Aussies have rated Makita as the top pick in Canstar Blue’s latest power tool ratings, with five-star reviews in performance, maintenance & servicing, ease of use, design and overall satisfaction.
Our review compares power tools on customer satisfaction, so you can find out what other Aussies think about the compared brands before you go ahead with a purchase. Think of it as like asking hundreds of your closest mates which power tools they think is best!
Canstar Blue surveyed 883 Australians for their feedback on the new power tool(s) they have purchased and used in the last six years.
The winning brand is the one that receives the highest Overall satisfaction rating once all the scores from the Overall satisfaction criteria are combined and averaged.
Find more detailed information on our Most Satisfied Customer methodology.
Not sure which power tool brand to buy? Check out our buying guide below.
Makita took the top spot this year with five star ratings for performance, maintenance & servicing, ease of use, design and overall satisfaction as well as a four star rating for value for money.
Makita was founded in Japan in 1915 and is claimed to be the first company to have manufactured electric planers. Over 100 years later, and Makita is now a leading manufacturer of power tools for the building and construction, garden and commercial cleaning industries. For building and construction, Makita offers a wide variety of drills, impact drivers, nailers, staplers, rivet guns, rotary hammers, and various solutions for cutting, grinding, sanding, polishing and more. For the garden, you’ll of course find lawn mowers, leaf blowers, line and hedge trimmers and so on, with the brand sold online and in various hardware stores, including Total Tools, Bunnings and independent retailers.
Milwaukee received a five star rating for design and four star ratings across all other categories such as overall satisfaction, performance, value for money, maintenance & servicing and ease of use.
Designed for the worksite, Milwaukee offers a number of sturdy power tools built to get the job done. From drills to saws, and polishers through to lasers and specialty tools, Milwaukee aims to be the go-to for any and every job you may come across. With a heritage dating back almost 100 years, Milwaukee additionally offers workwear, tool storage as well as traditional hand tools, with the brand also unveiling the MX Fuel Equipment System across some of its more heavy-duty tools, allowing for better performance and run-time, while also cutting down on noise and maintenance issues. Available for purchase at multiple hardware stores and chains, Milwaukee also has a number of service centres around Australia to help with maintenance and tool upkeep, with more details available via its website.
Black & Decker achieved five star ratings for value for money and maintenance & servicing, with four star ratings for overall satisfaction, performance, ease of use and design.
Well-known within the power tool market, Black & Decker offers a wide variety of tools to choose from. With a history that stretches back over 100 years, Black & Decker’s range of tools includes traditional power tools such as drills, sanders, saws, grinders and multitools, in addition to garden tools such as lawn mowers, chainsaws, leaf blowers and hedge trimmers. You can even pick up workbenches, lights and vacuum cleaners to help with all aspects of the job.
Ryobi received four stars for overall satisfaction, performance, value for money, ease of use and design as well as a three star rating for maintenance & servicing.
Exclusive to Bunnings and online via its website, Ryobi specialises in pro-featured power tools and outdoor equipment, including a line-up of drills and drivers, caulking guns, drain augers, glue guns, biscuit joiners, nailers, staplers, rotary hammers and everything else you’d expect to find on a construction site. Ryobi also splits its range into Brushless, 18V One+ and Airwave to help you find what you’re after, with radios even available to help you keep the good times rolling while on the job.
Bosch received four stars for overall satisfaction, performance, maintenance & servicing and ease of use and three star ratings for value for money and design.
A big name in the home appliances world, Bosch offers a German-engineered range of power tools and safety solutions targeted specifically at tradies. Its range includes Combo Kits for tradespeople and standalone tools like drills, drywall screwdrivers, impact wrenches and drivers, sanders, planers, multi-cutters and more. You can opt to shop tools by trade, with Bosch offering solutions for electricians, metal construction workers, plumbers and heating engineers and joiners and carpenters, with Bosch products widely available at tool and hardware stores.
Ozito achieved a four star rating across categories including overall satisfaction, performance, value for money and ease of use, with three stars for maintenance & servicing and design.
Ozito is a go-to brand for many homeowners, DIY enthusiasts and tradespeople, largely because it’s one of the most affordable brands on the market, with a decent selection of products to boot. Ozito offers a Power X Change (PXC) range comprising of over 70 power tools and garden equipment – all powered by the same battery. In the handheld power tools department, you’ll find the usual suspects, including corded drills and cordless drills, angle grinders, laser levels, saws, rotary tools and the like. Ozito also has a solid range of benchtop tools for metal cutting, welding, tables, with kits available for those needing to pick up multiple tools at once.
DeWALT received a three star rating across all categories which include overall satisfaction, performance, value for money, maintenance & servicing, ease of use and design.
Built for the jobsite, DeWALT offers a wide selection of durable power tools suited to various jobs and work sites, including drills, fastening tools, rotary and demolition hammers, saws, grinders and more. DeWALT also offers site equipment such as cameras, thermometers, compressors, laser instruments, lighting, radio and audio equipment, with combo kits also available for those after multiple tools. There’s also an outdoor power tool range comprising of lawn mowers, trimmers and blowers to help you tackle any project.
AEG achieved four star ratings for maintenance & servicing and design and three stars for all other categories including overall satisfaction, performance, value for money and ease of use.
A German brand, AEG’s beginnings were as an electrical equipment producer in 1883, with the brand now offering a wide range of products available under its umbrella, including power tools. Featuring air compressors, blowers, drills, grinders, multitools, sanders, saws, screwdrivers and a range of outdoor equipment such as blowers, brushcutters, chainsaws and lawn mowers, AEG offers plenty to help get the job done. With a 18V and 58V range, in addition to hybrid and petrol models across its range of power tools, AEG also has combo kits on hand if you need multiple tools to get the project started, or finished.
The philosophy that you get what you pay for applies to most things, and even more so to power tools. There’s really no point cutting corners on price and finding yourself with a sub-par tool that’s not up to the job, or that will flop halfway through. Investing a few more bucks on a product that’s robust and that comes with extra power and functionality, particularly if you’re looking to be on the tools all day or for multiple days at a time, will make your job a hell of a lot easier. In fact, our survey found that price was the most important purchasing factor for Aussies (34%), alongside brand name (21%) and ease of use (19%). And considering Aussies are spending on average over $150 on their power tool purchases, with 12% of all survey respondents wishing they had purchased better power tools, it’s not a purchasing decision to take lightly.
This report was written by Canstar Blue’s Home & Lifestyle Content Producer Kate King. Kate holds a Bachelor of Creative Industries from QUT majoring in Journalism and Media and Communications, and has written for a number of publications over the past five years.
Samantha Howse is Canstar Blue’s Consumer Research Specialist, coordinating the consumer research program behind our customer satisfaction awards across Canstar and Canstar Blue in Australia and New Zealand. Sam has earned a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) from Griffith University and, with seven years in market research and 2 years in marketing, she is experienced in survey design, implementation and analysis, coupled with an understanding of marketing principles and best practice.
Below are the previous winners of Canstar Blue’s Power Tool reviews:
