In my opinion Milwaukee for 12v and speciality tools and Dewalt for 18v.
Hilti, Flex, Stihl, Bosch, Mafel, Ego, ?
I have Bosch stuff but corded and I have milwaukee stuff also corded. and my cordless is Dewalt which I do like but I still cross shop. Sadly once you get into a battery platform it’s sort of hard to move out of one.
which is why I won’t buy craftsman, or Ryobi or even Ridgid cordless at this point. Nothing wrong with them really I just don’t want that system.
my OPE right now is Echo Cordless but I’m giving thought to move over to Dewalt there for the flexvolt trimmer and saw.
That happens to be my main configuration as well: M12 + 20VMax/Flexvolt. I have many tools in both lines and I’ve been quite happy with both. I do wish I had bought the Dewalt 5 1/2" circular saw instead of the M12 but the M12 works well enough that I haven’t bothered to replace it. But I still find the need for a few tools which neither brand makes so I have a Makita bandfile and a Metabo compact recip saw both of which I run on Dewalt batts using adapters.
I think it also depends on exactly what your work is. I like M12 for its automotive tools. The battery-in-the-handle is more ergonomic than a fat brick hanging off the handle when it comes to tools used in tight spaces inside a car. If I didn’t do any auto or mechanic type work then I don’t think I’d be on a 12V platform at all, and if I was it would likely be Dewalt. If I was doing a lot more metal fab than I do now I’d seriously be looking at Hilti or Metabo as a main platform because they have a lot more industrial grinders than Dewalt, Milwaukee, etc.
Both brands have some great OPE. The M12 Hatchet mini chainsaw is a wonderful pruning tool. The Flexvolt chainsaw, trimmers, and blowers are all fantastic.
That’s my setup too, though I’m sure I have fewer tools than you guys. I also have a few corded Bosch tools.
I like M12 for furniture work, where the loads aren’t huge and there’s lots of reaching and twisting at odd angles. The lighter, smaller tools are easier to handle, and M12 is plenty strong enough. I guess I could’ve gone with DeWalt 12 v or something, but Milwaukee has a huge lineup in M12 (though I’ll never use most of them.)
But for heavier work, I just shopped for individual tools and 20V Max has some great ones (cordless router, 6 1/2" brushless circ, cordless sander), so that’s where I ended up.
I guess since I’m on Craftsman, Dewalt by Proxy?
I agree that the M12 line is king of 12v though. I might give it a go if I decide to go with a smaller footprint.
Without more specific info this is likely as good a suggestion as anything. M12 is very capable for many projects/jobs and has the best 12v line. Im a big milwaukee fan but dewalt makes solid tools and is likely more ergonomic. Ryobi is great for the money and variety of tools, they hold up well enough for most people and batteries are fairly affordable Ridgid is good if you can keep up with the paperwork and keep their LSA up to date. Hilti is for pros(IMO)and forever rebuildable/servicable. Kobalt 24v seems to be good value, good performance and under the radar. Flex has been getting good reviews but its very new. OPE is its own category with its own heroes.
It depends for what purpose do you need to use the chainsaw. Milwaukee and Dewalt both are good chainsaws.