JoeTF1718 Posted June 25, 2015 Report Share Posted June 25, 2015 I am trying to figure out which power tool brand I should get. The four i have to decide between are Dewalt, Milwalkee, Bosch, and Ridgid. If I am trying to get into professional contracting business which tool brand should i start out by getting? Which one would be the best for a home owner and for a professional contractor? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bremon Posted June 25, 2015 Report Share Posted June 25, 2015 Ridgid has a limited cordless lineup. Milwaukee has the best warranty and arguably the best lineup for a tradesman. Bosch I can't comment on. Dewalt seems to be a favorite with framers and GCs. I personally own and recommend Milwaukee. What type of contracting are you pursuing? Different work with different needs are better served by different brands. Any reason you don't include Makita?This all only applies to cordless of course, with cords there is no need for brand loyalty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bremon Posted June 25, 2015 Report Share Posted June 25, 2015 Depends on what the OP wants to do. Production drywall? Frame? Two examples of Milwaukee not being the platform to go with at this point in time. I wouldn't give up my red tools for anything, but you would also have to twist my arm to hang sheets of board all day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisK Posted June 25, 2015 Report Share Posted June 25, 2015 What about Makita? I've got all of the main brands now with the exception of Ridgid. I would argue for Ridgid' warranty. It's the best one out there with a lifetime service agreement.....IF YOU REGISTER THE TOOLS! I would in the same sentence agree that the Ridgid line is great but extremely limited.I have the following CORDLESS tools by brand....Bosch - IDH182 Brushless Impact Driver / Wrench and the MXH180BL Brushless multi tool as well as the FL12 LED Lamp and Vacuum in 12v. and the PB360 Power Box.Dewalt - DCD985 20v Hammer Drill, DCN692 Brushless Framing Nailer, DCS391 Circular Saw.Makita - DJV181 Brushless Jig Saw, XCU02 18v X2 Chainsaw.Milwaukee - M12 Fuel 2453 Impact Driver, M12 Fuel 2520 Hackzall and M12 2460 Rotary Tool.Ryobi - ZRP854 Brad Nailer.Black and Decker (Gasp! Eeeeegad Man!) 20v AutoSense DrillFestool - CXS Compact Drill Driver Set, T18 Drill Driver Set.I'm pretty sure I might be missing some stuff but those are my CORDLESS tools. Each one....including that B&D (absolutely awesome tool for driving pocket screws without over driving) has a useful spot in my shop and has MORE than proven itself. I would say though, in my opinion, as a woodworker and DIY type, Makita has the largest, most diverse line of cordless tools for a single brand. I'm not saying the best, just the most rounded offering. As you can see by my eclectic family, each one brings a strength to the table. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torontotoolman Posted June 25, 2015 Report Share Posted June 25, 2015 As a framer id say makita and milwaukee for cordless and bosch for corded tools the only thing i like from dewalt is there chalkline i wont buy any other dewalt tool thoSent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torontotoolman Posted June 25, 2015 Report Share Posted June 25, 2015 Oh and a paslode frameing nailer Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StrippedScrew Posted June 26, 2015 Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 At the moment I'm with Dewalt I just have the brushless impact and the 995 drill reason why I went with this is because their was a deal on them in my local dewalt center so it had the best price to performance when I brought two years ago. Saying that dewalt are abit slow coming out with new stuff thats why I'm taking a chance and trying out Milwaukee x2 when it comes out. Makita aren't bad either they have a nice large range of tools the biggest in the industry I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Posted June 26, 2015 Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 I am trying to figure out which power tool brand I should get. The four i have to decide between are Dewalt, Milwalkee, Bosch, and Ridgid. If I am trying to get into professional contracting business which tool brand should i start out by getting? Which one would be the best for a home owner and for a professional contractor? Joe this really comes down to what tool platform you prefer, it's not a black and white issue. I honestly don't for see you purchasing a major tool brand (ie: Dewalt, Milwaukee, Makita, Bosch, Ridgid, etc.) where the drill, driver, circular saw, reciprocating saw, etc. is not going to preform. A lot of it comes down to exactly what tools do you require? Once you figure that out, compare the specifications on the different brands. Go to YouTube and check out the different tool reviews. Go by the hardware store and handle the tools, see what feels good to you. The best example I can think of (for what I'm getting at) for you is that in my industry we run power cords or air lines for everything, so having a corded power tool doesn't bother me at all. My favorite circular saw is the Milwaukee 6390-21 15-amp 7-1/4 in. TILT-LOK Circular Saw. That might not be what your looking for though because you may not want to run a power cord, or have the weight of that saw in your hands. A lot of us like particular brands because of fit and finish, not because one brand is truly better than the other. Now when you get to comparing Milwaukee & DeWalt to Ryobi and Skil, your really starting to get into black and white territory on accuracy and durability. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Harris Posted June 26, 2015 Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 I am trying to figure out which power tool brand I should get. The four i have to decide between are Dewalt, Milwalkee, Bosch, and Ridgid. If I am trying to get into professional contracting business which tool brand should i start out by getting? Which one would be the best for a home owner and for a professional contractor?That's not an easy question. The problem is any answer you get to that question is going to be subjective.I currently own tools from each of the brands you listed. They all make great tools.It would help to list the tools you plan to purchase and which are most important to you. If you are looking for the best recip saw then Milwaukee is the way to go. If you are looking for a battery powered nail gun DeWalt is the only option. The best multi tool is the Bosch in my opinion.I have owned Bosch, DeWalt, Milwaukee, and Makita cordless tools. I have sold off the others and stuck with Milwaukee for cordless tools. I'm really impressed with the fuel line. Ridgid is the line listed that I would consider to be designed and marketed to homeowner and DIYers. Ridgid does make some pretty good tools though. There is no reason a professional contractor couldn't use them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bothuhead19 Posted June 26, 2015 Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 Like a lot of the guys said, it depends on what tools you're looking for or need. For corded tools, I usually just go for the best available in my budget range. I own a Dewalt jobsite saw and I love it! I don't remember the model number at the moment but I love Dewalt's rip fences, they guarantee a straight cut every time. For Miter Saws, all those brands make great ones but I think I would give Bosch a slight nod. Milwaukee's king of sawzalls of course and they all make good circular saws. I believe Milwaukee's got the best cordless line right now and it's constantly growing or improving on older tools. Ridgid has the best price and their new X5 stuff look really impressive but I can't comment on whether they would last in a professional setting. Bosch and Dewalt have solid lineups to but I really think that if you can afford the top end Milwaukee stuff then that's what I would go for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nalu Rash Posted June 30, 2015 Report Share Posted June 30, 2015 As far as cordless goes, I'd have to agree with TorontoToolMan about Makita and Milwaukee. You can't go wrong with either platform. DeWalt corded tools are great, like the table saw, the planer, miter saws. However, the DeWalt cordless line is lacking at the moment. I prefer the Bosch line of tools over DeWalt though. All my cement/demo tools are Bosch. My vote: Milwaukee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northern Rebel Posted June 30, 2015 Report Share Posted June 30, 2015 Milwaukee is the king. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
comp56 Posted June 30, 2015 Report Share Posted June 30, 2015 your doing the right thing by doing your home work first, there is no sense buying into something you don't need....I buy tools to save money so indirectly I kinda buy tools to make money too...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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