Makita vs. Black & Decker: Which of the Two Brands Is Better?

Makita vs. Black & Decker: Which of the Two Brands Is Better?

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If you are looking to stock up on some new and reliable power tools, chances are that you are attempting to focus on a couple of specific brand names.

That said, there are so many different ones out there that choosing one can be very difficult. Today, we want to focus on two of the most popular, Makita and Black & Decker.

Continue reading to see which of those is better suited for you.

A Brief History of Makita and Black & Decker

Makita was founded in 1915 and it is a Japanese manufacturer of power tools. It was founded by Mosabura Makita who created the Makita Electric Works company in Aichi, Japan. They started out by selling lighting equipment, motors, and transformers.

By 1960, Makita had become a manufacturer of power tools.

What is interesting to note is that Makita was the first company to introduce a nickel-cadmium rechargeable battery tool to the market in 1978, a rechargeable cordless drill.

Today, Makita focuses solely on power tools, as well as lawn and garden equipment. The company has well over 17,000 employees with average annual revenues of over 4.5 billion USD. It has a presence in over 40 countries worldwide, with 10 production plants operating in 8 countries. The brand is well known for having great customer service standards.

 

Long Story Short…

Makita

A Japanese brand with more than a hundred year history and an excellent selection of power tools. Recommended for serious amateurs and even professionals.

 

Next, we have Black & Decker, part of Stanley Black & Decker.

In 1910, Duncan Black & Alonzo Decker founded the “Black & Decker Manufacturing Company”. In 2010, Black & Decker merged with Stanley Works to become what it is known as today, Stanley Black & Decker. The company was founded in Maryland, USA, and is still based there today.

Stanley Black & Decker produces a wide variety of products including power tools, accessories, hardware, home improvement products, and fastening systems. The company owns, besides the brand discussed in this article, many different subsidiary brands including Craftsman, DeWalt, Facom, and Porter-Cable.

At this time, the company has nearly 30,000 employees with roughly 12 billion USD in annual revenue. In case you didn’t know, it is indeed a Fortune 500 company.

 

Long Story Short…

Black & Decker

Part of the same group as DeWalt, Black & Decker makes entry-level tools. Its products are affordable and of a good enough quality for home use.

 

Makita vs Black & Decker: Which Offers Better Quality?

Something you are probably wondering is how good the products from each of the brands are. Well, to start off, Black & Decker manufactures the vast majority of its tools in China. As you might know, Chinese production is often associated with low-quality standards and low costs.

That said, Black & Decker does have a select few products which are made in the USA, although not many.

What is interesting to note however is that Craftsman, which is owned by Stanley Black & Decker too, is moving most of its manufacturing back to the USA. This may be a sign that Black & Decker as a whole is moving more of its production back to the USA, which would certainly be a welcome thing.

Now, the general consensus across the board when it comes to Black & Decker power tools is that they are entry-level tools. This is not to say that they are of a bad quality per se, but there are brands out there with higher quality standards.

Black & Decker is seen as a good brand to go with if you need fairly decent tools at great prices, tools to use for simple and basic everyday purposes.

Black & Decker Recip Saw

On the other hand, we have Makita, which across the board is said to be a high-quality manufacturer of power tools. Most people only have good things to say about this brand’s products, with the consensus being that they are high-end and reliable, much better suited for heavy, daily, and professional use.

Of course, with this high level of quality also comes quite a high price tag.

At this time, Makita operates factories in Brazil, China, Japan, Mexico, Romania, the United Kingdom, Germany, Dubai, Thailand, and the United States.

Which Offers a Better Warranty?

Makita has a diverse array of warranties, and which one applies to you depends on the exact product you get.

All Makita products come with a 30-day replacement guarantee, all tools have a 1-year general product warranty for defects, and lithium-ion tools come with a 3-year limited warranty.

Black & Decker, for some reason, is a really hard one because locating real warranty information is not easy. However, through our research, what we can tell is that some Black & Decker tools are covered by a limited lifetime warranty, and many power tools are covered by a 2-year limited warranty.

When all is said and done, it does appear as though Makita offers the better warranties on their tools across the board.

Makita Circular Saw

Makita vs Black & Decker: Which Has a Better Product Portfolio?

There is no denying the fact that both Makita and Black & Decker have large product portfolios. Now, what can be said is that Makita does focus mostly on power tools, hand tools, and outdoor equipment.

On the other hand, Black & Decker is a bit more diverse, as they do not only make tons of power tools, hand tools, and outdoor equipment for lawns and gardening but also makes home cleaning tools like vacuums. Additionally, they make a wide array of pet care products,  car care products, and small home appliances too.

Black & Decker Lawn Mower

However, with that being said, while Black & Decker has a much wider focus in terms of the types of products it makes, it does appear that Makita has a better product selection in some categories.

For instance, Black & Decker has eight chainsaws for sale on its USA site, whereas Makita has 2 to 3 times that amount. This can also be said for other products such as miter saws.

Which Brand Offers a Better Selection of Cordless Drills?

If you are looking for drills and drivers, the story is no different for these than for any of the other power tools categories.

Between stand alone cordless drills and combo kits, Black & Decker has around 40 products it offers. On the other hand, when it comes to Makita, between cordless drills and combo kits, it has many times that amount to offer, literally hundreds of options.

Makita Drill

Which of the Two Brands Should You Choose?

If you are a serious professional who is on the hunt for high quality, reliable, and long-lasting power tools with great warranties, and you are willing to spend some good money on them, then Makita is the way to go.

However, if you are looking for power tools, appliances, pet care, and more, and you want reasonably priced tools with a decent level of quality, then Black & Decker is probably your best bet.

Summary

The bottom line is that while both of these brands are great, they do differ in what they offer.

Makita is great for power tools and outdoor equipment, particularly if you are looking for a large selection and you want high-quality professional-grade products.

Black & Decker is better for everyday use and for being cost-effective, plus it’s also a good brand name to go with if you need more than just tools.

How Do Makita and Black & Decker Compare with Other Brands?

See how Makita compares with: Bosch | Craftsman | DeWalt | Dremel | Festool | Hilti | Metabo HPT | MilwaukeePorter-Cable | Ridgid | Ryobi | StanleyWorx

See how Black & Decker compares with: Bosch | Craftsman | DeWalt | Dremel | Kobalt | Milwaukee | Porter-Cable | Ryobi | Skil | StanleyWorx