By Mike Szostech Last updated
Trying to figure out the best drill brand can be very confusing. In fact, in researching for this round-up of the best cordless tools available in Canada, we researched ourselves into a circle!
In our initial research, when doing our Ryobi Cordless Tool Review, Home Depot had some great prices and we thought we had found our match.
When we got to the part where we wanted to find out who owned Ryobi, we ended up down a cordless tool rabbit hole so deep we were in over our head.
Check out this graphic from ProToolReviews for an idea of the cross-breeding in the power tool world.

In no particular order – actually, alphabetical order, let’s get to peeling back the layers of confusion and see if we can help you decide what the best cordless tools for your needs are!
Black & Decker Cordless Tools
Bosch Cordless Tools
Craftsman Cordless Tools
DeWalt Cordless Tools
DeWalt has been making cordless tools for a long time. From their 12 volt, to their 18 volt, to their re-branded 20-volt line-up, DeWalt is known for durable cordless worksite friendly tools. They cost more than the DIY brands like Ryobi and Black & Decker, but you always get what you pay for. If you’re looking for tools with metal internals or Made in the USA, then you’ll need to pay more.
DeWalt keeps expanding their 20v cordless tool lineup, and in 2021 they released self-propelled cordless lawn mowers and a cordless power cleaner (medium-pressure washer). DeWalt also announced a new massive 10.0 Ah battery that weighs only 10 oz more than their 5.0 Ah! These tools and batteries join the 200+ tools in the DeWalt 20V Max system.
Hitachi Cordless Tools
A few years ago, Hitachi’s parent company mixed things up and renamed themselves. Hitachi power tools are now called Metabo HPT. For more info on the best cordless tools, check out the Metabo heading below.
Kobalt Cordless Tools
Makita Cordless Tools
Mastercraft Cordless Tools
Canadian Tire has started selling their own Mastercraft lineup of cordless tools. There’s the 20V, 20V Max, and then the Maximum options depending on how much you want to pay. The Maximum line seems to be more ruggedly built with more metal pieces and more features than the standard Mastercraft cordless tools.
Some people claim that Mastercraft tools aren’t very good, but screwdrivers I’ve had for 20 years were quickly and easily replaced at Canadian Tire when the end broke off. So even if the tools aren’t the top of the line quality (which is expected because you aren’t paying top of the line prices for Mastercraft Power Tools), you can be sure Canadian Tire will stand behind their warranty claims.
Metabo Cordless Tools
Formerly known as Hitachi, the company now goes by Metabo HTP.
Metabo has a large lineup of tools in 18v and 36v versions, and a multivolt battery that works in either lineup.
The 18v lineup features all the standard tools you’d expect, and now has a new sub-compact version of its best cordless tools.
The 36v tool selection is for large bench top tools like a table saw and miter saw, as well as high torque hammer and impact drivers. A newer version of their tools is brushless for increased power and decreased battery usage.
Milwaukee Cordless Tools
Porter-Cable Cordless Tools
Ridgid Cordless Tool
Home Depot’s in house brand Ridgid has the only lifetime service gaurantee in the business. It applies to power tools and batteries, as long as you register within 90 days of purchase. With the relatively low price (compared to the top brands) and the lifetime guarantee, Ridgid is one of the best cordless tools you can buy. Our main complaint is the limited lineup of tools – although it’s growing.
Ridgid basic tools were the original version, and now there are some brushless tools, as well as the newest GEN5X version of tools.
Ryobi Cordless Tools
Ryobi has been making 18v tools for years – and has never changed the battery shape or connections. That means you can buy a used tool and put a new battery in it, or vice versa. The extensive One+ system from Ryobi is growing, and has over 175 tools in it including lawn care, cordless stick vacuums, and everything you’d need in the garage.
Ryobi has added brushless power tools and compact power tools to their lineup to improve functionality and portability.
There’s also the Ryobi 40V tool section for large power tools and yard tools including lawn mowers. We’d like to see a way for the 40V battery to be used in the One+ tools otherwise we have to treat it like 2 different tool lineups.
Read more: Ryobi Cordless Tool Review
Skil Cordless Tools
Skil used to be owned by Bosch, but was bought by Chervon (HK) in 2016.
Typically viewed as low-quality, entry level tools, Skil batteries do stand out from some of the other brands. Skil uses temperature technology (same as they do in the EGO yard tools lineup also owned by Chervon) to help prolong battery life.
The 20v Skil cordless tools have brushless motor options, and features like a full metal chuck that you typically only find on much more expensive tools. They’ve also started making brushless and compact tools.
Skil’s 20V PWRCore tools can be hard to find in Canada, with even Skil.com’s official Canadian site not listing any retailers.