Toolmonger brings me an interesting bit of news: Black and Decker is being bought out by Stanley. Wow.
B&D already owns a number of already-existing tool lines, the most notable in my personal experience being DeWalt and Porter-Cable. I don't own any tools under the actual B&D label, but my power tools are evenly split between DeWalt and Ryobi. (Oh wait, I just got a Makita hammer drill, so now they're in the mix, as well.) I do own a number of Stanley products -- their tape measures are a constant on my belt -- although for hand tools I tend to stick with either Husky (Home Depot's "house brand") or Klein Tools.
I'm not entirely sure what to make of this, but I hope that it doesn't result in either a dilution of quality (especially from DeWalt) or a raise in prices. I'm never sure it's a good thing when big companies get even bigger, but then, I'm just the guy who buys and uses the tools.
The personal blog of author Kelly Sedinger, chronicling the adventures of one overalls-clad wanderer.
5 comments:
But hasn't the quality at DeWalt gone down drastically since they decided to go mass market with a number of their tools? I've heard many, many complaints to that effect from some professional builders.
Like with Simmons mattresses, I used to think it a big deal to find DeWalt at the national chains. Now, I'm not so sure.
Marketing 101: sell the sizzle not the steak. Ratings and rantings aside, for most people a Black and Decker has always been just as good as a DeWalt. Don't fall prey to pretty colors and nifty displays. Better yet, buy the tools used. Pawn shops are a good place to look as is ebay.
I don't know about DeWalt's former quality; I find their products, at least the ones I've used, perfectly fine for the moderately heavy use I put them to on the job. I'm not in construction, though, so obviously my tools aren't put to as rigorous use as those on a construction site. It's pretty much of a tradeoff: for highest quality and durability, obviously you pay more, but you need to examine how much quality and durability you need for the work you do. For me, mid-range tools like DeWalt and Ryobi are fine. (Especially if I use high-quality blades in my Ryobi power saws.)
Black and Decker may be fine for home use, by people who occasionally dabble in DIY projects, but I'd never use any of their power tools in my job. Just their drills alone don't produce nearly enough torque, nor do their batteries last long enough, for my work. Tools are most certainly NOT all the same.
I'd also note that I haven't been a handyman long enough to have an opinion on long-term quality trends. The guy I work with, though, does say that DeWalt has gone downhill over the last ten years or so, although some other colleagues in my same department still swear by DeWalt, and these are professional carpenters. So who knows?
I don't think all power tools are the same either. The best name in my opinion is Milwaukee. They last forever, service is great and they come in their own metal box. Black and Decker though is not bad at all especially if you only need it on occasion.
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