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Heading out to the garage or shed tends to bring people into contact with a collection of implements and gadgets that are designed to handle a huge range of needs. Regardless of where you live or the kind of place you call home, it’s helpful to have at least a few key tools in your collection. Screwdrivers, pliers, and a drill are just a few highlights that tend to make the cut, but tools come in a truly dizzying array of layouts and builds, and the brands that make them are equally diverse—if not even more so.

Finding a great brand to commit to is often hard to do. There are the obvious choices that make their presence exceedingly well-known on the shelves of home improvement stores. Manufacturers like Kobalt, DeWalt, and Stanley are frequently selected, and similarly purchased and used. Some tool brands fall down the pecking order a bit (you can see our rankings of the top power tool brands). Others are exclusive to particular stores like Husky to Home Depot or Hercules and Bauer at Harbor Freight (two of its in-house brands). But there are plenty more that don’t get the love they deserve. For whatever reason, these five brands have seen limited exposure or their prestige dinged unfairly. Each one is critically underrated and may be worth housing within your collection. I’m an avid tool user and collector, and have experience with most of these brands. In my experience, each one offers something special that deserves another look.

J.H. Williams one tool brand that don’t get the recognition it deserves. J.H. Williams (also known as just ‘Williams’) is a hand tool producer. The brand was established in New York in 1882 and has continued to produce great products ever since. In the past, Williams has specialized in sewing machines, bicycle equipment, and even golf club head production. Today, you’re likely to come across Williams equipment in the form of wrenches, workshop storage, screwdrivers, and cutting bit essentials.

This brand is far less commercially accessible than most you’ll encounter, so searching for it can be a challenge. The result is a product range that consumer users may not have much experience exploring. One tool company that virtually all hand tool users will certainly know and respect is that of Snap-On, however. Snap-On frequently finds itself at the top of the heap when it comes to tool brands that mechanics love. It’s also a vaunted brand name that collectors seek out both in new format and at garage sales. Snap-On equipment is forged in a number of different factories around the United States. But there appears to be an overlap that exists for those who know where to look.

J.H. Williams and Snap-On gear, are often forged under the same roof (and Williams has been owned by Snap-On since 1993). It’s generally understood that any Williams tool stamped with a “made in USA” badge was likely forged in the same conditions as its Snap-On cousin. These are largely thought to be the exact same tools with different brand names stamped into them.

Keeping with the Snap-On theme, Bahco has been owned by the American company since 1999 and there seems to be some overlap in the product ranges. Bahco is a Swedish tool maker with a lengthy history of production dating back to 1886. Users seemingly have nothing but good things to say about the brand. It creates high quality equipment and delivers solid confidence for users in tackling a wide range of tasks. Bahco has historically been a hand tool brand, but modern offerings include air tools and electric power tools to round out the catalog with comprehensive coverage. You’ll find insulated equipment that’s perfect for jobs involving electricity as well as part pulling gear and non-sparking tools that help you successfully work on jobs under the hood without worrying about breaking equipment or damaging sensitive essentials.

Bahco isn’t particularly well-known outside of its European foundations. Even so, it’s an established builder of all kinds of essential equipment. Users in the garage setting get particular value out of the brand’s hand tools and storage offerings. For those seeking a new brand to get them excited about their workspace and the tools found within it, Bahco is a solid choice that should be on your radar. Moreover, because it’s not a majorly sought out tool brand, you may be able to find gear at relatively competitive prices online or in stores that carry the toolmaker’s products. As an example, the brand’s Large Mouth Monkey Wrench is available on Amazon for around $35, a good bargain for a quality tool.

Tsunoda is underrated for one particular reason. It’s frequently thought of as a Japanese alternative to Knipex. The legendary pliers maker stands as a towering example of quality tool manufacturing principles, and those looking for that will often go straight to the German supplier rather than exploring the market. There’s a tendency to want the best of the best whenever you look for a new piece of equipment. This exists within the world of tools and well beyond it. I own a few different Knipex pliers and admittedly there’s only one example that I use on a consistent basis (although it happens to be the first set of Knipex gear I purchased, which certainly swayed my opinion during other buying opportunities).

For those seeking the quality, durability, and functional range of an elite product, Knipex is absolutely a great option. But standing alongside it is the Japanese Tsunoda brand. The company has been manufacturing tools since 1964 and it provides users with more than just quality pliers. Wrenches, bit tools, and crimping and compression offerings also feature in the brand’s catalog. This makes it a little more versatile than its German competitor. Another important point of contention is the reality that Knipex’s profile makes its goods far more expensive than many other options. Tsunoda doesn’t suffer from the same problem, and buyers can find a wide variety of Tsunoda equipment priced at surprisingly low figures, giving you excellent gear at budget friendly expenses.

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Ryobi is a brand that gets too much stick. Yet ToolGuyd calls it the best brand for DIY users and Pro Tool Reviews‘ survey named it joint-fifth best overall in 2024. The tool maker started out in die casting in the 1940s, but it didn’t take long to transition into tool manufacturing . Since 1968, Ryobi has been manufacturing and delivering power tools. In recent years its focus has remained within the budget friendly category, but this doesn’t mean that Ryobi equipment is only suited for DIY users and those looking to add new tool coverage at rock bottom pricing. Ryobi also makes heavy-duty gear and the brand’s lineup features nearly any kind of accessory equipment you might need. Ryobi makes soldering equipment, and it also delivers a huge catalog of rotary tool accessories to partner up with its rotary tool station.

The accessibility of Ryobi products is a big benefit. Ryobi equipment is powerful enough to tackle virtually any job you’ll encounter and lots of its offerings fall into a unique niche where budget friendly prices meet quality feature inclusions. All of these factors combine to make Ryobi a brand that most tool users can gain solid value from. Equipment can be found directly at the company’s website, online with other retailers like Amazon, and as an in store brand at Home Depot locations across the country. Overlooking the lime green power tools, accessory gear, and hand tool compliments is something to do at your peril.

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Irwin is a tool manufacturer that exists in a marketplace arena much like Stanley. Launching in 1885, Irwin first came to market as a tool brand delivering a patented auger bit. Today, Irwin is one of the most trusted hand tool brands across the market, but because of the prominence of others that deliver similar clamping solutions, bits, and other tool accessories, it falls within a crowded landscape of manufacturers and can sometimes be crowded out with all the noise.

Irwin is a brand that I particularly enjoy using. The manufacturer creates a huge variety of marking gear, measurement tools, clamps, and other pieces of gear like pliers, screwdrivers, and cutting equipment. Irwin offers a good crossover between favorable pricing and reliable equipment that won’t break or falter while you’re using it. This is a no=nonsense tool maker through and through, and in my opinion it’s genuinely a shame that it gets overlooked in favor of more prominent brands. You won’t find big ticket items in the Irwin catalog like circular saws or impact drivers, but if you’re looking for a reliable hacksaw blade, a good pair of pliers that won’t cost you a fortune, or other similar gear, Irwin is an ideal solution.