Is the tool or the battery platform more important?

 When I was getting into making, building, and fixing things back in the early 1980's, there were tool brands known for being the best at certain types of tools and a few brands that were universally known to be the tools that the Pro's used.

For example,  Craftsman was nearly universal as the "Go To" tool brand.  If you were really serious in terms of industrial use, Bosch was a big dog.  At least, around here, you couldn't go wrong with Bosch.

Now, if you wanted "the best" reciprocating tool, you wanted a Milwaukee "Sawzall".  Some brands were tied to specific trades or tasks.

Nowadays,  especially due in largest part to dependence on battery platforms, some people, thanks in part to clever marketing,  think that Milwaukee and Dewalt (a few include Makita) as the defacto "pro" level tools.

However, what really makes a work use quality tool?  Is it really "moar power"?

Honestly no.  

I mean, power is always important but durability and usability are arguably tied for more important.

A tool can be super powerful but if it can't survive clumsy, careless, inexperienced,  and in-a-hurry workers, it doesn't matter how powerful it is.  It will be broken before it earns it's keep.

A tool that isn't usable.  It's uncomfortable,  awkward to use, missing necessary features, or lacks being able to handle it, it will be ditched and again, a waste of money. 

Back when power tools were air or electric cord connected, the brand name was only important as a recognition and association factor.

Now with battery platforms being the base, diversity and wide selection of tools those batteries can be used with is far more important.   The biggest expense in battery powered tools are the batteries. Chargers are second.  The tools are easily third as the opportunities for discounts and package deals being numerous.

Many, many people are clamoring for a universal battery platform.   Then the focus can go back to making better and higher quality tools.  Going back to the days when you would own a variety of brands of tools depending on what you were using a particular type of tool for.

The only bad part about that is how much that standardization would reduce capability in power tools.  A single universal battery platform would lower the capacity of battery power. And the tools are highly dependent on batteries storing and intelligently releasing as much power as possible. 

The tool motors and electronics are important but still dependent on what the batteries are capable of.

So then one might suggest,  let there be competing battery platforms that fit all tool brands.  Meaning the brands must conform to using the same battery connection methods.

Brands would dislike that because it takes exclusivity away from their bankrolls.  But, a movement along those lines is already underway in the development of battery adapters becoming more available.   Some third parties are out there making adapters from one brand to another available. 

That's still limited but still preferable for some folks because with only needing to buy one battery platform and with enough different adapters to other brand tools, their options in tool buying are opened up a bit.

That movement is not going to go away.  It will only keep growing until a universal battery platform or a universal battery connection is mandated or the big boys mutually agree to make their tools universally compatible to other other battery platforms.

Personally,  I think the best solution is the mutually agreed universal battery connection system.

It's voluntary,  it allows companies to compete to make better and sell more batteries,  and buyers have more diversity in tools based on person preference and situational use needs.