Hitachi Power Tools changed its name to Metabo HPT (renamed from October 17, 2018). This officially separates the company from the rest of the Hitachi Group. Back in 2017, Hitachi acquired Metabo, bringing the German manufacturer on board. Shortly thereafter, investment firm KKR acquired Hitachi's power tool division. Later in 2022, Metabo HPT and Metabo will merge to become one power tool company.
While a rebrand is always in the news, it usually doesn't differ that much from the original brand name. For Hitachi, the move to the Metabo HPT has implications for their entire tool line, but probably just the air nailers. The nail gun series is very popular and Hitachi enjoys nearly 80% market share in some regions. Professionals accustomed to the Hitachi name and the apprentices they are training may hesitate for a moment when they see the different name on the packaging.
In short, Metabo HPT is just a different name. Same tools, same warranty, same battery. Batteries like the Hitachi MultiVolt can be used in the Metabo HPT MultiVolt tool. Hitachi 18V batteries can be used in Metabo HPT 18V tools and vice versa. It's really just a name change and nothing else. You'll see the same packaging and color scheme as the name.
When KKR bought Hitachi, we wondered if there would be a name change. Licensing a known name after such a purchase can be prohibitively costly. it is. Metabo HPT is expected to have around $500 million in sales in 2018, unlike Makita, TTI (Milwaukee, Ridgid, Ryobi, etc.) or Stanley Black & Decker (DeWalt, Stanley, Proto, MAC Tools), ETC. ).
At least not yet. Separating from the Hitachi group actually gave the company unprecedented freedom in tool development and marketing. We saw it on the Triple Hammer impact driver, and it clearly marks a change in Hitachi's wireless capabilities. Since then, each tool seems to have improved significantly over the previous generation. Expect this trend to continue as Hitachi is looking to innovate to pack more power into smaller packages, such as their line of AC brushless hammers.
Another change you'll notice is the brand's tagline. "Inspire the Next" will move from a vague philosophical statement to "durability first" as they focus on their tool's goals.
final thoughts
To quickly summarize the whole rebrand, it's a matter of a new name, more freedom to innovate, same tools, wireless compatibility and warranty. Whether you're a current Hitachi user or a future Metabo HPT user, there's nothing to worry about.