rotary hammers they have out as a display model says made in Germany, but the ones actually on the shelf are China. So apparently another product that has been moved off(European)shore in the relatively recent past.
Germans don't really think about the stock price because many industrial tool firms are family owned and private.
Knipex, Hazet and others
While not German, it's similar with Makita. I guess also due to this, the conglomerate owned companies often have the most intense advertisement (Milwaukee...).
Under_Pressure
Well-known member
Yeah, that's one of the reasons I have long been a dedicated Makita man- they just make good tools and don't feel the need to beat you over the head with how great they are and how you need to use them to be a real pro. Unfortunately, as a plumbing and mechanical contractor, Makita has thus far stayed out of the market for specialty tools in my area, so I had to pick another brand for those items. Milwaukee probably has the most broad line for pipe tools, but DeWalt has what I need and their marketing, while not as low key as Makita, is less insufferable than Milwaukee, so that's where I went. Milwaukee is the coal-rolling, lifted-with-super-wide-rims, instagram-handle-sticker-on-the-window, brodozer pickup truck of tools.