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GTokley.
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September 30, 2018 at 5:24 pm #699373
“TOKYO, Nov. 1, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — Hitachi Koki Co., Ltd. (http://www.hitachi-koki.com/), a leading manufacturer of power tools and life-science equipment, announced on November 1 that the company will change its corporate name to Koki Holdings Co., Ltd., effective June 1, 2018, and will rebrand its full line of power tools known as HITACHI and/or Hitachi Koki under the new HiKOKI (*) (pronounced “hai-koh-key”) name, effective October 1, 2018.”
So effective tomorrow, Hitachi tools become Hikoki tools.
Has anyone seen new tools branded Hikoki yet?
Didn’t see much significant sale of the old branded tools either.
September 30, 2018 at 5:31 pm #699374Doobie
ModeratorIs this maybe why all the Hitachi stuff has been on sale or clearance at our Lowes stores here in Canada since earlier this year?
September 30, 2018 at 5:33 pm #699375I thought Hitachi and Metabo merged earlier, what happened to that?
September 30, 2018 at 5:39 pm #699378Is this maybe why all the Hitachi stuff has been on sale or clearance at our Lowes stores here in Canada since earlier this year?
I thought Hitachi and Metabo merged earlier, what happened to that?
After looking a bit further, it appears what is going to happen is:
In North America, Hitachi will be renamed to Metabo HPT.
Outside of the USA, Hitachi will be Hikoki. Hitachi is actually “Hitachi Koki” all along so this is just consolidation of an existing name.October 1, 2018 at 6:42 am #699411Lots of changes. Hitachi/Hikoki/Matabo HPT.
Automotive Pro
Fayetteville, NCOctober 1, 2018 at 6:59 am #699414Hard to understand the reasoning there. Hitachi and Metabo are both good, respected names. Why not cash in on that brand identity?
BE the change you want to see.
Even if you can’t Be The Pro… Be The Poster you’d want to read.October 1, 2018 at 7:26 am #699416Even though Hitachi acquired Metabo, Hitachi Power Tools is a company under Hitachi Koki. The parent company renamed to HiKoki.
In NA, a new brand “Metabo HPT” will be introduced to carry on Hitachi tools, with dual signage and branding for the next two years during transition, and will focus on tools for the residential construction market segment. Metabo will still be Metabo not Metabo HPT, which will still be focus on the metal industry. So Metabo HPT will have the current Hitachi power platform, Metabo it’s current Metabo platform, the two won’t be compatible.
Outside of NA, Hitachi will transition to HiKoki.
A US private investment firm KKR has acquired Hitachi Power Tools and Metabo, some reported it as an acquisition, some as partnership. The move is seen as a way to indicate Hitachi and Metabo tools are not under the Hitachi ownership anymore, at least in North America.
Sounds confusing, but at least they didn’t name it HIT-ME.
October 1, 2018 at 8:23 am #699429Doobie
ModeratorSounds confusing, but at least they didn’t name it HIT-ME.
Or worse, MET-H. Lol!
October 1, 2018 at 9:27 am #699435Sounds confusing, but at least they didn’t name it HIT-ME.
Or worse, MET-H. Lol!
LOLx2!
October 1, 2018 at 12:12 pm #699442Very interesting goings on with Hitachi. I think the tools are good. That triple hammer impact plows all the others off the planet!! It’s just they have so little of the current market share. I don’t know how they will get the tools into the hands of the tradesman. I now have the 18volt framer and looking to buy the trim gun soon.
October 1, 2018 at 12:54 pm #699454Looks like the Makita vac and the Hitachi vac are made by the same factory.
https://www.hitachi-koki.com/powertools/products/li_ion/r18da/r18da.htmlOctober 1, 2018 at 2:35 pm #699456Very interesting,
I remember earlier this year they came out with some new and improved cordless tools, even could switch from 18 volt to the 36 volt battery packs?
I wonder what’s the reasoning
I know that the impact had good reviews, and even the new circular sawOctober 1, 2018 at 3:41 pm #699471Doobie
ModeratorLooks like the Makita vac and the Hitachi vac are made by the same factory.
https://www.hitachi-koki.com/powertools/products/li_ion/r18da/r18da.htmlThat does look just like my Makita. Doubt the Hitachi could take the Makita batteries though. All the companies are so proprietor with their batteries. Be nice if there was one battery shoe standard for all cordless tools. It’ll never happen.
October 1, 2018 at 5:41 pm #699481“A US private investment firm KKR has acquired Hitachi Power Tools and Metabo…”
Ugh. Prepare for the ramping up of marketing BS and inverse change in tool quality.October 1, 2018 at 11:46 pm #699509October 2, 2018 at 6:37 am #699527A bit long but this will give an idea of the range of products from Hikoki. I know, a blatant promotion of the new name in Europe.
BE the change you want to see.
Even if you can’t Be The Pro… Be The Poster you’d want to read.October 2, 2018 at 12:11 pm #699573Looks like the Makita vac and the Hitachi vac are made by the same factory.
https://www.hitachi-koki.com/powertools/products/li_ion/r18da/r18da.htmlThat does look just like my Makita. Doubt the Hitachi could take the Makita batteries though. All the companies are so proprietor with their batteries. Be nice if there was one battery shoe standard for all cordless tools. It’ll never happen.
I have seen that same vac with Ryobi name on it too.
October 3, 2018 at 11:14 am #699704If Hitachi-hikoki-metabo Makita and even Ryobi are sourcing the same factory in China for their vacs, similar to how SBD is putting the same toolbox different colors under Fatmax, Dewalt and Craftsman, may be the consolidation of cordless tools will force a consolidation on cordless batteries?
Look at the new Craftsman Versastack toolbox, DeWalt TSTAK boxes and Stanley Fatmax boxes. Identical and interchangeable, different colors and logos. However, their respective job site stackable job site radio charger have to be different since one had to charge the CM 20V batteries and the other the DeWalt 18V and flexvolt batteries. May be there will be some battery alignment, one could hope.
October 3, 2018 at 11:46 am #699707If Hitachi-hikoki-metabo Makita and even Ryobi are sourcing the same factory in China for their vacs, similar to how SBD is putting the same toolbox different colors under Fatmax, Dewalt and Craftsman, may be the consolidation of cordless tools will force a consolidation on cordless batteries?
Look at the new Craftsman Versastack toolbox, DeWalt TSTAK boxes and Stanley Fatmax boxes. Identical and interchangeable, different colors and logos. However, their respective job site stackable job site radio charger have to be different since one had to charge the CM 20V batteries and the other the DeWalt 18V and flexvolt batteries. May be there will be some battery alignment, one could hope.
Really hard to tell the players without a program. Maybe the move to battery standardization is not that far away. One can hope.
BE the change you want to see.
Even if you can’t Be The Pro… Be The Poster you’d want to read.October 3, 2018 at 5:28 pm #699738If you look around on line you may find an adapter that will let your batteries work. I know some one makes an adapter they will let Ryobi tool run off of an Makita battery.
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