4 Tools DeWalt Makes That Makita Doesn’t

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

It’s no secret that there are a lot of tool brands currently available, which can be a double-edged sword. Sure, there are more options than ever, and this can go a long way in building out a dream collection. At the same time, it can be difficult to decide which is the right choice for you. After all, brands come at different price points, quality levels, and, on a far less essential note, color schemes, leaving you with plenty to consider before swiping your card. In some rare instances, the choice is easier due to a surprising lack of overlap between brands.

While most tool companies cover the same ground, offering all kinds of drills, sanders, saws, and other common pieces, there are some areas where they can differ. For instance, both DeWalt and Makita, two of the bigger names in the tool game, have many of the same tools in their catalogs. You can fill out a sizable collection of standard power tools from either without deviating from your chosen brand. However, should you go with Makita, you may find that it doesn’t have certain tools. Thus, you’ll have to look to competitors like DeWalt to have your tool needs met.

Within their respective slates of tools, DeWalt and Makita overlap considerably. Still, just like there are plenty of tools Makita makes that Milwaukee doesn’t, there are several that DeWalt makes that Makita doesn’t currently have up for sale.

While both Makita and DeWalt have tools fit for a host of different tasks, there are some gaps in Makita’s catalog. One area that doesn’t have much coverage under the Makita umbrella is electrical work, specifically when it comes to tools needed to handle cable-intensive jobs. If you need something capable of crimping copper and aluminum cable, for instance, Makita isn’t the brand to reach for. Fortunately, if you’re willing to look to DeWalt for answers, this brand has you covered with its handful of crimping tool kits: the 20V Max compact died crimping kitthe 20V Max died cable crimping kitand the 20V Max dieless cable crimping kit.

As their names imply, the core of these kits is their crimping tools — a tool type that Makita hasn’t added to its offerings up to this point. These kits are all battery-powered and come with DeWalt batteries, though they differ in other areas. The compact crimper is capable of handling 600 MCM Cu and 350 MCM Al for copper and aluminum cable, and the head can rotate 180 degrees. Meanwhile, the other two crimpers both reach 750 MCM Cu and 750 Al crimping capacities. As their product names also highlight, two of the three kits require U-type dies, with the compact crimper specifically needing DeWalt’s dies to function. Crimpers aren’t essential for everyone’s toolbox, nor are they DeWalt tools that every beginner would find useful. For those who need them, between it and Makita, DeWalt is the only choice. Perhaps someday Makita will bring its own to the marketplace.

Across the major tool brands on the market today, sanders are some of the most common tools. From belt sanders to orbital hand sanders, there are a lot of options out there. Looking over what DeWalt and Makita have available, you can get most big and small jobs done with either brand. However, we wouldn’t be talking about sanders in this context if it wasn’t for Makita having a type missing that DeWalt has already released. Unlike Makita, DeWalt has offered its customers not just one, but a few different models of standing floor sanders for their next floor renovation project.

The biggest of the bunch is the DeWalt wood floor drum sanderwhich features a 1.5 hp dual capacitor motor, a dust bag to shorten cleanup time, and a lever for drum lowering for more or less intense sanding. Looking into smaller yet still capable models, there are the DeWalt orbital wood floor sander and the DeWalt rotary wood floor sander. The rotary model is at 1.5 hp in its own right, while the orbital model operates on three 1/3 hp motors. Of course, the orbital is intended more for finer sanding, and the rotary is designed for more aggressive, intense sanding work. All in all, DeWalt’s floor sanders aren’t ranking among the cheapest DeWalt tools for woodworkers and carpenters, though at least the brand has some variety in its offerings. Time will tell if Makita adds standing floor sanders to its selection down the line.

While the standard across various industries is to use corded or battery-operated power tools, these aren’t the only ways to get tools going. There’s also the range of pneumatic tools, which use compressed air to get the job done. These tools aren’t as widely available as their battery and outlet-powered counterparts, nor is their selection as varied, but they’re out there all the same. Makita actually has several pneumatic toolsthough the selection is limited. Its pneumatic selection includes staplers and nailers, along with the air compressors needed to power them. Meanwhile, DeWalt has a bigger selection for customers to choose from.

Much like Makita, DeWalt has its share of pneumatic staplers, nailers, and air compressors, but this is just the tip of the iceberg for what the company has developed in the realm of air-powered tools. For those in need of pneumatic fastening tools, DeWalt has compressed air-powered impact wrenches, reversible drills, and air ratchets available. Alongside these tools, DeWalt has pneumatic chisel hammers, angle grinders, cut-off tools, and sanders. To keep them running as long and as efficiently as possible, DeWalt has its own pneumatic power tool oil for sale as well. Makita hasn’t completely ignored pneumatic tools; it has just focused on providing customers with some of the essentials. Still, by comparison, DeWalt’s selection surpasses it without question, adding more utility to one’s air compressor purchase.

From small jobs to more extensive ones, plumbing is an incredibly tool-heavy discipline. There are various forms of pipe, adhesives for different applications, seals, and more to keep track of, requiring deep knowledge and the assistance of a bevy of plumbing-specific tools. While there are Makita tools that can help out in these scenarios, comparatively, DeWalt is the go-to option for building out a tool arsenal with a plumbing focus. One look at its pipe and tubing-related tool selection makes it clear just how involved the company has been in trying to set plumbers up for success.

The depth of DeWalt’s plumbing-related offerings shows just how lacking Makita’s catalog is in this area. Covering some of the more prominent items, DeWalt has a deburring tool for smoothing out cut pipe edges, specific cutters for bringing copper and plastic piping down to size, and pipe threaders to make pipe connections possible. DeWalt even has PEX expander tools that don’t take much effort to learn to use and drain snakes, too, among a host of accessories and attachments pertaining to its plumbing tools. To rival DeWalt, Makita has some catching up to do in the plumbing tool department.

All of this isn’t to say that Makita is a brand worth skipping compared to DeWalt. Neither brand is necessarily better than the other, with each having its own strengths and weaknesses. As highlighted here, there are simply some tools and tool types Makita hasn’t added to its lineup that DeWalt has.