Hand tools are a historically high-demand product category when it comes to home improvement supplies and materials. Even with the advent of power tools, both DIY homeowners and trade professionals often find themselves in need of hammers, wrenches, levels, screwdrivers, pliers and the like. These essential tools help individuals and pros complete a wide variety of tasks and projects, and that isn’t likely to change any time soon.

For hand tool brands, there is a significant opportunity to nurture loyalty among their target audience, so they are top of mind whenever a prospective or existing customer is on the hunt for a new hammer, measuring tape, or tool belt. Quality is the best place to start, but there is more nuance than that when it comes to building brand awareness and loyalty.

Manufacturers have to take into consideration the varying usage and attitudes of different customer segments in order to design and market hand tools that fit their specific needs and preferences.

What is the Market Forecast for Hand Tools in 2025?

According to size of market forecasting from the Home Improvement Research Institute (HIRI), the year-over-year (YoY) growth from home improvement products is expected to improve in 2025, after declines in both the consumer segment and professional segment over the past few years.

More specifically, the market for hand tools was valued at approximately $6.1 billion in 2024, based on data from P&S Intelligence. The market is expected to expand by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.4%, increasing to about $7.8 billion by 2032.

In general, hand tools are a high-demand product, used on a vast array of projects, no matter the size and scale. Our Hand Tools: Performance and Growth report reveals that 1 in 5 homeowners had purchased some type of tool in the past 90 days. Some of the brands with the highest levels of awareness and use, according to our data, include DEWALT, CRAFTSMAN, STANLEY Tools, Milwaukee Tools, and Kobalt Tools.

Within this dynamic and competitive market, hand tool manufacturing brands have the opportunity to capture a greater share of the market. To do so requires a complete understanding of how DIY homeowners and home improvement professionals interact with this product category.

• How are they using the tools?
• Where are they shopping?
• What are they prioritizing when making their selections?

From convenience and accessibility to price and durability, customers are weighing a number of factors in their decision-making process.

How Does Quality Impact Loyalty for Hand Tools?

Building positive associations and relationships with customers begins with product development. Quality is the most important factor to DIY homeowners when selecting building product brands, across all generations. For home improvement professionals - including homebuilders, GCs, remodelers, and specialty tradespeople - it is just as, if not more, important.

But to increase market share and brand loyalty, it’s vital to dig deeper. Evolving customer preferences and technological advancements impact the hand tools market, along with growing interest in sustainable and eco-friendly products. Meanwhile, manufacturing companies also have to consider how power tools and automated machinery act as both supplements and substitutes to traditional hand tools, and how to work that to their advantage.

Different market segments also have unique needs and preferences. Professional tradespeople, such as plumbers, electricians, and carpenters, may be more particular about their hand tools because they’re using them for such specific tasks. Precision, durability and reliability are key. They’re also using their tools more frequently than DIY homeowners, who may be more interested in versatility and user-friendly characteristics.

With so many factors at play, brands must dig deeper into identifying and understanding the diverse goals, purchasing behaviors, and pain points of individual customers within diverse market segments. These insights can guide the development of more suitable products, along with tailored marketing strategies.

How Do Supplier Channels and Brand Reputation Impact Loyalty for Hand Tools?

Beyond improving the quality of individual hand tools and adjusting product characteristics to better suit customer preferences, manufacturing brands can build loyalty by developing a strategic marketing approach tailored to their specific audience and by providing high levels of customer support and service. Additionally, brands have to navigate a variety of channels to connect with customers, and supplier relationships can influence loyalty as well.

Our report shows that architects, in particular, are influenced by brand reputation and familiarity, with 60% referencing quality as one of the most important factors when selecting home improvement products. They also rely more heavily on manufacturer and supplier support than DIYers and professional customers. For those segments, brand reputation and familiarity is the fifth-highest-ranking factor, and they are more influenced by price and availability, which is, on average, the second most important factor for DIYers and pros when they’re purchasing building products, such as hand tools.

Builders, remodelers and tradespeople are open to selecting a variety of brands for this product category. In fact, on average, pros own five different brands of hand tools, which demonstrates a willingness to shop across different brands to get the tool that they need or that best fits their priorities and preferences.

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Increasing Brand Loyalty for Hand Tools by Understanding Customer Usage and Attitudes

Our data shows that some of the brands with the highest overall brand performance, which shows how well a brand performs “in the field” and/or compared to others, include DEWALT, Milwaukee Tools, and CRAFTSMAN. Not surprisingly, these brands also have the highest brand preference.  

It’s important to understand how customers perceive quality and how it’s associated with different product features and characteristics. If a hand tool fits their needs and enables them to complete their home improvement project smoothly, they’re going to have a better perception of both the product and the brand.

To increase loyalty, manufacturing brands can start by understanding their target audience through customer attitudes and usage (U&A) market research. The data and insights gleaned from this research can help brands identify what needs to change in product development roadmaps by indicating what’s most important to the customer, what they need and what they want.

In essence, U&A research answers the five Ws: who, what, when, where and why. With this information, your product development and marketing strategies can be individually tailored to your audience’s wants, creating more sales opportunities while meeting customer requirements.

Expanding Your Reach With Custom Market Research

Our team at The Farnsworth Group can help your brand uncover the real behaviors, preferences, and pain points that drive product decisions, creating a path to distinguish what really drives and motivates customers’ decisions across their shopping and purchasing journey. Our U&A studies provide detailed reports highlighting key consumer trends, unmet needs, and usage patterns—giving your team clear direction to enhance products and marketing strategies.

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