Following on from the frequent "discussions" that happen round these parts regarding power tools and their selection, here is a first draft of a potential FAQ section on power tool selection.
Please feel free to offer (constructive) criticism. Suggest any sections you think I have missed, fill in any missing pros and cons, and (this will be fun) add more brands to the categories at the end!
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Choosing a power tool
Choice of power tool is a topic that comes up for discussion at regular intervals on uk.d i y, which frequently generates long threads of opinion and counter opinion! Much of this discussion seems to stem from different peoples understanding of what "DIY" is all about, as well as each person having often conflicting needs and expectations.
To help focus discussion, this section of the FAQ sets out some of the various tool buying policies. If you use this to identify which description most closely resembles your current need, you should be able to solicit advice from the group that takes this need into consideration, and will save you needing to wade through too many heated debates!
What do *you* mean by DIY?
DIY will mean different things to different people. For some it will be about saving money, for others it may be a relaxing hobby. It could be as simple as occasionally erecting a shelf, or changing a tap washer. For others it could be as elaborate as building your own house! It is safe to say that the tool you purchase to with the expectation that it will love in a cupboard for 362 days a year, may well be very different to the one that with which you indulge your hobby of fine furniture making five days a week. Hence before deciding on much else it is advisable to decide on what level of use you anticipate making of the tool.
Class of tool:
There is a huge variety of power tools available from the general purpose to the highly specialised. Almost every DIY shop will not only stock a selection of well know brands, they will often offer their own range of "own brand" tools, and prices for similar looking tools can range from as little as £5 to well over £500. Understanding the manufacturing and distribution model for these tools can go a long way to help understand this range.
Budget tools
At the cheaper end of the market, the majority of tools are manufactured in the far east at low prices and then "branded" for the eventual retailer. Tools in this category can often be purchased for very small initial cost. Typically however since access to the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) is limited, getting any after sales service and spares for these tools can be difficult or impossible. Often the retailer may offer more attractive warranty terms to mitigate some of these limitations. So if a tool breaks during its warranty period, then the retailer will simply replace it. However, after this time the tool will need to be discarded and a replacement sought. Note also that you may need to factor in the cost of your time should frequent trips to the shop be needed to acquire a warranty replacement.
High End tools
At the high end, tools are often built and assembled by factories owned by the brand maker, or built for them by OEMs to the brands specification. There will be a service and support network that will enable tools to be repaired, and spare parts obtained. Needless to say this backup and support has to be paid for in higher tool prices.
Mid Range tools
The mid range can be even more confusing since it can encompass tools from both categories above ? often with the range of tools available from the same maker taking products from both sources.
Class of dealer
Many tools are available from a wide range of sources including the big name DIY shop, to the specialised independent tool supplier. There are cases where a average quality tool purchased from an above average retailer will offer some of the benefits and after sales care that usually only comes with much higher price tools.
The purchasing factors
There are a large number of factors that can be taken into account when making any buying decision; some are obvious like features of the product and its price, but some are more subtle. For any given purchase you will need to weigh up these factors. They may often be different for each tool you buy.
1) Tool features
2) Purchase Price
3) Availability of spares and support
4) Tool quality (and quality of results achievable with it)
5) Total cost of ownership (factoring in your time to buy and maintain the tool, cost of spares etc)
6) Comfort of use
7) Speed of operation
8) Availability of suppliers (and service where applicable)
9) How much you anticipate the tool will be used
10) How long you need it to last
11) Brand image
Buying policies:
The disposable tool
This is an easy one! Sometimes a tool is needed for a specific job and then that is it. Chances that it will be used again are slim. Often hiring a tool is a good way to meet this need, but that will not always be cost effective or practical if you are going to need it on an ad hoc basis spread over several weeks.
In this category tools from the cheaper end of the market can be ideal, often you are not too concerned what the life expectancy of the tool will be, so long as it gets the job done. If it lasts longer then that is a bonus.
Pros
1) Can be cost effective compared to hiring
2) Ready availability of suitable tools from most DIY shops
Cons
1) The quality of the tool compared to a hired one may be inferior
2) Tool may be less comfortable to use, achieve lower standard of results, and take longer
3) You either need to store or otherwise dispose of the tool when the job is done
The "buy several" approach
The own brand tool may not offer the reliability and performance of a more expensive tool. However the price is often such that you can buy more than one of them for the price of a better tool. Should the tool fail you simply discard it and switch to its replacement and carry on working. Note also the same policy can be applied to any type of tool in any price range if it is important that you can carry on working, not just the "DIY shop special", Even expensive tools bought for business use may fall into this category.
Pros
1) If a tool fails you have an immediate replacement with no interruption to your work
2) You can have several tools "on the go at once". With things like drills this may equate to faster working since you will not need to stop to swap between say a drill bit and a screwdriver bit, just pick up a different tool.
3)
Cons
1) The money spent on two tools may buy one of better quality, which may outlast the two cheaper ones, give better results, and be nicer to use.
2) You need more storage space.
3)
The mid range choice
This is the hardest range to purchase from, because there is a huge choice, and it is not possible to make blanket purchasing decisions based on brand for example. Each brand will have good and not so good products in this class. Buying from this range is often what the ad men call an "aspirational purchase" (i.e. you would like something better, but budget dictates you buy something similar but cheaper!).
Pros
1) These tools can be well suited to the less intensive user
2) Results and quality of work that can be produced will often be higher than with lower end tools
3) After sales service and support may be available
4) Ready availability
5) Lots of competition keeps prices low.
Cons
1) May not survive intensive use
2) Quality, comfort of use, speed etc, may still be lacking
3) After sales service and support may not be available.
The "top quality" approach
Sometimes only the best will do. If the work you want to do demands the highest quality of finish, or you want the utmost comfort and ease of use from your tools then this might be the approach for you. You can expect tools in this category to stand up to intensive every day use, even for "trade" purposes. Reliability should also be better than the other groups, and spares and after sales service should be readily available. Ideally suited to the serious DIYer, the tradesman and craftsman.
Pros
1) Suitable for intensive hard work, including continuous running.
2) Highest quality results
3) Smoothest operation resulting in good finish and low operator fatigue
4) Good finesse of control
5) Service, support and spares, available.
6) More able to take "abuse"
7) More operator "pleasure" in operation.
Cons:
1) Tools are more expensive
2) Also more likely to be stolen if not carefully looked after
3) Even when repair services are available there may be down time waiting for repairs to be carried out.
Which brand is which?
Identifying which of the above groups a tool belongs to is not always straight forward. Many people will not even agree which is which. Some brands may make tools in several distinct categories, (which may or may not be distinguished in some way). Many brands will also acquire others so as to increase their range either up or down market without needing to reposition the whole brand in the marketplace.
Budget brand tools:
NuTool, JCB, Many DIY shop "own brand tools", Power Devil
Mid range tools
Bosh (green bodied), Black & Decker, Skill, Wicks own brand (grey bodied), Freud, DeWalt
High End
Makita, Trend, Bosh (blue bodied), Hitachi, Festool, Fein, Lamello, Freud, Elu, Metabo, DeWalt
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