I think it also largely depends on what you are looking for. I just bought a new push lawn mower and I think Home Depot has better mowers than lowes. But Lowes has Craftsman hand tools, so I go there for those.
Lowes had a nicer garden and outdoor section and was closer to my house before we moved so I usually shopped there. I sourced specific items from Home Depot though, and a lot of things tended to be a little less expensive at HD. I got my LED plant lights (marketed as shop lights but with their specs were interchangeable with "grow lights" which tend to be hella overpriced) at HD. Now we just have Home Depot. We have no sales tax here and you can order stuff to be shipped to the store if they don't physically have it. There is a Lowe's over the state border about 45 min away but the distance plus the taxable sales just isn't worth it for us.
They're now owned by Stanley and no longer made in the US, which is why their warranties have totally changed and the overall quality has gone down.
Could be worse. Black and Decker has a reputation for being entry level but their performance far exceeds their price point imo. Black and Decker and Ryobi make some really good shit. Makita too.
I haven't been impressed with the few B&D things I have owned. For example: blender. It had a shitty motor that burned out within months of owning it.
I should say their tools. I also bought a B&D blender that broke pretty quick, but then again that's what I get for buying a cheap blender. Still sucked, but I didn't expect a $40 blender to last a lifetime. I have a B&D lithium drill I use almost daily that's gotta be at least 10 years old. Their battery powered edger and chainsaws are great too when you wanna do something real quick and don't wanna fuck with gas or extension cords.
I've had a few other items too that were just not impressive but can't think of what it was at this moment. I intentionally steer clear of that brand.
I just bought a cordless Milwaukee drill, stubby impact wrench, and ratchet from Home Depot online on sale. My car work did go noticeably quicker and it saves my ears from the pneumatic tools.
Our shop uses Milwaukee tools exclusively. The electric 3/4" impact driver has more power then air, so why would you want to lug around an air line.
For my amateur use, I had shop air already and the Ingersol Rand uggadugga was a boatload cheaper than any cordless option. And cordless had shit torque up until the last couple of years.
The worst part is that the new Craftsman will not warranty all of the old Craftsman stuff. Or, at least it's hit or miss from my experience so far. It was a big enough pain in the ass that I won't buy Craftsman any longer. My new brand of choice for most hand tools (sockets and such) is Tekton. They are actively moving as much production to the US as they can and clearly identify country of origin on their products.
Check out Wera. Their screwdrivers are some of the most comfortable I've ever held.The Kraftform Kompakt (obviously a german company) is an absolute must for anyone.
Wiha is my current stupidly expensive brand, but I will check them out. I don't use the same tools all day any longer, so comfort is second fiddle to durability for me and I can beat the hell out of the Wiha stuff. As a side note, Hollywood Scream has some interesting video versions of popular songs of the past:
That’s my brand. Milwaukee is THE best cordless line there is if you like innovation and options. They make the best cordless impact driver in the game and they are constantly coming out with new stuff (pay attention to their yard tools line). Their shop fan is especially a must-have. It has a 14-foot range and you can run it 11 hours on a single drill battery. Amazing if you go camping and you want to cool down your tent or bellow your fire. It’s also super-quiet and built incredibly tough.
I just got a Makita drill and have a yard trimmer waiting for me to pick up that'll run off the same batteries. This also enables me to get an ice auger attachment for fishing, which I'm a little more excited about than the drill itself. I like to chase panfish around with everything in a little sled and they're perfect. Many of the hand tools hanging up above my bench (well, will again once its rebuilt) are old pieces I picked up for pennies on the dollar thanks to online auctions or estate sales. You have to spend so much to get new chisels and files as good as the old ones (as long as they weren't abused).
Anyone have a recommendation for a basic chainsaw? The one my dad gave me caught fire the day after I got it.
STIHL makes a hellava chainsaw. Course I’m still running the ones my grandpa bought 20 years ago. Not sure if they sold out and are made in China like everything else.
Spend the money on a Stihl, all my yard tools are Stihls, I bought a used leaf blower and got 15 years out of it before replacing it with a new model last year.