What's a Pro and who gets to define it?

Probably one of the most contentious tool oriented discussions I see have to do with which tool brands the "Pro's" use.

Here is what's got my attention the most, what exactly is a "Pro" and who gets to define it?  For most of history, being a "professional" is simply the status of doing a certain task or set of tasks as a paid job.  That's it.  If you get paid to do something,  you're a pro.  If you don't get paid to fo it, you're an amateur. 

Technically speaking,  being a professional doesn't automatically equate to being particularly good at something.   We like to think so.  Hell, we certainly hope the person we're paying to do some kind of work for us knows what they are doing and is actually good at it.

Reality is though, being a paid professional is no guarantee of knowledge or skill.  We have all experienced the disappointment of a paid professional doing a bad job.

So, the default definition of "Pro" has no real association to quality, knowledge,  or skill.  Just an assumption of such.

Maybe we go with the "urban" definition of "Pro" which does equivilate being knowledgeable,  highly skilled, and having the work ethic of doing a job right.

By that definition,  many a non paid "amateur" would qualify as a "Pro".  I've seen hobbyists do far better work than many supposed "Master" tradespeople.  

According to Black's Law Dictionary,  the definition of a professional is as follows:

1. A person, who is a member of a professional body due to the education qualification and follows the prescribed moeal and prefessional code of conduct. 2. A person who has mastered a high level of expertise in a subject, notion on field.

So legally, a professional is a member of something like a trade group which certifies a practitioners knowledge and capabilities. OR any person who demonstrates mastery of something,  whether they are paid or not.

In that case, there are an incredible number of "Pro's" in an incredibly diverse world of specialized work. 

The tools these "Pro's" use are just as diverse.  When someone tells me they only consider tools or a brand of tools to be Pro level because they see people they identify as professionals use them, I don't consider that an absolute qualification.

I see auto techs use everything from Snap On to Craftsman to Mac Tools to Apex and any combination of those and a number of others as well.

I see carpenter's and framers use everything from Milwaukee and DeWalt to Hitachi and  Bostitch to Craftsman and Makita.  Again,  you'll likely to see a combination of any of these and others depending on the need and the person. 

But then there are other kinds of Pro's in fields like cabinet builders/installers, ckuntertop fabricators and installers, electricians, welding,  HVAC, computer and network/cable installation, tree cutting, well digging, locksmiths and so many other specialty fields that use tools and brands of tools that are both in the mainstream and outside the mainstream that it's nearly impossible to maintain a full list.

So are the handful of most hyped and marketed "color brands" like DeWalt,  Bosch,  Milwaukee,  and Makita the only "pro" level tool brands that are good enough?

Of course not.  That would be ridiculous.   In my opinion after being a professional working in a number of specialized fields over the years I can tell you this...

The work determines if a tool or brand is "good enough".  A brand name doesn't,  a color scheme doesn't,  a global marketing strategy does not.

The work itself, the work environment,  and the individual doing the work combines to determine the minimum and perhaps the ideal qualifications of a tool or brand to be considered capable of doing a "Pro level" job.

This is in no way putting down the color brands that are most marketed and seen out in the field like Milwaukee,  DeWalt, Bosch,  Makita, etc..  those are fine tools, established brands and in most cases have proven themselves in the field. 

But that doesn't mean they are the ONLY Pro level capable brands out there.

Depending on what a person needs to do in their work, they might find certain brands versions of a specific tool or type of tool to be overpowered or underpowered or unwieldy to handle.  There is much to be gained in having an open mind and willing to try other brands and types of tools for your own best results.