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?
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”.