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Here in North America, major power tool brand Metabo Tools is now going by the name Metabo HPT, HPT referring to Hitachi Power Tools, which acquired the brand in 2016. Later, in 2017, a global investment firm called KKR partnered with Hitachi Koki Co. Ltd. to acquire Hitachi’s power tool division. That move allowed the power tool business to exist separately from the rest of the parent company’s business.

In 2018, Metabo introduced the Metabo HPT line. While Metabo and Metabo HPT were both owned by the same parent organization, they were positioned as separate brands. Metabo continued to focus on grinding, drilling, and specialty metalworking tools, while Metabo HPT was more about things like pneumatic nailers, woodworking tools, and other tools for DIY projects or professional job sites using the MultiVolt platform. Now, though, the two have officially become one (at least in North America): Metabo tools will now start taking on the Metabo HPT name.

Right off the bat, the first thing Metabo users will notice about the Metabo HPT rebrand is the color scheme. Metabo tools always have pops of red or orange among the green, while the Metabo HPT tools are way more green with only the occasional use of red or orange. Beyond these minor differences in color, very little is actually changing. The tools themselves are staying the same, and that goes for everything from performance and durability to internal components and build quality. Even model numbers are mostly staying intact, with only some small adjustments to distributor systems to help with new labeling.

In reality, that means a framing nailer or impact driver ordered under the Metabo HPT name is effectively the same tool professionals have relied on for years under the Hitachi banner. If it sounds more confusing, it’s actually the opposite. In North America, the shift toward the Metabo HPT name across the board means no more overlapping product lines, no more incompatible products, and a more unified family of cordless tools built around the brand’s MultiVolt platform.