I have been involved in construction for many years & I have yet to use any portable tools as good as Makita. Now I wish to say there are other very good tools on the market, but bang for buck you can’t beat Makita.
If you are a casual hobbyist you can look at cheaper brands if you wish, but do remember you get what you pay for. For anyone who uses tools frequently you need a tool that will get the job done properly. Now I can already hear people saying “Dewalt is the best” or ” Milwaukee is the best” or whatever brand you like, but believe me I have used most all brands & right now Makita is kicking butt.
The Makita LXT series of cordless tools are better than any I have ever used. I have had an LXT kit for 4 years now & they are still running strong with the same switches, & only the brushes changed in the drill. Now before you say ” yea but how much do you use them,” let me say ” these things are seriously abused”. My cordless tools are used daily & not actually looked after that well. My other brands of cordless tools never lasted half as long as I have already had the Makita LXT tools. I once had a very expensive Matabo cordless drill & it turned out to be the biggest piece of junk I have ever owned. Now there are other brands that are good like the new Dewalt lithium series, however they have not stood the test of time yet.
Another great Makita tool is their new miter saws. The new Makita DXT line of mitre saws are amazing. I traded in my Dewalt 12″ sliding compound for the Makita 10″ sliding compound with the laser. Now I find most people get quite attached to a brand when it comes to mitre saws, but believe me if you don’t own a Mikita mitre saw right now & you try one you will be making the switch. I never much cared for the older Makita mitre saws but the new design is a serious contender.
When it comes to table saws I still like my Bosch table saw but when it needs replacing I will take a serious look at the makita as well. Dewalt also makes a nice bench top table saw that I feel makes a great portable unit.
As much as this may seem like an endorsement for Makita , it is not. I am just an avid user of their products & have had great luck with them. I have had people ask me about tools like Black & Decker, Rigid & Ryobi & if they are just as good as others. These tools can be fine for minimal use but you need to understand that these are entry level tools. Now the Rigid brand is at the top of those tools so it may be a better purchase than the others, but if you make a living with tools there is no time to cheap out. I would stick with brands such as Makita, Dewalt, Milwaukee, & Bosch to name a few.
If you have a tool you like or want me to review a tool than drop me a line.
