I’m with the strategy “get the best tool for the work its required to do”. Brand loyalty is for hypnotised consumers!
I have many chisels, small saws, clamps and other everyday toolen that were inexpensive but highly serviceable nevertheless. (Some were not so inexpensive). I have some Marcou planes that cost a fortune but make all kinds of planing on every kind of timber a pleasure (and produce the desired good results, with ease).
Festool are worth having in some configurations: their domino M&T machines make M&T work rapid and accurate, although the external M&Ts still need the handtools. Their sanders last forever. Their routers are easy to use. I also have Bosch (belt sander, hand planer) Makita (drills and small circular saw) Mafel (jigsaw) and … many other brands.
Generally I like German machines (Scheppach CS, PT, BS as well as the above handheld machine tools). The Scheppach dust sucker is OK but not as functionally good as their other items (not enough suck for CS and BS). They cost but are very good value because of their resilience & accuracy.
DeWalt routers are resilient & powerful if unwieldy. I have a Triton router in a Veritas router table that is ideal (easily configured and bit-changed). A woodrat with a DeWalt router is very useful for all sorts of queer tasks. A Delta/Fox/SIP lathe on a cast iron stand gets used once in a blue moon; a “bigboy” belt sander from the far east; a drum sander of similar type (all from Axminster).
Who knows what else. Various Veritas marking and measuring things, bench bits et al. Stuff from many small British makers, such as Ashley Isles chisels. Two Cherries carving chisels. Saws from Mike Wenzloff in the USA.
Do people do brand loyalty? I have come across the odd fanboy for Veritas, Lie-Neilsen, Festool and others. I never get this as how can they say “they’re the best” if their fanboyism prevents them from buying, using and comparing other brands?
On the other hand, I will never again buy Black & Decker!
Lataxe
