North American Market Will See the Metabo Brand Fully Take on the Metabo HPT Name
Metabo and Metabo HPT have both established their own reputations in the tool industry, specializing in their respective power tool portfolios. However, their similar names have been a point of confusion among some Pros in North America ever since Hitachi shifted to the Metabo HPT name back in 2018. Then, in 2022, Metabo officially merged into the Metabo HPT portfolio.
Today, Koki Group, the parent company of both Metabo and Metabo HPT, announced that Metabo North America will be rebranded under the Metabo HPT umbrella. What does this change mean for users of both tool brands? Iโm exploring what you can expect from Metabo and Metabo HPT going forward.
Metabo Tools in North America Rebranding to Metabo HPT
Metabo cordless tools in North America will be branded as Metabo HPT starting in November 2025. This change aims to reduce confusion between similar product lines, ensure easier service and support, and bring both brandsโ cordless lineups to the same MultiVolt platform.
The brand ensures that the same engineering teams in Germany and Japan will continue to be behind every Metabo HPT tool, even after this transition.
Key Things to Know
- The conversion will begin in November 2025 and will take place in waves.
- The full transition is expected to be completed by mid-2026.
- The Metabo HPT shift is exclusive to North American usersโthe Metabo brand will continue to be used globally.
- New cordless tools introduced under the Metabo HPT name will operate on the MultiVoltโข system, compatible with existing Metabo HPT batteries.
What They Say
Hereโs what Metabo HPT says about the shift:
โBy combining the strengths of Metabo and Metabo HPT under one brand in North America weโre simplifying how we show up in the market while continuing to deliver the engineering excellence and performance professionals rely on.
โNothing changes in the quality, service, or innovation our customers expect. This is about aligning our North American brands to make it easier for customers to identify and trust the tools that work as hard as they do.โ
โ Joe Leffler, Business Unit President, Metabo HPT North America
What About Metabo vs Metabo HPT Batteries?
Anyone with existing Metabo tools doesnโt need to fret. Metabo HPT states that support will continue uninterrupted for active Metabo tools, and any existing warranties will remain unchanged. In fact, youโll also still be able to purchase Metabo batteries, chargers, and accessories for the foreseeable future.
However, any new cordless tools released or rebranded under the Metabo HPT brand that you purchase after this merger will be part of the MultiVolt battery platform and use those batteries. That may mean that you could experience a transitional time when some of your Metabo tools are using the old batteries, and newer products you purchase operate on the MultiVolt platform.
Final Thoughts
I must say, this news wasnโt entirely surprising to us, although we werenโt sure which direction the rebrand would take. Even seasoned Pros have been confusing the two brandsโ names ever since Hitachi rebranded to Metabo HPT. The decision to bring Metabo into the Metabo HPT brand in North America was a logical step to streamline and unify them under a stronger identity. Weโre excited to see how Metabo HPT takes on this new era.
Itโs likely there will be some growing pains, though. Similar to how Hitachi nailer users took time to recognize that Metabo HPT nailers are the exact same tools, Metaboโs outstanding reputation for angle grinders may meet some hesitancy.
The tougher pill to swallow is likely on the cordless side, and not just because current Metabo users may have to shift battery systems in the future. Those 18V batteries not only power Metaboโs cordless tools, but they are also part of the Cordless Alliance Systemโa collection of more than 45 brands with interchangeable batteries and chargers.
Thereโs no telling how long Metabo HPT will continue to support Metaboโs 12V and 18V battery systems. However, both the battery technology and the tools under the Metabo brand name are of excellent quality, so we donโt expect them to go away anytime soon.
