Makita

Why r/BuyItForLife recommends Makita

146 mentions from real owners

• #1Dec 5, 2025

  ~17 Year Old Cordless Craftsman Drill/Work Light kit

  Everyone is correct about pitching your old tools. For new tools, find whatever is on sale, or pick whatever colour you like the most. Dewalt, Milwaukee, bosch, makita are all good brands. If you’re just a homeowner looking to DIY stuff, buy ryobi. It’s the same company as Milwaukee. Tons of reliable tools to pick from at a good price point, and decades worth of used tools available on marketplace with backwards compatibility. They just aren’t as flashy or compact as the fancy contractor tools. 

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• #2Dec 3, 2025

  What signs do you look for to tell if something will actually last years?

  They did say it’s not a perfect system, but I have to agree it can usually be a good sign. I guess I’m also “cherry picking” because I can only go off my experiences, but from my experience, most of the examples come into my mind are backing the point. Well, maybe not that the brand only sells one thing, but that the one thing they are known for is going to be reliable: Fiskars for blades, makita for drills, ninja for blenders.

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• #3Dec 1, 2025

  My grandmas drill that she gave me to use to hang curtains

  I abuse my Makita. It’s going on 15 years of moderate abuse and still going strong. Looking to upgrade eventually to brushless.

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• #4Dec 1, 2025

  My grandmas drill that she gave me to use to hang curtains

  My first power tool purchase was a makita corded drill, roughly 15 years ago. I've since moved to batteries, and there's plenty of other tools that see wayyyy more use these days - but old faithful is still in rotation and will never die 💜

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• #5Oct 9, 2025

  BIFL Japanese brands. For any and all products.

  Pens - Uniball, Pilot, and Pentel Pens all made in Japan. Uniball Signo 207+ Blue Ink is my favorite pen of all time Nail Clippers - Kai, Kiya, & Greenbell (all come from steel manufacturing cities) Fishing Reels - SHIMANO & Daiwa are the perennial GOATs of the fishing world (there are other great brands but these brands will always impress other anglers) Fishing Line - Varivas Powertools - Makita Knives - there are so many japanese knife brands, it depends on budget, but if it's made in japan it's gonna be good quality All these brands have stood the test of time

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• #6Oct 6, 2025

  My trusty ~1982 Homelite Super XL chainsaw. 43 years old and it still works like new.

  Battery saws are becoming more popular, and honestly I would recommend them to the average homeowner. Someone who might occasionally have to clean up fallen branches and such would do fine with battery saws. They are just so much more convenient than gas saws. No starting or engine maintenance, and much quieter. I still need gas saws for spending full days out cutting firewood, but I take my battery Makita saw with me to use on all the branches and such.

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• #7Oct 1, 2025

  What’s something you’ve bought once and never had to replace?

  All of my corded Makita tools starting with the LS1220 I purchased in 1996. I have older vintage Makita power tools that are often used, some of which were made in the early eighties.

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• #8Sep 7, 2025

  What is one product or brand that you feel is heavily under appreciated?

  It might just be my algorithm but I feel like Mikita doesn’t get enough appreciation.

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• #9Aug 7, 2025

  $2K Amazon Budget—Help Me Turn Digital Money Into Sawdust

  I'm normally a milwuakee guy but makita makes good saws. Don't get too hung up on the batteries though, I like the milwuakee m12 form factor the 1/4 in driver and 1/2 inch percussion drill bang hard with the 2.5ah high discharge battery. Even driving into concrete slabs I use the 1/4". For drilling pilot I get out the M18 SDS. The milwuakee m12 mini circular saw I'm still trying to get my hands on always seems to be out of stock.

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• #10Aug 6, 2025

  $2K Amazon Budget—Help Me Turn Digital Money Into Sawdust

  A measuring tape, stud finder, ladder, eye protection (some that seal like goggles, and some that don't), ear protection, dearskin gloves, and a respirator with extra filters should be your first stop. It's easy to forget safety gear until you need it, and these items are only to be bought by well known brands. A cheap measuring tape is a bad idea as they're not all accurate. A quality multi-tool (Leatherman Free P4 is my top choice) can make a lot of repairs possible before you get other tools and is great to have around. Electric tools: pick one reputable brand (DeWalt, Milwaukee, Makita, Ryobi, etc.) and buy a drill, a sawzall, and an impact driver from the same product line. This keeps the batteries interchangeable, and beware of fake batteries. You'll need drill bits, impact compatible sockets, and various saw blades as well. Will you have a yard to take care of? If so, a Corona hand saw, hori hori, pruners, loppers, a mower, weed-eater, and blower could all be considered. For hand tools, buy cheap first, then replace with quality later if it ever does break. You'll want drivers (Philips, flat, and hex at minimum), a hammer, a level, various screws and nails (consider getting a wall hanging hardware set). A socket set is recommended as well. Get painters tape, duct/gorilla tape, and packing tape, super glue (for static repairs), shoe glue (for repairs requiring flex), and clamps of various sizes. Rope is useful as well.

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• #11Aug 6, 2025

  $2K Amazon Budget—Help Me Turn Digital Money Into Sawdust

  Presuming g this is just about basic home ownership: One approach is to look at by tasks you’d likely tackle. First off is painting and drywall repair. Some good name brand wall knives, disposable drywall cutting knives, trowel and some small putty knives. My dad and I have been painting forever and our tools are easily 20 years old. Just wash and dry after use. Get some name brand paint rollers, brushes and a metal tray or two. Some real drop clothes. You’d likely need to do some demo at some point too. A painters four in one or five in one tool is a great chisel, hammer, scraper and more in one tool! Trim removal tools and demo hammers are worth an investment. Check out Stanley fat max fubar. I’d guess maybe an overall $300-500 budget for all this? You’ll probably wind up replacing some outlets or fixtures so get some basic electrical tools. A decent multimeter, some wire strippers (I like the spring powered ones you squeeze) and some small wire snips or similar. An inexpensive battery powered screw driver helps here to as drills can be overkill here. $100? An electric pressure washer and foam gun is great for Keri g the house clean. Maybe $250ish? A basic mechanics socket and wrench set can be useful, not just for cars but appliances and some odds and ends. 1/2 drive is likely overkill. Maybe $200? Craftsman should still be honoring warranties at Lowe’s should anything break. That may be a good starting point for evaluation. Get a large adjustable wrench or two for some basic plumbing. Nothing else will do the trick here. I’d imagine you need some garden type tools too. A leaf rake, metal rake, flat shovel and spade shovel will all get used routinely on nearly any property. Depending on climate, a snow shovel or maybe a snowblower. That could easily eat half the budget here but unless it’s a huge driveway or you’re in he snow belt, I wouldn’t go higher. As others have mentioned, there’s a lot to consider with power tools. You are absolutely buying into a battery ecosystem and one that may even include lawnmowers and similar too. Two recommendations are: Hilti (expensive pro grade) is the only one with a warranty due to wear and tear. Everything else is mfg defect only. Hilti and Makita are the only ones where the company only owns that. The rest are part of umbrella corporations and I question how much some of these brands are cared for or may even last. Lowes and HD have also driven down the quality on a lot of tools (and mowers and blowers etc) because they want a certain price point instead of building what’s really needed. I want to say Makita has bowed out or pulled a lot out from HD over this but I could be wrong. Also, YouTube is incredibly helpful with evaluations. Start with Project Farm and you’ll see what I mean.

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• #12Aug 6, 2025

  $2K Amazon Budget—Help Me Turn Digital Money Into Sawdust

  A good place to start educating yourself is the project farm YouTube channel. He does excellent reviews, buying the products instead of receiving free items from manufacturers. Some companies don't extend warranty to tools purchased on Amazon, so shopping locally is the smart move. If you choose that option, use your Amazon card for consumables like blades and bits or non-powered tools like wrenches. Cordless is the way to go with most power tools. Your first decision is which company you want to purchase. DeWalt, Milwaukee, and Makita are the top brands. Batteries do interchange between brands. Ryobi and Rigid are both manufactured by the company that owns Milwaukee. Ryobi has a bunch of gadgety tools. Rigid isn't as refined as Milwaukee, but has a lifetime warranty, including batteries. They are the only company to have a lifetime warranty. The only way to get this warranty is to purchase tools from Home Depot. Bosch and Metobo are somewhat second tier, not always having the best/latest features. Though some Bosch corded tools are very good. The best jigsaw I have is a Bosch. Their corded miter saw is very nice. Between the big three they all have certain tools that are best in class, which makes it difficult to decide which brand to purchase. Your primary tools will be a drill, a ¼" impact for driving screws and bolts, a circular saw, and a sawzall(reciprocating saw). In addition, you will find a power miter saw useful. An orbital sander is handy. I prefer corded for the sander as batteries either don't last long enough or the batteries that last longer make the tool heavy and awkward. If you purchase a reciprocating saw, invest in carbon toothed blades. They last a long time and power through wood and metal faster than standard blades. They go through metal extremely fast. For a shop vac Rigid is top of the line. While they share the same name as the power tools, the vacuums are made by a different company, Emerson Electric. Continuing with the Rigid name, their plumbing tools are top notch. Again, made by a different company. Their pipe wrenches are excellent. It is handy to have two pipe wrenches, one to hold the stationary pipe and the other to tighten the fitting. If you have pedestal sinks where the plumbing is visible, a smooth jawed pipe wrench won't mar the plumbing fittings. Other top tier brands of tools include Knipex, Fein, Festool(makes the best power miter saw but is very expensive), and Wera.

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• #13Aug 6, 2025

  $2K Amazon Budget—Help Me Turn Digital Money Into Sawdust

  You're getting a lot of general advice, but here's my two-cents on actual tools as a general contractor and avid home-project doer: The tool I grab the most is my cordless drill. I like a 12V Bosch (I've replaced it 3x in the last 20 years), but any quality name brand 12v will work. Milwaukee, Makita, DeWalt.... Pick one and plan on sticking with it. Then get a decent 3/8" socket set in sae and metric, along with some channel-locks in 8" and 10", an adjustable wrench, and a 12 or 16oz hammer. A decent folding razor knife and extra blades. A tool pouch and a pencil and a head lamp and a tool box. With these tools you can do 90% of home maintenance projects. Buy more specialized tools as you have projects that need them, but these are the ones I would keep on hand.

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• #14Aug 6, 2025

  $2K Amazon Budget—Help Me Turn Digital Money Into Sawdust

  On battery saw topic. I waited a couple of years and went for a 36v Makita track saw. I was already invested in Makita batteries. I dont have room for a dedicated shop. I'm really glad I waited and got the track saw rather than a circular one. Every time I use it, Im glad I did.

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• #15Aug 6, 2025

  $2K Amazon Budget—Help Me Turn Digital Money Into Sawdust

  I’d go for a solid cordless drill/driver combo from Makita or Milwaukee. Amazon usually has good kits. Also, get a quality orbital sander—game changer if you're working with reclaimed wood.

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• #16Aug 6, 2025

  $2K Amazon Budget—Help Me Turn Digital Money Into Sawdust

  Not the worst early inheritance tbh 😅 If you’re set on Amazon, look at: - DeWalt 20V Max tools (get a combo kit—drill + impact driver is a must) - Bosch or Makita routers - Kreg pocket hole jig - Starrett combo square (if it’s on sale) - Irwin or Bessey clamps (you can never have too many) Use Amazon for name-brand stuff and maybe grab consumables (blades, bits, sandpaper). Then hit your local hardware for price-matching or heavier tools.

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• #17Aug 6, 2025

  $2K Amazon Budget—Help Me Turn Digital Money Into Sawdust

  And honestly if you are careful the saw stop is a bit much. I could go cheaper. And just get a bunch of mileaukee dewalt or makita stuff.

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• #18Aug 6, 2025

  $2K Amazon Budget—Help Me Turn Digital Money Into Sawdust

  As a general rule of thumb on tools, which is contrary to this sub, is to buy the cheapest tool you can. If it breaks, that's when you buy the expensive one. This is because there are so many tools to buy and often even cheap ones never wear out. With that in mind, there are some tools you know you will always need. Screwdrivers, a stud finder, levels, and clamps (you can never have too many and you don't want cheap ones.) I'd get a name brand tools set with a drill, impact driver, and Sawzall. Most the main ones seem about the same in quality but you get locked into the battery and end up sticking with a brand. I've been using Makita because years ago, I bought an orbital sander and it still works today and has sanded so much stuff. Next would be a circular saw. I'm not sold on the battery operated ones. If you're in a remote area, fine, but in my garage, I'm fine to use an extension cord. Then a chop saw. I'd wait on a table saw. The patent for SawStops safety mechanism recently ran out so I expect to see all the brands start to adapt that same safety mechanism. SawStops are great table saws but very expensive. For this reason, I'd wait until the other brands release theirs and we get a feel for their quality.

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• #19Aug 6, 2025

  $2K Amazon Budget—Help Me Turn Digital Money Into Sawdust

  Cordless tools usually mean joining a company for batteries. For example I am in the Makita franchise because I have multiple tools and batteries and chargers. Other companies may be just as good. I bought my original drill from Makita because thats what the carpenters were using. Thats a good way to pick a tool brand. I've had great service from Milwaukee corded tools, my sawzall is 40 years old. That doesn't mean the new ones are as good, but my corded drill is. Harbor Fright is not always awful for DIYers. My vise is from there, it has weird aspects, but has lasted and was cheap.

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• #20Aug 6, 2025

  $2K Amazon Budget—Help Me Turn Digital Money Into Sawdust

  Not sure what exactly you need but I'd secure a few batteries from makita or Milwaukee then buy the tools I need that use those batteries. Amazon also has a lot of offbrand tools that use makita batteries.I bought an off brand sawsall and stick pump that use makita batteries and they work greatnfor occasionally use. Wouldn't rely on them too hard though for the long term, just realized what sub I'm on lol

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• #21Aug 3, 2025

  Vibrators that are BIFL? WeVibe? Lelo?

  u/altsadface2 Man Up! [https://www.makitatools.com/products/details/XRV02T](https://www.makitatools.com/products/details/XRV02T)

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• #22Aug 2, 2025

  Anyone keep a “BIFL Roster”?

  I would never consider Milwaukee tools BIFL. They pack a punch but burn out faster than other brands and are not repairable for a reasonable price - parts are often sold as large internal assemblies for $$$. Compare to brands like Makita which offer individual replacement parts for much less and last far longer with daily use. If you need industrial power and can afford new tools regularly Milwaukee is king but not BIFL by any measure.

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• #23Aug 2, 2025

  Cordless Tool System: Bosch, Makita, or something else?

  Not the first to say it but if you work on cars at all Milwaukee is the only answer. I only do simple stuff on cars because I like to DIY but now that I understand what works and doesn't on them it's Milwaukee only. I don't think anything is going to serve you wrong here. I like the small form factor of my Makitas (black, no idea what model), but they aren't big old work horses like the Festool I bought my cousin or Milwaukee impacts or anything like that. They're just really small and 18v. It's perfect for me who isn't afraid to dive into projects but isn't like buildings decks. I've had them for years and will probably for many more. The only bad thing I used was some 18v old Dewalt a friend had (it was all plastic, no metal parts like some I've seen). That thing wasn't even as strong as most 12v. That's probably why they have 20v now. While I'm not in Europe when I was doing a little research for my cousin's gift I stumbled across "Metabo" who I think is the manufacturer of green Bosch stuff and many other brands for certain things. You might want to look into them as a way to get more bang for buck in EU.

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• #24Aug 2, 2025

  What products used to be well built back in the day but now are low quality?

  I would actually argue that this is one area where globalization benefited the consumer. Taiwanese tool steel and manufacturing has basically increased in quality to the point where the differences with American and German brands is almost negligible. Torque Test channel just did a video basically acknowledging that Icon’s new G2 ratchets are virtually indistinguishable from Snap On, with an easier and better warranty. Agree with others that Wera, Wiha, Knipex, and Gearwrench, and Tekton are all solid brands. The biggest issue in tools is that the premium market has gotten out of hand. Companies have learned that there is more profit up market and have really accelerated leaving the middle-class buyer behind. Premium tool brands have popped up left and right to fill this market; they’re often the companies I look at and find cheapening practices. Say what you will about Harbor Freight, but lines like Hercules have really approached the value of the bigger names like Milwaukee, Dewalt, and Makita for a third or less of the prices. Milwaukee’s prices have grown astronomical in several territories.

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• #25Aug 1, 2025

  Cordless Tool System: Bosch, Makita, or something else?

  I jumped on the makita wagon a decade and a half ago and never looked back. Nothing I have bought from them hasn’t died on me yet, not even the batteries. Seems good enough for me

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• #26Aug 1, 2025

  Cordless Tool System: Bosch, Makita, or something else?

  Makita

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• #27Aug 1, 2025

  Cordless Tool System: Bosch, Makita, or something else?

  Makita, and then if you really need a skin from another brand, get the (off-brand) battery adapters off Amazon. Mate of mine, all Milwaukee gear, came across a 2nd hand Makita nailer that was too good to pass up. I gave him two options, key to my shed where he can pinch batteries from me as needed, or a link to the Amazon battery converter. He went the converter for shits and gigs.

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• #28Aug 1, 2025

  Cordless Tool System: Bosch, Makita, or something else?

  But why? I bought Makita based on length of battery warranty.  Happy with my Makita shop tools. But I'm not real impressed with their 2x18 yard/garden tools. Ego for that.

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• #29Jul 9, 2025

  What are the best battery operated power tools brands?

  Everyone has a story about their brand. Bosch has some good tools. The powerfile is amazing. But I've also broken 3 of them. And drills and impact wrenches and saws? Give me Japanese makita all day everyday.

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• #30Jul 4, 2025

  [request] Corded Drills, the rundown

  I disagree with your lede, though I'm on board with 2 and 4 at least. If only want one drill for life, buy a corded and an extension cord. I'm a pretty handy homeowner, and my $50 Makita isn't showing any sign of slowing down after 15 years in service.

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• #31Jul 4, 2025

  Ever Bought Something That Quietly Changed You?

  A good vacuum cleaner, before I bought my current makita, i was using some no-brand vacuum cleaner from amazon that I've been using from my university days. It sucks okay but sometimes i need multiple run over the spots in order to get it clean.

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• #32Jul 1, 2025

  Name your top 5 BIFL items

  1. Camelbak 32oz water bottle 2. Makita Drill/Driver 3. Danner Boots 4. Classic JanSport Backpack 5. All-Clad Stainless Fry Pan I've had all these for the better part of a decade, and never had an issue with any of them. They'll be passed down the generations (save the boots... big feet)

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• #33Jun 10, 2025

  My Makita 3/8 drill from the mid 90’s. Still using the original battery! Forgotten about in the bottom of a drawer for a decade. Charged it up and it’s good to go. Contrast to my Ryobi on its third battery in as many years.

  I actually still use all the old makita stuff for work most of it is from 1996

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• #34Jun 9, 2025

  The best vacuum money can buy?

  Makita VC2512L, a workshop vaccum cleaner i use for everything also in my house. Dust, dirt, hairs (human and animal), glass, water, small rocks... If it fits the size of the hose hole, it will handle it. It's big, pretty heavy, but man, for 130€ 10 years ago it's probably one of my best purchase.

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• #35Jun 5, 2025

  Companies with reliable “right to repair” products: can we compile a list?

  Fiskars has a good warranty service, but I find that Corona usually has more spare parts available for products in a similar price range. Their products tend to have a more repair-friendly design as well. My favorite power tools to repair have generally been from Bosch, DeWalt, and Makita. They tend to have the most spare parts available for the best prices. The repairability of the KitchenAid Classic/Artisan stand mixers can't be overstated. Parts are easy to get and cheap. Repairs can be a little messy, but require few tools

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• #36May 10, 2025

  Brands you swear by that have Buy It For Life quality products

  Smith & Wesson Anything by FN Belgium Leki poles Redback for Australian style boots Lowa zephyr MK2 for work boots Makita tools have not failed me yet

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• #37May 8, 2025

  Best Electric Weed Eater?

  To clarify…I’m a consultant, who recommends by doing. I bought a Makita trimmer because it was in my battery ecosphere, used it on some property clearing, loved it for variable speeds and reverse, more like a scalpel. But when I put on the brush cutter it started to tap out. My recommendation to my client and his gardener, was to get into Ego products. We have two Ego professional chainsaws, ego weed wacker, ego blower, mini snowblower , and now an ego walk behind. All those purchases were a discount FOR the batteries…now all those batteries and chargers sit in a few locations on the property-just being convenient for the gardener. When it’s possible to be convenient to chargers, I recommend DC electric. Inversely there is a grandfathered Scag zero-turn, and I wouldn’t change that.

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• #38May 8, 2025

  What did you wish you had at 21?

  Knowing how much you move as a student and in the years afterwards, and how much IKEA furniture you will likely be assembling and disassembling: Cordless powered screwdriver. My preferred brand is Makita, but Bosch Professional line is of equal quality.

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• #39May 7, 2025

  Best Electric Weed Eater?

  The 36v makita ones what I got... because I've got tons of makita batteries. Its pretty good. And it takes longer to go dead on all but the highest setting than it does to charge em so it can be used basically continuously at home. The string feed does leave a lot to be desired though. However the batteries are the expensive part of tools, so once youre in a battery ecosystem you're best.off sticking with it.

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• #40May 6, 2025

  What’s the best electric weed wacker?? Suggestions needed

  Stihl, Milwaukee, Makita

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• #41May 6, 2025

  What’s the best electric weed wacker?? Suggestions needed

  Project Farm on Youtube has done a couple videos on this. I'd check them out. Ego is up there. I have a Makita because my other tools are also Makita. It's been great for the 5 years or so that I've had it. I will say that you want to spend another $30 or so and get the Echo quick-feed head for it. Makes your life much easier. That's true for any trimmer that doesn't have a quick feed head though. The other reason I didn't go with Ego was the cost of the batteries. I was already getting batteries with the Makita (a deal where it came with 4 5ah ones) and I also bought a Makita chainsaw with the same deal so I have 8 total. I can do anything on my property with 4 batteries. I would say that if you watch the Project Farm video and look at the top 3 or 4 trimmers, any of those are going to be just fine.

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• #42May 6, 2025

  What’s the best electric weed wacker?? Suggestions needed

  Makita for the win.

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• #43May 6, 2025

  What’s the best electric weed wacker?? Suggestions needed

  I look to AGZA for BIFL electric lawn equipment, they make recommendations for commercial use based on durability in real-world testing. Their recommendations for this would be EGO Power+, Stihl AP, Husqvarna Commercial, Makita, and Greenworks Commercial. Of these, EGO and Makita will be the easiest to get and the most affordable. I can also attest that Milwaukee's lawn equipment is very good. They have one of the best electric mowers out there, and my dad and I both have Milwaukee weedeaters that work great

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• #44May 6, 2025

  What’s the best electric weed wacker?? Suggestions needed

  >Start with your needs? 1/4 acre or condo courtyard? This is a good point. Location also matters, if OP is in California gas powered is not an option. For a small property (we've got 1/4 acre) I think electric is a better option. I've got a Makita and it's plenty. Most 2 stroke equipment suffers by not being used enough and the fuel going bad.

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• #45May 6, 2025

  What’s the best electric weed wacker?? Suggestions needed

  >Start with your needs? 1/4 acre or condo courtyard? This is a good point. Location also matters, if OP is in California gas powered is not an option. For a small property (we've got 1/4 acre) I think electric is a better option. I've got a Makita and it's plenty. Most 2 stroke equipment suffers by not being used enough and the fuel going bad.

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• #46May 6, 2025

  What’s the best electric weed wacker?? Suggestions needed

  Electric chainsaws have come a long way in the last couple years. I've got a Harbor Freight one which, other than the crappy chain tensioner, is way better than it has any right to be. If they'd just tensioned with a bolt it'd be a really great saw. This year I got a Makita electric chainsaw, it's also very good. You can't buy a good gas chainsaw for the price of the Makita. I prefer electric for trimming, its lighter, vibrates less and stops almost instantly when you let go of the trigger.

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• #47May 6, 2025

  What’s the best electric weed wacker?? Suggestions needed

  I've got a Makita 18v. The power head supports a pole saw too. The pole saw is pretty mediocre, the weed wacker is great. I don't think dual line is worth the hassle. Its much more difficult to restring dual line. You can save a lot of money buying bulk line and restringing your own. I also don't think extending the shaft is worth it. I bet 90% of those ever sold are at the length they started at...

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• #48Apr 12, 2025

  Is Parkside a good brand for their electric tools?

  When you become an adult in America you have 3 choices dewalt, Milwaukee and Makita. I picked dewalt due to everyone carrying them. Do not waste money on batteries you can’t use on other tools.

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• #49Apr 9, 2025

  Items that made your life so much easier/saved time?

  A high quality drill/driver set (Makita for me). I’m very big on DIY, but I don’t think the average homeowner realizes how easily they can maintain simple things around the house and make easy improvements with a couple tools a drill that isn’t underpowered junk. I’ve had mint set for over a decade, renovated our entire house with it, built multiple decks, fences, etc. and it’s still going strong, getting most of its use for little tasks. Other things: - Simply human garbage can - Made-in cast iron griddle - Moccamaster - Kindle - a core set of good everyday tools.

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• #50Apr 9, 2025

  What is your current BIFL item you recommend to everyone?

  Just build up a decent little set by going through Facebook Marketplace or however you find local stuff. You don't need a SnapOn wrench if you'll use it once a year. Get a cheap wrench, then as you use it more, you may need to upgrade to something nicer. I found a random bucket of tools on Facebook 3 years ago for $50 that included hammer, wrenches, ratchet, sockets, all kinds of general use stuff. Half of it doesn't have a brand name on it. Most of it is still usable. When you need to upgrade, even going to mid-tier stuff like Dewalt, Ryobi, Kobalt will work for MOST people. Then you can get into even nicer stuff like Bosch, SnapOn, Makita, Milwaukee, etc. People debate best brands - whatever. Some brands are better for their auto-tools. Some are better for construction stuff. I personally have all kinds of Dewalt tools because my brother gifted to me a combo with hammer and impact drills a few years ago, so I just keep it Dewalt to interchange batteries. Just know that whatever brand you go with, you'll all of a sudden start seeing amazing deals for all the other stuff except yours.

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• #51Apr 7, 2025

  I’ve always been a Makita guy without knowing anything about the corporate side. My tools always just felt more solid and durable than coworkers’ Dewalt or Milwaukee. Then I saw this in r/construction.

  In a former role I had we sold power tools to construction workers. I toured DeWalt and Makita and Milwaukee facilities. DeWalt and Milwaukee both told us that they know Makita has the best battery system in the market.

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• #52Apr 7, 2025

  I’ve always been a Makita guy without knowing anything about the corporate side. My tools always just felt more solid and durable than coworkers’ Dewalt or Milwaukee. Then I saw this in r/construction.

  Agreed, that's the eternal equation/struggle w/ BuyItForLife yeah? You can have one company that is so passionate that they would not and perhaps should not outsource anything--if they should be digging up the rare earth magnets in the African Continent then dammit they shall. And correspondingly they are entirely responsible for the effectiveness of their marketing too b/c they aren't a white-label OEM so it's all on them : perfect example with a company like Apple or Makita. Or we can go cheap. Have a white-label OEM service countless pure-design-boutiques--this partner needs cheaper motors? It's a go. That partner needs the bestest possible motor? It's a go. And b/c they have so many partners screaming at them, these OEMs can't just be cheap--they gotta be quality--or much of the profits would go up in flame just dealing with complaints. And that's not good business either. So OEMs means cheap. When it comes to power tools I think whether to go Makita or some OEM we have to break the tool's one jerb into two halves: - cost of ownership - getting sh-- done Cost of Ownership: you can do it either way: you can buy three white-labels over fifteen years and end up sort-of.. like.. BuyItForLife? If you squint hard enough? Like recently I bought a very very light backpack for walking, it's flimsy, if you so much as look at it wrong, it would probably break, but if you know how to have an ultra-light walk--you'll know not to carry 20 pounds of garbage--but just that one phone and a water bottle--full stop. So if my cheapie Not Made In USA With A Seat-Belt For Strap backpack dies, I just buy three more. And I'll get to the fifteen year ownership mark--by then I'll be pushing up daisies anyway. So, if I squint, it's kinda like BuyItForLife. And in fact I have b0rked USD$350 BuyItForLife bags before. So, for me, cheapies can be great sometimes. It's just more pressure on land fills. More land fills. More child slavery recovering bits of rare earth. I get that. Getting sh-- done: if you buy a white-label power tool and it just doesn't drill or cut or whatever. That's money down the toilet. So if your work is really demanding--then that kind of work kinda forces you to prescribe the right tool--you wanna leave nothing to chance and go with the best, like Makita for example. And yeah it's $$$, I guess you'll just have to pass the cost down to the customers of your work. What else can you do, it's only fair. If you are just doing crafts, and you are just a newbie trying this and that brand to figure out what they are about. Rescue'n thrift store items. Then, whatever right? I guess if you bookmark a list of really great pawn shops within driving distance and bribe the store clerks to give you a call when Makita drops in--perhaps that work too? Save money and still use the best?

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• #53Apr 6, 2025

  I’ve always been a Makita guy without knowing anything about the corporate side. My tools always just felt more solid and durable than coworkers’ Dewalt or Milwaukee. Then I saw this in r/construction.

  I bought a Makita drill-driver in 1985 and it came with 2 batteries and a charger.  Those batteries lasted until 2020-2021 (over 35 years!) when they would no longer hold a charge.  I bought 2 new batteries (real Makita) and I hope the new batteries last as long. 

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• #54Apr 4, 2025

  I’ve always been a Makita guy without knowing anything about the corporate side. My tools always just felt more solid and durable than coworkers’ Dewalt or Milwaukee. Then I saw this in r/construction.

  I was and electrician for 22 years. Yep, Makita and Hilti were practically all we used til around 2015 when Milwaukee entered the chat. Milwaukee has great innovations, but need to work on the durability.

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• #55Apr 4, 2025

  I’ve always been a Makita guy without knowing anything about the corporate side. My tools always just felt more solid and durable than coworkers’ Dewalt or Milwaukee. Then I saw this in r/construction.

  The black subcompact line with black nail polish over the white trime for me. Mu8rdered out tools ftw

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• #56Apr 4, 2025

  I’ve always been a Makita guy without knowing anything about the corporate side. My tools always just felt more solid and durable than coworkers’ Dewalt or Milwaukee. Then I saw this in r/construction.

  I work in construction management and Milwaukee is definitely the most popular, but the high end pros all use Makita.

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• #57Apr 4, 2025

  I’ve always been a Makita guy without knowing anything about the corporate side. My tools always just felt more solid and durable than coworkers’ Dewalt or Milwaukee. Then I saw this in r/construction.

  35 years in cabinetry 25 installing. I always liked Makita except the drill chucks every one of them has been shit. Chop saws I always went with Dewalt. No frills to break off and stay straight. I will always have respect for Makita.

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• #58Apr 4, 2025

  I’ve always been a Makita guy without knowing anything about the corporate side. My tools always just felt more solid and durable than coworkers’ Dewalt or Milwaukee. Then I saw this in r/construction.

  I have a 6 1/2” 18v circ saw that gets about 20 hours/week abuse. Motor went out and I couldn’t find the receipt for the life of me. I purchased it within the 3 year warranty and they said “no proof of purchase, no problem. There’s a date code on the serial number”. I was skeptical because the date code was more than 3 years ago but I sent it in anyway. Never heard a thing from them, but less than a week later it was on my front porch, fixed, with a few other parts that still worked but were ugly replaced as well. Another reason I wanted to give them a shoutout on BIFL.

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• #59Apr 4, 2025

  I’ve always been a Makita guy without knowing anything about the corporate side. My tools always just felt more solid and durable than coworkers’ Dewalt or Milwaukee. Then I saw this in r/construction.

  If I wasn't already balls deep on Milwaukee, Makita would be my second choice. They've been coming out with some really nice power tools lately. That being said, my Milwaukee stuff has never let me down. I'm not a weekend warrior, I'm an electrician so my tools get used and abused and the Milwaukee stuff takes it like a champ. Their return/warranty policy is top notch as well. I've got a few coworkers on DeWalt and as they break they're replacing with Milwaukee tools.

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• #60Apr 4, 2025

  I’ve always been a Makita guy without knowing anything about the corporate side. My tools always just felt more solid and durable than coworkers’ Dewalt or Milwaukee. Then I saw this in r/construction.

  Yes, quite a lot thanks. I'm not saying the cheap stuff is high quality like a real Mliluakee or Makita etc., but over the years the rising tide of manufacturing lifts all ships. Modern cheap stuff is pretty damn good compared to years ago, if you ignore the survivorship bias of the high quality stuff that made it this far there was a whole lot of stuff made decades ago that cost real money and was no better than something you can buy for almost nothing. Manufacturing tolerances, material quality, motor & battery performance, etc. have all come on leaps & bounds right across the board, and the prices have gone down.

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• #61Apr 4, 2025

  I’ve always been a Makita guy without knowing anything about the corporate side. My tools always just felt more solid and durable than coworkers’ Dewalt or Milwaukee. Then I saw this in r/construction.

  My "made in Japan" Makita is rock solid, I have a 10yo LXT drill that gets used every single day and only just now did one part of the black rubber start peeling up.

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• #62Apr 4, 2025

  I’ve always been a Makita guy without knowing anything about the corporate side. My tools always just felt more solid and durable than coworkers’ Dewalt or Milwaukee. Then I saw this in r/construction.

  > Why does corporate ownership structure make one tool better than another? It's not necessarily corporate ownership itself, but corporate ownership enables "brand differentiation" pump-and-dump strategies. Makita is heavily invested in the Makita brand. TTI is only invested in any given brand as a line-item in their overall spreadsheet. At any point, they can choose to cash in brand cred for profit margins. Ryobi is never going to go up-market, but Milwaukee/Rigid may go down-market.

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• #63Apr 4, 2025

  I’ve always been a Makita guy without knowing anything about the corporate side. My tools always just felt more solid and durable than coworkers’ Dewalt or Milwaukee. Then I saw this in r/construction.

  I'm a landscaper and own all Makita tools and I love them.

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• #64Apr 4, 2025

  I’ve always been a Makita guy without knowing anything about the corporate side. My tools always just felt more solid and durable than coworkers’ Dewalt or Milwaukee. Then I saw this in r/construction.

  some people like a finish carpenter or furniture maker don't even go for battery format. they want the best tool for the job as their material and labor often completed is expensive. example the dewalt 10" mitersaw is best in 10" miter saws for accuracy. While milwaukee has the install driver for delicate fastening or their 1/2" high torque is a brute, and makita makes a wonderful drill and impact driver. and fein for the multi tool, and festool for a track saw. and whomever makes the domino cutter.

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• #65Apr 4, 2025

  I’ve always been a Makita guy without knowing anything about the corporate side. My tools always just felt more solid and durable than coworkers’ Dewalt or Milwaukee. Then I saw this in r/construction.

  I love my Makita tools.

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• #66Apr 4, 2025

  I’ve always been a Makita guy without knowing anything about the corporate side. My tools always just felt more solid and durable than coworkers’ Dewalt or Milwaukee. Then I saw this in r/construction.

  My dad gave me a Makita impact driver and a compact circular saw years ago. I've used them for all of my diy projects, and absolutely love them. I would love to have more Makita products but as a renter I don't really have the space or need for the bigger tools. I refuse to buy any other tool brand.

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• #67Apr 3, 2025

  I’ve always been a Makita guy without knowing anything about the corporate side. My tools always just felt more solid and durable than coworkers’ Dewalt or Milwaukee. Then I saw this in r/construction.

  Makita has an excellent reputation. They are not flashy but their tools last forever and does not require contant upgrade.

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• #68Apr 3, 2025

  I’ve always been a Makita guy without knowing anything about the corporate side. My tools always just felt more solid and durable than coworkers’ Dewalt or Milwaukee. Then I saw this in r/construction.

  I bought a Makita drill and impact driver set from Costco almost 20 years ago. It still works like the day I bought it. And for a homeowner they've seen some pretty heavy use.

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• #69Apr 3, 2025

  I’ve always been a Makita guy without knowing anything about the corporate side. My tools always just felt more solid and durable than coworkers’ Dewalt or Milwaukee. Then I saw this in r/construction.

  Price to quality ratio is better.

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• #70Apr 3, 2025

  I’ve always been a Makita guy without knowing anything about the corporate side. My tools always just felt more solid and durable than coworkers’ Dewalt or Milwaukee. Then I saw this in r/construction.

  eh, makita circular saws were garbage, at least 10 years ago when I was buying them. First saw I ever bought was a 7.25 blade makita, it lost all tourque and shit the bed less then a year later -  bought a couple 10.25 a few years later for framing with larger beams, they both crapped the bed quickly as well. Was a big fan of their chopsaws though.

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• #71Apr 3, 2025

  I’ve always been a Makita guy without knowing anything about the corporate side. My tools always just felt more solid and durable than coworkers’ Dewalt or Milwaukee. Then I saw this in r/construction.

  Makita. Hilti. And festool. All you need

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• #72Apr 3, 2025

  I’ve always been a Makita guy without knowing anything about the corporate side. My tools always just felt more solid and durable than coworkers’ Dewalt or Milwaukee. Then I saw this in r/construction.

  I don’t know buddy, I still have all my makitas I have bought and every single one is still kicking like new. Even my OG batteries still work.

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• #73Apr 3, 2025

  I’ve always been a Makita guy without knowing anything about the corporate side. My tools always just felt more solid and durable than coworkers’ Dewalt or Milwaukee. Then I saw this in r/construction.

  Can confirm. I tried using a Makita drill on a bolt that really needed an impact driver. Didn’t go well. Tried taking it apart to fix. Also didn’t go well and I lost one of the ball bearings for the torque dial in the process. Sent the drill off to Makita and they repaired it with a new motor and sent it back at no cost. I’m a customer for life now

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• #74Apr 3, 2025

  I’ve always been a Makita guy without knowing anything about the corporate side. My tools always just felt more solid and durable than coworkers’ Dewalt or Milwaukee. Then I saw this in r/construction.

  Makita has AGZA certified outdoor power equipment, good stuff

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• #75Apr 3, 2025

  I’ve always been a Makita guy without knowing anything about the corporate side. My tools always just felt more solid and durable than coworkers’ Dewalt or Milwaukee. Then I saw this in r/construction.

  AvE's BOLTR videos do full teardowns and can give you a pretty good idea of what a tool's potential failure points might be. Is it a long term review? Absolutely not, but knowing what type of environment you would be using your tools, coupled with the clues provided in the videos, gives you some indicators of what to look for, and the construction quality of the tool itself. Most other reviewers don't go that deep. Project Farm's torture tests at least let you know what to avoid.

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• #76Apr 3, 2025

  I’ve always been a Makita guy without knowing anything about the corporate side. My tools always just felt more solid and durable than coworkers’ Dewalt or Milwaukee. Then I saw this in r/construction.

  Makita, Milwaukee, DeWalt are all great consumer tool brands. You just have to pick a battery pack format and stick with it. For corded, you can't go wrong with those brands.

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• #77Apr 3, 2025

  I’ve always been a Makita guy without knowing anything about the corporate side. My tools always just felt more solid and durable than coworkers’ Dewalt or Milwaukee. Then I saw this in r/construction.

  Every part in a Makita tool is easily replaced and made to be replaced, though. Good stuff built to last and what doesn’t last built to be fixed.

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• #78Apr 3, 2025

  I’ve always been a Makita guy without knowing anything about the corporate side. My tools always just felt more solid and durable than coworkers’ Dewalt or Milwaukee. Then I saw this in r/construction.

  Damn. All of those TTI companies made great products in the past. My Sawzall is 38 years old and is as good now as when it was made in Wisconsin. Everything else has always been Makita and it will stay that way.

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• #79Apr 3, 2025

  I’ve always been a Makita guy without knowing anything about the corporate side. My tools always just felt more solid and durable than coworkers’ Dewalt or Milwaukee. Then I saw this in r/construction.

  Makita , Metabo and bosch blue line are all really good.

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• #80Apr 3, 2025

  I’ve always been a Makita guy without knowing anything about the corporate side. My tools always just felt more solid and durable than coworkers’ Dewalt or Milwaukee. Then I saw this in r/construction.

  I’m team Red but I’ve recently spent a good bit of time doing real work with someone else’s full set of Makita tools and I have nothing but positive things to say about them.

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• #81Apr 3, 2025

  I’ve always been a Makita guy without knowing anything about the corporate side. My tools always just felt more solid and durable than coworkers’ Dewalt or Milwaukee. Then I saw this in r/construction.

  One thing folks are missing about Makita that you may not know. Makita offers repairs/service on all models made by them even outside of warranty. I have an impact driver, and a drill from them that are 20 years old. Recently the switch on the drill was acting up. I was able to send it to Makita and have it repaired for 40 USD including shipping. They remind me of Briggs and Riley for luggage. Things may break but they fix it.

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• #82Apr 3, 2025

  I’ve always been a Makita guy without knowing anything about the corporate side. My tools always just felt more solid and durable than coworkers’ Dewalt or Milwaukee. Then I saw this in r/construction.

  It’s team Teal blue is like Kobalt or something haha. Same dad was a mason and had Makita corded tools. About the time 18v cordless were becoming practical then they went Dewalt for their impacts and drills. Then when I graduated college and am working on a crew my boss was all Milwaukee/Ridgid. Were doing decks and my white Makita was a good 30-50% faster, drove lags harder, batteries charged faster, weighs less, smaller form. Just all around better. I think overall they’re the best brand but most brands have a stand out product. My parents 20v weed eater stuff stomps on my 18v Makita. Also big fan of the 36V 2x battery setup. My boss’s 28V Milwaukee tools were crazy expensive to run.

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• #83Apr 3, 2025

  I’ve always been a Makita guy without knowing anything about the corporate side. My tools always just felt more solid and durable than coworkers’ Dewalt or Milwaukee. Then I saw this in r/construction.

  I bought a 50 years old one made in Canada(1995) and works as if it was new.

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• #84Apr 3, 2025

  I’ve always been a Makita guy without knowing anything about the corporate side. My tools always just felt more solid and durable than coworkers’ Dewalt or Milwaukee. Then I saw this in r/construction.

  Bomb proof

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• #85Apr 3, 2025

  I’ve always been a Makita guy without knowing anything about the corporate side. My tools always just felt more solid and durable than coworkers’ Dewalt or Milwaukee. Then I saw this in r/construction.

  This chart is why I bought Makita

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• #86Apr 3, 2025

  I’ve always been a Makita guy without knowing anything about the corporate side. My tools always just felt more solid and durable than coworkers’ Dewalt or Milwaukee. Then I saw this in r/construction.

  I’ve got a white Makita impact. It HAS to be around 20 years old at this point. Most of the paint has worn off. The handle grip is smooth. The thing won’t die!

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• #87Apr 3, 2025

  I’ve always been a Makita guy without knowing anything about the corporate side. My tools always just felt more solid and durable than coworkers’ Dewalt or Milwaukee. Then I saw this in r/construction.

  I am team blue too. All the equivalent brands are close, but I worked at a Tool Repair Place for a year or two. And I can tell you, if you ever need to fix your tools Bosch is best for service, they take it very seriously. Then Makita. Then Milwaukee. Then DeWalt. Dewalts service was a nightmare to deal with, waiting for ever for parts. Bosch actually ships out their service parts before they do new tool orders. Which is rare in capitalism, to take care of the people who already purchased the stuff instead of trying to get more people your product is like the antithesis of modern capitalism. But I will still always buy makita. My dad is a mason and had makita my childhood and i saw those drills and such take a shit kicking that would put down most mules, and they still kept ticking. And are still ticking now for the most part.

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• #88Apr 3, 2025

  I’ve always been a Makita guy without knowing anything about the corporate side. My tools always just felt more solid and durable than coworkers’ Dewalt or Milwaukee. Then I saw this in r/construction.

  We killed a planer and an oscillating tool. They repaired no problem, no charge, no questions other than asking our warranty info. We are heavier users than casuals though. Had to buy another planer in the meantime (Makita this time) and sold the Rigid after we got it back from the shop for exactly what we paid for it since they'd gone up in price by then. We just saw it as a free two year rental xD

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• #89Apr 3, 2025

  I’ve always been a Makita guy without knowing anything about the corporate side. My tools always just felt more solid and durable than coworkers’ Dewalt or Milwaukee. Then I saw this in r/construction.

  Something to consider is that having these brands under a parent company doesn't necessarily mean all the companies in question are micromanaged to work the same exact way. You can get some different results from their offerings, because having the different brands might be to serve different clientele with different needs. It's part the reason i'm not ashamed of my dewalt goodies: having used ryobi and black and decker and craftsman drills, the dewalt ones have factually lasted longer under the duress I put them through, and were cheap enough too. Not as good as my Bosch or Makita stuff, but still good enough

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• #90Apr 3, 2025

  I’ve always been a Makita guy without knowing anything about the corporate side. My tools always just felt more solid and durable than coworkers’ Dewalt or Milwaukee. Then I saw this in r/construction.

  Makita corded circular saws last a long time.

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• #91Apr 3, 2025

  I’ve always been a Makita guy without knowing anything about the corporate side. My tools always just felt more solid and durable than coworkers’ Dewalt or Milwaukee. Then I saw this in r/construction.

  Thing is most people are not construction workers and Makita doesn’t have all the tools they need. Pro press, pex crimper, nailers etc… Though the saws they have are great, the corded ones have lasted 50+ years

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• #92Apr 3, 2025

  I’ve always been a Makita guy without knowing anything about the corporate side. My tools always just felt more solid and durable than coworkers’ Dewalt or Milwaukee. Then I saw this in r/construction.

  Had a problem with my then 15 year old Makita drill once (completely unusable) and sent it in for repair, even though I figured, buying a new one would probably cost the same. Was waiting patiently for a bill when eight days later, the drill just came back, fully repaired and cleaned and they didn't even want a dime for it. They just put a bill over 0,- in the package for "bagatelle damage". Makita doing Makita things, I guess...

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• #93Apr 3, 2025

  I’ve always been a Makita guy without knowing anything about the corporate side. My tools always just felt more solid and durable than coworkers’ Dewalt or Milwaukee. Then I saw this in r/construction.

  While they don't get a pass for that asinine coffee maker, they were always our tool of choice going back to the early 90s. Funnily enough, anything that couldn't be solved the a Makita, usually required breaking out a Hilti. So much so that the brand became synonymous with our jackhammer. I'm pretty sure my dad still owns his original cordless Makita impact driver from more than thirty years ago. I should see about doing a lithium mod on it for him, since the old stick magazine batteries have long since given up. And I know he still has his Makita hammer drill from the 80s. Between that and the Hilti, there was never a bit of concrete or cinder block that could bog down a jobsite. 

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• #94Apr 3, 2025

  What are the best battery operated power tools brands?

  Yellow, red and blue are all top tier and will get the job done.  I started with Makita, and am invested in the platform so that's where my loyalties (that means pocket book) lives.  Festool doesn't belong in the conversation.  I see Festool as a specialty line catering to the fine woodworker (furniture, cabinetry, finishing) rather than grunt work like framing.  Makita seems to strike a great balance between power (X2-36v and 40v) and precision (12v and 18v).  BUT again, any of the 3 major heavy hitters will do what 99% of us need them to do...  IMHO

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• #95Apr 3, 2025

  Unpopular Opinion: “Researching Before Buying” as an Excuse for Overthinking

  I think a lot of the issue comes in with there's very little nuance on this sub even if someone gives context and a budget "Hi I'm a new home owner and rarely need to do some basic DIY, what tools should I get" - now the actual answer is basically anything will be a BIFL item for that person (or as long as the cordless battery lives) But people jump to recommending the most expensive Makita/Milwaukee tools Compare that to the DIY subs and unless you're a tradesperson you'll usually just get recommended Ryobi

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• #96Apr 3, 2025

  I’ve always been a Makita guy without knowing anything about the corporate side. My tools always just felt more solid and durable than coworkers’ Dewalt or Milwaukee. Then I saw this in r/construction.

  I've had Makita impact drills for 10 years that still work even as a former contractor. My makita worm saw is the best I've ever had. Their jackhammers cannot be stopped. I have never seen a Makita tool break on a job site.

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• #97Apr 3, 2025

  I’ve always been a Makita guy without knowing anything about the corporate side. My tools always just felt more solid and durable than coworkers’ Dewalt or Milwaukee. Then I saw this in r/construction.

  I'm also on the Makita train. Watched dad used them for years. I'm slowly building up my battery powered tools. I've got a drill, weedwacker and blower. Next purchase is their battery powered mower.

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• #98Apr 1, 2025

  What to buy for upkeep of house as a 22M?

  for BIFL quality, Bosch, Makita and Hilti would be my recommendations.

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• #99Apr 1, 2025

  What to buy for upkeep of house as a 22M?

  Buy second hand drill and driver. Makita. Milwaukee.

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• #100Feb 7, 2025

  What brands do you trust to always deliver a high quality product?

  Kriega for bags. Benchmade for knives. Suzuki for vehicles. Omega for watches. Makita for tools.

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• #101Feb 6, 2025

  What brands do you trust to always deliver a high quality product?

  Stihl - Husqvarna - DeWalt - Makita - Honda - Toyota - BMW

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• #102Feb 6, 2025

  What’s one product you bought that has lasted forever and was totally worth it?

  So many things... \- I bought a craftsman circular saw when I built my house 40 years ago and it burned out the first day. I replaced it with a Makita saw that I still use to this day. \- I also bought a Robot Coupe food processor around the same time and it's still chugging away. \- Sturdy oak furniture - had it all my life. \- Good pots and pans and cookware. (Calphalon, Le Creuset, cast iron) \- Weber grill \- I have a GE refrigerator in my garage that's probably 70 years old and still runs fine. ($35) And no, they don't make them like that anymore.

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• #103Feb 5, 2025

  A list of BIFL not made in the USA

  I can only comment on things made in Japan, but here goes: Mac Knives - Very good quality yet reasonably-priced (if price is no object, then there is an endless supply of other makers, including famous ones like Misono as well as small-volume shops that only sell locally) Makita - Power tools Miyazaki Seisakusho - Their "Geo" line of stainless steel pots and pans is very high quality, similar to All Clad Mont-bell - Outdoor gear and clothing Zojirushi - Rice cookers, hot water dispensors, insulated bottles, etc. And of course, Nikon, Canon, Sony, etc. all make great quality camera gear (though they all make cheap stuff too). Stationery isn't exactly BIFL, but Japan is known to have high-quality pens, pencils, paper, etc. Similarly, towels don't last a lifetime, but Imabari towels are really high quality. There's even a Towel Museum in Imabari.

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• #104Feb 5, 2025

  Which tool brand ecosystem would you invest in for 2025 and why for the occasionally frugal DIYer?

  you only need to consider ecosystem on cordless tools. anything with a cord, just buy the best. anything cordless... pick one and stick to it. Dewalt is great. Milwaukee is great. Makita is great. but dealt is greatest because yellow!

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• #105Feb 3, 2025

  Buy Once Cry Once items?

  - B&R carry-on bag - Allen Edmond shoes (many) - Shun knives (free sharpening and repairs) - Shark Apex Duo vacuum with the lifetime warranty - Lots of tools: Makita LXT 18V cordless everything, Klein pliers, Wera screwdrivers

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• #106Feb 3, 2025

  A list of BIFL not made in the USA

  Makita was my cordless system of choice after seeing more than a few shops and worksites full of their tools that get heavily used. I have not been disappointed.

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• #107Feb 3, 2025

  A list of BIFL not made in the USA

  Makita tools are generally very repairable too. A good way to find tools that are good quality and last a while is to see what tool rental places use. They’re looking for longevity/repairability so they get a better ROI. Usually those end up being Makita or Hilti in my experience.

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• #108Feb 3, 2025

  A list of BIFL not made in the USA

  Power Tools - Makita (Japan). Maybe not fully BIFL (can any cordless tool be?) but very high quality and durable. They have factories for different products in numerous countries but generally not all in "low cost" countries, e.g. my Makita random orbit sander and jigsaw were both made in the UK.

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• #109Feb 3, 2025

  Which tool brand ecosystem would you invest in for 2025 and why for the occasionally frugal DIYer?

  I would buy Makita 18V again because I really like the feel of their tools and you get what you pay for. That said, I would recommend Ryobi in your case because the tools in their lineup that matter aren't bad at all. Yea you definitely lose some ergonomics and power compared to Milwaukee, Makita and DeWalt but if that's not a big deal for you, just go Ryobi. Also worth noting is that while you definitely should try to limit how many cordless platforms you get into, it's not like you have to settle with just one. Ryobi 18V coupled with some high-end tools from the big three can be a great combo

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• #110Feb 2, 2025

  Which tool brand ecosystem would you invest in for 2025 and why for the occasionally frugal DIYer?

  Makita for 18v linup and worx for my small yard.

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• #111Feb 2, 2025

  Which tool brand ecosystem would you invest in for 2025 and why for the occasionally frugal DIYer?

  I use Dewalt for cordless. Drill, impact gun reciprocating, saw blower grinder, etc.. but I bought most of that when I was working in a supply house so I got it cheap If I’m doing a project and need a specialty tool, I have no problem going to Harbor freight and buying the cheapest version I can get. The idea of being that this a one time use and if you break it doing your project, you can return it. That’s never happened though. For a homeowner hobbies Ryobi Makita rigid kobolt all very very good options. If you’re looking to buy a tool, that’s gonna outlive its current battery technology aka last forever. You can buy Milwaukee or Dewalt. As long as you’re not using it in a trade to make money and you’re just using it for your uses. They will last for an extremely long time. I still have my original 18 V NiCad cordless running off lithium with a converter piece.

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• #112Feb 2, 2025

  Which tool brand ecosystem would you invest in for 2025 and why for the occasionally frugal DIYer?

  Happy Makita user here.

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• #113Feb 2, 2025

  Which tool brand ecosystem would you invest in for 2025 and why for the occasionally frugal DIYer?

  Makita has a cheaper line now that works with their battery system and is actually good enough if you need something that you won’t use much.

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• #114Feb 2, 2025

  Which tool brand ecosystem would you invest in for 2025 and why for the occasionally frugal DIYer?

  None of this will be BIFL unless it’s a hand saw and screwdriver. Don’t waste your time with anything in the specialty section especially snap on. You don’t really need Milwaukee or Dewalt but makita could be a good fit because they have a cheaper line but the battery system works on their nice tools. It’s like ryobi but you do have the option to buy nice tools. To be frank Ryobi works just fine aswell. If you’re just hanging shelves and fixing fences buy wherever you want. Harbor freight is fine.

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• #115Feb 2, 2025

  Which tool brand ecosystem would you invest in for 2025 and why for the occasionally frugal DIYer?

  If you are an occasional DIYer, go Ryobi. Tools are pretty good, inexpensive, and they have a massive ecosystem. For heavy DIYers I do think the DeWalt/Milwaukee/Makita tier is worth is, but you pay a pretty big premium for the improved performance and reliability. I use my tools enough to justify it, but most people don’t. As a DeWalt owner, I’ve also found myself investing in a few Ryobi tools that DeWalt either doesn’t sell or sells for much more.

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• #116Feb 2, 2025

  Which tool brand ecosystem would you invest in for 2025 and why for the occasionally frugal DIYer?

  Real answer is what tools do you need? Almost everyone makes a good drill, impact, and sawzall. I now have an unholy amalgamation of battery systems. Framing nailer, you need ryobi, ridgid, or Milwaukee. Plunge/tracksaw you might want Bosch, makita or Milwaukee, but not ryobi. 1/2 impact for cars, Milwaukee, ridgid, ryobi. Tree lopper(amazing tool) only dewalt. I haven’t run into anything “bad” The other trick is sometimes the tool on sale is cheaper with the batteries than the one that is on the platform you have. I have a ridgid framing nailer because it is the same as the ryobi and Milwaukee and was 200 dollars cheaper with the batteries, then bare tool on the other platforms.

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• #117Feb 2, 2025

  Which tool brand ecosystem would you invest in for 2025 and why for the occasionally frugal DIYer?

  I like Makita. I have a Makita distributor nearby that ships warranty and repairs. The tools are quality and last. Ive seen them all over manufacturing plants on assembly lines of industrial and military vehicles.

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• #118Feb 1, 2025

  Which tool brand ecosystem would you invest in for 2025 and why for the occasionally frugal DIYer?

  Makita or Milwaukee anything else is better done by the aforementioned for a reasonable price

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• #119Feb 1, 2025

  Which tool brand ecosystem would you invest in for 2025 and why for the occasionally frugal DIYer?

  I've had a couple ryobis go bad. A string trimmer and a hedge trimmer to be exact. I have makita for everything now, love em.

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• #120Feb 1, 2025

  Which tool brand ecosystem would you invest in for 2025 and why for the occasionally frugal DIYer?

  I used to think this, and now i have a very nice Mikita jigsaw woth a cord. and I 10000000% wish it was cordless. my cordless tools get so much more use because its just easier to grab and use, and easier to take them where i need them, and less shit to get in the way, and honestly less cluttered to store too.

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• #121Feb 1, 2025

  Which tool brand ecosystem would you invest in for 2025 and why for the occasionally frugal DIYer?

  Also Makita here. I’ve added two other battery systems though. I have a handful of the very small Bosch 12v tools and have loved every one of them. And for outdoor/garden I’ve gone with Ego. My one experience trying two Makita 18v batteries to power a lawnmower was extremely underwhelming. For demanding stuff like chainsaw and leaf blower you need a little more than the 18v line can give you.

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• #122Feb 1, 2025

  Which tool brand ecosystem would you invest in for 2025 and why for the occasionally frugal DIYer?

  Makita and Hilti are the only companies who are stand alone with no corporate siblings. The price is slightly higher but I think there’s less chance that one of their tools is from their bargain basement, built to a price point to appease Big box marketing VPs, etc. And of all of them, Hilti is the only one who warranties for wear and read and not just defect. For a handy homeowner, I would spend the little bit more for Makita. Chances are that it will last longer than the alternatives.

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• #123Feb 1, 2025

  Which tool brand ecosystem would you invest in for 2025 and why for the occasionally frugal DIYer?

  As a lefty, you notice which tools are more ergonomic or ambidextrous. No one else comes close to Makita in terms of ergonomics or ambidextrous options. The small things make a difference in terms of button layout and especially line of sight with saws.

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• #124Feb 1, 2025

  Recommendations needed for big vacuum and hand held vacuum

  I have had a Makita 18V stick vacuum for over 20 years. It uses 18V power tool batteries. It's on its third golden retriever. Thing rocks. I use a Miele for carpet/rugs. It's pretty good

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• #125Feb 1, 2025

  Which tool brand ecosystem would you invest in for 2025 and why for the occasionally frugal DIYer?

  Get the battery adaptor and throw the makita battery on the ryobi tools that you use less often. I do this and save money on the tools I don't use as much but still have milwaukee for the ones I use often.

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• #126Feb 1, 2025

  Which tool brand ecosystem would you invest in for 2025 and why for the occasionally frugal DIYer?

  I’m a sucker for Makita. You can get 10-20 year old tools that are Made in America for cheap on eBay.

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• #127Feb 1, 2025

  Which tool brand ecosystem would you invest in for 2025 and why for the occasionally frugal DIYer?

  Same boat. Went makita and not dewalt. It isn’t toooo tooo late to switch because I’m not that deep into it I just have a sunk cost fallacy going.

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• #128Feb 1, 2025

  Which tool brand ecosystem would you invest in for 2025 and why for the occasionally frugal DIYer?

  I have had makita impact and drill pair for over a decade and its first few years were professional construction use. I absolutely abuse the impact, I use it to remove lug nuts and other rusty fasteners. Now I would also recommend the dewalt ecosystem to a homeowner. A decade ago it was all red vs blue professionally. Red being Milwaukee. Now there is yellow gang and nobody will rib you as hard, they are much improved. It was like people battling over Chevy vs ford trucks. Now it’s like choosing a Honda or Yamaha or Suzuki dirt bikes, they are all good choices or they wouldn’t be standard options for professionals. Throw a dart or find the best deal. Anything but ryobi aka homeowner piece of shit.

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• #129Feb 1, 2025

  Which tool brand ecosystem would you invest in for 2025 and why for the occasionally frugal DIYer?

  My father in law is in the trades and swears by Makita. I bought that for myself for around the house and amateur woodworking and after 8 years plus I couldn't be happier with that decision. Everything is anecdotal but that is certainly my recommendation.

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• #130Feb 1, 2025

  Which tool brand ecosystem would you invest in for 2025 and why for the occasionally frugal DIYer?

  Makita. Buy once, shed some tears, and then forget about it for the rest of your life. Brushless is gold. Their batteries are expensive but they are the best.

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• #131Feb 1, 2025

  Which tool brand ecosystem would you invest in for 2025 and why for the occasionally frugal DIYer?

  Pick an battery ecosystem and stick with it. The batteries are the expensive part and having battery compatibility is more important than the differences in tool performance (which you will probably never notice as a DIYer). I am mostly in Milwaukee for my 12v tools. When I had a yard (currently living in an apartment) I liked Makita for things like an electric lawnmower and chainsaw.

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• #132Feb 1, 2025

  Which tool brand ecosystem would you invest in for 2025 and why for the occasionally frugal DIYer?

  I'd go Milwaukee or Makita for any corded tools, they'll last a lifetime. Anything with a battery is only going to last a few years so I'd go affordable over quality if it's only getting light use. DeWalt has always been okay, Ryobi has been drastically improving the quality compared to a few years ago and would also be a solid choice.

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• #133Feb 1, 2025

  Which tool brand ecosystem would you invest in for 2025 and why for the occasionally frugal DIYer?

  I'm a big makita fan. My dad's makita gear is all 15-20+ years old and still in great shape. The stuff k have is only a few years but I love it. There's also some really good starter sets that can fit your various needs. Their quality control is really good and AFAIK, they're owned still be a Japanese company and have been put into a huge conglomerate like Milwaukee, dewault, etc. Milwaukee from what I've heard from people has really gone down in quality since they were bought into a bigger Corp and moved production for lots of tools to China.

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• #134Feb 1, 2025

  Which tool brand ecosystem would you invest in for 2025 and why for the occasionally frugal DIYer?

  I say ditto on the Makita 18v. I have a screwdriver, 3 drills, an impact gun, and a saw. All powerful and reliable.

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• #135Feb 1, 2025

  Which tool brand ecosystem would you invest in for 2025 and why for the occasionally frugal DIYer?

  Milwaukee tends to be lacking in good comfort and design features (like battery protection, vibration dampening and noise). Makita ftw

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• #136Feb 1, 2025

  Which tool brand ecosystem would you invest in for 2025 and why for the occasionally frugal DIYer?

  I think it's but once cry once with Makita We use Milwaukee at work and those seem to have duds or shit the bed eventually Going cheaper, expect disappointment.

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• #137Feb 1, 2025

  Which tool brand ecosystem would you invest in for 2025 and why for the occasionally frugal DIYer?

  The answer is to not feel constrained to one ecosystem. For a situation where you're going to buy a bunch of batteries and need everything to work together (e.g. a contractor/company), this makes sense. For a DIY-er it's unnecessary. The tradeoff is to buy a premium brand (DeWalt/Milwaukee/Makita/Bosch) for your heavily used tools (e.g. drill/driver) or where there is a real quality/functionality benefit. Then buy a budget brand for all the other stuff. I have DeWalt as my main stuff, but there is no way I was paying a price premium to buy a DeWalt caulk gun and 18g nailer for the few times a year I need rhem, so I bought Ryobi.

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• #138Feb 1, 2025

  Which tool brand ecosystem would you invest in for 2025 and why for the occasionally frugal DIYer?

  Happy with the Makita system. Just cracking into the 40v lineup now but I have been running all manner of yard tools on the 2x18 36v system for years. Best selection of yard tools if you do any of that. I blow snow off my sidewalks with the 36v blower and my neighbours spend twice as long with their Dewalts and Milwaukees. I've removed large trees with 2 chainsaws on the platform (one for climbing, one for bucking and felling) I have a power head that will run a brush saw, line trimmer or pole chainsaw which all work great. Dedicated weed eater that is very powerful and light as a feather. Very happy with the circ saws, subcompact drills (incredible, small drills), jig saw, orbital sander, tire pump pump My 40V tool is a vacuum that I use to vacuum my house. I will replace all of the above on this platform when those bite the dust. I've been running most of the above tools for 8 years now.

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• #139Feb 1, 2025

  Which tool brand ecosystem would you invest in for 2025 and why for the occasionally frugal DIYer?

  I stick with Makita so I only need one charger/battery system except for things I use infrequently like hedge trimmers, pole saw, chain saw. For those I use Harbor Freigbt.

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• #140Feb 1, 2025

  Which tool brand ecosystem would you invest in for 2025 and why for the occasionally frugal DIYer?

  Ryobi has horrible customer service. I would recommend Makita.

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• #141Feb 1, 2025

  Which tool brand ecosystem would you invest in for 2025 and why for the occasionally frugal DIYer?

  Overtime you keep the tools and spend on batteries. You are picking a battery brand as much as a tool brand. Check the battery replacement prices in addition to the tool prices. I have dewalts and love them. Everyonce in a while I get a new set with batteries when they are on sale and keep going. I used ryobis and makitas. I am not buying ryobis again. Makitas are good.

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• #142Feb 1, 2025

  Which tool brand ecosystem would you invest in for 2025 and why for the occasionally frugal DIYer?

  Milwaukee has the highest quality and power (generally for a higher price) Dewalt is the best balance of price, quality, and selection Makita has great quality and the best selection, that extends beyond just construction tools

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• #143Feb 1, 2025

  Which tool brand ecosystem would you invest in for 2025 and why for the occasionally frugal DIYer?

  Decided 15 years ago to go for Makita 18V. Everything I’ve bought has been excellent and is still working. I built my house with a two Makita screwdrivers. The downside is that I’ve bought very little, since it’s so expensive. Perhaps I should have gone for Ryobi instead, lower quality, but I could afford more tools. Makita is perhaps a little too high quality for a non-professional.

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• #144Jan 7, 2025

  Some good articles for Europeans?

  Had to say it for Bosch. If it is for home use all of their products are fine. If you really need to work go for Hilti(when you insist on German) or definitely Makita. No word on Miele, personally I don't understand why they're not world famous.

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• #145Jan 6, 2025

  Has everything we buy reduced in quality over time? Has anything increased in quality or stayed high quality and durable?

  Makita tools have been pretty rock solid, and highly repairable. Other brands may be cheaper and more powerful, but they tend to break if overworked, whereas Makita often puts fuses, safeguards, and sensors in their tools where if you are using it wrong and it overheats or is overworked it shuts itself off.

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• #146Jan 3, 2025

  whats a cheap reliable vacuum cleaner?

  I use a cheap Makita cordless (that is close to the XLC02ZW model). I have another vacuum (that is also inexpensive), but mostly use the Makita one as it's cordless and light (I can clean anywhere anytime). I've been using it for years. but if you need a powerful vacuum, it may not be it.

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