Tool Brands - Another Way to ShopMar 04 '06 (Updated Dec 01 '10) Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line If you have never heard of the brand, be wary. Shop by brand for more satisfaction.
When it comes to buying tools brands can guide you as much as price. This might be even truer when looking at a used tool than when shopping for new. Although some particular tool has come to prominence in a single brand, most tools of the same brand can be considered about equal. Buying by brand won’t always get you what you expect, but more often than not a brand of tools falls in a single category of quality and usefulness. In this treatise I will attempt to guide you a little toward the quality of tool you need and the brands that most often reflect that level of quality. Tools are often broken down into hand tools and power tools. Hand tools are whether they are for a single purpose or cover a small range of uses. Power tools are further broken down into portable power tools, tabletop tools, and stationary tools. The portable tools are either corded or cordless, powered usually by rechargeable batteries. Within each grouping comes increasing tool quality, often accompanied by increasing price. The lowest quality and price are those tools for a one time or very infrequent use. These can almost be considered throwaway tools. Their price should reflect that characteristic, something you won’t mind watching break after a few uses. The next upward level of tools is those for the handyman or do-it-yourselfer. Their quality should reflect the ability to handle moderate use for an extended period of time and the cost will often be high enough to justify a repair or two before discarding it. The dedicated hobbyist who not only does things on the weekend but often finds himself/herself playing with the tools in the evenings looks for a still higher quality tool, one that will keep working for long periods and do the job needed with aplomb over a longer period of time. These tools are generally in a price range that reflects the added stress they take and that the user can justify repairing or having repaired multiple times without exceeding the original cost of the tool. Those who work in the professions demand the best that they can afford. Their livelihood depends on their tool being available most days of the week and working for hours at a time, sometimes in less than ideal conditions, in the rain, in heat and cold, in dusty and uncomfortable places and conditions. Their tools must not break very often. The higher price of this level makes it more difficult to justify having two, one as a backup for when the other needs repair. Of course all these categories are blurred somewhat within brands of tools. Some brands have more than one level of quality. The noting of brands that follows is not complete, but rather reflects the author’s knowledge and experience. Where a brand has more than one quality level, we will try to highlight that. Hand Tools An example of a tool in the “bottom feeder” category is a screwdriver. Putting a slotted screwdriver from this category to use trying to back a frozen bolt out will often ruin the tool instead of freeing the bolt. The metal is soft, the fit and finish is marginal and the bit is poorly formed. This category of tool is often found with a brand never heard of. They are mass produced for the big box market, the cheap mail order houses, and the bins of hardware stores. Usually their very low price will give you the first clue. If you want a tool that will last, stay with a brand you know. Some brands that seem to give good value for the price are: Stanley at the bottom end of their pricing, Allied, and the Sears Companion brand. For the DIY and handyman group, better quality will usually reflect higher prices. The tools will just look better in their packaging and will usually perform better as well. Some brands we like are: Stanley in the mid-price range, Craftsman, and some of the hardware store brands like from Ace hardware. Most of the Brands under the Irwin banner fall in this category or even the next one up. For the discerning hobbyist and the beginning professional we think Craftsman Professional with their lifetime warranty is a good value. The high end of Stanley falls in this group as well. Kobalt is a newer brand that is gaining respect by these folk. For the top of the line you can’t go wrong or spend much more than with Snap-On, Mac, Starrett, Veritas, or Clifton. These folks make the best in class usually and their prices reflect this. Other brands that are at the top of their class are Two Cherries for chisels, carving tool, and turning tools or Stanley and Lenox for saws and files. You can’t beat Estwing for hammers and driving tools. For used hand tools look to Stanley (pre 1948). These tools might take some work to get in top shape, but they have already lasted half a century and may well go for another half. Power Tools Again for the bottom feeders there are the brands you have never heard of. They are marked by prices well below the brands that are better known. They might serve for a very light application once or twice a year. We wouldn’t recommend these tools for any one unless you are buying a gift for someone you don’t like. The following is non-comprehensive list in no particular order of brands we have some familiarity with and where we think they fall in the type of user. There will be exceptions in some brands and we will try to point those out. Skil The Skil brand is often found in big box stores and general hardware stores. They are usually the lowest priced brand on the shelf. They will do the job for the occasional user and even for the handyman. An exception is the Skil brand of circular saws. They invented this tool and the top end of the Skil circular saw line is also still top quality. They are often used by professionals. Skil is now a brand of Bosch tools and the service centers are quite good at repairs and parts supply. Bosch Bosch starts at the hobbyist and dedicated DIY level and carries a lot of clout in the professional ranks. We like their tools and the service from their many service centers. Often their tools win shootouts in magazines. They have mostly portable tools with a little overlap into tabletop tools. Black and Decker This is a brand that is well known and widely distributed. It is good for the occasional user and even for the handyman. If it is one of the tools not often used it can fit well in the hobbyist category. Their Firestorm line is usually a step up from the base line and can serve the casual hobbyist quite well. DeWalt This brand is also part of the Black and Decker family. Most of their tools will be found on job sites used by professionals and in shops of dedicated hobbyists. Until the recent acquisition of the Delta and Porter-Cable brands by Black and Decker, it was the B&D top brand. Their miter saws, cordless drills, and demolition saws are often top rated in magazine tool shootouts. Delta Delta now has two lines of tools, the Delta Shopmaster and the Delta Professional. The shopmaster line starts at the occasional user level and moves to the bottom end of the hobbyist class. The Professional line is often considered the best in class in tool shootouts. We have both types in our shop. Both meet or exceed their needs. Porter-Cable Porte-Cable specializes in portable power tools. Their routers are considered the best by many users. Since the acquisition by Black and Decker many of their offerings now overlap those of the DeWalt brand. We expect some changes in both those brands as the companies integrate. Dremel This brand is synonymous with the hobbyist. Their name has become the de facto standard when talking about small grinders. They tend to dominate this market. They also make couple of hobbyist table top tools. GMC An Australian company that sells in the US mostly through Lowe’s stores, this tool manufacturer has been making inroads into the occasional user and DIY markets. Their tools seem to give good “bang for the buck.” They have a range from portable to mostly tabletop tools. Ryobi Since their connection to Home Depot this brand has really taken off. It is meant for the DIY and hobbyist class but finds applications with the professional user as well, often as back up for their main tool. We believe their table saw, also sold under the Craftsman brand, is the best value in its class. We have a couple of their portable tools, one under the craftsman brand, and find them acceptable. Craftsman One of the best known brands out there, these tools, a Sears brand, generally generate more discussion on internet boards than any other. We feel in general their power tools are of average quality but with prices higher than other comparable tools in other brands. Their wide availability makes them one of the most often seen brands in homes and shops. We class these for the occasional user up to the light hobbyist. Ridgid This brand is almost exclusively found in Home depot. The brand has an interesting history. Several years ago it didn’t exist although their tools did. They built exclusively for Sears under the Craftsman brand. When Sears moved away from them they struck a deal with Home depot and the brand was born. Their first offerings were in the tabletop and stationary tool line. Their brand has recently expanded into the portable category. Their tools are frequently bought by the dedicated DIY user, the dedicated hobbyist, and often the professionals out there. They have the best warranty in the business. They are usually among the top competitors in tool shootouts. They offer a little more for the money and are a good brand to choose. Jet Jet is a tool importer. They compete with Delta at a price point a little lower than Delta usually. We have several of their tools and like them. Although their line is expanding they are mostly in the tabletop and stationary tool business. They appeal to the dedicated hobbyist and the professional user. Powermatic Always considered a step up from the Delta Professional line, these tools have a reputation for quality and performance that is rivaled only by brands not usually seen except in cabinet shops and professional workshops. This brand is now a sister brand of Jet. In the last few years since that acquisition their reputation has become a little tarnished on the internet message boards. Performax Another brand in the Jet package, they make a single class of tool, stationary belt sanders. We have one and love it. It is not a tool for the professional shop, but for the hobbyist we think it is quite acceptable. Grizzly Another tool importer like jet, this brand evokes very emotional responses from both its detractors and its proponents. Their price point for tabletop and stationary tools falls below Jet and their quality and usefulness, their proponents say, meets or exceeds that of either Jet or Delta. Since we have never owned a Grizzly tool, we won’t comment. The hobbyist most often owns one or more of these tools. Shop Fox Around for a long time with a limited line of accessories for table saws, this brand has recently expanded its offerings. The brand is slowly gaining recognition in the tool world. We don’t have much experience but place it near the Jet line of stationary power tools. We could add many more brands but our experience is either limited or non-existent. We are hopeful hat a good comment section will develop as tool lovers read this review and add their thoughts of their favorite tools. Disagreement with our conclusions is welcome. The free exchange of user information is what Epinions is all about. For other Guides on how to buy tools see: Buying Tools. Why, What, How Used Tools for Woodworking; The Way To Go?  |
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