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Power Tools Got Worse on Purpose. Who Owns DeWalt, Craftsman, and Milwaukee?

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Re: Power Tools Got Worse on Purpose. Who Owns DeWalt, Craftsman, and Milwaukee?

#41

Post by sokoloff »

jszymborski wrote: post #28
delichon wrote: post #18

> Ryobi handles DIY at Home Depot. Milwaukee handles pros. The two brands don't eat each other. They serve different people at different price points with different expectations So market fit is driving both worse and better products at the same time. Cheap DIYers like me are buying the cheapest stuff we can find, and complaining that it's as cheap as its price. My neighbor the contractor buys the expensive stuff and…

What are my options if I'm one of the unwashed massed that aren't able to afford anything but Ryobi/Spirit (RIP)? What if I'm a professional who needs to use Milwuake/American Airlines if I plan to get my work done? These feel like choices in the same way you can choose to pay your extortion fee to the mob or choose to pay your taxes.

I own some Ryobi and Harbor Freight tools as well as some Milwaukee and SnapOn.

I don’t see it as a problem that tools of different quality, specifications, and price are available in the market.

I wouldn’t want there to be only select 80% ground beef nor only A5 Wagyu beef for sale. Both have their place.

Re: Power Tools Got Worse on Purpose. Who Owns DeWalt, Craftsman, and Milwaukee?

#42

Post by Swizec »

delichon wrote: post #18

> Ryobi handles DIY at Home Depot. Milwaukee handles pros. The two brands don't eat each other. They serve different people at different price points with different expectations So market fit is driving both worse and better products at the same time. Cheap DIYers like me are buying the cheapest stuff we can find, and complaining that it's as cheap as its price. My neighbor the contractor buys the expensive stuff and…

I love my Ryobi drill. Bought a set ~10 years ago and it’s still going strong. I charge the battery once every 3 to 4 years. Used it to assemble a bunch of furniture just this weekend. Some of the screw heads are getting a little worn from me being an idiot, but so far haven’t had to replace anything and never needed any more parts than came with the initial beginner set (1 hand drill for screwing, 1 strong drill for drilling, 2 boxes of screw and drill attachments)

A more expensive “proper” set would be completely wasted on me.

Re: Power Tools Got Worse on Purpose. Who Owns DeWalt, Craftsman, and Milwaukee?

#43

Post by nubinetwork »

legitster wrote: post #31
delichon wrote: post #18

> Ryobi handles DIY at Home Depot. Milwaukee handles pros. The two brands don't eat each other. They serve different people at different price points with different expectations So market fit is driving both worse and better products at the same time. Cheap DIYers like me are buying the cheapest stuff we can find, and complaining that it's as cheap as its price. My neighbor the contractor buys the expensive stuff and…

I don't think there's anything to apologize for. Buying a professional tool with tens of thousands of hours of potential runtime and 1000lb+ of torque is wasteful. A Ryobi tool will realistically last for the many decades you need it for and do everything you ask of it. Lower price points doesn't just mean something is junk. It can also be engineering efficiency.

> A Ryobi tool will realistically last for the many decades you need it for and do everything you ask of it

Until you buy one of their lawn mowers and the SLA batteries die after a year...

Re: Power Tools Got Worse on Purpose. Who Owns DeWalt, Craftsman, and Milwaukee?

#44

Post by MarkusQ »

jeffbee wrote: post #33
sedawkgrep wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the rule of thumb for non-professionals is: Buy cheap and if you use it enough that it breaks, buy expensive the second time.

By following this rule you could easily end up with a tool that lasts forever but strips out all your screw heads.

Replace "breaks" with "fails to work as intended" then.

A tool that doesn't break but does smell like a refinery or damages nearby electronics when used, gets strangely hot or inexplicably changes shape when idle, etc. should still be replaced.

Re: Power Tools Got Worse on Purpose. Who Owns DeWalt, Craftsman, and Milwaukee?

#46

Post by amluto »

Sigh, DeWalt. A few years ago, there were (I think) first to market with a cordless electric leaf blower that was competitive with gas for serious use — it had a blower in a backpack, two battery slots, used giant 40V “DeWalt XR” batteries, and could operate at high power and for quite a long time.

It was far from perfect — the backpack was not so comfortable and a bit heavy, and it was expensive. Still, the market was obviously growing and is currently booming, and DeWalt should have been a leader.

Instead they never followed up, and they gave everyone who bought one a giant “screw you” by discontinuing the batteries. And left the market wide open for new players and the big gas landscape tool companies (Stihl, Husqvarna) to step in.

Attention executives: when you lead the market in a growing category, you need to invest in it!

Re: Power Tools Got Worse on Purpose. Who Owns DeWalt, Craftsman, and Milwaukee?

#47

Post by stronglikedan »

nubinetwork wrote: post #43
legitster wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think there's anything to apologize for. Buying a professional tool with tens of thousands of hours of potential runtime and 1000lb+ of torque is wasteful. A Ryobi tool will realistically last for the many decades you need it for and do everything you ask of it. Lower price points doesn't just mean something is junk. It can also be engineering efficiency.

> A Ryobi tool will realistically last for the many decades you need it for and do everything you ask of it Until you buy one of their lawn mowers and the SLA batteries die after a year...

you can cherrypick similar stories from any company

Re: Power Tools Got Worse on Purpose. Who Owns DeWalt, Craftsman, and Milwaukee?

#48

Post by lacewing »

Just for the record, this is a novelty domain with a history of posting AI-generated articles that are clearly designed to get clicks based on nostalgia for how random things "used to be better":

https://news.ycombinator.com/from?site=worseonpurpose.com

Re: Power Tools Got Worse on Purpose. Who Owns DeWalt, Craftsman, and Milwaukee?

#49

Post by jerf »

jeffbee wrote: post #33
sedawkgrep wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the rule of thumb for non-professionals is: Buy cheap and if you use it enough that it breaks, buy expensive the second time.

By following this rule you could easily end up with a tool that lasts forever but strips out all your screw heads.

I don't think anyone is asking you to stupidly follow the advice off a cliff. You're welcome to call "stripping all your screw heads" broken and take appropriate action.

Re: Power Tools Got Worse on Purpose. Who Owns DeWalt, Craftsman, and Milwaukee?

#50

Post by relaxing »

DeathArrow wrote: post #38

>These companies prove the same thing from the opposite direction. You don't have to get acquired. You don't have to take the PE money. You can just keep making good products and telling everyone else to go to hell. It's harder, and it's slower, and the growth chart won't impress a Wall Street analyst. But the tools last. And the brand means something 50 years from now instead of ending up in a clearance bin. How can…

Public trials.
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