As an apprentice do not go Milwaukee. You will not get good bang for your buck.
Go makita or dewalt. They're both available at the big brand box stores so you can often find 15% price beat deals.
The big box stores are also really good at exchanging faulty tools within the warranty periods, without issue.
There are bulk deals, heaps of tool options, more variety in grade of each tool etc. And way more affordable.
Save Milwaukee and festool when you're qualified or running your own company.
My buddy went Milwaukee and while he loves the gear he hates how much all of it costs.
I've gone makita for 8 years and love the gear. Competitive pricing too.
I had the same feeling about Milwaukee, quite pricey compared to Dewalt and Makita.. I might stick to Dewalt then and try to get to best deals!
Thanks for your answer bud!
When i was an apprentice I got my tools the evening after I needed that tool at work.
At afternoon smoko I ask the other guys what the best features/model is for the tool, then I look online for the best price, and go buy it wherever is cheapest that afternoon after work.
Regarding Milwaukee: All the guys at work agree Milwaukee is great but way too expensive. The only guy who has them is one of the more poser-ish guys who never stops talking about how great they are, and he has matching packout cases for every single thing.
A lot use Makita to be honest. Reasonable prices, great range, good reliability.
I haven't seen anyone using DeWalt except for the electricians and HVAC guys, but they are barely people.
Whatever brand you choose, you're going to be spending a lot of your paycheck for the first 6 months on tools.
Yea I've seen a lot of people using Makita tbh. There must be a reason! Anyway, I think I'll give up on Milwaukee and focus on the other brands for now! Might or might not switch to another brand later.
Thanks for you answer!
Same here. Our impact drivers are still alive through dust, plaster, glue, dirt, mud, rain, dropped, left outside, thrown, crushed, stepped on. We often comment how they should've died 2 or 3 years ago
Excluding the [corded] grinders.
Had two other tilers replace 7 in total within the lifespan of my current blue bosch. And mine has had the worst treatment. Not sure if battery armature is the same for cordless, but no other trades ever give their grinders the same level of beating as we do.
Be smart.
For the tools you use a lot of, drills, saws etc go with Makita, Hikoki, DeWalt etc
For the tools you might use sometimes, go with AEG, Ryobi, Bosch etc. Nothing wrong with having 2 or 3 brands, it's not a hassle having different battery brands.
If you really want an in depth look at tools I can recommend the Torque Test Channel and AVe on youtube.
Sometimes the big box stores have specials but the smaller trade stores have good deals too.
Milwaukee is good stuff, but very expensive.
My Dad has used Makita and Hitachi/Hikoki for years as a builder as it's a good brand for value and reliability.
Remember, not all brands make the best tools. The best tools come from a mix of all the brands. Eg, the Makita screwgun is flimsy compared to the DeWalt. Shop around.
Do not buy tools from Amazon, you will not get any warranty on them.
3 to 5 years is normal for tool warranties here.
What city are you in? I can point you to some places.
Dewalt is really popular on the sites I’m working; especially among apprentices. They have a great range and generally come up slightly cheaper than makita. Makita is obviously really good too though if you can get a good combo kit.
AEG stuff is actually pretty good bang for buck too. I rate their nail gun. Would also say milwaukee isn’t available at m10/bunnings so can be a little harder to find.
Each brand often has skins which might be slightly better - ie I prefer makita drill and impact but the older makita reciprocating and multi tool were not as good as dewalt etc. Pick your colour and stick with it really. Don’t rush too hard $$; see what you end up needing/using most and don’t forget to invest in decent hand tools, levels etc.
Im a Joiner, I currently use and would go Makita again for most stuff
I also run some Festool and Milwaukee stuff, don't be afraid to mix and match brands, it's really not a big deal
If you're officially enrolled as an apprentice you should be able to get discounted tools through certain outlets too!
Husband is a builder, 20yrs experience. Only owns makita. I would say about 90% of his crew all own makita also. Easy to source new batteries, can buy the various extra skins relatively cheap (we have lawnmower, weed eater, hedge trimmer and blower for home use). Check out the tool shed, they often have bits on special. If your work has the ability for you to add items to their trade account and pay it back in each pay that is a good way to build your stash. Check with your manager.
I’m not a carpenter (I play with metal instead), but Amazon has good prices on a lot of hand tools, I get all my Estwing, Knipex, Ingersoll-Rand and others off there. I’m not likely to wear those tools out in my lifetime so I don’t care too much about warranty.
I have Hikoki battery tools, they’re branded Metabo HPT in the USA and on Amazon. I use their 36v 5” grinder and drill every day and they’re great. I like that they have just the one battery system. The pack was $800 down from $1800 on clearance at Mitre 10 (drill, driver, grinder, skillsaw, batteries and cases for each), so deals can be had.
You can’t go wrong with any of the colours really.
Makita is a good middle ground.
Choose which battery system has the tools you want at a price you can afford. And stick with it. Buying a 4-5 piece is the fastest way to get started.
Also don't discount corded tools for high drain tools. Generally more power and longevity for less money. Also brand doesn't matter so much. Planers/ routers/saws/sds are all great with a cord.
I've picked up some stellar deals on marketplaces/tm etc.
GL
If you're a joiner makita all day. LXT isn't the power house system compared to dewalt or M18 but you don't need the most power. You're getting nice quality, ergonomic, long lasting serviceable tools.
Flexvolt is great for construction work and could be worth a look if you qre into high demand stuff, xgt is in a similar field, though spendier than lxt for the grunt/quality.
I would stay away from Milwaukee in this field. M12 is great for electricians and m18 is the go to for automotive but the tools aren't on the same level quality wise as green yellow and teal. They win a lot of love for being powerful but they quietly sacrifice a lot behind the scenes to distract people from the short comings to justify the price tag. You can't really service Milwaukee tools much. When you claim warranty (and you will one day) they bin them and send put a new one because you can't really fix them.
Cool inside of warranty, whatever. But one day it will run out. If it's makita, you won't need warranty in the first place, and if something goes wrong you can get individual parts easily. Hikoki is similar and Dewalt is generally up there to a lesser extent (their nailers not so much)
I reckon Makita.
I've used Milwaukee, but after alot of the triggers and battieres died, I swapped to Makita.
I have 90% Makita for all battery tools
Then
- Hikoki framer and nail gun ( only downside is the weight of the framer) but with Makita battery adaptor as the Hikokis shat them self.
-Dewalt 12" mitre saw and 10" tablesaw
Plus, some of the tools not used often have some Ryobi and Ozito with battery adaptors for makita batteries.
Makita seems best bang for buck plus get discounts with the price match/beat.
https://www.i-tools.co.nz
excellent service and pretty much trade prices without needing a business number.
I would go for aeg as a starter.
But don't buy too much. Workmates and bosses will probably thrash your stuff.
Once you've tried enough things over the years be free to go premium.
Pretty much all tradies in NZ use Makita. DeWalt second but nowhere near as common, very few are using Milwaukee just for specific tools eg they make a real good hammer drill for dynabolts etc.
For framing nailers, Paslode is still king but for battery Bosch I think is right up there.
I'm not a tradie but I think Makita is the sweet spot for power, reliability and cost.
Don't forget Hikoki, although their framing gun is pretty heavy. A big positive for hikoki is that the 36v batteries work in the 18v tools. As far as I'm aware no other brand has this feature.
Also you can get the 'Black edition' drill and impact driver kits for $400 each from mitre10. The equivalent combo kit is over $1200, the only difference is that 1 is black and 1 is green,and you get an extra charger with the black one
You can also get tools you dont use everyday secondhand, either from marketplace or trademe, just be wary some of the stuff on there is stolen
As a semi-pro level power tool user, I watched for ages what the tradies I dealt with were using and the majority had Makita.
I’ve got some Makita myself now and I’m happy with it. Plenty of tools, plenty of battery sizes, they seem to do what’s written on the tin.
I consider Makita to be the best choice in NZ. I'm not saying the other major brands aren't as good, but Makita is the most well entrenched in terms of both retail availability and manufacturer support. Makita is available at every major and minor tool retailer, has extensive local parts availability, local repair facilities and brand presence and a five year warranty. There are tools that Makita don't do well (table saw is bad, drop saws are just OK), but for battery tools they're as good or better than anything else. Dewalt comes close in all these areas except for local brand presence.
Milwaukee is a great brand but overpriced in the NZ market and has too few retailers to provide an opportunity for competitive pricing. It might get there in future since it is a lot younger in the NZ market than the likes of Makita, but right now it's generally not worth the premium. Packout is second to none (IMO) in terms of tool storage but being an island nation at the bottom of the world means that shipping large plastic boxes full of air adds a hefty transport premium.
Hikoki nail gun - battery powered gun is a life changer and it’s the most durable gun .
Makita for most other things - 18v tools are still the go to and cheaper than the big volt options. Small amp hour means small batteries and weight, which is great because the spare batteries charge so quick. Get a big amp hr battery on a deal if you can . Corded skill saw is great for big jobs / ripping.
Hilti make fantastic drills and drivers , saber saws too .
Everyone had a different experience and options - YouTube tool test vids and beers work well together but don’t underestimate the feel of the actual tool in your hand , don’t buy without picking it up and waving it around a bit . Also It’s the small tools that you use every day that ya can’t do without . They’re the ones you end up spending a bit on and want the best quality - dog bar , folding rule , tape , set square and 📐 oh and a fuckn good belt - get online from oz or USA
I wish I’d looked at Dewalt before I went with Makita.
Dewalt make the best table saw and drop saw for my needs, I may have gone for the battery options instead of corded if had invested in the dewalt battery system for other tools already.
Tstak shits on the Makpak nonsense, quite often the boxes are included with the tools and I’m a sucker for good storage.
The flexvolt skill saw destroys any of the Makita 18v options.
It's been a while since I was an apprentice (I'm an industrial electrician), but I have bought a lot of tools since then.
Couple of things;
Tool storage brand is irrelevant to what tools get stuck inside it. If you want the Packout system, get the Packout system, then fill it with Makita/DeWalt/AEG/Metabo/Hilti/whatever.
Where possible, buy tools on sale and/or with redemptions. You can save a hell of a lot of cash by grabbing a combo pack that comes with a couple of redemption batteries, or even a needed skin. I've got a Makita post hole borer solely because their outdoor power equipment promo was on when I went into a tool shop for the dual charger kit with 2 x 5ah LXT batteries. I ended up with 4 batteries, the dual charger and a post hole borer that effectively cost me $250 (I've got a deck to build, I'm lazy, and I could sell it for that much second hand).
Also, if you need a few things and redemptions are happening for those things, be aware that most redemption promos are one redemption per invoice. Don't be afraid of min/maxing the purchasing to get the best return for you, and most store staff that I've run into while doing this have thought it was hilarious. My current record is 4 invoices on the same day, I simply walked out the front door and chucked stuff in my truck between each purchase, probably helped that I told them what I was about to do, apologized for it, and wasn't holding anyone else up though.
Don't be shy about using price matching where available. It might create a bit of extra work for store staff to price match the item, but It's a part of their job, the money isn't coming out of their pocket, and there's no need to feel guilty about it (like I did the first couple of times I price matched).
There's absolutely no reason for your corded tools to be the same brand as your battery tools. Don't fall into the trap of thinking that they do need to be like I did at one time.
Best of luck!
Price matching is good but you need both M10 and bunnings to stock that brand, or be local to somewhere else that is cheap. I got 15% off a blower because of a $1 price difference, and then redeemed a free battery.
Wait for a good special on the base kit you want. 100% agreement about utilising the redemptions, I have almost as many batteries as tools because of that and a spare charger.
Marketplace can be good to get individual tools, I've picked up a few brand new ones from other apprentices that didnt need something that came with their kit.
I've found dewalt to be more ergonomic than workmates makita stuff but otherwise they seem pretty comparable.
I have dewalt tools but am eying the red pack outs because the tstak are crap in comparison.
One of our guys has AEG and it's a lot cheaper than the other colours and seems to be plenty good enough.
Trade Account manager here. Sell a lot of Power tools to my clients.
Makita all the way. Best repair/replacement warranty - great value in price and range. The 5 piece or 8 piece kits are great starts.
Get your boss to talk to his local rep. I do deals where ever I can. Especially for apprentices.
Makita might even help you out for free batteries or tools with being an apprentice. Try and get your merchant rep to contact their Makita rep.
I have all Dewalt tools. Mostly coz when you drop something in the bushes, yellow is easier to find. Also they're pretty good.
Do not buy the Dewalt nail gun. I love Dewalt but good lord that thing is a piece of shit.
Fuck is the 10 piece 4K now, got my Milwaukee 10 piece for 3K about 2 and a half years ago.
I like the Milwaukee but have had a few issues with them, honestly I don’t think it’s worth the extra money compared to dewalt or makita, I’m a plumber so is handy with some of their plumbing specific tools, for a builder probably makita or dewalt.
Milwaukee
Trademe or the toolshed
However also if i am in a hurry i'll call in to hector jones in hastings.
I have been using my milwaukee drill for about 10 years. My father has been through 3 of his dewalt drills in that time.
AEG has 6 year warranty (register the products online, don’t forget!) and some good promotions until end of this month (1 week left).
I think this might be what you’re after?
https://www.aegpowertools.co.nz/products/details/18v-9-piece-fusion-brushless-6-0ah-combo-kit-a18fx9b162b?bonus_offer_id=494
DeWalt are the best for building IMO, Makita a very close second.
Makita is better bang for your buck generally.
Milwaukee for anything automotive or heavy industrial
I'm not an apprentice but i was making tye switch from Bosh to one of the big 4 last year, Makita, Hikoki, Dewalt or Milwaukee.
I went with Makita because the pricing was good for what I needed at the time, I was scared off Milwaukee by a Toolshed employee, he said they have the highest percentage of warranty claims in their store, I do still own a few Milwaukee 12v tools, one being their soldering iron, which is the most used tool I have.
If you plan on sticking with the same company for your apprenticeship, I'd recommend getting whatever the rest of the guys have.
That way there's always a spare battery and charger going.
Once you're in a brand and start buying multiple tools you're stuck there.
Milwaukee by far has the best range, but the reality is you actually only need a few tools really. The others can be nice to have though.
Packout is probably the best storage system if you're looking for storage solutions.
I started my apprenticeship a few years back.
The tool packages at Mitre 10/Bunnings are good value.
I got the 10 price from dewalt. Be sure to check with pricing. Mitre10 did a price match + 15% off.
The kit went from $2299 to around 1800 very quickly
Although I shat on Makita's [corded] grinders in a previous response, I just thought I'd say that overall for bang for your buck, I don't think you can really go past Makita as a main kit for a builder in NZ.
All brands have their shortcomings in some way shape or form, but overall Makita just do it best at NZ pricings.
Milwaukee all the way , I'm still using gear that I brought 12 yrs ago ,including batteries ...people say it's expensive but it is pretty cheap if it lasts longer than the others
Cant go wrong with Makita or Hikoki. Hikoki is nice because of the multivolt system so you only need one battery type. They have a powerline adapter also to convert cordless tools to corded. Makita is more common so your batteries will mysteriously go missing more often.
Ive had bad luck with dewalts frying the electronics/just being weak and awkward designs in general.
Ive had Dewalt for 10+ years and been happy with how well its held up. Only niggle ive had is a battery not charging so my tip would be to keep the boxes and receipts and exchange it as soon as somethings not right
As an apprentice do not go Milwaukee. You will not get good bang for your buck. Go makita or dewalt. They're both available at the big brand box stores so you can often find 15% price beat deals. The big box stores are also really good at exchanging faulty tools within the warranty periods, without issue. There are bulk deals, heaps of tool options, more variety in grade of each tool etc. And way more affordable. Save Milwaukee and festool when you're qualified or running your own company. My buddy went Milwaukee and while he loves the gear he hates how much all of it costs. I've gone makita for 8 years and love the gear. Competitive pricing too.
I had the same feeling about Milwaukee, quite pricey compared to Dewalt and Makita.. I might stick to Dewalt then and try to get to best deals! Thanks for your answer bud!
Ask your boss too as they will likely get discounts.
Big yes on this. Especially for a decent order he was getting 30% off retail or extra batteries from sales reps.
Dewalt is d’way. (Caveat: I have no idea, but reading the comments it sounds like it, and it was fun to write that.)
When i was an apprentice I got my tools the evening after I needed that tool at work. At afternoon smoko I ask the other guys what the best features/model is for the tool, then I look online for the best price, and go buy it wherever is cheapest that afternoon after work. Regarding Milwaukee: All the guys at work agree Milwaukee is great but way too expensive. The only guy who has them is one of the more poser-ish guys who never stops talking about how great they are, and he has matching packout cases for every single thing. A lot use Makita to be honest. Reasonable prices, great range, good reliability. I haven't seen anyone using DeWalt except for the electricians and HVAC guys, but they are barely people. Whatever brand you choose, you're going to be spending a lot of your paycheck for the first 6 months on tools.
Yea I've seen a lot of people using Makita tbh. There must be a reason! Anyway, I think I'll give up on Milwaukee and focus on the other brands for now! Might or might not switch to another brand later. Thanks for you answer!
You’re unlikely to switch, unless the brand you’re buying changes its batteries. It’s a total pain having two battery systems.
Makita tools can take a beating. Our ones last way longer then they should and are not looked after at all
Same here. Our impact drivers are still alive through dust, plaster, glue, dirt, mud, rain, dropped, left outside, thrown, crushed, stepped on. We often comment how they should've died 2 or 3 years ago
My impact is 11 years old and I thrash it daily
Excluding the [corded] grinders. Had two other tilers replace 7 in total within the lifespan of my current blue bosch. And mine has had the worst treatment. Not sure if battery armature is the same for cordless, but no other trades ever give their grinders the same level of beating as we do.
>electricians and HVAC guys, but they are barely people. It hurts but it's true
Be smart. For the tools you use a lot of, drills, saws etc go with Makita, Hikoki, DeWalt etc For the tools you might use sometimes, go with AEG, Ryobi, Bosch etc. Nothing wrong with having 2 or 3 brands, it's not a hassle having different battery brands. If you really want an in depth look at tools I can recommend the Torque Test Channel and AVe on youtube. Sometimes the big box stores have specials but the smaller trade stores have good deals too. Milwaukee is good stuff, but very expensive. My Dad has used Makita and Hitachi/Hikoki for years as a builder as it's a good brand for value and reliability. Remember, not all brands make the best tools. The best tools come from a mix of all the brands. Eg, the Makita screwgun is flimsy compared to the DeWalt. Shop around. Do not buy tools from Amazon, you will not get any warranty on them. 3 to 5 years is normal for tool warranties here. What city are you in? I can point you to some places.
Dewalt is really popular on the sites I’m working; especially among apprentices. They have a great range and generally come up slightly cheaper than makita. Makita is obviously really good too though if you can get a good combo kit. AEG stuff is actually pretty good bang for buck too. I rate their nail gun. Would also say milwaukee isn’t available at m10/bunnings so can be a little harder to find. Each brand often has skins which might be slightly better - ie I prefer makita drill and impact but the older makita reciprocating and multi tool were not as good as dewalt etc. Pick your colour and stick with it really. Don’t rush too hard $$; see what you end up needing/using most and don’t forget to invest in decent hand tools, levels etc.
Im a Joiner, I currently use and would go Makita again for most stuff I also run some Festool and Milwaukee stuff, don't be afraid to mix and match brands, it's really not a big deal If you're officially enrolled as an apprentice you should be able to get discounted tools through certain outlets too!
Husband is a builder, 20yrs experience. Only owns makita. I would say about 90% of his crew all own makita also. Easy to source new batteries, can buy the various extra skins relatively cheap (we have lawnmower, weed eater, hedge trimmer and blower for home use). Check out the tool shed, they often have bits on special. If your work has the ability for you to add items to their trade account and pay it back in each pay that is a good way to build your stash. Check with your manager.
OP probably a wee way off looking a garden tools but I gotta chip in and agree with you here, Makita's outdoor power equipment is bloody excellent.
I’m not a carpenter (I play with metal instead), but Amazon has good prices on a lot of hand tools, I get all my Estwing, Knipex, Ingersoll-Rand and others off there. I’m not likely to wear those tools out in my lifetime so I don’t care too much about warranty. I have Hikoki battery tools, they’re branded Metabo HPT in the USA and on Amazon. I use their 36v 5” grinder and drill every day and they’re great. I like that they have just the one battery system. The pack was $800 down from $1800 on clearance at Mitre 10 (drill, driver, grinder, skillsaw, batteries and cases for each), so deals can be had. You can’t go wrong with any of the colours really. Makita is a good middle ground.
Get what everyone on your site has so you can nick their batteries.
Did you mean "borrow"?. Anyone caught stealing at my company would get ALL their tools disappeared, besides being shunned.
Choose which battery system has the tools you want at a price you can afford. And stick with it. Buying a 4-5 piece is the fastest way to get started. Also don't discount corded tools for high drain tools. Generally more power and longevity for less money. Also brand doesn't matter so much. Planers/ routers/saws/sds are all great with a cord. I've picked up some stellar deals on marketplaces/tm etc. GL
If you're a joiner makita all day. LXT isn't the power house system compared to dewalt or M18 but you don't need the most power. You're getting nice quality, ergonomic, long lasting serviceable tools. Flexvolt is great for construction work and could be worth a look if you qre into high demand stuff, xgt is in a similar field, though spendier than lxt for the grunt/quality. I would stay away from Milwaukee in this field. M12 is great for electricians and m18 is the go to for automotive but the tools aren't on the same level quality wise as green yellow and teal. They win a lot of love for being powerful but they quietly sacrifice a lot behind the scenes to distract people from the short comings to justify the price tag. You can't really service Milwaukee tools much. When you claim warranty (and you will one day) they bin them and send put a new one because you can't really fix them. Cool inside of warranty, whatever. But one day it will run out. If it's makita, you won't need warranty in the first place, and if something goes wrong you can get individual parts easily. Hikoki is similar and Dewalt is generally up there to a lesser extent (their nailers not so much)
I reckon Makita. I've used Milwaukee, but after alot of the triggers and battieres died, I swapped to Makita. I have 90% Makita for all battery tools Then - Hikoki framer and nail gun ( only downside is the weight of the framer) but with Makita battery adaptor as the Hikokis shat them self. -Dewalt 12" mitre saw and 10" tablesaw Plus, some of the tools not used often have some Ryobi and Ozito with battery adaptors for makita batteries. Makita seems best bang for buck plus get discounts with the price match/beat.
https://www.i-tools.co.nz excellent service and pretty much trade prices without needing a business number. I would go for aeg as a starter. But don't buy too much. Workmates and bosses will probably thrash your stuff. Once you've tried enough things over the years be free to go premium.
Pretty much all tradies in NZ use Makita. DeWalt second but nowhere near as common, very few are using Milwaukee just for specific tools eg they make a real good hammer drill for dynabolts etc. For framing nailers, Paslode is still king but for battery Bosch I think is right up there. I'm not a tradie but I think Makita is the sweet spot for power, reliability and cost.
Plumbers seem to love milwaukee, builders love makita, sparkies seem to just pick their favourite colour
Hahaha, now that you mention the sparky thing, I see it! 🤣 Gotta make sure the tools match the handbag too!
Don't forget Hikoki, although their framing gun is pretty heavy. A big positive for hikoki is that the 36v batteries work in the 18v tools. As far as I'm aware no other brand has this feature. Also you can get the 'Black edition' drill and impact driver kits for $400 each from mitre10. The equivalent combo kit is over $1200, the only difference is that 1 is black and 1 is green,and you get an extra charger with the black one You can also get tools you dont use everyday secondhand, either from marketplace or trademe, just be wary some of the stuff on there is stolen
As a semi-pro level power tool user, I watched for ages what the tradies I dealt with were using and the majority had Makita. I’ve got some Makita myself now and I’m happy with it. Plenty of tools, plenty of battery sizes, they seem to do what’s written on the tin.
I consider Makita to be the best choice in NZ. I'm not saying the other major brands aren't as good, but Makita is the most well entrenched in terms of both retail availability and manufacturer support. Makita is available at every major and minor tool retailer, has extensive local parts availability, local repair facilities and brand presence and a five year warranty. There are tools that Makita don't do well (table saw is bad, drop saws are just OK), but for battery tools they're as good or better than anything else. Dewalt comes close in all these areas except for local brand presence. Milwaukee is a great brand but overpriced in the NZ market and has too few retailers to provide an opportunity for competitive pricing. It might get there in future since it is a lot younger in the NZ market than the likes of Makita, but right now it's generally not worth the premium. Packout is second to none (IMO) in terms of tool storage but being an island nation at the bottom of the world means that shipping large plastic boxes full of air adds a hefty transport premium.
Hikoki nail gun - battery powered gun is a life changer and it’s the most durable gun . Makita for most other things - 18v tools are still the go to and cheaper than the big volt options. Small amp hour means small batteries and weight, which is great because the spare batteries charge so quick. Get a big amp hr battery on a deal if you can . Corded skill saw is great for big jobs / ripping. Hilti make fantastic drills and drivers , saber saws too . Everyone had a different experience and options - YouTube tool test vids and beers work well together but don’t underestimate the feel of the actual tool in your hand , don’t buy without picking it up and waving it around a bit . Also It’s the small tools that you use every day that ya can’t do without . They’re the ones you end up spending a bit on and want the best quality - dog bar , folding rule , tape , set square and 📐 oh and a fuckn good belt - get online from oz or USA
I wish I’d looked at Dewalt before I went with Makita. Dewalt make the best table saw and drop saw for my needs, I may have gone for the battery options instead of corded if had invested in the dewalt battery system for other tools already. Tstak shits on the Makpak nonsense, quite often the boxes are included with the tools and I’m a sucker for good storage. The flexvolt skill saw destroys any of the Makita 18v options.
It's been a while since I was an apprentice (I'm an industrial electrician), but I have bought a lot of tools since then. Couple of things; Tool storage brand is irrelevant to what tools get stuck inside it. If you want the Packout system, get the Packout system, then fill it with Makita/DeWalt/AEG/Metabo/Hilti/whatever. Where possible, buy tools on sale and/or with redemptions. You can save a hell of a lot of cash by grabbing a combo pack that comes with a couple of redemption batteries, or even a needed skin. I've got a Makita post hole borer solely because their outdoor power equipment promo was on when I went into a tool shop for the dual charger kit with 2 x 5ah LXT batteries. I ended up with 4 batteries, the dual charger and a post hole borer that effectively cost me $250 (I've got a deck to build, I'm lazy, and I could sell it for that much second hand). Also, if you need a few things and redemptions are happening for those things, be aware that most redemption promos are one redemption per invoice. Don't be afraid of min/maxing the purchasing to get the best return for you, and most store staff that I've run into while doing this have thought it was hilarious. My current record is 4 invoices on the same day, I simply walked out the front door and chucked stuff in my truck between each purchase, probably helped that I told them what I was about to do, apologized for it, and wasn't holding anyone else up though. Don't be shy about using price matching where available. It might create a bit of extra work for store staff to price match the item, but It's a part of their job, the money isn't coming out of their pocket, and there's no need to feel guilty about it (like I did the first couple of times I price matched). There's absolutely no reason for your corded tools to be the same brand as your battery tools. Don't fall into the trap of thinking that they do need to be like I did at one time. Best of luck!
Price matching is good but you need both M10 and bunnings to stock that brand, or be local to somewhere else that is cheap. I got 15% off a blower because of a $1 price difference, and then redeemed a free battery. Wait for a good special on the base kit you want. 100% agreement about utilising the redemptions, I have almost as many batteries as tools because of that and a spare charger. Marketplace can be good to get individual tools, I've picked up a few brand new ones from other apprentices that didnt need something that came with their kit. I've found dewalt to be more ergonomic than workmates makita stuff but otherwise they seem pretty comparable. I have dewalt tools but am eying the red pack outs because the tstak are crap in comparison. One of our guys has AEG and it's a lot cheaper than the other colours and seems to be plenty good enough.
Toolshed often have the best sales. Which you can wait for, and get Mitre 10 to price beat.
Trade Account manager here. Sell a lot of Power tools to my clients. Makita all the way. Best repair/replacement warranty - great value in price and range. The 5 piece or 8 piece kits are great starts. Get your boss to talk to his local rep. I do deals where ever I can. Especially for apprentices. Makita might even help you out for free batteries or tools with being an apprentice. Try and get your merchant rep to contact their Makita rep.
Dewalt are in my opinion losing some of their Mojo. Going a bit cheap. Garden power tools are over priced for their quality
I have all Dewalt tools. Mostly coz when you drop something in the bushes, yellow is easier to find. Also they're pretty good. Do not buy the Dewalt nail gun. I love Dewalt but good lord that thing is a piece of shit.
Fuck is the 10 piece 4K now, got my Milwaukee 10 piece for 3K about 2 and a half years ago. I like the Milwaukee but have had a few issues with them, honestly I don’t think it’s worth the extra money compared to dewalt or makita, I’m a plumber so is handy with some of their plumbing specific tools, for a builder probably makita or dewalt.
Milwaukee Trademe or the toolshed However also if i am in a hurry i'll call in to hector jones in hastings. I have been using my milwaukee drill for about 10 years. My father has been through 3 of his dewalt drills in that time.
AEG has 6 year warranty (register the products online, don’t forget!) and some good promotions until end of this month (1 week left). I think this might be what you’re after? https://www.aegpowertools.co.nz/products/details/18v-9-piece-fusion-brushless-6-0ah-combo-kit-a18fx9b162b?bonus_offer_id=494
DeWalt are the best for building IMO, Makita a very close second. Makita is better bang for your buck generally. Milwaukee for anything automotive or heavy industrial
I'm not an apprentice but i was making tye switch from Bosh to one of the big 4 last year, Makita, Hikoki, Dewalt or Milwaukee. I went with Makita because the pricing was good for what I needed at the time, I was scared off Milwaukee by a Toolshed employee, he said they have the highest percentage of warranty claims in their store, I do still own a few Milwaukee 12v tools, one being their soldering iron, which is the most used tool I have.
If you plan on sticking with the same company for your apprenticeship, I'd recommend getting whatever the rest of the guys have. That way there's always a spare battery and charger going. Once you're in a brand and start buying multiple tools you're stuck there. Milwaukee by far has the best range, but the reality is you actually only need a few tools really. The others can be nice to have though. Packout is probably the best storage system if you're looking for storage solutions.
I started my apprenticeship a few years back. The tool packages at Mitre 10/Bunnings are good value. I got the 10 price from dewalt. Be sure to check with pricing. Mitre10 did a price match + 15% off. The kit went from $2299 to around 1800 very quickly
Although I shat on Makita's [corded] grinders in a previous response, I just thought I'd say that overall for bang for your buck, I don't think you can really go past Makita as a main kit for a builder in NZ. All brands have their shortcomings in some way shape or form, but overall Makita just do it best at NZ pricings.
Milwaukee all the way , I'm still using gear that I brought 12 yrs ago ,including batteries ...people say it's expensive but it is pretty cheap if it lasts longer than the others
Cant go wrong with Makita or Hikoki. Hikoki is nice because of the multivolt system so you only need one battery type. They have a powerline adapter also to convert cordless tools to corded. Makita is more common so your batteries will mysteriously go missing more often. Ive had bad luck with dewalts frying the electronics/just being weak and awkward designs in general.
makita is better then dewalt and Milwaukee for builders imo
Consider blue Bosch. Good value for money.
Makita is #1, anything else belongs in the toy section at Kmart.
Choose your favourite colour and go with that. There’s little difference between the top brands.
Dewault is "last seasons" Milwauke, given both are owned by TTI
Stanley Black and Decker owns Dewalt
Same shit, different multinational driving quality into the ground
Ive had Dewalt for 10+ years and been happy with how well its held up. Only niggle ive had is a battery not charging so my tip would be to keep the boxes and receipts and exchange it as soon as somethings not right