When I visited Hitachi in February, they only embargoed one big announcement. Today I can finally tell you what that announcement was all about.
Advertisement
Hitachi Power Tools will now be known as Metabo HPT in North America. You may have recently heard that Hitachi would be known as Hikoki. That will only be true in the European and Asian markets.
The transition will take place over the next two years and the first new tools launched under this name will be the new MultiVolt platform slated to come out in September 2018. At the same time, they plan on converting their fasteners and accessories to the new Metabo HPT name. Following in the next quarter, they want to finish converting the branding for all current tools.
During the transition period, all of the in-store signage and packaging will have both logos, emphasizing the transition from Hitachi to Metabo HPT.
The current Hitachi color scheme won’t change. Also, all Hitachi tools and accessory model numbers will stay the same, except an M will be added to the end. Fasteners will have an HPT added to the end of the model number.
The name change also won’t effect the warranty on your current Hitachi tools.
Advertisement
As you may have heard, Hitachi Koki, the parent company of Hitachi Power Tools, recently announced that it’s changing it’s name to Koki Holdings. Metabo HPT will be one of the brands Koki Holdings owns joining Metabo, Hikoki, and other companies like Tanaka.
Metabo HPT will be completely separate from Metabo, and so they will not share battery platforms or tools. They serve two different market segments. Metabo serves the metal working/industrial market segment while Metabo HPT serves the residential/multifamily construction market.
You might have noticed recently that Metabo has been trying to push into other US markets that would overlap with Hitachi, but Hitachi did not elaborate on how this new scheme would affect those efforts.
The reason for the name change is that they are no longer part of the large corporation known as Hitachi, which sells everything from consumer products to automotive equipment. Hitachi acquired Metabo a few years ago, and last year both brands were sold by Hitachi to KKR, a private equity firm.
Metabo HPT also said they want to expand their role in the residential and multifamily construction and enter into the electrical and plumbing tool markets.
Greg
I wonder how this will affect the quality of tools from these two brands.
Stuart
Shouldn’t really affect tool quality.
fred
I think that this might be good news. Leveraged buyouts form equity firms like KKR can sometimes result in companies being split up, pieced out, sold off, loaded up with debt and/or pushed into bankruptcy (witness the Toys-R-Us situation). The fact that they are taking this re-branding step – indicates (IMO) that KKR has longer-term ideas for Hitachi and Metabo tools – beyond just milking the companies dry.
Jim Felt
fred.
You are ever the optimist. We can only hope in the case of KKR you’re correct.
Nathan
I can see Hitachi wanting their name off of anything made under the new scheme. Probably a good idea on their part.
It will be interesting to see how it goes from there. I’ve liked some of their ideas in the past and I like some of that metabo made previously.
Hang Fire
Hitachi as a whole is a keiretsu, or conglomerate (best available translation), not a corporation. Parts of it may be incorporated. Japanese companies are typically structured in this fragmented but co-ownership fashion to prevent corporate takeovers, limit outsider influence, and isolate liability.
Benjamen
That makes sense. I’ve always had a hard time understanding how all the Hitachi brands were related.
It might also help explain some of the things Metabo HPT (I’m using that name because it’s much less ambiguous) told us that I still haven’t sorted out.
Robin
Yeah that actually makes it a bit clearer for me too. I’ve heard about this before but never connected it with Hitachi, but they’ve had their hands in everything from big screen tvs to forklifts.
Joe
I’d stay away from either brand….personally
Ben
I don’t see why, both companies make very decent products, and some of them are even category leaders. The main problem of both companies is more the fact that they aren’t as widely available as Dewalt, Milwaukee, Makita and Bosch. If they were just as popular, it wouldn’t be an issue. Just my 0.02$
fred
Hitachi pneumatic nail guns were excellent performers for us.
Many folks also seem to like Hitachi routers.
Metabo grinders are high class tools found in many industrial settings.
IMO – based on past performance – they continue to be worthy of consideration
Duke5572
Tell that to anyone that uses air nailers. Hitachi’s high line stuff is the industry standard.
Brian K
I bought a Hitachi Brad nailer because I had heard so many good things….it is a piece of shit. The brads constantly get stuck under the slide, forcing you to force the damn thing open and reset. I have zero confidence that it drives a nail at all. I’m also not the only person to have that problem…
Jon Miller
Weird. Hitachi and Max are the two best nailers I’ve used in any category. Never an issue whatsoever. Did you try different brads? I’ve had far more problems that were traced to bad fasteners (even from big names) than I have with quality guns.
andrew
bad nails try any other brand, probably wasn’t the gun
WilliamTx
I never had my 18 gauge jam once….ran several boxes, 5000 per box, through it over the months…not one hangup. Might be the nails for sure man.
Craig
I’ve been considering purchasing their C10RJ table saw since I can’t afford a cabinet table saw for home right now. Acme has it for $349 right now and I was hoping to possibly find slightly cheaper somewhere as Father’s Day approaches. This switching of brand names and the possibility of a liquidation sell off in the future scares me. Anyone have a suggestion for another brand at comparable price and right rip capacity (35 inches)?
fred
Its actually cheaper at Amazon (same $349 – but ACME adds a $49 handling charge)
https://www.amazon.com/Hitachi-C10RJ-15-Amp-Jobsite-Capacity/dp/B01N5PY1E8
fred
I see that the Amazon $349 price does not include a blade.
I don’t see that as a deal breaker – because the blades that the manufacturers usually bundle in are of questionable quality for anything but rough work.
You may have to pay a it more – but invest in a better quality blade from Freud (or Forrest if your budget allows)
Duke5572
I’d pull the trigger on the Hitachi. That’s a good price for a solid saw, and there isn’t a whole lot that can go wrong with it.
Nathan
Had I not bought a dewalt some years ago (check out CPO outlet for a reconditioned one) I’d have looked long and hard at the hitachi one.
I think the new bosch or skilsaw has the rack and pinion fence now also. so maybe check that out.
speaking of off topic.
Blythe
They will have to market this very clearly. I know lots of residential construction guys that love hitachi nailers but probably don’t know much about metabo. Also the non compatibility of the cordless tools will probably cause lots of confusion, too bad they can’t solve that somehow
D
This could be confusing. They should use the Hikoki name instead.
Diplomatic Immunity
“Hitachi Power Tools will now be known as Metabo HPT”
Ok… so is there going to be a Metabo AND a Metabo HPT OR is it going to be JUST Metabo HPT?
Diplomatic Immunity
Nevermind. I apparently can’t read.
“Metabo HPT will be completely separate from Metabo, and so they will not share battery platforms or tools. They serve two different market segments. Metabo serves the metal working/industrial market segment while Metabo HPT serves the residential/multifamily construction market.”
That sucks. Should have made it ALL one platform.
Flotsam
Hitachi had a very good rep particularly related to Nailers. I bought one of their Finishing nailers.
I hope they can keep the quality up. Also i am wondering if there is going to be a push to sell off existing stocks of Hitachi branded tools. Maybe some deals can be had?
Jon Miller
YES, PLEASE! Though I just bought their 12″ slider less than a month ago. If they’re going to drop prices I hope they’ll do it while I have a chance of getting a price match!
Mike
It might be a bad move, people are very tool loyal and changing the name might lose a lot loyal customers, take Milwaukee for instance say they changed the name to Hong Kong tools people would jump ship in a heartbeat
mattd
yea but metabo is considered a premium tool name where as hong kong would be an unknown name. it would be more like Stanley acquiring craftsman and selling their c3 line under the dewalt brand.
satch
You bet Matt. Metabo grinders are class leaders. And at one time they made a pretty good jigsaw if I remember corectly. I do hope they can avoid the confusion two similar brand names couldmeadily create in the same market. I wonder what patents/trademarks/contracts or similar precipitated this? I wouldn’t think it was by choice.
Jason. W
Now the real question…..
How do you pronounce metabo?
fred
I’ve heard it as Meh Tah Bow – with the accent on the second syllable
taras
Fred has it right.
Ray D
Respect to any man who makes sure he pronounces the name of his tool correctly.
richard
Im not even trying to speak Chinese, I can say Hitichee and I’m going with that, F-em.
Ed Regua
I believe Hitachi is Japanese, not Chinese. Chinese names are usually one syllable.
ktash
I’ve used Hitachi drills and thought the ergonomics were great. The same reason I like Makita drills, ergonomics. I would have strongly considered Hitachi except that they are not widely available and don’t have the cordless tool line that Makita has. It’s too bad that they won’t make the new batteries interchangeable. Not a good sign for their cordless tools. Who is going to buy into a whole new line when other brands are more attractive due to so many other cordless tools to add on.
It’s like Lowe’s house brand, Kobalt. They make great cordless saws and their batteries are a great price. But they can’t compete with Ryobi and their vast array of innovative tools. I expected to see more variety Kobalt cordless tools when they first came out with this line, but it seems limited to just a few basic things. Fine for a homeowner who doesn’t do much DIY. I’ll continue to use and love the cordless, way better than Ryobi, but that’s about it.
ktash
Also, I love my corded Hitachi non-sliding miter saw. Dead square in all ways right out of the box, on sale under $100. A saw I can trust to cut square. Hitachi would be at the top of my list for another miter saw. Hope they don’t mess this up.
Jon Miller
I just bought their 12″ slider last month. Best stock blade I’ve ever used (not quite the quality of a really good crosscut blade, but very good for stock), square right out of the box, etc. Quality is excellent, it’s quieter than any other I’ve used, plenty of power, and $200+ cheaper than DeWalt, Bosch, or Delta with similar features.
Matt
I agree with the above comments on marketing confusion. I’m sure they just didn’t have a choice though so… For example, a couple of my family members are Hitachi guys, every bit as brand loyal to the green as the red & yellow guys are to their colors. But now if they buy a new tool and it doesn’t say ‘Hitachi’ and if by chance it isn’t Hitachi Green, I’ll be honest and say I don’t know if they’d buy. It sounds completely ridiculous but people are very brand loyal when it comes to tools (and cars) for whatever reason.
Now I could be wrong about them but even to newcomer’s, if DeWalt let’s say took on a different tool line but changed that tool line to DeWalt HPT, 99% of the buying population are going to think it’s a DeWalt. If I didn’t read this site and walked into a Menard’s or something and saw Metabo HPT on a tool, I’m going to think it’s a Metabo tool. It may be the ‘HPT’ version of that Metabo (which I’d probably think to myself meant High Performance Tool) but it’s still a Metabo. I would draw Zero correlation to Hitachi.
I do hope it works for them but I’d almost have to assume there’s a long term strategy to just call everything Metabo at some point. Right now they’d be just trying to bring the Hitachi loyalists over into the fold. I could be wrong though.
Cr8on
Spotted in stock and on display at Menards.
J-F. Hammer
Metabo had an excellent reputation in Germany where I live.
Had…
Some of their latest tools are cheaply made, and not worth their price tag.
And as to their “class leading grinders”, I could easily name half a dozen better brands (the real class leader being Fein).
As long as I don’t know if a tool is really a Hitachi, and not a “repainted” Metabo I’ll pass.
Stuart
Metabo is Metabo.
Metabo HPT is Hitachi.
From what I’ve seen, there’s zero cross-talk between the two brands.
David
I have owned a 240v orange and grey Hitachi Combo 2-speed drill with circular saw and jigsaw attachments since around 1975. It still works perfectly. Well cared for quality tools from another era.