If you’re in the market for a few power tools, often a combo kit will offer the best value and selection of tools. At the same time, you have to make sure you’re getting the power tools you need. In this article, we will explore Black and Decker vs. Makita combo kits and help decide which is the best for the money.
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Black & Decker vs. Makita: Brief Company Histories
Black & Decker is a company that’s well-known in the tool industry. Even those who might not be that tool savvy have heard of this company, founded in 1910 by S. Duncan Black and Alonzo G. Decker. It was originally a machine shop and is now well-known for making an assortment of home improvement products, power tools, hardware and more.
Makita is a slightly newer company, founding in 1915, which started out in the electric motors space. They began by simply making and repairing motors, but they’ve since branched out around the world and currently sell products in over 40 different countries.
Both of these companies are known for producing high-quality tools and have been in the business for over 100 years, proving they definitely know their stuff.
Black & Decker Matrix 6 Combo Kit
These kits actually come with a number of very different tools, as well as a couple options that are very similar—so you can get variety in the kit you’re looking for. This means you can take a look at which tools you need and which you don’t need before making a decision.
The Black & Decker Matrix 6 Combo Kit uses a Matrix Quick Connect system to make it even easier to swap between different attachments. It uses a 20-volt max motor to increase performance and has a lithium-ion battery that can hold up to 18 months. In the kit you’ll get a drill, sander, jig saw, oscillating tool, router, and impact driver, which all fit in a simple box for easy storage.
Makita Combo Kit
The Makita Combo Kit comes with five separate tools, which use an 18-volt lithium-ion battery. The set comes with a hammer driver drill, impact driver, recipro saw, circular saw, xenon flashlight, two batteries, a battery charger and a tool bag to easily carry it with you. It also has a 3-year warranty and full-size tools that you can use anywhere you need to.
Head to Head: Features and Benefits of Each Tool
If you’re looking for a high-quality toolkit you’ll get something you can use in both of these options, so don’t underestimate quality or quantity. It’s really all going to come down to what you’re using the tools for and what your overall needs are.
Variety
The first thing you want to look at with these options is the variety of the tools that you’re getting.
The Black & Decker Matrix 6 comes with, you guessed it, 6 tools. You’ll get a drill and impact driver in both of these sets, as well as a lithium-ion battery and a case. The rest of the tools, however, are going to be very different.
The fact that the Black & Decker option actually swaps out the attachments instead of having separate tools is another important feature to consider.
Price
Price-wise, the Black & Decker comes in at nearly half the price of the Makita option but actually comes with an extra tool.
It’s important to note, however, that the tools you’re getting are entirely different between the two systems. For example, you’ll get a full circular saw with the Makita set, as well as a full recipro saw.
With the Black & Decker, you’re getting a lot of smaller tools, though they do have a lot of applications. Is it worth the extra money to get the high-powered tools that Makita has to offer? We think that it is, simply because you’re getting more versatility out of your money.
Warranty
Black & Decker offers a 2-year, limited manufacturer’s warranty on their products and the tools and other pieces that are included in this set.
On the other hand, Makita is offering a 3-year limited warranty that covers the tools, batteries, and chargers included in the set.
That extra year could mean the difference between getting assistance if something fails or being out of luck, which means it may be worth the extra cost to get the products with an extended warranty.
Simultaneous Use
What if you’re working on a project that requires the use of more than one tool at a time? With the Makita Combo Kit, you can easily use each of your tools as you need them.
With the Black & Decker, you’re going to need to swap out the attachment as you only have one base for all of the tools. This can slow down your work and make it more difficult to get the power that you need for as long as you need.
The fact that the Makita Kit also comes with two batteries instead of one plays into this as well.
Wrap Up
Overall, if you have the extra money, the Makita Combo Kit is going to be the best choice for you. This option costs about twice as much, but it’s going to offer some additional features, like higher-powered and more versatile tools. It’s also going to give you an extra battery, a longer warranty, and separate tools to use.
With the Black & Decker, you’re getting one overall tool with several different attachments. It does have a higher power motor and more tools (in the form of attachments) but it doesn’t give you as much versatility to what they can do.
If you don’t have the money to go with the Makita Kit, you’re still going to get a lot of bang for your buck with the Black & Decker—it’s just not going to give you quite as much overall.
