Compare DIY Tools in New Zealand at Canstar Blue. Black & Decker, Makita, DeWalt, Bosch, Stanley, Milwaukee, Ryobi, Number 8, Ozito and Jobmate were compared on Overall Satisfaction, Ease of Use, Quality/Durability, Reliability & Performance and Value for Money.
See our Ratings Methodology.
For the best tools for your next home-improvement project, choose Stanley and Makita: rated No.1 for customer satisfaction by the country’s legions of DIYers.
Our review compares DIY tool brands on customer satisfaction, so you can discover what other Kiwis think about our compared DIY tool brands before you make your next purchase. Think of it like asking hundreds of your closest friends and family members which tool brands deliver the best quality and value for money!
Canstar Blue surveyed 885 Kiwis who had purchased and used a new DIY tool (i.e. hand tools/power tools) in the past two years, and asked them for their feedback on their choice of tool brand.
Respondents rate their satisfaction with their DIY tools from zero to ten, where zero is extremely dissatisfied and ten is extremely satisfied. Brand satisfaction was rated by respondents on the following criteria:
The winning DIY tool is the one that receives the highest Overall Satisfaction rating once all the scores from the Overall Satisfaction criteria are combined and averaged.
Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included, so not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The DIY tool brands rated in this survey are listed below in order of best overall satisfaction.
Find more information on our Most Satisfied Customer methodology.
This is the first year that Black & Decker has won our DIY Tools award. And it does so with a great set of ratings. Three 5-Star ratings, including for Overall Satisfaction and Value for Money, plus two great 4-Star ratings.
Since producing the world’s first portable electric drill for consumers in 1946, Black & Decker has grown into a leading manufacturer of DIY tools.
In NZ, its products include the Reviva range of cheap, cordless power tools, for small jobs around the home, in addition to battery operated and cordless power tools and DIY equipment for bigger jobs, all retailing at economical price points.
This is the third time that Makita has taken home our top award. This year, along with Black & Decker, it scores a superb 5-Star Overall Satisfaction rating. It’s a rating Makita also earns for Reliability & Performance and Quality/Durability. For Ease of Use and Value for Money, it earns excellent 4-Star ratings.
Makita is one of the most well-known and well-established names in DIY. The Japanese manufacturer started in the early 1900s and has been selling tools in New Zealand since the 1960s. Its range of DIY tools includes: drills, saws, grinders, sanders, chainsaws, corded and cordless tools. Makita’s interchangeable batteries are designed for use across its wide range of power tools, making it quick and easy to swap from one tool to the next.
Makita also has a huge network of dealers and authorised Makita Service Centres throughout the country, providing expert advice and support.
DeWalt, too, earns predominantly high praise from its contented customers. Great 4-Star ratings across all our ratings categories, except for Value for Money, for which it earns a 3-Star rating.
DeWalt manufactures a huge range of tools, from small hand tools through to grunty power tools for DIYers and professional builders.
Compatible with all of DeWalt’s 18V range of tools and chargers, its Powerstack batteries deliver next-level power, efficiency and lifespan. While for serious tradies, DeWalt also has a range of 54V battery-powered tools for unrivalled runtime and performance.
Placing fourth on our award table, Bosch earns a clean sweep of great 4-Star ratings across every category.
Founded in the late 1800s in Germany, Bosch originally specialised in precision mechanical and electrical engineering. In 1927, it created a hair trimmer that contained an electric motor in its handle, which inspired the Bosch team to utilise the concept in the company’s first power tools.
Today Bosch produces a wide range of power tools designed for professional and home use, both corded and battery powered. Like many of the other tool brands in our award ratings, Bosch’s power tools all share one interchangeable battery pack.
Last year’s joint winner, Stanley again earns strong praise from its many happy customers. It’s worth noting that apart from our two winning brands, Stanley is the only other brand to earn a 5-Star rating, for Ease of Use. In all other categories, Stanley earns 4-Star ratings.
Stanley is a global tool company that is known for its distinctive yellow branding. Founded in 1843 and headquartered in the US, Stanley merged with other iconic US tool manufacturer Black & Decker in 2010, to form Stanley Black & Decker.
In New Zealand, Stanley retails a huge range of hand and power tools, storage products and accessories. Suitable for professionals and enthusiastic amateurs alike, Stanley’s range of DIY tools offers quality construction at affordable prices.
All of Stanley’s FatMax power tools come with a one-year warranty as standard. But if you register your tool for free within four weeks of purchase, Stanley extends that warranty for a further two years.
Milwaukee is a brand trusted by tradies, and earns a strong set of 4-Star ratings across all categories, except for Value for Money, which is perhaps just a reflection of Milwaukee tools’ higher price points.
As its name suggests, Milwaukee was founded in the US. It manufactures a wide range of powered and hand tools designed primarily for professional use across all building trades. However if you’re a serious DIYer who doesn’t mind paying for a quality tool that is designed to last, then Milwaukee’s products are a great option to add your tool box.
In this year’s rating, Ryobi earns a clean sweep of great 4-Star ratings across every category.
Ryobi has been making power tools since the 1960s. Its wide range of power tools all use the same interchangeable and rechargeable 18V battery, making for a convenient and optimised family of over 100 products. Similarly, its 36V battery powers its family of large outdoor tools, including chainsaws, lawnmowers and pressure washers.
Number 8 earns two 3-Star ratings, for Quality/Durability and Overall Satisfaction. While not a top rating, 3 Stars is by no means a measure of dissatisfaction. Rather it indicates that Number 8 customers are content with the levels customer satisfaction delivered by their purchases.
Number 8 is another brand of tools and hardware that is exclusive to Mitre 10. It delivers super-cheap products that are perfect for occasional use on small jobs around the home. Its range includes basic hand tools and gardening equipment.
Ozito earns predominantly 3-Star ratings in this year’s award ratings. However, it’s notable that the power tool brand earns its top ratings for Value for Money and Reliability & Performance.
Ozito’s range of affordable power tools and garden supplies can be found for sale at Bunnings Warehouse stores. Ozito’s PXC cordless system spans a wide range of over 90 tools – from lawn mowers to rotary hammers and circular saws – that all use the same battery pack. This means you can share one, or two (for 36V tools), battery packs across multiple tools.
Rounding out our DIY Tools Award table for 2024, Jobmate clearly gets the job done: it earns 3-Star ratings across all categories.
An exclusive range of Mitre 10 tools, Jobmate is designed to deliver quality at a great price. Jobmate offers plenty of outdoor tools, drill bits and accessories, and hand tools such as screwdrivers and hammers. However, its range of power tools (cordless drills, saws, etc) is limited.
The old adage is correct: a good DIYer should never blame their tools. But a good DIYer does need to be able to rely on their tools to get the job done right.
This is reflected in how the consumers in our award survey rate their chosen brands of DIY tools. The overwhelming majority (38%) say that Reliability & Performance is their No.1 consideration when rating their tool brand.
This sits well ahead of Quality/Durability on 24%, which is perhaps a reflection that most DIYers in our survey (45%) say they prefer to purchase quality tools, rather than cheaper ones.
Here’s how those in our survey rate their top concerns when assessing their choice of DIY tools:
About the author of this pageThis report was written by Canstar’s Editor, Bruce Pitchers. Bruce has three decades’ experience as a journalist and has worked for major media companies in the UK and Australasia, including ACP, Bauer Media Group, Fairfax, Pacific Magazines, News Corp and TVNZ. Prior to Canstar, he worked as a freelancer, including for The Australian Financial Review, the NZ Financial Markets Authority, and for real estate companies on both sides of the Tasman.
Purchase high-quality tools: 45%
Take pride in tool collection: 43%
Happy to lend tools to friends and family: 42%
Regard DIY as part of the No.8 wire mentality: 36%
Have tools only used a couple of times: 31%
Loyal to one tool brand: 29%
For one-off jobs, buy cheap tools and treat them as disposable: 21%
Buy the most powerful tool, regardless of job: 11%
Power tool: 54%
Hand tool: 39%
Cordless Drill: 28%
Hammer / Wrecking Tool: 9%
Sander: 8%
Cutting Tool: 7%
Power Saw: 6%
Screwdriver/Allen Key: 6%
Socket/Spanner/Toolkit: 5%
Corded Drill: 4%
Clamps/Pliers/Vices: 3%
Grinding Power Tools: 3%
Measuring/Marking: 3%
Canstar Blue surveyed 2575 New Zealand consumers across a range of categories to measure and track customer satisfaction, via ISO 26362 accredited research panels managed by Qualtrics. The outcomes reported are the results from respondents who had bought a new DIY in the past two years. In this case, 885 New Zealanders. Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included. Results are comparative and it should be noted that brands receiving three stars have still achieved a satisfaction measure of at least six out of 10. Not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The ratings table is first sorted by star ratings and then by mean overall satisfaction. A rated brand may receive a ‘N/A’ (Not Applicable) rating if it does not receive the minimum number of responses for that criterion.
The past winners from Canstar Blue’s DIY Tools ratings:
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