What Every Woodworker Needs to Buy Before Prices Skyrocket
If you buy power tools, even just once in a while, you need to read this before you head to the store this spring. One of the biggest tool conglomerates on the planet (the same one that owns Milwaukee and RYOBI) just quietly killed off one of their own brands. It wasn’t a recall. It wasn’t quality issues. It was the math, plain and simple. And the reason their CEO gave in the official stock exchange announcement tells you everything you need to know about where cordless tool prices are headed in 2026 and beyond.
In this post, I’m going to break down exactly what’s driving these increases, which tools you should buy now to save money, which ones you can wait on, and the sneaky tricks brands are already pulling on combo kits to hide the price hikes. Let’s get into it.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. It helps keep the tool deals coming, so thanks for your support! Prices are valid at the time of posting but are subject to change at any time.
Quick Links to Everything Mentioned in the Video
If you scanned the QR code from the video, this section is for you. Here’s every tool, battery, and resource I talked about, all in one place.
Want to verify everything I’m about to share? I put all the sources in one place. Check the Tool Price Sources page for the official documents and announcements I quoted in the video.
Batteries to Buy Before the Price Increase
Tools I Personally Recommend
Combo Kits (Highest Battery Tax Risk)
Saw Blades and Router Bits (Stock Up on Carbide)
Daily Tool Deal Pages
Why Power Tool Prices Are Going Up in 2026
You don’t need a degree in global supply chain logistics to understand what’s happening. There are three simple facts driving this, and they all hit the price tag you see on the shelf.
Fact 1: The Chinese Battery Tax Rebate Is Disappearing
The Chinese government has been giving battery manufacturers a tax kickback for years called a VAT export rebate. That rebate is a big part of why your cordless tools have stayed affordable.
Here’s what changed:
April 1, 2025: The rebate on battery products was cut by one third.
January 1, 2027: The rebate goes to zero.
The manufacturers absorbed most of that first cut. They are not going to absorb the second one. That cost is getting passed straight to you and me.
Fact 2: One of the Biggest Tool Companies Just Killed a Brand Over Profitability
TTI, the parent company of Milwaukee and RYOBI, just discontinued the Hart Tools brand. The CEO didn’t blame product issues or recalls. He said in the official stock exchange announcement that the decision “further supports our ability to deliver our medium-term internal profitability objectives” and cited rising tariffs as a key factor.
When the company that runs Milwaukee tells you straight up that the math for budget cordless tools is broken, that’s a serious warning shot.
Fact 3: Copper Prices Hit a Record High
Copper is in every brushless motor on the market. And in 2026, copper hit a record high of over $6 per pound on COMEX. The brands that refuse to cut corners on motor quality, the Milwaukees, the DeWalts, the Boschs of the world, have no choice but to pass that cost along.
Here’s the thing though. Old inventory is still sitting on store shelves right now at the old prices. Once that old stock runs out, the new pricing kicks in. That’s your window.
What You Should Buy Right Now Before Prices Increase
Not every tool is going to take a hit. Some categories are in the bullseye. Here are the six categories where I’d be making moves right now.
1. Cordless Combo Kits and Standalone Batteries
This is ground zero for the battery tax. The battery is the most expensive component in any cordless kit. If you want proof, just look at standalone battery prices. A Milwaukee M18 Forge 12 amp hour battery costs several hundred dollars on its own.
If you’ve been on the fence about getting into a battery platform or upgrading to bigger batteries, this is the best time in years to pull the trigger.
A few platforms I personally recommend:
Milwaukee M18 is one of the strongest platforms on the market. Massive tool selection, and the M18 Track Sawis my favorite track saw, period.
DeWalt makes some unbelievable tools. Their cordless plunge router is the best plunge router on the market in my opinion.
RYOBI is the budget pick that punches way above its weight. The ONE+ HP line is fantastic. Just look at the platform as a whole and figure out what tools you’ll want over time. If you ever plan on getting a track saw, RYOBI isn’t my pick. But for almost everything else, you can’t go wrong.
2. Brushless Tools
Brushless motors give you better battery life and more power. They also use a lot of copper. With copper prices where they are, expect cordless brushless tools to climb steadily.
If you’re sitting on a brushed kit and wishing you’d upgraded, now is the time. Pieces like the RYOBI ONE+ HP brushless barrel grip jigsaw are some of the best I’ve ever used in their category.
3. Cordless Sanders
This one trips people up because folks don’t think of sanders as copper-heavy tools. But most cordless sanders run brushless motors now, which means the same copper pressure applies.
If you’re shopping for a sander, I tested over 30 of them across every popular brand and put the results in my cordless sander showdown video. The winners might surprise you.
4. Saw Blades, Router Bits, and Anything With Carbide
Most people don’t think about consumables when prices go up, but they should. Carbide tipped blades and bits use tungsten carbide, and the raw materials are seeing serious export pressure out of China. The brands that use real, quality carbide are going to feel this first.
If you can stock up on a few quality blades now, you’ll save money down the road. Brands I recommend:
CMT Orange Chrome Blades (my personal favorites)
5. Track Saws and Premium Cordless Tools
If you’re already on a battery platform and you’ve been eyeing a premium tool like the Milwaukee M18 Track Saw, buying it now is almost certainly cheaper than waiting. Premium cordless tools take the biggest hit when copper and battery costs both move up at the same time.
6. Anything From a Quality Brand You’ve Been Putting Off
Tracking deals every single day, I’m already watching real price creep. Tools that lived at $199 on sale now sit at $229. Tools that hit $500 last year are showing up at $550 this year. The increases aren’t coming. They’re here.
The Combo Kit Trick You Need to Watch For
Here’s where you have to be sharp. Brands don’t love advertising price increases, so a lot of them will keep the price of a combo kit the same and quietly downgrade what’s in the box.
A year or two ago, a $199 combo kit might have included a drill, a driver, and two 5 amp hour batteries. The easy way for brands to keep that $199 price point in 2026 is to swap those out for two 1.5 amp hour batteries. You’re still paying $199, but you’re getting way less runtime.
Tool Shopper Rule Number 410: Don’t Just Look at the Price
When you’re comparing combo kits, do this:
Check battery amp hours first. Look for kits that include 4, 5, or 6 amp hour batteries.
Then look at the price. A $199 kit with two 5 amp hour batteries is a deal. A $199 kit with two 1.5 amp hour batteries is not.
Verify the tool models. Some brands swap out brushless tools for brushed versions in promotional kits.
Right now you can still find combo kits with high quality batteries included, like the DeWalt Power Stack and Power Pack kits or the Milwaukee high output and Forge battery kits. Grab those while they last.
Practical Safety Reminder Before You Start Buying
A quick note since I’m a stickler on this stuff. Saving money on tools is great, but saving money on safety gear is not. If you’re upgrading your shop, please don’t skip the basics:
Always use a push stick or a Gripper when ripping narrow stock on the table saw. Hands away from the blade.
Set up featherboards for repeated cuts. They keep stock tight and prevent kickback.
Wear hearing and eye protection. Cordless impact drivers and brushless circular saws are loud.
Unplug or remove the battery before changing blades or bits. Every single time.
Read the manual when you get a new platform. I know, I know. Just do it.
Light at the End of the Tunnel
I’m not here to stress you out. There’s real hope here.
Brands Are Already Adjusting
A lot of these companies are making moves to dodge the worst of this. TTI is already manufacturing tools in Mexico, which sidesteps the China battery tax. Their 2025 interim report mentions “manufacturing network rebalancing” as part of their capital expenditure spend. Translation: they’re moving parts of their supply chain so they can build more of these things outside of China.
Stanley Black & Decker (parent of DeWalt and Craftsman) said in their Q2 2025 earnings call that the company “is executing a robust plan designed to mitigate tariffs” and is leveraging the strength of their North American footprint. They’ve already delivered $2.1 billion in cost savings since 2022 through their global cost reduction program.
So when you see “Made in Mexico” on your DeWalt or Milwaukee box going forward, that’s the company working to keep prices down. Good on them.
You Can Always Catch a Deal
This is what I do. Every single day, I track deals across Amazon, Home Depot, Lowe’s, Rockler, and Acme Tools. Even in a rising price environment, there are real deals every single week.
Free daily tool deals delivered to your inbox. Sign up for The Cut List, my free daily tool deals email. Best deals across all the major retailers, sent to you every morning. No fluff, no spam.
You can also bookmark my brand-by-brand deal pages:
Are You Building a Woodworking Business?
If you’re running a small woodworking business out of your garage or shop and trying to figure out how to actually make money at it, that’s exactly what we work on inside Sawdust Startups, my coaching community on Skool. It’s 500+ woodworkers who are all building real businesses, sharing what works, and figuring out the money side of the craft together. If that sounds like your kind of place, come check it out.
