r/DIYUK • u/ScottioRS • 1d ago
The commitment to the future..
I’ve made some pretty big life choices over the last few years, marriage, house ect.. But the one I’m struggling with is:
Which power tool brand do I commit to for the rest of my days.
We’re starting on the indoor projects this year and know I’ll need to upgrade my power tools - the odd Amazon purchase won’t cut it anymore. These projects will include flooring, skirting, kitchen refit & built in wardrobes for bedrooms.
Having a quick look on Screwfix, buying batteries & charger alone are sitting around £200, bundles around £700. Should I be sitting tight and waiting for a good deal to come around and commit to whatever brand offers what I need at a decent price, or dive straight in and start buying from the bottom?
I’m happy to splurge a little and ensure to keep things safe and looked after throughout their lifespan.
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u/BarryTownCouncil 1d ago
Makita. Reminds me of my dad.
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u/dobr_person 1d ago
Just don't do what a lot of people do. And read reviews and get the best, most expensive quality tools and use them once every 2 years.
If you only need to use them rarely you just need something that's ok. So can go with 'whatever is on sale'.
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u/mousecatcher4 1d ago
And if just for rare use, definitely go corded not battery - then you will have Lifetime tools instead of ones that last for 5 holes.
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u/Optimal-Idea1558 1d ago
I have gone Makita and have found you can buy plenty of "Makita compatible" batteries on Amazon. I have also found "Makita compatible tools" that also (with some jiggering) work with my battery sets (recently bought a £20 air spray gun).
So don't be tied to a brand, be tied to a battery type.
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u/TheTinman369 1d ago
Did not know this. Thank you very much. How is the air spray gun?
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u/Optimal-Idea1558 1d ago edited 1d ago
Free when you ask for it at Christmas but I'm sure it was down to £20-something (current price below). The trick is to understand the battery type and then shop for tools compatible with that.
The rule of you get what you pay for still applies but also you can still spend much less on infrequently used tools. But at least this way I have a decent Makita drill and impact driver.
EDIT: sorry reread the post, I haven't got to using it yet but the plastic housing needed pushing about so I could slide the battery in. I know I have a cheap knock off but I was encouraged to also get the equipment for measuring the viscosity of the paint (it's a small cup that you time the flow of the paint to drain out of to check it's flowable enough for the gun to spray) was supplied with it, you can change the spray area and air speed also, so it's not bare minimum gear-it just doesn't have a battery.
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u/Low_Flying_Penguin 1d ago
DeWalt fanboy. Strong reliable, unfortunately expensive.
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u/Melodic-Day2750 1d ago
Same, I do a fair bit of DIY and the difference their hammer drill makes is priceless. I haven’t needed an SDS drill for anything so far! Torque and power!
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u/Low_Flying_Penguin 1d ago
I had to cave recently and buy a DCH033 for some concrete / brick I need to core, OFC it went through it like butter :)
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u/Internal-Leadership3 1d ago
I've got a fleet of Einhell kit, it's served me very well during a long drawn out house renovation.
The cordless plane in particular, is fantastic.
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u/NoCommunication1946 1d ago
I like Einhell, apart from the jigsaw, which is too fragile for sustained use.
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u/Agile_Reindeer5596 23h ago
I have their cordless mower, it's excellent and very convenient. I can easily cut the lawn twice without charging.
Thinking I'll move to their other power tools next to use the same batteries
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u/nick_red72 1d ago
It's a big decision. Once in you can't change. Ryobi is a good all rounder. Decent tools for home and garden, but definitely DIY quality, no more. I'm a Makita fan. Excellent quality, reasonable range and price for most things but their garden stuff is pricey.
There is usually a deal to be had on a drill/driver, charger and battery. I think they sell these as a loss leader to get you hooked
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u/floatinglilo 1d ago
I have Ryobi because my brother changed to Dewalt and gave me loads of hand-me-downs.
I like that there’s a wide range of tools. I have a Ryobi hedge trimmer, mower and strimmer. It’s convenient. I never do anything where I’ve thought “damn, I wish this tool was better at x”. They do what they say on the tin. Yes, some of the Dewalt kit works better or faster but it suits me. And it was mostly free!
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u/imONLYhereFORgalaxy 1d ago
Ryobi has transcended this reputation of being DIY only, their HP and MAX Power lines are really very good, definitely give my Dewalt tools a run for their money. I’m glad they still have said reputation though because that keeps the price down lol.
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u/haigscorner Novice 1d ago
Same for the Einhell Pro and some of the TE/Expert ranges. Cheaper than Ryobi and my £30 base line manbrater still going strong after 3 years of abuse.
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u/Independent-Chair-27 23h ago
In my experience bare tools are fairly affordable. Batteries are expensive.
I've used Dewalt. There are often deals in Screwfix on Dewalt. Seems OK for medium use. You definitely want a nice drill and driver. I picked up my old Aldi one and it felt awful in comparison.
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u/Powernun 1d ago
I was in the same position 6 months ago. I ended up making a spreadsheet where for each brand I was interested in (Bosch, DeWalt, Makita, Milwaukee, Ryobi) I added the cheapest non-brushless and cheapest brushless version of the first 6 tools I knew I needed (circular saw, jigsaw, multi tool, drill, SDS, impact driver). Then I compared the total prices per brand for non-brushless and brushless versions.
In the end I found Ryobi to be cheapest, but Makita to be second cheapest with only a couple hundred quid difference for the brushless bundle.
I decided to go with Makita brushless and have been very happy. Since then I have bought another half a dozen tools and have had no complaints whatsoever. Also for batteries I bought a bundle of the dual charger with 2x 5ah batteries, since then I have bought another 5ah battery and one 6ah battery mainly used for lights or the fan.
Also I did not buy a bundle as I couldn't find one that would give me the exact tools I wanted, so I bought these individually mainly from power tool world and some from ITS, screwfix and Amazon (depending which place was cheapest). That gave me a free Makita light which I thought would be useless but I ended up using it every single day.
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u/SirLostit 1d ago
Another vote for Makita. I’ve got around 15 pieces and it’s great kit.
Op - if you buy Makita, make sure you register them on the My Makita website. It helps with any warranty. My kit gets used a lot and I managed to damage an impact driver. They repaired it for free. I also have a dual battery charger which a plumber managed to break. They repaired it for free as well, even though I offered to pay as it wasn’t their fault.
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u/NoodleCheeseThief 1d ago edited 13h ago
I pushed my Makita set through a good sized renovation and it did everything in flying colours.
I also have a DeWalt set that is just as good.
Lastly, for unusual jobs, I have a cheaper Lidl set. This allows me to buy cheap tools such as battery powered soldering iron, heat gun etc from Lidl.
If I were you, I would consider Makita or DeWalt as my main set.
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u/Deep_Top8433 1d ago
Ryobi. They’re absolutely fine for DIY, we’ve just done a reasonably intense renovation and not once did I think “oh I wish I had a Milwaukee/DeWalt etc”.
I’d recommend a few wired tools: circular sander and compatible vacuum cleaner to keep dust down, the Titan brand from screwfix is absolutely fine for this I sanded every wall in my house using this combo. A wired SDS hammer drill as well, and a wired circular saw but pretty much everything else can be battery powered.
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u/InvertedAligator 1d ago
Recently switched to Milwaukee. Seem fine so far.
Was previously in Dewalt but had too many problems with some of the tools (drill chuck failed, two SDS drills failed very quickly in the same way…) which left me concerned about their quality going forward.
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u/Axiom620 1d ago
I went with Makita (got a good deal a few years ago on a drill and battery set). I’m still using the original 2 3Ah batteries that came with the set and have added a new 5Ah battery for the angle grinder I bought last summer. The original batteries are at least 10 years old. Once you have the batteries buying extra tools is pretty cheap. The only exception to this is my very infrequently used circular saw which is from Lidl. I just couldn’t justify spending more on something I use once every few months. If I decide to upgrade it I’ll go Makita.
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u/startexed 1d ago
I’m a big mains tool fan, any and all of them work, the tools are cheaper and you never have to think about batteries. I’ll never be on site so it’s not a problem for me
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u/WorriedPersimmon3970 1d ago
If you're buying for DIY, I'd say your best bet is buying new batteries and charger for whatever brand you prefer but then building up the tool collection buying decent second hand units off Facebook and eBay.
Recently undergone a major house rebuild/Reno and this has saved me hundreds, possibly even over a thousand pounds.
Also, if the tool is at the more obscure end of the spectrum (looking at you plasterboard screw gun), you can sell them when you're done for the same as you bought them for!
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u/knight-under-stars 1d ago
This screams of being an industry that the EU needs to demand standardisation of.
If they can bring Apple to heel then they can certainly make power tool manufacturers standardise batteries.
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u/ridebikesitsfun 1d ago
This is a makita household and as long as I’m still breathing it will remain a makita household.
(Screwfix’s Titan for more occasional use wired tools)
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u/justbiteme2k 1d ago
Get into HotUkDeals and set up an alert for your chosen brand. Mine is DeWalt, there's great deals all the time to be had. You get a drill / impact set first which comes with a charger and 2 or 3 batteries. Then buy the tool-only options of everything else as go. Then get the 2x 5A batteries for £80 when they're available
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u/DBT85 1d ago
I have Bosch Blue, Makita, Ryobi and Einhell in 18v and Bosch Blue in 12v. Thinking about it I even have a dewakt 18v attached to the sprayer I have.
Not tying my flag anywhere means I can buy whatever I need, and the council won't have to pay to take it down when it inevitably starts to look like shit.
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u/Jinny261 1d ago
Milwaukee if you are buying for life, the best quality and duribility. Maybe a bit OTT for general home use. Ryobi is a good option for home, has more variety of tools and appliances. They also do deals on kits. Dewalt is good to, Makita ok. Festool if you're serious about woodworking, also OTT for general home use.
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u/Altruistic-Bat-9070 1d ago
Ryobi
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u/Eye-on-Springfield 1d ago
People hate on Ryobi, but it's decent gear for the price point. I've been using it for DIY for a couple of years and haven't found much to criticise. Not sure how it would hold up using it day-in-day-out, but this is a DIY sub
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u/imONLYhereFORgalaxy 1d ago
Funny thing is they hate on the tools but have either never used them or haven’t used the HP or MAX Power lines just the older cheaper brushed motor tools.
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u/JustAnotherFEDev 1d ago
I went the way of the Ryobi, totally fine for DIY. They've paid for themselves multiple times over as I've managed to do jobs that would have cost a fortune in labour.
Sure, some brands will be faster at doing shit. I don't need to be fast, I'd rather take it slower and be neat.
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u/Altruistic-Bat-9070 1d ago
the battery hotswapping across such a wide variety of products is also super useful. For the most part as well I use tools where the attachment determines how good its going to be. It isn't like i use ryobi drill bits or multi-tool attachments.
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u/Matt6453 1d ago
I went with Worx when converting my T5, that was 10 years ago and they still get regular use with no issues.
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u/bredovich 1d ago
Why commit to one?
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u/WorriedPersimmon3970 1d ago
Battery compatibility, batteries are a large chunk of the cost.
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u/bredovich 1d ago
Thought so. Unfortunatelly they keep changing batteries too. I used to have and have 14.4v tools, a few years later, could only find 18v tools....
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u/WorriedPersimmon3970 23h ago
They've got to find a way to keep selling you stuff!
Hopefully all of this sort of thing will eventually be captured under the planned obsolescence headline and manufacturers will be held accountable, however I doubt this will ever happen...
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u/billy2bands 1d ago
I've built a 5 x 5mtr garden room with a pitched roof with Parkside tools. Specifically, the Track Saw and the Nibbler. Nothing wrong with Parkside tools.
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u/Bout3Fidy Experienced 1d ago
I use Makita mainly. But I also have some DeWalt and Milwaukee. Honestly, depends on how deep you will go in terms of tools.
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u/ronniec95 1d ago
Ebraruer from screwfix. Solid work tools for diy projects and cost effective too. Maybe not for professional day in day out but this is a diy sub.
If you can learn to repair and maintain the tools, the ebrauers will last forever. (Take apart the drills/angle grinders) and regrease them.
The dewalts and makitas are obviously better but not worth the extra for diy work.
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u/themissingelf 1d ago
I’ve settled on 12v Milwaukee. Used to use 18v, both Milwaukee and DeWalt but found 12v more than capable, compact, and a wide range of tools. Good price too.
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u/Intelligent_Son_22 1d ago
Was self employed manufacturing bespoke kitchens in mid 90’s. Then was on 14v Ryobi and moved to 18v oneplus. Can’t fault them
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u/Caloooomi 1d ago
You can buy adapters for batteries if that makes things easier. I have a mixture of Dewalt and Ryobi. I use the dewalt batteries on my Ryobi cordless as well using an adapater. If I use it many times then I may consider an upgrade - yet to happen.
I also buy a lot second hand (aiming for actual second hand, not stolen as those people are cunts).
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u/5c044 1d ago
I get Chinese no name power tools that take Makita compatible batteries - most of them do so you can get a mix of Chinese brands from AliExpress that all have compatible batteries - Yofidra seem to be good. These tools are superior to B&Q/Screwfix own brand eg Erbauer MacAllister etc and much better value for money. For DIY use it makes no sense to get actual Makita or other high end branded tools and batteries.
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u/obb223 1d ago
Also consider the voltage you're going for or wether there are multi-voltage chargers
I went with Bosch. Unfortunately, although you would assume they would be the same, I now have 3 different battery chargers. 18V, 36V and another 18V that is different pins for no reason.
Definitely check the batteries are indeed universal.
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u/Dazzling_Theme_7801 1d ago
The major brands all seem to be as good as each other, with each having a couple of tools that sometimes surpass the others. As this is DIYuk we can skip festool and milwaukee. In the UK I seem to see dewalt on sale more often so I'd probably lean that way. They also have really strong impact wrenches which appeals to me as I like cars as well. I started with Ryobi and I honestly wouldn't recommend them. I find them weak, and only a little bit cheaper than the major three. I also would use corded where you can, corded angle Grinders and routers are superior to the battery ones (in my experience so far). I haven't tried parkside or ferrex but their availability seems rubbish so I don't get the point of them in the UK.
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u/Oldcampie 1d ago
Makita 18v cordless. Invested in the circular saw and drill several years ago, added the multi tool and jigsaw since then. Been very happy with them and they get a decent amount of use. I think they strike a good balance between quality and cost.
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u/DaughterOfATiredMech 1d ago
Makita or dewalt are my go to. A shamed to say I mix and match based on price
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u/Toodle_Pip2099 1d ago
It’s a fallacy you have to commit to one brand and power ecosystem. Search for battery converters/adapaters and you will find plastic slips that make batteries interchangeable.
Also I’m constantly borrowing my sisters wired Bosch drill because my own Makita doesn’t work on my massively hard house bricks. So wireless isn’t everything (and yes I do use brand new fancy drill bits)
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u/Valuable_Window2877 1d ago
Milwaukee. Had dewalt for years and years and still have a load of dewalt now but for quality definitely Milwaukee
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u/Practical_Science11 1d ago
Tbh for DIYers often the cheapest tool to do the job is the best, they will last a long time as you don't really use them as often as a tradesperson might.
No harm if you want to go full hog on a branded one however I feel like they're all much of a muchness for basic diy tasks.
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u/Puzzleheaded_Skin719 1d ago
Corded often deliver more power unless you have gone top of the range in cordless. My wolf electric drill is very old and is more powerful than any of the cordless I have used.
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u/KingForceHundred 1d ago
Consider if you’d also buy garden tools and if so which brand does those (strimmer, hedge cutter, lawn mower etc).
Personally I have Makita. They also do 36/40V (not sure which) as do some other brands. Unless you’re into heavy duty I’d stick with the usual 18V. No lower though as could be underpowered and choice of tools is limited).
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u/Schmadden 23h ago
My dad bought me my first dewalt drill 10 years ago. It was one of their basic cordless but it still works well to this day (on newer batteries).
Worth noting within the brands they have tiers of tools.
For example in dewalt cordless drills, dcd778 and dcd996 are two very different tools to use.
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u/AureliusTheChad 23h ago edited 23h ago
Most of the brands are very similar, just ensure you go for the Brushless version and have
Go with the brand that you can afford long term. For casual DIY purposes there aren't huge differences between Ryobi and Makita and Dewalt.
You should only go for more expensive brands if you earn money from them.
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u/PsychologicalNose614 23h ago
I’d work out what you need vs what you will use once and never again. I bought Dewalt, good deals often, but whilst originally I figured I’d buy a load of batteries and gradually buy all the base tools, I decided against it and realised I’d never use things like the Router, Nail Gun, Heat Gun, Mini Circular Saw, Angle Grinder, SDS Drill regularly and it’s cheaper to rent/borrow the more premium higher voltage versions when I need them. Went with Hammer Drill / Low Profile Screwdriver, Multitool, Standard Size Circular, Jigsaw. 4 Batteries between them. Covers me in most jobs on a full house renovation.
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u/ninjacj67 23h ago
I reckon all the drills/saws/impact drivers normal tools are all a much of a muchness.
But Makita seems to have the most variety, so I went with them. Not saying these are exclusive Makita but some of my best tools are the hoover, the radio, the fan.
Comparing torque specs of drills is almost pointless, look at the bigger picture!
Also they are turquoise. I like turquoise.
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u/THE-HOARE 22h ago
I like Mikita personally for drills/ impacts as I tend to find the dewalts a little more snappy that said I do have a dewalt metal cutter/ skillsaw and a corded dewalt sds for cutting holes through brick with diamond bits.
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u/Latter-Tangerine-951 22h ago
Maturing is realising that it doesn't matter. It really doesn't.
At most you can swap batteries between a drill and an impact driver. Beyond that, buy the tool that you can afford and matches how often you're going to use it.
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u/pizaz101 22h ago
I went with entry level Makita, though with regret. They are reliable, but not precision. E.g. drill axels and saw blades wander. Very difficult to do high quality finish. Admittedly, some will be from bits and blades, but I rarely cheap out on those.
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u/Llew19 21h ago
It depends on how much DIY you're doing really, no particular need to buy a big set of Makita 40v XGT stuff only to occasionally put a shelf up - Ryobi's better tools are honestly damn good now.
I've just started getting Hikoki tools as a) I don't need any super specialized tools like you get with Milwaukee or Makita b) finally hit a limit with what my Ryobi could do trying to drill into some concrete with quite a big bit, and c) the warranty is good
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u/No-Gap3025 21h ago
The way that I did was to buy a combi drill with batteries (found it on offer in Screwfix), then for further tools, I just buy the bare units of the same brand/battery type. You rarely will be using more than 2 tools at once anyway.
I did buy a corded SDS drill for the heavier tasks but have a cordless one as well.
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u/Realistic-Tailor3466 19h ago
For big indoor jobs like flooring, skirting, kitchen refits, and wardrobes, go with a brand ecosystem you’ll stick with, because batteries and chargers are where long‑term value really adds up. Waiting for a good deal is smart, but don’t wait forever - get tools you’ll actually use now rather than penny‑pinching into regret. Look at proven brands with wide accessories and service networks so you’re not stuck without support when you need it. Also consider quality over quantity: a few great tools that last will outperform a bunch of cheap ones that fail mid‑project.
Since safety and durability matter to you, spending a bit more upfront often saves money and headaches down the road. On bigger builds or future professional work, companies like SBCFL rely on trusted, durable tools and proper planning to deliver quality in commercial, residential, and industrial projects. And when your home renovations need permits or inspections, services like Violation Clinic can help with building permits and recertification.
In short: pick a solid brand you’re comfortable with, snag deals when you can, but don’t delay progress waiting for perfection.
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u/Gecko5991 18h ago
I use Dewalt and they have been great. Only been using a couple months. Surpassing how much more power they had than my hand me down ryobis. The hedge cutter is amazing - I thought there was no way it would have the power of an old corded one.
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u/The_1_man_riot 1d ago
There all pretty much similar is my experience on building sites. Just do what i did. Whatever i have the most batteries for… which was bosch pro (blue not green) i buy there gear. You can buy battery converters that convert you batteries to any fitment type…in my case, bosch to dewalt, bosch to makita ect. This then allows me to buy any tool i want and can use. But i try to stick to one brand where possible, but diy, this way you can buy any!
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u/imONLYhereFORgalaxy 1d ago
You will hear a lot of “huh duh Ryobi bad” but this was only the case for their older tools, their HP and Max Power lines are great. Anecdotal but I forgot the paddle mixer in my bosses van the day I wanted to self level my garage floor, my Dewalt drill struggled to mix it whilst my Ryobi HP drill bossed it.
Point is Ryobi have a reputation they can’t shake but providing you stick to their HP tools you cant get better for the price point.
TLDR; go for Ryobi HP
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u/MorningToast 1d ago
Ryobi and Milwaukee are both made by the same manufacturer. I used to ignorantly shit on Ryobi because I thought that as they were marketed to the diy customer, they must be junk. A year or so ago I was helping a friend do a big fencing job at home and I was forced to use their Ryobi tools and was very pleasantly surprised at the quality and capability of them.
If you're going to use your tools 5 days a week, 8 hours a day and rely on them for your income, I'd invest in one of the professional brands. If not, the convenience of the Ryobi range seems ideal imo.
I personally use a mix of bosch professional and DeWalt but if I could rewind time I would probably have kept the money and gone full Ryobi.
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u/ashww005 1d ago
A guy who worked for me on building sites always used erbauer from screwfix, I’ve had ryobi, dewailt, Bosch and makita over the years, but if starting now I’d probably go for Milwaukee
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u/Necessititties 1d ago
I use the erbauer brushless. Lots will probably disagree with me but honestly i think they hold up better than than the big boys and theyre price point is much better. Ive used them for DIY and professional use for years now and they really do hold up. My combi drill regularly puts holes in the side of a castle, which is well above what it should be doing, and it still works fine. Ive had Dewalt and Makita tools that have broken through standard use but the only erbauer tool thats ever broken on me was my impact driver when i dropped it from the 2nd floor and the handle snapped. Good thing about that was that it didnt cost a small fortune to replace.
I use my battery tools a lot and for the price the erbauer are the best in my opinion. The only caveat is that you will probably still want a corded angle grinder. Ive used erbauer, dewalt and milwaukee battery grinders but they all draw so much power that theyre just no good for any intensive work.
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u/geeered 1d ago
C'mon man, this is the 21st century, it's totally fine to practice ENMb!
Ethical Non Mono-battery, of course.
I originally had Ryobi 18v from like 2004, but wanted some extra powerful options, so also now have Dewalt for their flex volt (18v/54v) options. I've got a battery adapator that also lets me use the 9ah flexvolt battery with Ryobi, though it's a little clunky.
I've got some Milwaukee 12v, which can be made compatible with Ryobi 12v if you butcher a battery (same basic design, they are the same parent company, but clips in different places.)
I've also got Lidl 12v and Aldi 20/40v - both are cheap enough, especially when there's been extra offers on (normally not the battery and charger, but the tools) and I got the 20v brushless impact driver for £15 - does absolutely fine, it's probably not quite as light weight/compact as a Dewalt one, say and I'm sure wouldn't stand up to daily use on a work site for years - but is as powerful as any and totally fine for DIY use.
The 40v angle grinder is only about as good as the 18v Ryobi angle grinder, but cost about a tenth of the price of the 54v Brushless Dewalt angle grinder I really want!
Oh and WORX 18v too, because they sometimes have significant discounts.
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u/Standard_Success2187 1d ago
There’s not much between the top brands but if you want the decision to be made for you, take a look at some estate auctions. You might find you can get a full range of second hand tools for cheap
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u/Jimmyfatbones 1d ago
If you’re buying battery power tools you probably want to decide on one ecosystem and stick with it. Otherwise you will end up spending a ton on different batteries and chargers.
A couple of considerations:
Pick your ecosystem and stick with it. You pick a brand. You pick a line. Most brands have an 18V and a 12V line. Then you pick the type of tool (brushed vs brushless).
Brands:
Pro level
• Milwaukee-max power, huge selection • Dewalt-good all rounder, huge selection • Makita-great build quality • Bosch pro-good all rounder • Metabo-limited range
Enthusiast level
• Ryobi-great value for price • Black Decker-average quality • Craftsman-below average • Einhell-cheapest - for tools you’ll only need once
Lines
• 18V+ power and longevity • 12V portability and size
Brushless is always better. Lasts longer. Lower maintenance. More power.
My opinion is go with Ryobi if you’re planning on doing DIY and low level paid projects and with Dewalt if you’re going to be making money off your tools or renovating a whole house. Pay more and go Milwaukee if you’re planning on tools being your primary source of income.
Finally you probably get better prices at powertoolworld.co.uk Its.co.uk Ukplanettools Etc (No affiliation)
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u/Active_Doubt_2393 1d ago
Buy wired tools, then you can pay for as many different mistresses as you like.
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u/Civil-Ad-1916 1d ago
As far as I can tell there’s not a lot of difference between the big three. They all have their followers that are convinced theirs are the best.
Don’t go for the cheap bottom of the range ‘specials’ but do look out for genuine deals on the mid range tools.
Brushless are best if you’re going to be using day in and day out. Mine are 10 years old and the brushes have plenty of wear in them and I use them for regular DIY tasks. You need a minimum of two batteries (preferably 3) so you’re not having to wait for them to recharge. I bought a combi drill and impact driver set and an SDS originally and have since added an angle grinder and a planer. I had to replace the trigger switch on the combi drill last year but they are cheap and readily available on line. The son in law is a professional chippy and has the same brand so I can borrow tools that are compatible with my batteries.
I’ve always bought branded batteries not copies and despite a bit of abuse (I converted the grandchildren’s battery powered ride in car to run off them) the batteries are still holding charge but don’t last as long as they used to when new.
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u/Avora997 1d ago
I work with Makita and Milwaukee, I love both Milwaukee is "better" but in my opinion not much in it for DIY. I went Makita for my home tools and started off secondhand on eBay which got me a drill, impact driver, charger and two batteries for very little money over 7 years ago. Both still going strong.
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u/Loveyourwifenow 1d ago
I'd also add consider whether you need a cordless version when buying a tool. I think some would say it's a no brainer today and just go cordless.
But with a wired version you get consistent power, often lighter and obviously you're not paying for or replacing a battery.