The 3 Best Power Tool Brands You Can Choose From

There comes a day in every man's life when he needs a chainsaw. A drill-driver and lawnmower come first, but the chainsaw, table saw, pressure washer, and all that isn't far behind in the grand scheme of things. I'm in my 30s now, renting in New York City, but I know that once home ownership strikes the tools needed to maintain a house are right around the corner. I used to have no idea where to turn, only brand names I vaguely recognized.

So I've been doing some digging. Not literal digging because I'm not putting in a fence. But I've been asking around my older (mostly) younger gentlemen colleagues at Esquire, and I quickly saw a pattern. There were a handful of names everyone could trust. And telling you them doesn't require me to make a list with seventeen different entries. There's a dozen plus top competing brands in the space, but ultimately there's a handful both DIY experts and "prosumer" types keep coming back to. These are the ones that deliver, time and time again.

Whether you're looking for heavy-duty pro-grade wired appliances, or breezy battery powered cordless wonders, we've found the companies that are best at both. These are the three power tool brands we trust as far as we can throw them—and some of these tools we can throw pretty far.

Yep, get the jokes started. I'll be honest, if a contractor showed up with a tool bag full of Ryobi, I wouldn't be especially confident. But as an actual homeowner, it's totally fine. It's known for its cordless and battery powered solutions to yard work and home improvement. From leafblowers and fans to saw and nail guns, Ryobi sells brushless, cordless versions of all the home essentials. We think they strike the perfect balance of high-quality good and affordable solution for novices. They tend to be manageable tools for DIY projects and most of the individual pieces will run you between $60 and $200, less when you save buying together. That's the main benefit of buying Ryobi instead of DeWalt or Milwaukee.

Ryiobi is only available at Home Depot, which has the advantage of making online shopping easy since you know if it's out of stock there, it's out of stock for real. There's typical hundreds of items in stock to choose from, and it's easy to find the right kits for your needs. The four tool kit combo below—for example—can be scaled up to a 12 item kit and every size in between.

You likely already recognize its iconic yellow and black look. DeWalt is the "prosumer" pick. It's popular with carpenters and your contractor probably has a handful of DeWalt products stored hanging and in boxes in his shed. If you want time-tested tools, DeWalt is our recommendation for your basic corded drills and drivers. They make the best Jigsaws (although Ryobi's is half the price) and table saws. And the travel cases and toolkits are elite—especially at the high end.

DeWalt's catalogue runs the gamut in terms of both price and functionality. You can always pay more for newer, more advanced tools but if you want the starter version of something, DeWalt will have it for you. From its handheld power tools to the large outdoor items like trimmers, quality is the unifying factor between it all. From cordless battery-powered saws to and corded drill drivers, everything is powerful and reliable. Whatever tool you need for your next project—amateur or professional—DeWalt will sell it to you, and you won't have to return it.

Milwaukee guys are going to hate to see it below Ryobi and DeWalt, but that's purely for story formatting. We consider Milwaukee the most pro-level of the tool brands, and that's mostly down to the Packout system. It's just the best, most functional modular storage in the game.

The dirty secret is that not all of this stuff is that much more expensive than our other favorite brands here. Some of it is, and you can go with lesser competitors for lower quality across the board, but the difference between Milwaukee and DeWalt is rarely cost. So when we say this is pro level stuff, it's more about experience and comfort level and less about price.

That being said, Milwaukee tools skew heavier and more difficult to use. We also find they are the nicest looking ones that stay that way the longest. Once they are a part of your arsenal, the drills and wrenches will stay there forever. Milwaukee does sell larger, battery powered devices like blowers, but it's the handheld tools that it excels at—drivers, sanders, anything in that wheelhouse.

Now that you know the brands to shop, you probably have some questions. How do you know which tools are right for you? Let us give some parting words of advice.

Corded or Cordless: When it comes to what you want from a power tool, this is usually my first question to folks. Do you value the power and reliability of the corded saw/sander/drill? Or does the portability and maneuverability of the cordless option make more sense for the kind of work you'll be doing? Between these three brands you will find plenty of options for either.

Pick One, Stick With It: The thing with power tools is that they're functionally all so similar. That's why you'll see a million memes about Ryobi guys, DeWalt guys, and Milwaukee guys, and they're all saying the exact same thing. The best idea is to just pick something you like about a brand—the shape of a DeWalt drill-driver, the Packout system for Milwaukee, or that ugly Ryobi green—and buy everything else in the same brand because of it. The more tools you have, the more useful the entire platform becomes. Do not try to mix and match.