Just How Bad Are Store-Brand Power Tools?
They know what they are doing when they lay out parts store aisles: Temptation lurks down every path to pick up another few quarts of oil for that leaky project. The lure of new tools is always strong, and on every visit, you take few extra steps to see what’s new on the tool aisle. We can’t help but look, but then “rationality” creeps in: Who buys tools from the same place they get discounted water pumps and oil filters? There are better tools out there, why not buy those, right?
I came to realization I was looking down on tools I had never tried. The price alone can tell us some information about the tools inside the blister package, but until we actually hold the tools in question and put them to work any positive or negative thoughts are just that—thoughts, not even informed enough to be opinions. Rebranded tools or anything else that lacks the name of your favorite tool brand might not be total junk though, and our favorite tool tester on YouTube—Torque Test Channel—recently grabbed a handful and put them to the test so we wouldn’t have to.
The tools tested include a Summit branded impact, a Hercules model from Harbor Freight, Hyper Tough from Walmart, and the Avid Power from Amazon. To a trained eye these tools all look like second-tier products just by the fit and finish when compared to a name brand like Milwaukee, DeWalt, or Ryobi. The overall size is comparable between most of the house-brand models and mainstream brands, but the dynamometer that measures the torque output of each impact tells no lies and spits out numbers with no agenda.
And the test shows that while none of the tools were going to blow away the impact wrench king and its red glass-fiber-reinforced clamshell, they do work and put down numbers that would make a lot of automotive projects easier. Not everyone is doing the hardest jobs, and for the money these affordable tools can be a way to get started under the hood. After all, if you find yourself outgunned for your projects can upgrade later when it makes sense. Technically none of us need power tools, they are just luxuries we afford ourselves.
None have interchangeable batteries, and ultimately it was the batteries that made a big difference in how the tools performed. As an example, the Hyper Tough came as a kit with tool, battery, and charger together for a paltry $59. That kinda of price tag should raise your eyebrows if you’ve shopped power tools at all and it’s easy to see where the corners were cut. A slow charger, small battery, and tool that seemingly has a mind of its own during some of the testing make it clear this was built to a price. It did get the job done with just the one battery, though the testing also showed that springing for a larger 4 amp-hour battery boosted the tool’s output significantly, with one catch—it nearly doubled the purchase price.
And that is what this all boiled down to at the end. You get what you pay for, and if you don’t need the impact that can hit the hardest with no consideration to budget, it is hard to make fun of the budget brands. They might take a little longer to get the job done or be a little more frustrating, but if the work gets done, that is most of the battle. Turns out the budget options might not be deserving of our side-eye glances after all.
I stick to Milwaukee.
I used to have Dewalt, but when I saw the versatility and reliability of Milwaukee I invested in their M12/M18 tools and have never been happier.
Yes. Milwaukee is the way to go. Batteries as many have commented are a big reason. The tools are tough. Never had one fail. Started off with Rigid years ago. (Partly because of their calendars, now frowned upon. Why?) Same old story, can’t get new batteries even though they promised they would be there.
One of the issues though is that people like Milwaukee, while they make some great tools, allow others to use their brand on inferior products. I was looking for a little folding hand-cart. The “Milwaukee” brand – not actually built by them – sells for about $50 and has horrible reviews for longevity and durability. Harbor Freight has one for $29 that is better made, has more metal and less plastic, and wipes the floor of the “Milwaukee” branded unit. You have to be careful – the brand is not always what you think it is.
Dewalt
+1
I saw one of these where a set of Harbor Freight wrenches blew the socks off of most of the low to medium brands and didn’t leave much margin for the top tier
I wouldn’t necessarily say you get what you pay for, but along the same line as cars, that next 1% quality improvement tends to come with a 50% increase in price
Agree TG I have a line of Bauer tools from Harbor Freight and very satisfied with them.
Agreed I’ve got around ten Bauer and have been very impressed yes it is better to get the higher amp battery but I have been surprised and impressed
Agree also. I’m not a shop but have my own classic and motor cycle. Bauer for me to. And I have not had to upgrade to a bigger battery yet and that is with using them with a weed wacker and leaf bower! I do have 2 batteries.
I use a $25 corded impact from harbor freight. Never met a bolt it can’t handle.
You want to pick one battery and tell everyone so that your future gifts are all compatible. Ignoring the high end professional (i.e., buy it off a travelling truck) brands:
I was working at a family business that all used DeWalt and saw the personal getting mixed with company so I chose Milwaukee (I prefer red). This was 20ish years ago and my choice only got better with time.
Being honest about one’s future needs & wants means also considering the range of what is offered on that battery. Some brands have been great about this and not obsoleting the batteries every 4 years. If all you need is one driver tool then any brand likely works.
I have witnessed the Dewalt range take insane abuse in an industrial welding shop. My Milwaukee M18 have been basically flawless aside from the small vacuum cleaner I got as a gift. That tool works but you need a strong battery fully charged and it clogs too easily (diameter of hose and way the connection into barrel is done is just too small) so it is frustrating for even simple things like cleaning a car interior. That’s one tool out of the 20+ I either own or have used someone else’s.
Makita and Ryobi are the only other options that meet the above criteria where I live. Makita has a good rep and the least in-stock range. Ryobi is mixed reviews but those that love it (like Mighty Car Mods who are sponsored by them) seem happy.
Great thing about Ryobi, they keep the same battery configuration. Years ago I bought a set of 18V nicad tools, when the Li batteries came out I could still use the older tools with the new batteries. Before that I bought Sears and they were always changing.
I agree with you…I don’t have any particular heavy-duty needs, but the universality of the batteries and backward compatibility of the batteries is a plus…
Sears was not a manufacturer, so it was frequently hard to tell who actually made the “Craftsman” tool you were using. In the ’70s, Black & Decker had the contract, for example. Anyway, every time the manufacturer changed, you could expect issues like this. Fortunately, Craftsman hand tools seemed to stay the same over the decades, and the guarantee on those can’t be beaten.
Thanks, I was going to say the same thing, but I thought I’d read the rest of the comments before I did.
Never liked Sears they made stuff that only they could repair that was smart on their part if something went wrong with the product you had to go to them for parts.
I like the Ryobi stuff so much I bought a push mower or I should say self-propelled works great really works great. When my rider craps out I’m definitely gonna buy a Ryobi rider.
One of my go-to shops now in my later years is Batteries Plus. Most tool batteries are REBULIDABLE for less than half the price at their place. I have an off-brand 3/8″ electric ratchet that at least 30 yrs old and its battery has been rebuilt maybe 10 times and still unzips oil pan bolts, the top block cover of Corvairs, or anything that has a dozen bolts of the same size..
Milwaukee Hand Trucks (owned by Gleason) has nothing in common with Milwaukee Tools (owned by TTI). They are not affiliated in any way, including marketing.
The logos aren’t even the same.
Years and years ago I went with the Craftsman C3 19.2V line, and now have 15+ tools. They still serve me well, but Craftsman stopped making the 19.2 line when they were spun off solo. The new line is 20V and not interchangeable. So now there are no new or replacement tools, and I’m stuck with cheap Chinese replacement batteries. 🙁
I too was a Craftsman owner. So when they changed I Changed to Milwaukee. Why?
Because I had a 25 year old tool they made and they still make batteries. 40 years now I still can get a battery.
These no names who will have a battery in 15 years?
I’ve heard this about Milwaukee from multiple people I trust, and that’s why I became an M12 owner and fan.
+1 for Milwaukee.
Even after PRC took over, the quality didn’t suffer considerably.
Compared to Dewalt and Bosch that others in my family prefer, Milwaukee has more options and are consistently better tools.
I have a ball-bearing made in USA corded drill that is easily one of the highest quality power tools I’ve ever used. Their battery electrics are pretty close.
The only part I hate is getting escorted to the register at the retailer like I’m some sort of criminal.
Yes, I also hate the escort. I now order online, gets here next day and don’t need to wait for the cage to open then the escort to the longest line in the store. BTW was all in on Ryobi because the consistent battery situation and still am with garden battery tools but am migrating to Milwaukee on other hand tools.
I did the same. I upgraded my batteries to Lithium Ion when the originals degraded, which was an investment that served me well. They all still work some 15+ years later, but as I am in a position to splurge on myself a little more at this point, I started converting to Milwaukee and have been very impressed with the tools. I genuinely ENJOY using them.
As for those Craftsman tools? With all that I’d accumulated, they were likely worth a couple bucks. But, I put the word out on our town’s facebook page, looking for someone who would put them to good use. I donated them to 2 sisters who run demolition derby cars in the next town over.
I have an even older 18V NiCd Craftsman drill that sat for years since they stopped selling the batteries, actually even the new ones wouldn’t hold a charge after about two years. But recently I found a guy on Ebay that sells a converter that he makes himself (probably with a 3d printer). I bought one and now the old Craftsman is working again with a 20V Li ion DeWalt battery!
You can buy battery adapters that make them work with the 20V batteries. Can get them for about $20 on eBay. They do work, I have been using a M18 battery in my craftsman 20V tool I bought because Milwaukee Brad nailers are to expensive and in my opinion no better than the craftsman Brad nailer.
There is an adapter for 19.2 for the 20v battery
Ryobi. Used to be Craftsman, then those wore out and couldn’t get batteries. Then went Makita. Heavy and replacement batteries are pricy Went to Ryobi several years ago. They have tons of tools, cheap, work great. Never going back.
I don’t buy cheap. Nothing more frustrating than a dead or broken tool when you are in the middle of a job. Using a little electric impact wrench when working on a car is pure joy. I went with Bosch. They’re really great. They also have a battery system that is compatible with several other brands but at this point they are all European. I’m hoping that the battery becomes so ubiquitous that it starts getting Adopted over here. Until then. It’s just Bosch for me.
That’s an interesting point made in this article. When they bought the better battery for the Hyper Tough, the money they spent in total likely equaled if they had just purchased a quality DeWalt (or similar) tool in the first place.
I also favor Bosch for quality. If I don’t need that level of quality, I go with Ryobi. I’ll hit Horror Fright only if I need something cheap that doesn’t have to last very long.
I did buy a Dewalt weed trimmer. When I went back a year later to buy a spare battery, they had quit making the batteries (apparently a lot of them were defective). That’ll be the last Dewalt battery-powered tool I’ll ever buy.
I have several Bauer tools from HF. I have the stronger battery and always have one charged. I have the 1/2″ ane 3/8″ impacts plus a few others. I have been very pleased with these tools. I think the Hercules is a step up from these.
I was boring holes in 2x4s to run wiring when my corded Skil drill just couldn’t handle the task. I had thought about getting an air tool when it was suggested I consider the cordless DeWalt drill that happened to be on sale. Got it home and found this cordless 20v drill out-gunned the corded drill I had. The torque was so strong that one time when the boring bit got caught on a knot, the drill almost took my arm off! 😆
Since then, I’ve added other 20v DeWalt tools to the family. My favorite is my cordless impact driver. It makes changing tires a breeze, and I pack it when I go off-roading so if I get a flat, I won’t even have to consider messing with the weak tire iron that comes with the jack. It would be awesome if cordless tools all used a standard battery the way we can use USB interchangeably with tech, but alas, that will likely never happen.
Yes, I also hate the escort. I now order online, gets here next day and don’t need to wait for the cage to open then the escort to the longest line in the store. BTW was all in on Ryobi because the consistent battery situation and still am with garden battery tools but am migrating to Milwaukee on other hand tools.
Skil was one of the best, to the point that circular saws were called “Skilsaws” in many circles. Then somewhere around 1985, they started making cheap “homeowner” tools, with no special label to indicate that you weren’t getting any real quality. I bought one of those saws. When it died shortly afterwards, I replaced it with a Makita.
I now have only two Skil tools, both of which were selected because they were the cheapest I could find. Obviously, I did not expect to use them often or heavily (and I don’t).
As for drills, my 1973 Milwaukee “Hole Shooter” will still drill through anything I need it to do. And it will do some damage to you when the bit catches. If only it was a variable speed.
Most of the budget tools (power or hand) will do more than adequately for the hobbyist mechanic. It’s crazy to spend more money unless you are using these tools to make a living, and even then some of these brands perform at or near the standards of professional lines.
You are so right. Price has a lot to do with duty cycle and hobbyists typically have a light duty cycle, so cheaper tools last and last and last, BUT I do avoid Ryobi.–Just my bias.
I have a lot of Ryobi tools, some bought and some older ones inherited . The older ones are much better. The biggest problem I have with Ryobi is the batteries, even fairly new ones will quit.
I think common sense always applies when talking about tools if you are a professional and you need the tools for your paycheck, you should utilize professional tools if you’re a hobbyist and use the tool not as much then that bag is a question of pricing. However, I use Dewalt because I’m stuck in their battery, I do like Milwaukee for some of my other tools and for my handtools their snap on and craftsman there is truth to the added you get what you pay for. My take is pick your brand stick with it because then the batteries will be compatible, and if your electric impact won’t do it your air compressor with the , half inch air driver Should take pretty much everything off.
I have Rigid warranty is lifetime. Never have any problems. Thanks for the informative article.
Rigid for me too. I have tools dating back to 2012 when I bought my first drill and impact driver kit. I have used the impact on just about everything for 14 years and it finally locked up on me a month ago. I reached out to Rigid on line. They sent me a free shipping label for the old one and in less than a month I had a brand new replacement. About two years ago the 10 year old batteries that came with the set started to fail, they replaced both of those too and just asked me to recycle the old ones. The online registration is a bit of a nuisance, but lifetime warranty batteries are pretty cool.
I always buy the most tool I can afford. But the bottom line is reading the reviews of those who purchased them before me. Those two things have never let me down.
Years ago…I purchased a bench grinding/wire wheel tool from the first of the Big Box Stores to come into the Dallas, TX area. I cannot remember the name. I affixed the motor to the work bench and happily used it for all sorts of projects–wire wheeling parts, grinding, etc. Until one day–I flipped the switch and–ZERO. Nothing happened. Again–and again-and again. When I had time, I disassembled the motor. It had plastic this and plastic that. It just failed! I kept my eye on ads for used tools and was rewarded with one for $50 dollars. I called and the man who answered said..”Sir, this is an OLD tool!” I told him that that was exactly what I was seeking. I bought it–a Miller Falls Motor with a shaft at either end for grinding wheel, wire wheel, etc. I have been rewarded with years and years of grinding, wire wheeling and anything else needed. You get what you pay for with those cheap (let’s call them) “off-shore” tools!
I have a Milwaukee 1/2″ drill motor that I got well used and already very old in the 70’s. Still will wind you up in a knot if it hangs up. Ugly but effective.
With a lot of that crap you ONLY get what you pay for – if you are lucky. With “big red” you do get what you pay for
I have a Dewalt battery drill I bought years ago. After a fair time, the batteries gave up the ghost and I was gonna toss the 12v tool but just tossed it aside. A couple of years ago, I stumbled on some replacement China batteries at 2 fer like $39 on Amazon. Those batteries work better than the originals and hold a charge for a long time not in use. Its not my use all the time drill/driver but its a nice back up and better than tossing what is otherwise a decent tool.
What batteries were those? Looking for just that.