What to look for:
- When choosing a drill make sure that it has good clip so it easily slips on to your belt
- When changing batteries make sure it’s easy and not an awkward process
I know how important tools of the trade are and you need to have on hand the best tool for the job
Makita, Milwaukee, Dewalt, Bosch and Black & Decker common brands you’ll find on the building site.
Let’s take a look at some of the best power tools brands
There’s a few top-of-the-line manufacturers that deliver quality products and excellent value for money consistently. We’ve listed a few of them here with links to our reviews.
We’ve summarised a little of their stories and how they’ve built their reputations to become market leaders and trusted brands in the power tools industry. Their rich histories make interesting reading.
Comparison table for light to medium duty drills. These suit the home handyman.
Cordless tools have revolutionised the building industry.
Cordless power tools have made it so much easier and safer to get anywhere on a job. There’s no more rolling out big, dangerous extension cords and having to worry if there’s power on the job.
With the price of batteries being so affordable and being able to charge more than one battery at a time your work flows smoothly and more efficiently all day, every day.
Whether you’re climbing in a ceiling in a really awkward position or trying to reach some guttering the cordless power tools win hands-down.
Most brands now even have dropsaws that are cordless, hammerdrills, nailguns and finishing guns. It just makes life so much easier. And no more dodging airhoses or tangled powercords laying around the job. Not only are they dangerous …. they’re time consuming.
- One of the only exceptions that I have is when I’m tiling and mixing tile glue or leveling cement. These are the rare occasions that I’ll use a more powerful drill that has a lead, and of course if your working with jackhammers.
I’ve found when I’ve had to use a cheaper brand of power tools that there’s a big difference in the weight, handle, power, balance and strength.
Performance is far superior when using better quality tools.
You’ll find that a good quality power tool will just mold into your hand and feel like an extension of your body. This is so important when you’re using them all day long.
During the past 40 years working in the building industry I’ve seen lots of changes in power tools and the way they’re used. Some of the stronger brands are still around today like Makita, Dewalt and Milwaukee. These brands have stood the test of time. And time has bought innovation with cordless drills being equally as powerful and easier to use than those we had to deal with years ago.
The batteries are stronger and more reliable which means there’s almost no job that can’t be tackled with a cordless power tool.
My advice is to stick with the better known brands that have been around for a while. And the old adage ”you get what you pay for’ certainly applies if you’re using the tool everyday as a tradesman. These tools need to reliable and perform for you from the crack of dawn on the job right through to knock-off time. Sometimes the lesser-known brands can be sufficient for the home handyman.
Having said that the pricing of a good cordless power tool is very competitive because there is such a broad range of brands on the market.