Whether it is the holiday season, a birthday, or a housewarming party, finding the perfect gift for the handy person in your life is never easy.
As professional roofers in Calgary, we live with power tools in our hands every day. We know what works and what breaks. We also know that buying power tools for someone else is a high-stakes game. In the trade world, choosing a tool brand is almost like being sorted into a house at Hogwarts. There is deep loyalty and strong opinions. Once you pick a team, you are usually in it for life.
Before you rush to the hardware store for that perfect power tool gift, here is a guide from the team at Whalley’s Four Seasons Roofing on how to get it right.
The “Stop and Think” Rule: Should You Even Buy It?
Before you wrap up that shiny new impact driver, you need to pause. While tools seem like the perfect gift for a handy person, there are a few reasons why you might want to reconsider.
The Business Tax Write-Off Factor
This is something people often forget. If you are buying a gift for a professional trades person or a contractor, remember that tools are a business expense for them. A contractor can write off the cost of a new saw or drill on their taxes. If you buy it for them as a personal gift using your money, they lose that tax advantage.
However, sometimes if you are gifting as a business owner to your employees or partners, then it makes perfect sense. You get the write-off and they get a great tool. It really depends on who is doing the buying.
Avoiding the “Brand Lock-In”
If the person you are buying for does not have tools yet, the first brand you buy decides their future. If they do have tools, you need to match what they currently own. You do not want to be the person who buys a Makita drill for a die-hard Milwaukee fan.
The Best Gifts Are Often Not the Tools Themselves
If you know what brand of battery your friend or family member uses, you don’t always have to buy them a drill or a saw. In fact, the best gifts are often the “odd” ones they would never buy for themselves.
Most major tool brands make fun lifestyle items that run on the same batteries as the construction tools. We are talking about things like:
- Jobsite Radios or Bluetooth Speakers: Great for the garage or the backyard.
- Battery Powered Coffee Makers: Perfect for camping or long days on site.
- Heated Jackets: A life saver in our Alberta winters.
- Portable Fans or Lights: Always useful to have around the house.
These are the things a contractor might look at in the store and think is “cool” but won’t spend the money on because they need to buy work gear instead. That makes them the perfect gift. You are giving them something fun that still fits into their system.
The Battery Ecosystem: Why Compatibility Trumps Performance
The most important thing to know about modern tools is that battery compatibility is more important than the tool itself.
It is difficult to switch brands once you have started collecting batteries. The batteries are often the most expensive part of the kit. If your recipient already owns three DeWalt batteries, buying them a Ryobi saw is a headache because now they need a new charger and a completely different battery.
If you are totally stuck, a Battery Adapter can be a smart choice. These allow you to use one brand of battery on a different brand of tool. It solves the compatibility problem and saves them money in the long run. But one battery family will always trump these adapters.
This also opens up some really cool “hacks”—like powering your household appliances with your pro-grade batteries. We’ve seen people use adapters to run their Dyson stick vacuums off DeWalt or Milwaukee batteries. Who doesn’t want their vacuum to last twice as long?
A Quick Warning on Adapters: If you go this route, double-check the voltage ratings. You need to make sure the battery voltage matches what the tool or vacuum can handle. Plugging a high-voltage professional battery into a smaller device that isn’t ready for it can fry the electronics. It’s a great trick, just make sure you read the specs first!
Whalley’s Pick: Why We Are “Team DeWalt”
At Whalley’s Four Seasons Roofing, we use DeWalt.
We don’t say this because of a sponsorship. We say it because of trust. In the roofing business, tools take a beating. They get dropped off ladders, covered in dust, and used in freezing temperatures.
We have real-world proof of why we trust them. We had a DeWalt drill purchased in 2010 that was used constantly for commercial and residential roofing work. It finally broke in 2023. That is 13 years of continuous service from a single tool.
That being said, we have respect for the competition. We know plenty of trades people who love Milwaukee or Makita. The debate will likely never end, but for our roofs, we stick with what we trust.
Buying for the DIYer or New Homeowner
If you are buying for a family member just moving into their first home, or someone who just likes to do small projects, you don’t necessarily need the same pro-grade gear we use.
- Budget-Friendly Options: Brands like Ryobi, or Ridgid offer great value. If they are only hanging pictures or fixing a fence once a year, these tools will do the job perfectly well.
- The Perfect Starter Combo: If they have no tools at all, look for a combo kit that includes a Drill and an Impact Driver, and maybe add an Oscillating Multi-Tool. These can be expensive, so it might be a good idea to team up with other family members to split the cost or build the kit over time depending on your budget. Those three tools will solve 90% of household problems.
- Why the Oscillating Multi-Tool? It really lives up to its name. It is essentially the Swiss Army Knife of power tools. It can sand corners, cut drywall, scrape up old linoleum, and cut through pipes in tight spaces. It is the one tool that saves the day when nothing else will work.
- Outdoor Expandability: Look at the outdoor equipment. If the tool brand makes a good leaf blower or lawn mower that uses the same battery as the drill, that offers huge value to a new homeowner.
If You Are Unsure, Just Ask
This advice does not fit everyone. Some people are very particular about their gear. If you are unsure, ask their spouse, their friends, or even ask them directly.
In the end, it is okay to gift something else. Don’t stress yourself out trying to guess the model number of a circular saw. A gift card to the local hardware store or a nice dinner is better than a tool they can’t use.
Research and Reliability
If you still want to buy a tool and want to see how they actually compare, we recommend checking out channels like Project Farm. He tests tools until they fail and gives you an honest look at which brands hold up under pressure. For instance, here is a video about impact drivers.
When to Put the Tools Down and Call a Pro
Good tools are not cheap. They are an investment. Whether you go with the budget option or the pro-grade beast, you want it to last.
But remember, the most important part of any tool is the person holding it. You can buy the best equipment on the market, but that doesn’t come with the years of experience needed to know exactly how and when to use it properly. A pro-grade nail gun won’t fix a leak if you don’t know where the water is coming from.
If you are looking at the price of a high-end drill, a nail gun, and a 30-foot ladder and feeling a little overwhelmed, remember that you don’t have to do the work yourself.
If the project is too big, or the tools are too expensive, reach out to Whalley’s Four Seasons Roofing. We’ve already got the tools, and the experience to use them right.
