Festool vs Makita:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Makita had more branded searches than Festool among belt sander brands in New Zealand. Makita had about 8,100 branded searches, while Festool had 2,980. Makita made up 33.3% of all belt sander brand searches we track, and Festool accounted for 12.2%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about belt sander brands, Makita appeared in all five answers and Festool in none.
Who do people search for more?
Makita, about 3 searches for every 1 for Festool
Who does AI mention more?
Makita, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Makita, the only one of the two named
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Top belt sander brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Makita appeared in all five answers. Festool did not appear in any of the five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Makita5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Bosch5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Ryobi4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
DeWalt4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Festool0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about belt sander brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which belt sander brand should I buy in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best belt sander brands in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best belt sander brand in New Zealand for woodworking projects?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“belt sander nz”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“sander for wood”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 20, 2026.
Is Festool or Makita more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Festool and Makita by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all five belt sander brands we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.
Share of searches by month for Makita, Festool. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Makita | Ryobi | DeWalt | Festool | Bosch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 33.6% | 31.1% | 23.8% | 11.1% | 0.36% |
| Nov 2025 | 26.8% | 38.2% | 26.8% | 7.9% | 0.28% |
| Dec 2025 | 29.3% | 41.7% | 21.8% | 7.1% | 0.22% |
| Jan 2026 | 32.5% | 36.1% | 23% | 8.1% | 0.25% |
| Feb 2026 | 34.1% | 30.9% | 24.3% | 10.4% | 0.26% |
| Mar 2026 | 31.4% | 34.2% | 23.2% | 11% | 0.24% |
| Apr 2026 | 34.7% | 31.5% | 24.1% | 9.4% | 0.26% |
| May 2026 | 35.4% | 26.7% | 25.7% | 11.8% | 0.37% |
| Jun 2026 | 32.7% | 26.2% | 28.6% | 12.2% | 0.35% |
| Jul 2026 | 34.9% | 26.4% | 25.4% | 13% | 0.26% |
| Aug 2026 | 31.6% | 30.1% | 27.3% | 10.8% | 0.24% |
| Sep 2026 | 33.3% | 30.7% | 23.5% | 12.2% | 0.29% |
How has the Festool and Makita comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Makita was ahead of Festool in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Festool’s share of searches among belt sander brands in New Zealand moved from 11.1% to 12.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 2.2K to 3K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Makita’s share of searches among belt sander brands in New Zealand moved from 33.6% to 33.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 6.6K to 8.1K.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand belt sander brands in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Makita gained share of searches among belt sander brands in New Zealand, from 31.6% to 33.3%.
In September 2026, Festool gained share of searches among belt sander brands in New Zealand, from 10.8% to 12.2%.
How are branded searches counted?
13 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Festool’s and Makita’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
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