Gear · 6 min
Which tool brand to buy
Broke Dads Club·August 22, 2026
The tool aisle wants you in a fight. Ryobi. Milwaukee. DeWalt. Makita. The green one. The red one. The yellow one. A guy on a lunch break will tell you that you are not a real dad until the pack matches.
You are not building a house. You are hanging a TV, tightening a wobbly rail, and maybe cutting one board on a Saturday. The brand on the battery does not love your kids more. Same wallet as the dad tax. Different costume: "pro" gear for a job you will do twice.
The only question that matters
Do you already own a battery that still works?
If yes, that is your brand. Buy the next tool that takes that battery. Do not start a second family because a YouTube guy said the clutch is nicer. You will own two chargers, three dead packs, and a drawer of almost-right.
If the old pack is swollen, dead, or missing, you are allowed to leave. You are not required to replace it with the same logo at today's prices. You are required to pick one new family and stay there.
If you are starting from zero
Buy the cheapest kit (drill plus battery plus charger) from a brand you can still find on a shelf in your town. Not the prettiest. The one you can get a driver for next year without a special order.
Then stop. Do not complete the set. Do not buy the oscillating tool, the fan, the Bluetooth speaker, and the heated jacket because they are "on the same battery." That is how a $79 drill becomes $600 of matching plastic.
Need it twice a year? Borrow it, rent it, or use a cheap corded version and leave the cordless pack for the drill you actually carry upstairs.
Cream of the crop is a bill
Pro lines exist because people swing a hammer for money. They get the warranty, the service truck, and the tax write-off. You get a credit card statement and a charger that does not fit the drill you bought in 2019.
A mid-tier tool that is done beats a flagship that is still in the box because you were scared to scratch it. Same energy as thrift without looking like a dare: cheap is a strategy when it still works. Costume is when the logo is doing the job instead of the motor.
If a job is dangerous, structural, or will flood the house, that is not a brand question. That is a hire-vs-DIY question from dad math. Pay the person. Keep your one decent drill for the rest.
A simple stack
- One battery family. Whatever you have, or the cheapest kit you can replace locally.
- Two tools you will actually use. Usually a drill/driver and one other (impact, circular saw, or oscillating). Not twelve.
- A charger that lives on a shelf, not in a bag. Dead batteries feel like fate. They are often just never charged.
- Hand tools you already own. A wrench that fits is still a wrench. It does not need a brand anthem.
Scripts
- To yourself in the aisle: "Does this take the battery I already have?"
- To the guy at work: "I'm on [whatever you own]. I'm not starting a second religion."
- To your kid, if they ask why the neighbor's drill is redder: "His does the same holes. Ours is paid for."
The point
Broke does not mean broken, and it does not mean you need Milwaukee to be allowed in the garage. Pick a platform. Stick with it. Let the cream of the crop stay on the endcap with the people who get paid to wear it. Your job is a hole in the wall that holds a shelf, and a battery that still clicks in.
Quick answers
- Which tool brand should a homeowner buy?
- The one whose battery you already own, if it still holds a charge. If you are starting from zero, pick the cheapest complete platform you can find on sale and stay there.
- Are Milwaukee or DeWalt worth it for DIY?
- For a contractor, maybe. For a dad hanging shelves and fixing a deck board, a mid-tier pack that shares one battery will outlast your pride in a red or yellow logo.
- Should I mix brands?
- Only if you like owning three chargers and none of the right batteries. One family of tools. One charger on the shelf.