Metabo is being rebranded as Metabo HPT.
Back in 2015, Hitachi acquired the Metabo tool brand. In 2017, Hitachi sold their power tools group to KRR, a private equity firm. One year later, Hitachi Power Tools, which was no longer owned by Hitachi, changed their name to Metabo HPT in North America and HiKoki internationally.
Now, I have been told that Metabo is being rebranded as Metabo HPT, and the new tools have popped up at online retailers.
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Metabo HPT has answered many of our questions, and are working to answer the remainders. Following are some key points from our conversation.
The transition will occur in phases, with select Metabo tools being rebranded as Metabo HPT with all tools to be sold under the Metabo HPT name by April 2026.
With emphasis as provided:
This is a rebranding update only. Our tools, performance standards, and warranties remain unchanged.
This strategic move strengthens our unified brand presence in North America while maintaining the quality and innovation both brands are known for.
Thus far, it appears that Metabo AC powered tools are all being rebranded as Metabo HPT. What about cordless?
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The official word is:
We will maintain a comprehensive cordless portfolio with battery solutions to support both current and future tools. For customers with existing Metabo cordless tools, we will continue to provide Metabo batteries for the foreseeable future.
It sounds like Metabo is being absorbed into Metabo HPT, with the two brands destined to become one. What about CAS, Metabo’s “cordless alliance system,” which is similar to Bosch’s AmpShare?
Multiple readers emailed me about both insider and unofficial reports of a cordless power tool battery conversion adapter that will allow compatibility between Metabo and Metabo HPT 18V cordless systems. We’re still waiting on information about this.
They did say that all tools will be sold under the Metabo HPT name by April 2026.
This is all part of a strategic brand consolidation in North America, which suggests that HiKoki and Metabo will exist as separate brands internationally outside of the continent. Within North America, only Metabo HPT will emerge from this consolidation and rebranding effort.
Let’s say that Metabo launches a new 18V cordless grinder next year. Will we see that in the USA under Metabo HPT and with HPT MultiVolt compatibility? Not at all? Or will it ship under Metabo HPT branding with an adapter that’s required for use with Metabo HPT 18V or MultiVolt batteries?
Nothing I have seen provides any insights or information about potential changes outside the USA, such as to Metabo, HiKoki, or the Metabo CAS system.
North American interest in Metabo seems to have been flat for years, and there has been confusion over Metabo HPT and Metabo cordless power tool incompatibilities since they departed from Hitachi.
Perhaps this brand consolidation will foster growth. It’s too soon to know what everything will look like, but it seems that there will be Metabo and HiKoki internationally, and a combined Metabo HPT entity in the USA and North America.
Fein recently ditched their own 18V cordless power tools system and fully embraced Bosch AmpShare 18V compatibility.
Here, Metabo seems to be ditching CAS 18V compatibility in the USA and changing over to Metabo HPT.
Consider Stanley Black & Decker brands such as Dewalt, Bostitch, and Porter Cable. Consolidation – under Dewalt – seems to have work out well, although Bostitch and Porter Cable continue to exist, barely.
Metabo HPT is not the first brand name exclusive to North America. Select AEG tools, for example, are rebranded under Ridgid 18V at Home Depot stores.
We’re at a point of inflection for Metabo and Metabo HPT branding, but what they’re doing is not unprecedented
We’ll have to see how Metabo’s rebranding as Metabo HPT works out. So far, it seems that Metabo 18V cordless power tool users will be impacted the most, and we’re still waiting to hear about what will be done to make things easier for them.
Jared
This could be GREAT – or a mess. The two names being so alike was inherently confusing, so if they’re consolidating under one – that seems ideal.
However, if they’re going to carry on with two lines of cordless tools with incompatible battery connections and the same name, that’s worse. Even if they include an adapter, won’t people just be wondering if they just bought an Metabo HPT tool or a Metabo secretly-not-an-HPT tool?
MM
Agreed. If they dropped one of the battery systems and made all the tools work on just one battery that would be fantastic. However, having two incompatible lines with the same name is even worse than the nonsense they have going on right now.
As for Metabo specifically, I think they are a bit of a niche brand in the US currently. I doubt the average general contractor or DIYer cares about the brand at all. However, they are well known in the welding/fabrication space. All my local welding supply shops carry Metabo grinders & sanders, of which there are many specialty models.
Goodie
Ughhh. I think there was room for both of them, if they had chosen to market the old Hitachi line as Hikoki here in the U.S. I like both of these brands, and think of the ex-Hitachi Metabo HPT as a great framing/construction brand. I think of Metabo for metalworking and the CAS system (and as a very innovative cordless pioneer making great German designed tools). We will see.
Kent
>> What about CAS, Metabo’s “cordless alliance system,” which is similar to Bosch’s AmpShare?
I love that there are two “universal” battery standards.
https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/standards.png
Rog
They should all be HiKoki, mostly just cuz I think it’s a fun name to say.
BobH
For the corded tools, I don’t think it matters. Will anyone notice if it says Metabo or Metabo HPT?
It sounds like Metabo and Metabo HPT cordless use different battery systems. This is going to be a giant mess for their customers. I bet it will turn out to be justification to move to a differnet system from Dewalt/Milwaukee/etc.
Bonnie
Ideally they’d just pick one battery type and make an adapter for the other (like when Dewalt moved to slides rather than stems). I’m sure there’s bigger issues like where the controller/protection circuit is, but I absolutely believe they could do it.
HmmmDusty
Treat it is what it is, but they have filed patents for a battery brick that would clip into a low profile adapter that then makes it compatible with either Metabo HPT (Hikoki) or Metabo. This essentially would create a unified battery platform, and would just need to have the tools sold with their respective baseplate adapter to make it fully usable.
Brad
I care less about the battery than the capability of the tool. There’s an enormous difference.
John
This will be a mess. Zero compatibility between the two battery platforms. Private equity is about the dumbest there is.
Bonnie
While true that PE is often bad. It’s not like regular businesses make any more sense. How many incompatible tool lines do SBD and TTI have? Hitachi hasn’t been focused on a single industry in almost a century.
Fundamentally the problem is just the shared name. If they can either unify the two 18v platforms, or name/subtitle them more distinctly, there’s nothing unusual in it.
Champs
This is just to my own ears, but HiKoki is just a little too close to an Amazon alphabet brand name generated by someone in a Shenzen factory randomly mashing keys on a keyboard. Lowe’s may sell it as a value brand, but it’s not THAT cheap.
I know Metabo doesn’t ring a bell for every consumer out there, but at least it sounds like something I’d feel comfortable asking my doctor to prescribe.
MM
Hikoki is perfectly normal-sounding Japanese. It happens to mean “airplane”.
Xrh07
Doesn’t sound like that at all.
It’s pretty well in line with Hitachi, Makita, Takeuchi, Komatsu and at least dozen other Japanese brands sold in NA for decades.
They would’ve been smarter to lean into worldwide Hikoki branding as it’s still similar enough to the OG name (Hitachi) and not have Metabo Germany products directly affiliated to those as all they’ve done every step of the way is cause unnecessary consumer confusion
Bonnie
Yeah. Also while Metabo was a known thing, they were a much more specialized brand at the time of the acquisition. Hitachi was the broad entry-level brand, though they couldn’t stick with Hitachi alone because of confusion with the former parent, they could have just called their tools HPT or something and been fine.
HmmmDusty
It was mostly the fact that they didn’t want to have to license the former name perpetually.
ics
Hitachi name was never option to use for long term. The firm was Hitachi Koki, owned by Hitachi. They wanted to sell, and made agreement of 3 transfer period, and so the Hitachi gave its Hi to the Koki, HiKoki. All branding needed to change before the three years were up.
JeffD
Sadly, I lost friends because I didn’t choose yellow or blue tools when I upgraded.
Zack
I have the green tools. We can be friends.
NoDak Farming
I’ve been looking at both Metabo’s product line, and Hikoki offerings overseas. Metabo and Hikoki both have barrel grip jigsaws. Whereas MetaboHPT does not. I think Hikoki is already on version 2 of an oil impulse driver. Overseas they offer 36 volt versions of tools that are only offered as 18 volt here. If they chose to they could be offering US customers a more robust lineup of tools. And overall I just would like to see them be more mindful of the North American market and start bringing over more tool offerings.
Just as an example it would be interesting if they would bring us a Metabo -renamed MetaboHPT- barrel grip jigsaw configured for MetaboHPT batteries. They would most likely have to keep producing batteries for the older Metabo tools that people own already. But that’s not unheard of. Hilti is currently doing that with their batteries. I visit their website once in a while and it seems like in North America they’ve nearly eliminated the old battery platform, and gone nearly 100% to the Nuron platform. While still offering new batteries in the old style along with chargers and battery adapters. On foreign Hilti websites it seems like they are offering a little more of a blend between the old and new battery platform.
One way or another it will get figured out and I’ll keep buying MetaboHPT tools. I’ve been using the ones I have already, a lot lately. They always feel good as far as ergonomics, and always perform well too. Not to mention some nice features that I’ve come to appreciate. I think their flex volt battery system is great and I’m glad I bought into it.
MattW.
It seems like every time yoy take away good brand recognition it hurts especially in the usa. I go to Lowes often and almost every time when people are going through the tool section I hear what’s a metabo never herd of them. I ussaly say do you remember Hitachi thats what it is. That jogs many people’s thoughts on the tools. That simple name change can really damage sales. In a store with craftsman or metabo around the same price ill take metabo aka Hitachi any day of the week.
Jronman
Best case scenario CAS and Multivolt somehow become compatible. CAS brands having access to higher voltage and the corded power supply could be a nice option to have.
Hank.H
Damn I just started to expand into the Metabo line over a select few cordless tools that stood out more than any other brand. Hope I don’t regret this, but I wouldn’t mind being able to find a “Metabo” tool in store these days , instead of pawn shops, Ebay, ACME Tools, and the occasional Amazon finds.
Does this mean I’m stuck with the ugly crayon green for now on? I prefer the dark green Metabo.
Hank.H
Any word if that means we will see a return of more Metabo 12v line and or expansion? Metabo has already knocked off several 12v tools from the US market.
Skylar
What a mess. Doesn’t make me want to get any of their cordless tools.
ParamountPaint
I picked up a the green 18g cordless nailer from lowes and liked it so well, I picked up framing nailer and 23g pinner.
I’m otherwise deep into makita 18, but I have some m12 as well.
Moral of the story, I like metabohpt for the nailers…I dont have any of their other cordless stuff
Sinclaire
What do you think about the pinner? I have the 18g and 15g and love them but I’ve heard the 23g has some issues with hardwoods.
ParamountPaint
I’ve had pretty good success with oak and maple scribe molding. That’s about all I use it for, except for pinning outside miters on baseboard.
Can’t complain
ParamountPaint
It’s also much better than the makita one
Blocky
I’m sure there’s far more hitachi battery users than metabo-classic battery users in NA. To my mind, it does make sense to smoosh Metabo into HPT rather than the other way around.
Aesthetically, I would have preferred metabo-green.
Sinclaire
I know it’s been said but man, the original name debacle is one of the worst branding moves I can remember. Let’s take a well known brand (Hitachi) and rename it the exact same thing as another brand (Metabo) and throw an acronym on the end.
There was no reason not to use Hikoki in the US as they do everywhere else. It recalls the original name and sounds like what it is – a high quality Japanese brand.
It’s a damn shame because Metabo HPT/Hikoki makes really excellent tools. I use their 36v rear handle saw daily and think its weight/ergonomics make it the best option for pro framers. Best in class nailers as well.
Nonie
I wonder if this is why we can’t buy the corded Metabo 3″ sanders we’ve been using for over 15 years anymore.
I hope they become available again under metabo hpt, although the old ones were made in Germany I believe.
Brad
I really hope they incorporate a lot of German Metabo engineering into the combined brand. I imagine they intend to, or else acquiring the Metabo brand would be a waste of money.
ColeTrain
Umm, no you don’t want this. It’s called the new Toyota Supra and it sucks. It’s also not a waste of money, this is what corporations do, they buy companies to get into a market share. Trying to redesign crap that already works is how you waste money. The name debacle is already bad enough but trying to throw two completely different engineering styles into something that does a single job is a terrible idea. The idea of having a nail gun that has worked perfectly for 20 years now requiring some special order oil to function things like a nightmare.
Brad
I meant more like German Metabo’s superior grinders replacing Hitachi’s more disposable versions. Obviously it’d be stupid to modify the Hitachi framing nailer with tech from a subsidiary that doesn’t make framing nailers. German Metabo doesn’t make the same broad range of power tools that Hitachi/MHPT makes, especially at big-box price points, but what they do, they do extremely well.
CoBlue
A fair number of their newer tools are already more or less identical between the two.
James
Hitachi makes really good stuff – well balanced and got power for all day work, especially their cordless. i own dewalt, milwaukee, bosch as well but grab my Hitachi stuff more often than not. I don’t like the German Metabo stuff more because of personal preference, not due to any issues with the performance or quality. Now they combine the two brands, how am i supposed to find the HPT stuff from the German Metabo? Serious case of bad marketing resulting in confused consumers. Sadly this rebranding mess is a disaster and it can’t be working out too well with the retailers. Can’t even find a spare battery at my local Lowes.
Reflector
Really don’t think this is a good idea given I actually have a few Hitachi/Metabo HPT 18V tools + their corded brushless grinder and a few Metabo (corded grinder, drill). There’s definite different schools of thought for their designs. Metabo subscribes to the Old “German Heavy Steel” model while Hitachi/M-HPT is much more electronics/newer design focused. They’re both valid in my eyes and I feel there’s a niche for them each. Metabo grinders are well engineered, “old fashioned” tools while the really slender brushless AC grinders that Hitachi released I love for their ergonomics and light weight but I wouldn’t throw those into the kind of duty cycle (not confidently anyways) that I would with the Metabos.
It is kind of like how Bosch does more “fine woodworking” type tools over the more “carpentry” type tools that are in Milwaukee’s lineup. There’s definite niches between the major tool makers and you can see it in the finer parts of the design when it comes to what engineering compromises are made (for a pricepoint, anyways).
A shame, too bad the PE that owns Metabo HPT/Hikoki never bought over things like the oil impulse driver and whatnot from Japan. Those would have been interesting given how hard they are to buy in the US.
John N
I have a Hitachi 12′ dual bevel sliding Miter saw. It is a beast, I have built a big part of my home workshop around it. It was the first major power tool purchase I made. I love it. I have no personal knowledge of the rest of their lineup, however my impression of Hitachi was a pro level tool company. A few name changes later my impression is a unknown tool company being traded around by some huge corporations I have no real knowledge of, which also means I have zero intentions of ever buying into their platform further.
In my experience random name changes, or rebranding etc. are never a good sign of company health. I am pretty sure in a few years we will be talking about them in the past tense, or as a tool company in the bargain isle.
Someone is getting paid a lot of money for these decisions and ultimately it will destroy what was a good brand, and that guy will move on to another high paying job and never take one ounce of responsibility for it’s destruction.
mark w
I hope this is positive. I find metabo hpt to have really great pricing on tools that don’t skimp on specs. I have a corded angle grinder and their small 12v (?) electric screwdriver kit w/ 2 batteries. Both came with blow molded cases and work great. I’ve had the 12v batteries for years and never have any battery issues or large lifespan reduction. I seek them out when buying new power tools especially corded
Michael F
I think they should have just called the HPT tools HiKoki in the US from the start to avoid all this confusion. It’s going to be even more confusing now that certain tools will be called Metabo HPT in the US and Metabo in rest of world while other tools will be called Metabo HPT in the US and HiKoki in rest of world. That’s just kind of bizarre. I also imagine that the European Metabo tools will continue to use CAS batteries, but if they do so in the US then you will have incompatible battery lines within the same brand in the US. This makes me think future Metabo HPT tools will have different SKUs for North America and rest of world versions.
Sambo253
Metabo needs to address the short lifespan of their batterys.
Brian Puccio
As someone who is in the Metabo CAS platform with Metabo, Mafell, Scangrip, Novus, and Steinel tools, at first I was worried. But then I realized that you said North America only and I can’t see those brands and Lamello, Colomix, Gesipa, Prebena, Starmix, and many others changing their tools over to Metabo HPT batteries.
I did notice that when Metabo HPT came out with new 18v routers, Metabo came out with very similar ones. So maybe for North America where the average person hasn’t heard of Metabo, Metabo tools that take CAS batteries will be hard to find. But I don’t mind importing since it’s not like I’d have to worry about the tool needing 220v power.
Admittedly, this entire thing was a mess and maybe could have been avoided if they just had Metabo and Hikoki in North America like they did in the rest of the world.
Matt_T
If this mess impacts CAS batteries there’s a good chance the partner brands will switch to Ampshare rather than “CAS II” HPT. Steinel and Rothenberger already offer tools on both platforms that I know of. Might be others too?
Just the uncertainty could have some negative effect on CAS. If I was in the market for an expensive specialty tool I’d choose an Ampshare variant all else being equal……
Brian Puccio
Agreed. If CAS I is replaced with CAS II, I would keep what I have, but when it came time to consider a new platform I’d consider AmpShare instead.
Tim
They should just engineer future 18v tools to accept both batteries without needing an adapter.
It could very easily be done.
I’ll just take a small royalty check thanks.
Sridhar Ayengar
How? They’re physically incompatible. Different connector.
Walt Bailey
They should have just used the name “hikoki” in north America from the beginning. Just like they did everywhere else.
Sridhar Ayengar
This is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard of. The Hitachi -> Metabo HPT thing was dumb. This is dumber.
It’s already difficult to find German Metabo tools among the flood of Metabo HPT tools. This will make it go from difficult to impossible. I will likely have to order my tools from European vendors.
Fly Fisher
So close and yet so far. I jumped on the Hitachi 18v line early on and not disappointed in any way, until they sold off to Metabo. To Metabo’s credit, HPT maintained the quality. HOWEVER, the trickle of tool releases has been beyond disappointing and making me regret not jumping on red, real, or yellow branded lines.
This latest announcement further demonstrates how disconnected Metabo’s management is from understanding their consumers.
Robert
Or just call them both the same brand name all over the world since….we live in the internet age and participate in a GLOBAL economy. My sister told me it’s no longer acceptable to say the word that I want to say to describe this situation. So I shall refrain.