Festool vs. Hilti: Which of the Two Brands Is Better?

Festool vs. Hilti: Which of the Two Brands Is Better?

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If you are going to buy a set of tools such as power tools, your goal should be to buy them from the same brand. It just makes life a lot less complicated if you do it this way – especially if you are opting for cordless ones.

Two very popular brands include Festool and Hilti, but which one is better for your needs? Continue reading to find out.

A Brief History of Festool & Hilti

Festool is a rather popular brand of power tools with German origins. The official company name is Festool Group GmbH & Co. KG, it is based in Wendlingen, Germany, and is owned by the TTS Tooltechnic Systems Holding Company.

The company traces its origins back to when Gottlieb Stoll and Albert Fezer first founded their company in 1925. In 1933, the company name was shortened to Festo.

Festo actually founded Festo Tooltechnic in 1992, which then turned into an independent company in  2000, which we now know as Festool. What is interesting to note is that Festool was the first company to introduce a portable chainsaw to the market in 1927.

Festool currently has subsidiaries in nearly 30 countries across the world. Many Festool products have received awards for their innovative designs. Festool currently has nearly 1,000 employees and is a moderately sized company, one with a big focus on power tools, especially those for carpenters.

 

Long Story Short…

Festool

Festool is a high-end German power tool maker. Its woodworking tools are some of the best in the world.

 

On the other hand, we have Hilti, also known as the Hilti Group, which is based out of Lichtenstein. This is a fairly broad company in terms of what they manufacture. This company makes products for construction, building maintenance, energy and manufacturing, and related software services.

The company was first founded in 1942 by Martin and Eugen Hilti.

In fact, at this time, the Hilti family still owns the majority of the company. What is quite impressive is that as of 2020, Hilti operates in over 120 countries, has about 30,000 employees, and generates over 5 billion Swiss Francs in revenue.

In other words, this is a major company with a long and diverse history, one with a massive presence throughout the world.

 

Long Story Short…

Hilti

While the brand’s product portfolio is rather limited, it’s arguably the world’s best hammer drill company. Its products are expensive but worth it if you are a professional.

 

Festool vs Hilti: Which Offers Better Quality?

One thing about Festool that everybody can agree on is that they manufacture some really top of the line tools. If you go online and look around, you will be very hard-pressed to find any complaints about Festool products.

The fact of the matter is that Festool makes some of the highest quality products around, and this goes for their drills, impact drivers, saws, and much more. Of course, Festool products are not cheap by any means and are, in fact, some of the more expensive.

Yes, these tools are geared more towards serious professionals who need heavy-duty, reliable, and highly durable tools to last for years to come. One reason why Festool products are so high in quality is because the vast majority of them are made in high-standard German production facilities, with some also being made in the USA, a development that just occurred recently.

Festool Saw

What is interesting to note here is that Hilti is much the same way when it comes to product quality and price. Just like with Festool, Hilti is a brand that is marketed towards serious professionals that need durable and long-lasting tools.

Just like Festool, Hilti products are not cheap, and in fact, Hilti might actually be the more expensive of the two brands in some cases.

Now, Hilti does manufacture some of its products in the Global South, mainly in China, but that said, many more of their products are manufactured in high-standard facilities located in countries such as Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, and Hungary. A new plant just opened up in Mexico as well.

Either way, regardless of the location of production, Hilti tools are able to maintain world-class quality.

Hilti Drill

Which Offers a Better Warranty?

Something that can be said about both of these brands is that they both offer excellent warranties on all products, something that we do expect when paying this much money for tools.

First off is Festool, which offers an all-inclusive comprehensive service warranty for 30 days after purchase, with an additional two years upon registration. All tools also come with comprehensive three-year wear and tear warranty, one-month money-back guarantee, and a 10-year spare parts availability guarantee.

Then we have Hilti, which offers a one-year service guarantee, a two-year wear and tear guarantee and a whopping 10-year warranty for materials and workmanship.

When it comes down to it, we would say that Hilti is the winner in terms of who has the better warranty. Although, Festool is certainly a very close second.

Festool Angle Grinder

Festool vs Hilti: Which Has a Better Product Portfolio?

Let’s take a closer look at the various products offered by both of these brands to figure out which one has the bigger and more diverse portfolio.

For instance, taking saws, at this time, Festool has a total of 14 models listed on their website, whereas Hilti offers more than twice as many, if not closer to three times as many. To provide you with another example, at this time, Festool offers its customers two different angle grinders, whereas Hilti has six of them.

The same can be said for most other tool categories too, with the differences in quantities being greater or smaller depending on the exact type of product.

However, the bottom line is that Hilti does have more products to choose from.

Hilti Impact Driver

Which of the Two Brands Should You Choose?

In terms of which of the two brands you should choose, whether Festool or Hilti, when it comes down to it, both brands are very similar. Both are geared towards professionals who are willing to pay considerable sums for high-quality tools.

Now, Hilti does appear to be a little bit pricier, it has the slightly better warranties on tools, and a larger product portfolio too.

What is also important to note is that while Festool is mainly a brand targeted at woodworkers, Hilti is the preferred choice of those working with masonry and concrete.

Summary

At the end of the day, both of these tool brands feature top-quality tools at equally high prices.

We would say that both are worthwhile in terms of making long term investments and the choice will really depend on your preference as well as on which brand offers the selection of tools you need for your projects.

How Do Festool and Hilti Compare with Other Brands?

See how Festool compares with: Bosch | DeWalt | Makita | Metabo HPT | Milwaukee

See how Hilti compares with: Bosch | DeWalt | Makita | Metabo HPTMilwaukee