Moving over in February - I’m needing to update my power hand tools. Before I leave the UK I wanted to ask would they be cheaper in France or here in Blighty ?
BTW - Looking at Dewalt cordless
Thanks…
Almost certainly cheaper to buy in the UK but shop around.
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Powertoolworld.co.uk is always good for a deal or 2. In France, clickoutil.com sometimes has good deals too. I used to find Dewalt a bit “clunky” (glorified Black and Decker) and nowadays much prefer Makita.
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I think thats fair comment but things have improved considerably.
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If you’re moving to France fulltime, make sure that tools you buy in UK have spare parts etc available in France.
Also, anything with a guarantee is best bought in the country in which the guarantee might be “needed”.
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There’s places like hagglezone that compare Amazon prices in different countries.
But ManoMano, Cdiscount are usually representative prices for France
Browse and compare …and then buy in the Xmas sales
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If you can afford Makita, go for those. They are the default brand of professionals everywhere. Bosch are excellent, esp the Pro range.
Now, as an “impoverished [retired] photographer” [@ChrisMann] I’ve bought into the Einhell range.
I have three x 4Ahr batteries to run a 150mm circ saw, a brushcutter, a hedge trimmer, a multi-tool, a sabre saw, 120mm a/grinder and a jigsaw. Look out for deals on x 2 batteries because singly they are a silly price. I bought a machine with a battery and a pair from from this lot, German company.
I buy the machines thru’ AMZ.fr although ManoMano are +/- the same price. I just like the slick returns policy and m.o. if things are bought and supplied by AMZ. Einhell use AMZ as ‘a shop’.
This is an excellent deal if you buy a machine + battery but no charger. Wish I’d seen this, back in the day.
Depending on what kind of property you end up with you may need petrol driven machines, esp brush cutter.
It seems a no-brainer to replace the plastic cord in a strimmer with one of these steel cutters. Worked well on brambles.
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Impoverished? Moi?
I prefer “underfunded”. 
Re the actual topic, I go for Bosch whenever it aligns with my relative poverishment, but I also have a Ryobi jigsaw which is fine, and a Black and Decker drill.
I think it depends what level of work you are contemplating - for light DIY stuff the cheaper brands will do; if you are renovating a whole house then probably worth spending more on the pro brands.
If my poverishment allowed I would get a whole set of Festool gear.
If you are buying everything new and want battery powered stuff it makes sense to get a set that all use the same battery.
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Wouldnt we all 
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Probably a good time to mention brushless motors, far more efficient, lighter longer run time tools. Certainly that was a big step up for Einhell as their brushed motors were a bit poor. If funds allow, go brushless.
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The word was in fact … “penniless” Same difference 
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All good stuff but for cordless, which the o.p. mentioned, you have to pick a brand and stick to it unless you don’t mind forking out buying a battery and charger [with mark-up] with every tool you buy, if you mix brands.
The manufacturers have caught on to this and market machines ‘naked’. Once you’ve bought one + a battery & charger they’ve gotcha by the usuals. This is OK if the machines themselves do a good job. So far the Einhell machines I have are doing well. I am amazed at the time the 4 Ahr battery gives, working the strimmer.
I see adverse reviews of cordless machines which are clearly the result of using 2 Ahr batteries. A/grinders and circ saws defo need 4Ahr batteries. I also see 1* reviews where the sap who bought the thing complains “It came with no battery or charger!”
There was a problem with the switches on Einhell a/grinders packing up chop-chop due to dust and Einhell not replacing switches under g’tee
I wrote to Einhell UK and got an apologetic letter back saying Einhell now admitted that a/grinders produce dust and the switches are supposed to be immune to failure on that account.
After a lifetime of fettling and furkling I reckon Einhell stuff is a good choice, taking impoverishiment v price/quality into account.
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Your parole officer must be a very patient person.
There are adapters from one make of battery to a different brand of tool, I have several.
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Yes, that’s true. I did look at those with the idea that the Lidl ‘Parkside’ batts might be a cheaper option than Einhell originals. In the end I have found that 3 x 4Ahr batts is enough and that the adapters make sense only if you have a mix of brands of tools already and can run them all on one brand of batt + suitable adapters.
There’s a bloke in Ireland who will make an adapter for any tool/any battery. He 3-D prints them.
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Never seen them. Somewhere specialist or just Amazon?
I have to say I buy cheap as I am an infrequent user. I got a, so far, very good cordless drill Erbauer, although I suspect it’s Chinese! What about Milwaukee? They aren’t cheap.
Have you got a name for this bloke please. Thanks.
One of the best things we have recently bought is a cordless Bosch Reciprocating Saw. It’s used on a daily basis to trim branches on trees (mixture of oak and laurel) - with an average diameter 80-100cm and it will cut away all day long. We use a McCulloch chain saw for anything bigger.
We bought two 4AHr batteries to use between that and a Bosch 18V-60 Cordless Impact Driver (this has a brushless motor @Corona !) which uses the same battery.
Just recently, Amazon.fr has some good discounts on Bosch tools so it’s always worth while having a look and as mentioned by @captainendeavour their returns policy is really good.
I’ve had them in the past. They are a step in price but not, I suspect, in quality, between DIY/Brico shed own labels and the next level up, like Ryobi or Blk & Desmond. Did me perfectly well.
I had a Wickes 5kg SDS drill/chisel/breaker. Known as ‘Big Huge’
That thing got major punishment for 30+ years. It went down the dechet here in '21 only because the SDS chuck was so worn that the bits and chisels kept falling out. The motor and pneumatics were still pounding away. It had cost me a mere £35! Must have got a good one.
Replaced by a seriously meaty corded Einhell. Even ‘Bigger Huger’. One of the must-haves of the machines. Run 25mm holes thru’ brick for pipework like going thru’ … I dunno. Easy, anyway.
Blurb say ‘lightweight’. If a 6kgs drill is lightweight you’ve been eating your spinach.
But I think almost all these machines are probably made in two factories in PRC.
I will try to find him again. I just kinda blundered into him whilst scratching around the adapter scene. Not cheap, his adapters but for someone totally stuck without …
Thank goodness for 'History/Search Bosch Home (Green) Tool Adapter for Einhell 18v Battery ( Jadapters ) | eBay
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I’ve got a DeWalt electric strimmer and it’s brilliant. I haven’t started my petrol one since getting it.