I ask because, once you get the batteries then you may be fully invested in that ‘family’ of tools.
I’m looking for basic tools. Nothing too exotic.
So is it… Old Milwaukee? Ryobi? Craftsman? DeWalt?
I used to be a Makita guy, but about 10 years ago I bought a cheapo cordless screwdriver by Bauer at Harbor Freight and it lasted forever. I’ve since bought a Bauer cordlessdrill and it holds it’s charge longer than my Mikita and Black and Decker. And it’s half the price.
And how does one choose between 12V, 18V, 24V, etc…?
I’ve just recently invested in DeWalt 20v.
Happy so far, but I’m just an amateur occasional user,
I’ve had DeWalt and Ryobi in the past and have gradually switched over to Milwaukee, both 12V and 18V. The 12V tools are smaller for simple jobs, and the batteries fit my heated jacket.
I have the 18V for impact tools and Sawsall etc.
Kind of depends on what you want to do. For woodworking, the Makita cordless track saw by itself makes that the best platform to choose.
For Plumbing if you use propress I’d say Milwaukee.
Depends on which tools you’re gonna use, how often, and for how long each time.
Tools that need a lot of torque, like saws (circular, reciprocating, sabre) are gonna eat up your battery right quick or will bog down with anything less than 18 volts. If all you need is a screw gun or impact driver or oscillating tool and are gonna use them for small jobs around the house, then 9 or 12volts is prob enough (and will be lighter and easier to use)
As for brands…Ryobi, Makita, Craftsman, Kobalt, etc are gonna be fine for the DIYer. Choose the one that is sold at the home store you prefer.
If you’re gonna really use your tools alot then the more robust brands like Dewalt, Milwaukee, Rigid, and Bosch will be a little more expensive but worth it.
I also recommend three things:
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go to the store and hold the tools in your hand. Make sure it has a battery in it. And hold it out at arms length for at least 30 seconds. This will give you a feel for weight, balance, and grip.
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have at least one spare battery.
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buy only the tools you actually need. A kit with a circular saw or recip saw may seem cool, but if you never use it what’s the point?
I’m a DeWalt guy. I have a really old DeWalt 12V 3/8 drill that works great (both batteries are at the end of the trail) but otherwise have moved on to 20V.
I currently have 20v:
1/2" hammer drill
reciprocating saw
1/4" impact driver
12" chain saw
flashlight (my favorite flashlight, very bright)
job site radio
The recip saw gets the most use, with a pruning blade it’s great for limbing trees after I drop them with the gas chainsaw. The 12V chainsaw kind of fills the middle range between the gas chainsaw and the recip saw.
Replacement batteries are pretty salty but for me, well worth the cost.
My former workplace started out with DeWalt. I was not part of the decision, but we gradually moved to Milwaukee. The Milwaukee tools last longer and perform better. When I retired I already owned a heavy duty 1/2 inch drill and a reciprocating saw, both of which were corded tools. I also had a 20 volt DeWalt 1/2 inch hammer drill. I bought a battery 1/2 inch hammer drill, a 1/4 inch impact driver and a 6 1/2 inch circular saw all in M-18 volt Milwaukee.
One difference I have noted: If you leave a DeWalt drill on your workbench for a month the battery has lost its charge. The Milwaukee is still carrying a full charge.
There is a you tube channel called Project Farm that is excellent for tool reviews. He takes no sponsorships and makes great effort to have real-world tests, with quantifiable results, and has done a lot of cordless tool tests over the years. If there are a couple of primary tools you are looking at, I’d suggest searching his archive.
Forgot to mention, also have a 20V circular saw.
Last year I bought a brand new chainsaw. It never idled right, and I was sick of mixing the fuel and messing with it. A few weeks ago I gave it away and purchased a Milwaukee M18 18 V chainsaw. I love it.
As for voltage, I am wary of the chainsaws and trimmers that use 40 V or 60 V or whatever battery packs. It means many cells are being charged in series, and that’s not a good thing IMO.
My electrician husband is a devout fan of DeWalt and Milwaukee. He considers all other brands inferior, with a special distaste for Ryobi.
You’re asking a 71 year grey-haired old lady what her favorite battery powered tool is? Really?
As if I’d tell…
That’s the one answer I do know.
Toothbrush, right? 
Riiiiiight…
Just did research on this because I needed to re-up my cordless game. There is a really good youtube channel with a talking bear host who reviewed the usefulness and total cost of a brand buildout of cordless tools. IIRC consumer level came out to $1500, ‘prosumer’ about $2500 and pro at $3500 (where Milwaukee is). The entry level tools (typically combo packs of multiple tools) are priced very low compared to the cost of building out the set for the mid and high level tools (the combo sets get you hooked into their battery system, then you will want to stick it out in that brand for compatibility).
My own is Ryobi based as that’s what I started back wayback and Ryobi has made the commitment to keeping the battery design compatible across the line. So my old tools that were NiCd based and my old NiCd batteries still work with the new Li-ion tools and batteries, though the chargers are not interchangeable.
Though many put Ryobi in the low level I have found their cordless line to be excellent and on par with the mid level, and I have recently tried Ridgid and Ryobis line of combo compact drill/impact driver this past month. Before I re-upped Ryobi I first tried Ridgid. I did this because of Ridgid’s ‘lifetime service agreement’ that advertised free parts, repairs and batteries for life. After buying and trying I looked into people’s experience with that and I have found many complaints that Ridgid uses anything the can, including ignoring you, to get out of that agreement when you need it, and you have to pay the shipping to them when they do, even if the place to sent them is your local Home Depot (you still have to ship it there). But that was not the only reason for the return, but the position of the reverse switch was positioned where it was way to easy to press it while gripping the handle. This was for the drill and impact. At this time I also found out that the batteries for Ryobi were compatible with my old line of tools, so it was a no-brainer to return for Ryobi.
The tools themselves Ryobi Ridgid was comparable in power, form factor and size, Ridgid did include an add on belt hook and driver holder which for Ryobi can be bought separately. Ryobi has the reverse button in a better place, not perfect, but much harder to accidentally press it.
I also have a sub-line Black and Decker that I dabbled into when my Ryobi drill crapped out after years of hard and faithful service. It was a decent tool, not the quality of the above, but it did get the job done. I also got some gardening tools under that line, chain saw, hedge trimmer and a next to useless weed wacker. With each one coming with batteries and some unique items I will keep that one going but not expand, further the black and decker line is dying out as their parent company is putting their efforts into Craftman name they acquired.
I love my DeWalt battery operated drill and chainsaw. They feel “more substantial” than other brands I’ve had.
I left Ryobi for DeWalt and have had basically zero trouble since doing that.
On the recommendation of my neighbor, I picked up an EgO battery-op lawnmower and that thing is freaking amazing. It costs the same as two gas mowers, but it’s twice as easy and fun to use. It’s so wonderful to just wake up and say “I will now mow the lawn” rather than “I will squirt starter fluid in the carb, tighten the throttle cable, bang the dust out of the air filter, don my heavy-duty hearing protection, pull the finicky crank rope 9 times, hoping it doesn’t break, and mow until I need to go to the ethanol-free gas station for a refill.”
Yes I hate gas mowers now, why do you ask?
I gave away my gas chainsaw and trimmer this year and bought battery-powered ones. I am DONE with two cycle engines. Hate those things.