I am often asked “What brand of tools should I buy?” Whenever possible I buy and use high-quality tools. It’s quite frustrating when you buy an expensive tool (even cheap tools are expensive) and it breaks after only a few uses.
Over the years I’ve found there are a few brands you can trust. My top three brands for carpentry and woodworking tools are Makita, Milwaukee and porter cable. Now don’t get me wrong, other toolmakers are capable of making good tools. And my big three have put out a few lemons over the years. However these three tool giants have served me well throughout my career as a carpenter.
Over the years I’ve found there are a few brands you can trust. My top three brands for carpentry and woodworking tools are Makita, Milwaukee and porter cable. Now don’t get me wrong, other toolmakers are capable of making good tools. And my big three have put out a few lemons over the years. However these three tool giants have served me well throughout my career as a carpenter.
All my routers are Porter Cable. Porter Cable is legendary for their routers and router accessories. They are high quality, commercial grade, and built to run hard for long periods of time. So why mess with perfection?
Mikita Cordless drills have been a favorite of mine since I began woodworking many years ago. I own other manufacturers cordless drills but I always reach for the Mikita.
I prefer Milwaukee saws and electric drills for their power and versatility. Milwaukee made their name with the Sawzall and has continued to produce great saws and specialty electric drills. Even though Milwaukee, Makita, and Porter Cable are my favorite tool manufacturers,
I do use many other brands of tools for certain jobs. For example, I love my Bosch Laser Level. I have owned many Bosch tools (and a couple of dishwashers) for the most part they have served me well. Dewalt tools are a division of Black & Decker tools (although I try not to hold back against them). Even with that being said, they have been truly innovative in the design and application of power tools over the last 20 years and have helped to push other tool manufacturers to think out of the box to redesign tools for the modern age.
It’s amazing how accessible quality tools are these days, and for a good price. Amazon.com offers the most competitive pricing for name brand tools throughout the country.
Great deals can also be found at your local pawn shop or on craigslist.com. I can’t even count how many tools I’ve bought and sold through craigslist.com and can’t remember ever having a bad experience. For more about buying used tools check out “Should I Buy Used Tools”.
Whichever Tool Manufacturer you decide to go with, just remember, you get what you pay for. Stick with the name brands and you will not be sorry.
The Tool Tutor 