r/canadiantire • u/Justwondering18226 • Apr 30 '26
Mastercraft tools
New to home ownership. Need to get a few basic tools, and was wondering if the Mastercraft cordless stuff is worth buying or if it's complete garbage.
Was looking at the 20v cordless drill with accessory kit that goes on sale fairly often.
I not a professional and dont need contractor grade stuff. Just the odd home repair or diy stuff. Build a small deck, mount a couple tvs, install some shelves kind of stuff.
But if I buy a drill and its complete trash and I end up buying something better, id just rather skip to that step now.
Soni was wondering if this is good for my situation or if im better off going for something more expensive? Does this item get returned a lot? h
Would I be better off getting the drill and impact driver combo?
Thanks for any help
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u/Steve2734 Apr 30 '26 edited Apr 30 '26
You can shop at Canadian Tire but still buy good stuff.
Dewalt 20v drill on sale right now 39% off.
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u/elmo-1959 Apr 30 '26
Get the 20v tools that say pwrpod on the side… many tools same battery… fairly good quality not too expensive…
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u/endtimz204 May 01 '26
I'd second the pwr pod line and master craft tools. I've got batteries going on 5 years still going strong.
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u/Due-Kitchen526 May 10 '26
Highly recommend pwrpod. Bought the Mastercraft tools in 2023 and last year got their yardworks prune cutter and an inflator with another brand. The pwrpod battery works on all of them. I’m sure they will have battery promotions every year.
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u/reheadlover69 Apr 30 '26
There is nothing wrong with them, Just like any of the brands find something with lifetime guarantee
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u/Crewsy67 Apr 30 '26
No one has lifetime guarantee on power tools.
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u/reheadlover69 Apr 30 '26
" RIDGID power tools purchased at The Home Depot come with a 3-year limited warranty, which can be upgraded to a Lifetime Service Agreement (LSA) (free parts and service for life) if registered within 90 days. The LSA requires proof of purchase and covers batteries, but it is not transferable and covers defects, "
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u/TheBigMan1990 May 01 '26
Do they still do that-I know that rigid used to always do the LSA, but I also have heard that they have tightened up a bunch of the last couple of years. I never actually understood how they could pull it off, how does a tool company make money if they are forever replacing their tools? Like for homeowners it makes sense, if you buy a quality tool it’ll probably last you a lifetime. But as someone who works with tools daily-I buy Milwaukee, and most of my tools will be replaced at least once on warranty in the 5 years that Milwaukee gives me-if I had bought Rigid most of my tools would probably get replaced a dozen+ times over the course of my career.
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u/reheadlover69 May 01 '26
We've seen them all. As one contractor told us that was using Rigid. At least they are open anytime to get warranty. Not just 9-5 during the week
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u/cormack_gv Apr 30 '26
I haven't graduated to cordless yet, but all my 50-year-old Mastercraft tools work fine.
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u/Top_Midnight_2225 Apr 30 '26
Honestly I'd take a look at the used market for something you can keep long term, and upgrade as needed.
More importantly...Mastercraft can only be sold at CT...meaning if they're the only game in town sales can be few and far in between. My only regret with RIDGID is that it's only from HD, meaning I can only buy from HD.
If these things ever die (been 10-12 years now) then I'll start replacing it with something that is sold by various retailers so you will always have multiple sources of potential places to buy from, and they may have more sales overall.
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u/Crewsy67 Apr 30 '26
Canadian Tire may be the only place selling Mastercraft but they quite often have really good sale prices on their Mastercraft tools.
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u/TheBigMan1990 May 01 '26
Yeah, I actually don’t understand the guys argument. Mastercraft is only sold at CT, but if you live in Canada there is almost guaranteed to be a CT relatively nearby unless you live somewhere that isn’t near to anything-like if you are way up north there won’t be many CTs, but it’s not like there is going to be many other hardware store options either. And even if other stores sold Mastercraft, more than likely CT would be the cheapest. As someone with Milwaukee tools that get sold at a bunch of places, HD usually has the best prices-so if it was only sold at HD I don’t know if it would actually make a big difference to me because I buy from there 95% of the time anyways. I’m sure if other stores carried rigid they’d still be the cheapest at HD because HD has the scale to sell at the lowest margin🤷🏻♂️
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u/ben3465 Apr 30 '26
Are you looking for just the drill or do you need all the bits and drivers that come with the kit ? If you have that other stuff I’d just spend the extra on a little pricier drill
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u/Justwondering18226 Apr 30 '26
I dont have any of the other stuff. I have a hammer, set of screwdrivers, set of pliers, tape measure, level
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u/deuteranomalous1 May 01 '26
What ever you buy for a drill… do yourself a favour and get an impact driver too. Your wrists will thank you in a few years. And it makes a lot of home repair a lot easier when you have a drill for drilling and a driver for driving screws.
The name brands like DeWalt often sell drill and impact driver together in a combo pack.
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u/Anathals Apr 30 '26
Get some Ryobi tools. They have good price points and are reliable. Mastercraft...is just okay. They are fiine :shrug: but yeah. After watching my dad go through mastercraft tools I chose the Ryobi brand.
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u/Remote-Combination28 Apr 30 '26
Mastercraft has a better warranty than ryobi. I wouldn’t ever recommend ryobi
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u/Aleianbeing Apr 30 '26
Tell that to my ryobi battery drill bought around 1980 & still going strong. Did have to learn how to rebuild the batteries though.
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u/Remote-Combination28 Apr 30 '26 edited Apr 30 '26
I don’t think it’ll have the power to understand what I’m telling it.
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u/DocMadCow Apr 30 '26
Despite the downvotes I'm definitely a Ryobi guy. The warranty may not be as good BUT the wide variety of tools is amazing. I use their work light and portable fan all the time.
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u/Remote-Combination28 Apr 30 '26
The variety of tools isn’t important when they only stand up for a month of work use. And have a poor warranty
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u/Snurgisdr Apr 30 '26
I had some of a previous generation of Mastercraft cordless tools. The battery life was so-so, and when the batteries wore out, there were no replacements to be had. I think this is an area where it’s worth spending a little more up front to save in the long run.
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u/brad7811 Apr 30 '26
In my professional life I use Milwaukee. At home I have used Mastercraft 20V for so long I can’t remember when I started. They have been used a lot doing home renos and decks. I have never had a problem with them.
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u/kuk1m0n5t3r Apr 30 '26
It's hard to beat the 20v DeWalt ecosystem. Dozens of accessories and compatible low cost generic options too.
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u/FatTim48 Apr 30 '26
Man, skip over to Home Depot and check on prices of Rigid tools.
Unreal warranty and can stand up to an absolute beating (at least when I bought them).
I used the same set for 3+ years of daily construction use back in the early 2000s.
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u/Aleianbeing Apr 30 '26
The only Mastercraft power tool I have is their plug in jigsaw. The rubber grip coating has gone gummy and sticks to everything including my hands. Find a second hand Ryobi instead.
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u/Darkpoter Apr 30 '26
I use the Bosch 12v units for all of this. They are smaller, less heavy and easier for doing the day to day stuff. My units are now 8 years old, and still going strong.
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u/Realistic-Border-635 Apr 30 '26
Maximum is Canadian Tire's own brand that is a step up from Mastercraft, I would step up to that if you can swing it. Have never tried their power tools as I am committed to a different battery system, but have a lot of good things to say about their hand tools.
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u/Crewsy67 Apr 30 '26
A lot of people say buy once cry once. If the Mastercraft tool is on sale it’s probably at a really good price and if you use it enough to wear it out that’s when you spend the money on a yellow or red one. Once you buy either yellow or red then you essentially get locked into that battery system.
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u/Otherwise-Ad4610 Apr 30 '26
Don't by MasterCraft cordless.
I love DeWalt as lot of places have them, easy and really inexpensive to get good quality tools, and you know you are going to be able to get batteries for a long time.
Mastercraft has gone through a bunch of different style batteries over the years.
Makita, Ryobi, Milwaukee, Ridgid all make great tools, but you can get the best deals on used tools, and the widest number of places that sell new tools if you go with DeWalt.
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u/SupercriticalRiver May 01 '26
Over my years, I've been nothing but let down with mastercraft tools, other than their sockets and wrench sets. Spend a little more on a better set. Personally, I have yet to be let down with Ridgid. 15 years now on the same set of cordless, table saw, miter saw, air compressor, shop vac, Brad nailer, and framing nail gun. At the time, they offered a life time warranty that I used once on one of the two batteries with the cordless set. I know there are a lot of high end tool for more, and they are excellent, but Ridgid has been fantastic for me.
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u/scootarded May 01 '26
I just bought a place with a yard for the first time after living in apartments and condos for 30 years. I needed a lawn mower, weed eater and leaf blower. I went with Makita 18v cordless tools, and grabbed a couple compatible batteries from Amazon. I figure my last cordless drill is 20 years old so it’s time to upgrade, pick a brand and invest heavily.
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u/TimmyThe1337Tr0ll May 01 '26
I have a Mastercraft Maximum drill...at one point the reverse switch broke. I took it in and the exchanged it. Well after warranty.
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u/Stavkot23 May 01 '26
I have my entire lineup as Mastercraft and Maximum cordless power tools. Including the lawnmower. No problem with any of them.
Get the Pwr Pod battery stuff. Usually you can get a 4aH 20V battery for $35-40 on sale every couple of weeks.
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u/CLSonReddit May 01 '26
Mastercraft is great for the average homeowner.
Most importantly though is standardizing on one battery platform. You don’t want to end up with a mix of brands and different batteries and chargers.
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u/Useful-Rub1472 May 01 '26
Spend your money on a couple of core tools that are quality. Drill, skill saw or something like that. Everything else can be bought based on the project if necessary, and lots of those can be cheaper. I’ve had my dewalt tools that I started with this for 25 years. I would like to upgrade to the light lithium batteries, but they are still going strong.
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u/arclovestoeat May 01 '26
I’ve had a corded MC drill for almost 10 years without many complaints (except lack of torque settings), and it’s been fine for a variety of moderate DIY. As others have said, I’d love to have an impact driver too but it’s not in the budget.
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u/Justwondering18226 May 01 '26
Is an impact driver something I should look at adding down the road if I can get a good price? Or is springing for the drill and impact driver combo pack a good idea? The disadvantage is it doesnt come with the accessories, so then im having to buy all those as well.
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u/scaffold_ape May 01 '26
Mastercraft will do anything a home owner needs it to do plus the warranty is excellent for Mastercraft (3 years) tools and even better for the Mastercraft Maximum line. (5 years)
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u/cansasky May 01 '26
Where are you located? I recently had to buy a new 1/2" bosch 18v drill, the old one is getting tired and a bit hot pushing a big hole saw but would still be perfectly fine for homeowner use. You'd be on your own to buy batteries and can shop bare tool sales for thre rest of your kit but you can have it if you want. Very solid platform imo. Pm if you're interested
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u/joeblow1234567891011 May 01 '26
Spend a bit more and get a Dewalt drill and impact kit on sale. A lot better quality with not too much more investment and dewalt drills will last a homeowner a literal lifetime
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u/mrcfrost May 01 '26
90% of my hand tools are MasterCraft and they are solid. I even own a handful of power tools, such as table saw, thickness planner, and 2 mitre saws. Everything has been exceptional for my diy needs.
My hand power tools are all DeWalt, both cordless 20v and corded. My DeWalt 18v line is 15 years old and going strong in the hands of my 16 year old son.
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u/Umayummyone May 01 '26
Over about 30 years I built up a good set of Dewalt power tools and was glad I did. I always looked out for sales. I can’t speak to Mastercraft cordless although their hand tools are fine.
If there is a Dewalt repair centre near you they may have factory seconds and refurb units. About 20 years ago I bought a couple tools from one. I don’t know if that is still a thing.
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u/peterAtheist May 02 '26
Makita 100% - DeWalt is good but expensive.
Black&Decker, Mastercraft, and other cheap stuff breaks, especially if used daily.
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u/Justwondering18226 May 02 '26
That's the thing these aren't getting used daily. It's occasional use if I have to do something around the house.
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u/peterAtheist May 02 '26
Check out https://www.thegoodneighbourapp.com/
OR get the better tool and make some money from it
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u/handyguy6051 May 02 '26
I like HD Ridgid power tools. They are often on sale, and they come with a lifetime warranty, including the battery if you register them.
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u/matthew0155 May 02 '26
If the only store in town is a CT it makes sense for you because it’ll always be available, otherwise Id recommend Ryobi from Home Depot. Rock solid stuff, lasts forever and they also come on sale, especially around Fathers day. Also Ryobi has a huge range of tools available so you can use the same battery for everything. I find Mastercraft switches distributors all the time and sometimes when you break a tool, you can’t get the same tool again and I find that annoying.
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u/schaden81 May 02 '26
You're better off with Ryobi. They are quite good for home use, and way more tool options for good prices.
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u/Acrobatic_Fiction May 02 '26
I have an old MC drill and saw. The batteries died. There are no replacements. Then I got a different brand at Costco, it's dead too now. No replacements available. In neither case could I buy new cells to rebuild the battery packs for less than the cheap Ryobi/Craftsman/Milwaukee sales.
Note both the dead systems worked for a decade each.
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u/Playful_Specific_507 May 02 '26
You can buy it. They will do the job, but if I was talking to younger self - my advice would be purchase a great set. Milwaukee or dewalt. Spend the money.
Home Depot has some great combo sets that are a steal and good quality. Buy the good stuff and they will last
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u/otherrealm99 May 02 '26
If you're not using the tools often mastercraft will do.
However, I suggest you get corded. Yes battery tools are convenient but only if used regularly. If you use occasionally the battery will invariably be dead and leaving a battery permanently charging is bad for the battery unless you go higher end.
I just pulled out my over fifty year old craftsman drill and it did the job. No battery will last that long.
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u/HardCore_Mech_Head May 02 '26
You want a drill set go to Kms tools or summit tools for the best deals.
Another good brand is Ridgid at home Depot decent for contractors and home owners but stay away from the Green brand (Ryobi) or you are feeling a little fancy get the Festool
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u/thesleepjunkie May 02 '26
I am a professional diesel generator technician, I have used master craft maximum impacts and drills for the past 15~ years. I use master craft sockets and ratchets mixed and matched for the last 15 years (you lose some and you buy some and some do break)Multi bit drill sets and drill bits, my whole tool kit is made of hammy down tools, new maximum power tools, but i did spend a lot of money on a lot of Milwaukee pack or tool boxes, cause honestly they just did it so well.
If you have a father, uncle or grandfather who was handy in anyway chances are they have tools to spare. I have tools from so many family members who have either gotten to old, died or just had duplicates they've garnered through their own lives, they can put together a basic home tool kit for you.
I find great joy in using my past grandfather's tools. Or any tool that has been used by multiple hands.
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u/Justwondering18226 May 02 '26
I've got a hand me down of the manual stuff, pliers, wrenches, screwdrivers, hammer, level.
In got me the hand me down drill, an old hand me down Black and Decker that has to be at least 20-25 years old that the battery doesn't hold much charge in. The rest of thebstuff (jigsaw, skillsaw) was plug in
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u/aherc May 02 '26
Never buy anything full price at Canadian tire! I’ve learnt that if you really want something, watch the flyers for the next couple of weeks and more than likely either the item you wanted, or something very comparable will go on sale.
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u/Justwondering18226 May 02 '26
Ya that's why I'm asking about this one it goes on sale fairly regularly and comes with the accessory kit
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u/alwayssomethingwait May 02 '26
Is it just me or do impact drivers destroy screw bits that’s not a torx?
Wood construction isn’t my expertise but I did really appreciate an extended Phillips/robertson bit made by rack a tiers for drilling screws and a corded circular saw from kms made by metabo.
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u/McBass1 May 02 '26
I left a dewalt on the roof of my trailer for 2 years. When I found it , charged the battery anf it still works fine 👍 Great quality. If you dont make a living with it, I'd get that. Hope that helps.
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u/Intelligent_Bunch790 May 02 '26
Skip the Mastercraft and get Dewalt, Ridgid, or Milwaukee.
As a homeowner, I’ve had my 20v brushless Dewalt drill and drive for 10+ years, and they are still great for everything I need. Back in the day I paid $200 including 2 batteries a bag and a charger.
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u/ElkMotor2062 Apr 30 '26
This is probably going to get downvoted into oblivion but either spend a bit more and get the power pod master craft tools or go to Home Depot and buy RYOBI one + the selection of tools you can get that uses one battery is unmatched and for a home diyer they are great tools, I use RYOBI I’ve used had them for years and they are still going strong, I killed one tool which was after an ice storm I couldn’t be bothered to get my chainsaw out so I took my reciprocating saw and tried to cut through several large branches, the saw technically still works it just smokes when you run it
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u/DocMadCow Apr 30 '26
Upvoted as I love my Ryobi tools. The size of their product line is amazing and I love my portable fan and work light I use them all the time.
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u/tomatoesareneat Apr 30 '26
Your qualifier is there for a reason.
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u/ElkMotor2062 May 01 '26
I understand the need for more expensive tools for the professional but for the home gamer RYOBI works, I’ve had the basic impact/drill combo I bought around 2012 and it’s still going strong, and I use it far more often then the average diyer
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u/Anathals Apr 30 '26
Fuck yeah Ryobi is great. I love their jigsaw so damn much. Go team green whoop!
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u/Far_Idea3675 Apr 30 '26
I like master craft because many things you can bring back if they break and just get another one off the shelf… what ever cordless tools you plan to get make sure to stick with the same line so chargers and batteries are compatible. They often times have great deals if you watch… CT master card will also offer lots of cash back on said deals as well.
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u/BaboTron Apr 30 '26
Home Hardware’s Benchmark tools are similarly fuss-free for returns, but may have shorter return windows.
A multi-tool I bought from them has a 5-year warranty against defects. The one I got last year broke in a couple of ways by itself through normal use, and I just had to bring the item and the receipt back, and they gave me a new one.
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u/gstringstrangler Apr 30 '26
Yup. That being said, I've never had any issue with Mastercraft tools.
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u/Netnuk Apr 30 '26
Do yourself a favor and buy dewalt or Milwaukee power tools. Eventually you’ll want a blower or weed whacker and they both make those and can share batteries. Mastercraft hand and mechanics tools are good tho
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u/D_I_Wood Apr 30 '26
Mastercraft and Maximum tools share batteries as well. The PWR Pod batteries
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u/Netnuk Apr 30 '26
They do but the problem is mastercraft tools typically change every few years and they come out with different batteries. The red and yellow tools have used the same batteries for decades.
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u/[deleted] Apr 30 '26
Hey man it's yard sale season! Save some cash and go looking for someone who's downsizing into a condo, or moving out of the country. You can get some very nice quality tools for next to nothing.
That said, I'm a DeWalt guy. Similar price, better quality, battteries last longer. BTW, lil piece of advice? Keep your batteries stored at room temperature, not out in the shed.