Buy the battery platform, not the drill
The single most expensive power-tool mistake is buying a tool, then a second from a different brand, then discovering the batteries don't share. The platform locks you in — so it's the real decision. CordlessPicker compares the major cordless platforms on what actually matters.
Start here
- How to choose a platform — the 5 questions, in order.
- For pros · For DIY · Budget · Premium.
- Every platform in one comparable table.
- Head-to-heads: DeWalt vs Milwaukee · Milwaukee vs Makita · Ryobi vs DeWalt.
The one rule
Once you own three or four batteries, switching platforms costs more than most people's whole tool budget. Pick the ecosystem you'll grow into — by how hard you'll use it, where you shop, and whether you'll ever need high-power tools — before you buy tool number one.