When choosing a power tool, many consumers do not always understand what is the difference between a professional and a household tool? Often you have to see a drill of unknown origin with the proud inscription "Professional" at a price of 1000 rubles, and an unadorned drill from a branded company can cost up to five or more thousand rubles.

To facilitate the choice, sometimes a special color coding. So, a professional tool from Bosch is produced of blue color, green color goes as household. But not all manufacturers do this, so let's try to figure out what the difference is.

BOSCH professional screwdriver

BOSCH household screwdriver

How to choose a professional power tool?

Firstly, a professional tool, whether it is a drill or a screwdriver, a saw or a planer, is intended for continuous professional use, i.e. for several hours daily, with occasional short breaks (mainly to rest the worker, not the tool).

An amateur power tool works no more than 2 hours a day or twenty hours a month in the “twenty minutes of work - the same amount of rest” mode.

Therefore, the first difference between a professional power tool is high reliability and survivability, which are achieved by better design and quality materials. Where a bushing or plain bearing is installed on a household tool, a ball or roller bearing is installed on a professional one, and besides, it is closed.

Higher quality plastic, often reinforced, is used for professional tool cases. For metal parts alloyed, heat-treated steels are used. In household power tools, as a rule, ordinary structural products without additional treatments.

The lubrication system is also strikingly different. The closed bearing of one works for years without requiring maintenance, while in the other, during intensive work, the lubricant flows from overheating and the tool fails in a matter of weeks if you do not give it a rest every 15 minutes.

For reliability, and therefore a long service life, a professional tool is equipped with a “Soft start” mode to reduce the inrush current when turned on. Equipped with automatic shutdown of the brushes when they are worn out, as well as automatic shutdown in case of overheating.

It has release clutches in case of jamming of the working body (drill or saw blade). A professional tool has the best dust protection, primarily for the most vulnerable parts - motor windings and bearings.

Secondly, a professional tool designed for long continuous work, has the best ergonomics - a comfortable body shape, non-slip handles, shock absorbers.

Thirdly, a professional tool is better adapted to work with low temperatures. The network cable usually has a rubber outer shell, unlike vinyl chloride on household.

Fourth, for "professionals" a wide range of nozzles, additional devices are produced, usually developed by the same company and designed specifically for specific models. An example is the tools and accessories of Hilti, Bosch, Dewalt, etc.

HILTI professional tool

DeWALT professional tool

MAKITA professional tool

How to set priorities?

It's no secret that the price of a professional tool is higher than a similar household one, sometimes 3-4 times. So what to choose, where to stay? Does it mean that in all cases, a home-made master, acquiring a household tool, is forced to throw it out of use after a few months, and a professional one will last for decades without any care, working several hours a day? Of course not.

With reasonable use (do not drill household drill high-strength concrete for days on end, do not saw thick boards and chipboard with a household jigsaw, do not plan larch and painted boards with a low-power plane), following the recommended regimen, timely sharpening and replacing working bodies, household tools even a little-known company can last for many years.

Expensive highly reliable power tool famous brands like "Hilty" or "Dewalt" also needs care. Neglect of the manufacturer's recommendations according to the principle: the tool is highly reliable, it will withstand everything without any maintenance - it is fraught with breakage of an expensive thing.

Any man at home or in the garage has, at least a minimal set of power tools. Most often, it includes a puncher and a grinder, an electric drill and a screwdriver, an electric jigsaw, etc.

If an update to an existing one is required, or an initial purchase of a tool, then a non-professional may have a problem with the choice, because. dozens of models are presented on the market in a wide range various manufacturers. Help these buyers make right choice this article is intended.

industrial power tool

As a rule, masters are individuals; they do not use an industrial tool, due to its narrow specialization and very high cost. It is advisable to purchase it exclusively for industrial enterprises or use in construction. Only here you can recapture its value with high dividends.

In this segment, the undisputed leaders are the following manufacturers of power tools:

Professional power tool

In the mentioned segment of the market for this product, a tool is presented that was originally designed to perform a limited number of available operations, which, as a rule, does not exceed three. But with the highest quality.

This tool is characterized by a significant resource and power exceeding the value of a similar parameter for a semi-professional and household tool. Professional Models more reliable, have increased wear resistance and are characterized by increased strength indicators (the body material withstands mechanical loads more resistant, including shock).

They allow you to work in continuous mode for much longer than is permissible for household tools. In this case, damage to the armature, windings, brushes and other internal elements construction does not occur.

Tools belonging to the group under consideration must necessarily have mechanical or electronic adjustment, which allows:

• smoothly change power;
• exclude sharp jerks during operation at the start-up stage and during fixation;
• smoothly adjust the set rotation speed;
• stabilize it with increasing loads;
• protect the product from overload by automatically switching off when the preset values ​​​​of the latter are reached;
• set max torque.

This group includes the following brands:

characteristic distinctive feature tools belonging to the group under consideration is their blue color. All German tools of the specified brand are reliable and affordable. That is why they are preferred quite often;

household power tool

The tool presented in this market segment is produced exclusively for home use. Many models are made using a special ergonomic design, which gives them additional visual appeal, and are focused on greater versatility and ease of operation.

The main disadvantage of this category of tool is the ban on their continuous use for more than 3 - 4 hours a day. Moreover, during this time it is recommended to take at least three breaks of up to 15 minutes (within an hour).

The main advantage is cost. Therefore, in cases where occasional use of the tool is planned, this is the best option.

Consider several major manufacturers of power tools of the mentioned class, worthy of mention, these are:

Mains or battery, what to choose

All offered power tools are divided into two groups. The first includes products that require an external power supply. They are called networks.

The second includes a tool that allows you to work regardless of the presence or absence of a network, which is powered by its own battery. This tool is called a battery. Such a tool is characterized by ease of use, lightness and versatility.

The mentioned division concerns the instrument from any segment considered earlier.

The advantages of network models are their power and increased reliability. But there are many situations. When it is almost impossible to perform work without using a cordless tool.

This tool is better suited for jobs that often require moving around. Battery products are indispensable in explosive and fire hazardous areas.

As a disadvantage inherent in such a tool, it should be noted the periodically arising need for recharging, the significant cost of batteries and more low rates power.

Russian manufacturers

On the shelves specialized stores a significant part of the proposed power tool has Russian names. But, unfortunately, this does not always indicate that these goods are made in Russia.

Most of these products can be attributed to two groups, which can be conditionally called:

• Pseudo-Russian (instrument Chinese made from an unknown manufacturer, but under a Russian name);
• Assembled using the "screwdriver assembly" method on the territory of our country, but from the same Chinese (option, from other) components of unknown origin.

And only a third of such power tools are actually developed and completely manufactured by us.

Leading Russian manufacturers that offer their own products on the market are:

• IMZ (Izhevsk) is a huge diversified production that produces weapons and microelectronics, devices for various purposes and power tools in a wide range. On the market, the products are represented by the Baikal trademark (passed through international registration);
• "Interskol", mentioned above. produces a wide range of power tools, but partially from imported components. The company owns a number of factories located in different parts of the world:
  • BEZ - Russia;
  • IPT - Italy;
  • Two factories in China (in the cities of Jinghau and Shanghai).

Partially, the products of this manufacturer are manufactured at partner enterprises, such as:

• IMZ - Russia;
• GGP - Slovakia;
• Starmix - Germany;
• Sparky - Bulgaria;
• Rexon - Taiwan;
• keyang- South Korea etc.

• OJSC PNPPC (Perm) - power tools are a side production of this company;
• KZMI (Konakovo) - Production is carried out on imported equipment. The lineup has about twenty items of power tools and pneumatic tools. The drills of this plant are considered one of the best among those produced in Russia. And the screwdrivers of this plant do not have, among the products Russian production, analogues;
• EMZS "LEPSE" (JSC) Kirov produces electric scissors, electric hammers and angle grinders;
• SEZ (Saratov);
• "Inkar-Parma" (LLC) - a power saw plant.

Power tools manufactured in the territory of the Southeast Asian countries today account for up to half of the assortment that fills Russian counters. This tool is offered at the lowest price category and may be presented to buyers as products made in the USA, Europe and even in Russia. Many people know examples of the last symbiosis. These are the brands of power tools:

• "Bison";
• "Caliber";
• "Energomash";
• "Progress - Tool";
• "Resource";
• "Diopd";
• "Stavr";
• "Encore";
• "Grad - M", etc.

Everyone has it home master and a qualified specialist has a set of electric tools, which may include a screwdriver, grinder, drill, puncher, jigsaw, etc. If you decide to replenish the arsenal with new devices, but do not know which company to give preference to, so as not to overpay and be satisfied with the work of the tool, we recommend that you carefully read this material. For readers of the site, we have prepared a rating the best manufacturers power tools in 2017. We immediately draw your attention to the fact that the list will be compiled according to the principle from the highest quality, but expensive brands to budget ones.

For industrial purposes

Anyone who has dealt with Festool tools is unlikely to speak ill of their reliability. We have personally worked with a disc router, which has been successfully used for milling aluminum composite plates for more than a year. Perfect workmanship, nothing to complain about. Otherwise, power tools are prohibitively expensive, so they are only suitable for industrial purposes, construction business, where he will quickly recoup his value.

By the way, the first place along with Festul is shared by Protool, whose tool is also expensive, but of high quality!

American manufacturer of high quality tools. Business card this company - black and red colors. As in the case of Festul, you will have to overpay for a reliable American power tool, but it's worth it. In the line of devices there are quite a lot interesting models not available from other manufacturers.

Hilti

Hilti closes our ranking of the best manufacturers of industrial tools. Both consumables and power tools have high quality but also at the right price. Personally, we did not come across Hilti, but judging by the reviews on the Internet, the products fully justify their money and it makes sense to buy it only for making money, one might even say business.

Professionals

The first place in this class is rightly occupied by the Japanese manufacturer of power tools - the Makita company, which has been confidently leading the Russian market for quite a long time. The reason for this is excellent reliability indicators and at the same time acceptable price. A wide range of products allows you to choose suitable tool not only for professional use, but also for domestic needs (periodic repairs).

Bosch

One more is enough well-known manufacturer, which specializes not only in power tools, but also in general in household appliances. Bosch, by the way, is also one of the.

Returning to the tool, I would like to note that for professional purposes, you need to choose blue devices that are specifically designed for long-term use. In addition, blue screwdrivers, hammer drills, etc. have higher specifications. In terms of reliability and price, the Bosch tool is optimal, so we recommend choosing it for work.

The American company DeWalt was included in our rating, because. in terms of reliability, power tools from this manufacturer declared themselves with positive side. The only reason why you will not find yellow-black screwdrivers and hammer drills everywhere is because of the higher cost, although it fully justifies itself.

Nevertheless, if you want to choose a quality tool for work, for comparison, pick up a model from DeWalt and any other Japanese analogue. You will feel the result yourself.

A brand no less recognizable on the Russian instrument market. German quality and reasonable price (slightly above average) have won the hearts of many professional installers. Nevertheless, due to the higher cost, Metabo loses to its competitors, because the technical characteristics of the products are not better than Bosch or Makita, but nevertheless, everyone has their own preferences.

If you come across a good Metabo screwdriver or perforator at a discount, you can safely buy it. The quality is guaranteed, as you can see by reading the relevant reviews on the thematic forums.

Another Japanese power tool manufacturer that should definitely be on the list. the best firms for professional use. We draw your attention to the fact that recently there have been a lot of negative reviews about the quality of Hitachi tools, as well as problems with manufacturers' warranty workshops.

We can’t say anything about this, we have personally been using Hitachi for several years now and there are no complaints about the work. Furthermore, Screwdriver Hitachi The DS12DVF3 has already fallen about a dozen times and, thanks to its rubberized case, is still alive, even the handle has not cracked. That is why we strongly recommend it to those who decide.

Also, brands such as AEG and Kress can be attributed to the best manufacturers of professional power tools, but due to the fact that they are in little demand, and we ourselves have not exploited them, it is difficult to say anything definite. If you have experience and opinion about these brands, you can tell us in detail about them in the comments under the post, or on ours.

For home craftsmen

bocsh

Yes, we were not mistaken, Bosch got into another rating - power tools for home use. Screwdrivers, drills, etc. green colors are much cheaper and at the same time better than alternative budget products. If you need home repair tools, we recommend paying a little more and buying Bosch rather than products from other inexpensive manufacturers, which we discuss below.

Every year, the domestic manufacturer of power tools raises its quality bar by more high level. Already, even on the popular Yandex.Market, you can find many models from Interskol with a rating of 5 out of 5, while with a bunch positive feedback not only from masters of all trades, but also from specialists. At a relatively budget price, the quality of Interskol is average, so if you don’t find a suitable Bosch, you can support a Russian manufacturer.

We recommend using these two companies for semi-professional power tools for the home, because. as sure. There are also budget brands Bort, BLACK & DECKER, Ryobi, Skil and Zubr (Russia), but there are too many negative reviews about the quality of these products, so we don’t want to recommend it to you. You can, of course, meet really successful models that serve for several years, but this is rather an exception, so see for yourself.

Here we have provided a list of the best power tool manufacturers in 2017. We hope you liked our rating and it helped you in choosing the right company for your own application!

Interesting

AT electric tool there is a kind of classification. It is not hushed up, but sellers do not particularly advertise it, so not everyone knows about it. This means that tools produced by the same company and having the same performance characteristics can vary markedly.

The difference implies the division of the tool into professional, semi-professional and household. How significant the difference is can be judged already by the cost. So you can buy Bosch rotary hammers at the best prices by choosing not a professional, but a household modification.

In this case, the difference in price can be 100 percent or more. This is easy to verify by comparing professional and household models of tools http://abo.ua/elektroinstrument/bosch/.

But is it worth paying more if there is a cheaper option? On the other hand, isn't a low price an indication of equally poor quality?

To answer these questions, you need to understand how, apart from the price, professional and household varieties of tools differ. And also where it is worth using the first, and where the second, and, finally, how to distinguish one from the other.

The main differences between professional and household tools

Despite certain external differences (we will talk about them later), the main difference between home and professional tools is their filling.

For ease of comparison, we summarize the main differences in the table:

professional tool	household tool
Steel is used in almost all power units, and sometimes even body elements.	Only gears and shafts of mechanisms are steel, silumin goes to the power elements of the body
Housing made of impact-resistant plastic, often reinforced.	The body is made of ordinary plastic.
As a rule, closed ball bearings are used.	Plain bearings are used, sometimes even plastic
The electrical part is on bolted terminals, the wires are equipped with lugs.	The wires are connected using spring terminals.
Bolts and nuts are used to assemble the body	The body is assembled with screws

The purpose of all these design solutions can be briefly defined as a focus on long-term continuous the operation of the mechanism. This is the main difference between a professional tool.

A household tool with long work without interruption will fail. And not because it is bad, but because it is not designed for long-term operation.

Grease will flow out of an overheated bearing, the housing will “lead” from long-term dynamic effects, the contacts will oxidize and the motor brushes will burn.

But let the tool "rest" in accordance with its passport and it will work for a long time and successfully.

Most power tool manufacturers label their products systematically and one name can be used to understand most of the specifications. And if Japanese, Chinese and other manufacturers can get confused in models, then the marking of Bosch tools in German is systemic and transparent.

Nevertheless, Bosch has so many product lines that it’s not a sin to start a cheat sheet.

Tool color

The Germans were among the first to introduce a public division into professional and home tool. Previously, and even now, most manufacturers single out home tools as a separate brand or single out some lines with less reliability and power.

Regarding Bosch power tools, the division in design has become the standard - and more often you can hear "green" instead of "home" and "blue" instead of professional, and not only from this manufacturer. Actually, marking features begin with the designation of color. By the way, there are more than two of them:

• P- home or personal instrument, from the German persönlich, promoted under the thesis DIY - Do It Yourself, home crafts;
• G- commercial or professional, from the German großtechnisch, "on an industrial scale";
• A- garden accessories (including chainsaws), by the way, also stand out in the color of the plastic case - light green;
• B and D— measuring accessories and accessories.

Table of Bosch tool types

Universal tool brand structure:

1. Tool level (1 character);
2. Instrument type (2-3, rarely 1 character);
3. Two digits separated by a dash, denoting key features, depending on the type;
4. A set of additional properties, 1 letter per property.

Table with tool types according to block II marking:

Symbols	Tool type	Key features with example
_AS	construction vacuum cleaner	25 - tank volume in liters
_BH	Perforator	2−26 26 - drilling diameter (maximum)
_BM	Drill without impact	6 - maximum drilling diameter in brick
_BS	Belt grinder	75 - the width of the tape used in mm
_DA	Grinder (delta)	280 - power in watts
_DB	Drill (installation) for diamond drilling	2500 - power in watts
_EX	Eccentric sander	125 - grinding wheel diameter 125-150 - the machine is suitable for two diameters
_GS	Grinder (engraver)	8 - maximum number of revolutions 8000 / min
_HG	Technical hair dryer	660 - the maximum temperature of the blown air in degrees Celsius
_HO	electric planer	15−82 15 — maximum depth planing 1.5 mm 82 - drum width (processing)
_KF	Edge router	600 - power in watts
_KP	Glue gun	200 - rod length
_KS	Circular Saw	190 - saw blade size
_MF	Multitool (or router)	190 - power in watts
_NA	Metal cutting shears	3.5 - weight in kilograms, power is proportional
_OF	Universal router	1600 - power in watts
_PO	polishing machine	14 - power 1400 watts
_SA	reciprocating saw	1100 - power in watts
_SB	Hammer drill	10.8 -voltage similar to screwdrivers, for battery models 16 or 1600 - the maximum drilling diameter in brick (it goes into power by about 1 to 0.5)
_SC	Cut-out electric scissors	2.8 - weight in kilograms, power is proportional
_SH	Chipper	16−28 28 - the size of the landing hexagon
_SM	winepress	200 — maximum size grinding wheel in mm
_SR	Cordless drill driver	1440−2 1440 - battery voltage 14.4, which correlates with power. 2 - number of batteries included For home use, "2" goes into the "2-LI" block, which describes batteries. 1440 and 14.4 - different models, without a comma - a "simplified" GSR line, in fact - DIY.
_SS	Vibrating grinder	180 - weight 1.8 kg, comparable to power
_ST	Electric jigsaw	850 - maximum cutting depth in wood 85 mm
_WS	Angle grinder (Bulgarian)	17−125 17 - power (1700 watts) 125 - circle diameter (125 mm) With a single digit - only power.

Measuring instruments:

Additional marking

After the basic digital parameters, there are a number of letters, which sometimes greatly affect the cost and functionality of the tool. We give the notation in a general list.

Functions

Actually, letter combinations after the leading model definition:

• A - dust removal system (jigsaws, grinders, etc.);
• B - toggle handle, in other words - "bracket". Commonly used on jigsaws, routers and other woodworking tools
• C - stabilization of revolutions under load;
• D - rotation lock;
• E - electronic speed control;
• F - replaceable cartridge included;
• H - additional straight handle;
• I - starting current limitation, protection against accidental switching on or anti-jamming kikckback stop;
• J - starting current limitation;
• L - increased endurance or power;
• P - pendulum stroke;
• R - reverse or rotation direction switch;
• S - a set of equipment in the kit;
• T - torque adjustment;
• V - vibration protection;
• X - automatic stop (braking) of the circle.

Batteries

Separately, it is worth highlighting large volume Bosch cordless tools. In this case, it is not the objective value of power or dimensions that is included in the marking, but the voltage of the battery used. Thus, the lines 10.8, 14.4, 18 are formed - from simple DIY (but still blue) to industrial.

Separately, the type of batteries and their number in the set are indicated. The most common combination is 2-LI - two lithium-ion batteries in the kit.

Decryption examples

The now popular Bosch PMF 250 CES (or SCE) multifunctional tool:

And a small screwdriver, which is often chosen for everyday life - Bosch PSR 1440 LI-2:

Conclusion

The rulers are constantly changing and being updated, and marketing demands more and more colorful names - this is how the 1440 lines appeared in addition to the 14.4, and the MF code moved from routers to multi-tools. However, knowing the encodings, it will be much easier to communicate with managers in stores and not miss out on matching the configuration to your tasks when selecting on the Internet.