I’ve been researching this topic for an article I'm writing, and I wanted to get your input on the topic. Just a heads-up, I’m wearing my Tux Guevara shirt for this one.
We’re Getting Screwed on Power Tools
The level of profiteering on power tools in Australia is insane, and it's all driven by market control. First, we have the monopolisation of hardware stores by Bunnings, and then we’re locked into closed ecosystems like Ryobi, Ozito, and Makita’s battery systems.
Locking You In
If you invest in a battery ecosystem, you’re stuck. Gone are the days when you would buy any brand of corded power tool without worrying about compatibility. Now, brands like Ryobi entice you with sales on entry-level battery and tool combos, which seem like a great deal at first. But the problem comes when you need to buy additional tools.
Maybe you just need a cheap sander—nothing fancy, just something to get the job done. A cheap Ozito is good enough, but now you're faced with a choice: either buy new Ozito batteries or pay extra for a Ryobi tool to match the batteries you already own.
Ozito Isn’t That Cheap
We often think Ozito is the budget-friendly option, but that’s only because we compare it to higher-end brands like Ryobi, Makita, or DeWalt in Bunnings. In reality, Bunnings slashes the price of Ozito tools by as much as 50% just to compete with ALDI's Ferrex-branded tools, which already make a healthy margin. Bunnings, as the exclusive distributor of Ryobi and Ozito in Australia, holds a firm grip on both the budget and mid-range tool market and is making an absolute killing.
It’s Not Like Other Industries
This isn’t free market competition. It’s anti-competitive behaviour. When buying a smartphone, you can walk into JB HiFi, OfficeWorks, or order from Amazon and buy any number of devices and know it will be compatible with your USB-C chargers. This is real consumer choice and market competition.
The EU put a stop to Apple’s Lightning cables specifically because it was anti-competitive. While I’m not necessarily advocating for top-down regulation, consumers should reject these tactics. There's no reason there can’t be a universal battery standard for power tools—just like we have with AA or AAA batteries. In fact, there is one.
The Solution
Enter CAS (Cordless Alliance System). This is a universal, brand-agnostic system that already allows over 40 brands to share the same 18V battery packs. Unlike proprietary systems that force you into a specific brand, CAS gives you the freedom to mix and match tools across different brands without being locked in. CAS is currently the best example of an open, cross-brand battery platform, and I feel it genuinely deserves our support so that other brands adopt these batteries in the future.
Unfortunately, brands that use CAS batteries, such as Metabo, aren't yet as readily available or affordable in Australia as they don't yet have a foothold here (they're much more popular in Europe). It's interesting that Bunnings sells corded tools from Metabo, but battery tools need to be specially ordered. Total Tools does stock Metabo, and they also appear to have a promotion on at the moment so I may post that as a deal (I have no affiliation with Total Tools).
Hopefully, over time, CAS compatible tools will grow in popularity and come down in price, while other manufacturers adopt the CAS standard. Once they do, they will need to drop their prices across their ranges and not just their "loss leaders" that lock you into their ecosystem. It will also open up competition from stores other than Bunnings.
Of course, Bunnings and the larger tool manufacturers will fight this, but hopefully smaller tool manufacturers see this as an opportunity to shake up the market.
Invest In CAS Batteries Slowly
I'm heavily invested in an ecosystem already, so I'm going to do is begin slowly replacing my existing batteries with CAS batteries. As my existing batteries/tools die, I will buy CAS replacements.
I've also found a lot of CAS-to-Makita, CAS-to-Ryobi, CAS-to-DeWalt, etc (and reverse) adaptors online and will be doing some research on which of these are compatible, safe and reliable. CAS batteries have the BMS built directly into the battery. As these batteries become more popular, there's zero reason why manufacturers couldn't produce their own official adaptors.
I'm also aware that there's 36V, 48V, etc. I know that professionals are usually heavily invested in Makita and will be resistant to changing the tools they rely on to make their living, etc. I'm interested to hear any other obstacles you can think of.
How were we ever a frugal nation?