Too many power tool choices and I can't decide which to buy

I'm a bit overwhelmed.

It's finally time to invest in some power tools to tackle some automotive and house related jobs. At the moment, I need an angle grinder, impact wrench, and a drill, though that can come later. I need something powerful and durable enough for jobs I anticipate (using a cutting wheel for the angle grinder and doing truck lug nuts and suspension work for the impact), but I don't think I need pro-level tools since these will live in my garage 90% of the time. 

Ryobi seems to have a wide variety of tools at various qualities and good prices, but their higher end impacts seem to be knocking on the door of some higher-grade stuff, price-wise. But the batteries work on so many tools and most of it is pretty cheap. (I'm vaguely eyeing the Ryobi 18v weed eater to keep the yard tidy).

Ridgid has a sale right now where their brushless impacts and angle grinders are for sale for less than the Ryobi equivalent and they are supposedly higher quality, but they don't have the breadth of tools that Ryobi does.

What should I prioritize? The system or the tools? Are there other brands I should consider? I haven't even touched on any of the other mid-level entry brands like Craftsman or Kobalt, but I'm sure they have their own pros and cons as well. I just need some external voices to help me straighten out what I should do.

Links to the deals I mentioned:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-18V-OCTANE-Brushless-Cordless-4-1-2-in-Angle-Grinder-with-Accessories-2-4-0-Ah-Batteries-Charger-and-Bag-R86042B-AC93044SBN/315712580

https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-ONE-HP-18V-Brushless-Cordless-4-1-2-in-Angle-Grinder-Kit-with-4-0-Ah-HIGH-PERFORMANCE-Battery-and-Charger-PBLAG01K1/317804054

https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-ONE-HP-18V-Brushless-Cordless-4-Mode-1-2-in-Impact-Wrench-Kit-w-4-0-Ah-HIGH-PERFORMANCE-Lithium-Ion-Battery-Charger-P262K1/317701837

https://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-18V-Brushless-Cordless-1-2-in-High-Torque-6-Mode-Impact-Wrench-with-2-4-0-Ah-Batteries-18V-Charger-and-Bag-R86211B-AC93044SBN/318770921

I run Ryobi for the other "tools" on the same battery infrastructure. I have a tire inflator, a camping lantern that charges phones, and a vacuum in the house (that is great for stairs and also camping). I want the RV scrubber (to clean the shower), but I don't have the budget, yet. Being able to borrow a battery from the vacuum cleaner to run the tire inflator or impact is very nice. I have also purchased tool-only items (that use the same batteries, so I am good) cheaper than hammer store plug in equivalents.

If you are buying for work, you buy the best work tool and it pays for itself. Buying for home, buy the one that has the widest varieties of other tools you might want. Home Depot puts Ryobi tools/batteries on sale about twice a year, so you can really get those "occasional" tools for very little money.

That is my approach. I also have Milwaukee impacts for when I really need them to work, but Ryobi does 99% of my chores.

yeah, buy the system so batteries interchange is what I settled on.  I went with dewalt but I think that is less important than a system that meets you needs.

Same here, Ryobi for 99% of what I need them for.  A couple of small Milwaukee M12 tools more because of size than anything else.  I have the lower torque Ryobi impact and have had it for a number of years.  Just got their higher torque impact and have yet to find something it won't zip off.  Took axle nuts off in half a second, I'd compare it to the more pro brands.  Just know that for the higher use stuff, there is a difference in the batteries.  You won't get as much torque with a non 18v+ battery, but the 18v+ seems to improve the torque of the earlier models. 

-Rob

I can only add that I really like my Milwaukee M18 drill at home, and I have abused it and it comes back for more. My Dewalt equivalent at work isn't nearly as good.

I'm far down the Dewalt rabbit hole but I've considered adding Ryobi to the mix. The bare tool price is too low to ignore, and 75% of the tools I buy are rarely used. Things like a jigsaw doesn't need to be contractor grade and will outlive the battery infrastructure anyway. 
 

I've been happy with my Bauer stuff from Harbor freight. 

Honestly, everybody's tools are pretty good these days. Staying one color helps with batteries, but adapters are available now too. 

Just a matter of what color and how much you want to spend.

I used cheap Black & Decker power tools for many years and never had an issue. It was only when battery tech advanced that I moved on. I think that the  Hart tools from WalMart or the Hercules brand from HF will do most light-duty stuff and be just fine. Moving up to Bauer or Ryobi brings a bit more power and perhaps more durability. Moving up to Milwaukee, Dewalt or Makita might bring some more options, but I honestly don't think the home user is going to see much difference in performance. If it takes 2 seconds longer to cut through a 2x4, that only matters if you are cutting hundreds of them per week. And what are the odds you are dropping your tool from a tall ladder if you are not framing? Ryobi has a TON of tools and they are at your local HD, so you will not go wrong there. I would avoid Porter Cable ot other brands that don't have the wide selection of tools, you may want a vacuum or mixer someday. 

I am on the Makita system and I do love it. I like that I can grab what I need from Home Depot and they often have deals, especially around the holidays. I have been using them as a pro would lately, and they have performed flawlessly. Right now, you can grab the older, non-brushless tools for a song compared to the newer brushless models. I am a big fan. 

I would strongly suggest steering clear of a battery powered angle grinder. The friction on the wheel needs a LOT of torque to overcome, and they KILL batteries really fast. They are perfect for emergency cuts (like a cut on a roof where you don't want a cord), but they are totally unsatisfactory for automotive or fabrication grinding. 
 

An angle grinder is a throw-away tool. Buy the cheapest corded one you can find- they all work fine, and take the same wheels. 

For the record, I'm a pro.  I'm really hard on tools.
 

I have always found Milwaukee to outperform everything else, but can't justify the price tag to enter that universe (I have a LOT of battery tools). 
 

I love my Makita stuff. I steered clear of DeWalt for a long time because the quality was crap, but now they have vastly improved and their stuff is pretty good. I have a big assortment of Makita and DeWalt on the truck, but I am begrudgingly phasing out the Makita. DeWalt is by far more available for parts, service, batteries, and new tools. Their stuff falls into the category of "pretty darned good for 99% of the work", and their price point is fair. 
 

I only want to live in 1 battery ecosystem.

I had makitas - still have the set, and have loved them hard. Got a steal on a brushed set of milwaukees over Christmas, and I gotta say, not super impressed. My 2009 vintage makitas, even after all these years of getting just absolutely beat on, regularly, and the batteries still *click* right in. I can't put my finger on what about the new Milwaukee set I don't like, but one of them for sure is the extra couple ticks it takes to seat the batteries both on the charger and the tools. It seems like a small thing, but I have to admit- I haven't gotten rid of my makitas yet, and I still reach for them. 
 

Second the angle grinder story- at least the brushed milwaukee. Kills batteries in under two minutes. Have to reach for the corded- wait for it- makita. Problem is, I can't find deals on makitas. 1/2 impact wrench starts at $243. Sawzall? $175. That the cost of that entire Milwaukee set on sale with drill, driver, angle grinder, sawzall, and impact wrench. $400 at Christmas time. But after trying them both, I'd get rid of the Milwaukee set and eat the makita cost if I could get most of my $ back from the Milwaukee purchase. 

For the tools that count—think impact(s), drills, recip saw—I use makita. The two impacts are game changers for wrenching. They've been great and I have both OEM and chinesium batteries for both. If you're going to go with the cheap batteries though, and this goes for any color of tool, just buy the biggest aH they offer. It'll make up for the fact that the offbrand batteries don't match up like for like in terms of power/longevity. 

Recently got sucked into Ryobi because I wanted a cordless nail gun. Makita's is apparently a pile of trash, and DeWalt's offerings are prohibitively expensive. The Ryobi AirStrike units are borderline universally adored and the price is right. I ended up with not one, but three—Finish, Brad, and Pin. They're about as satisfying as tools get. Because I am now in their ecosystem, I've been blown away by the amount and variety of tool offerings Ryobi has. They don't have ONE cordless chainsaw, they have 5. Same with circular saws. And drills. But the best part of Ryobi is the weird tools, my current favorite being their Bandfile. 

Oh, and there are cheap adapters to convert your Makita or DeWalt batteries to Ryobi, which means if you already have the blue or yellow tools there's no longer a reason to walk past the aisle of green ones.

Also pro here chiming in.  I run a theater scene shop, so my cordless tools get abused hard, all day, every day.

I was awarded a grant about 5 years ago for new shop tools, and the first thing I got was all new Ridgid stuff.  Why, you ask?  If the grant had been bigger, I would have gone straight to Milwaukee.  Top notch stuff.  But for the same money I got more than twice the tools with Ridgid.

Ridgid is 90% as good, half the price, and lifetime warranty (which I hear is going away soon).  5 years in I'm still abusing them every day and they just won't die.  My personal drill/driver at home is a Ridgid as well, from about 2006.  The batteries aren't great anymore, but it was my personal drill/driver while I was working for a contractor in L.A., remodeled one house in Austin, remodeled two houses in PA, and has done countless decks, side projects, and other assorted things.

Ridgid isn't the most ergonomic or the lightest, but I'm very happy.  Having said that, they're all under the same umbrella company (owned my Home Depot now) and they are starting to merge some of their production.  Ridgid and Dewalt are good quality pieces.  I'm certain that Ryobi is great for homeowners and light use, but every single one I have ever had in my shop broke very quickly, and not just little annoying things, like broke-broke... as in throw-it-in-the-trash broke.  The benefit to Ryobi is that they seem to have the most diversity in cordless tools.

Shadetree mechanic and handy guy.  I've been using Makita 18v LXT for 20 years now.  I probably have 15+ tools and I have yet to have one break, or a battery go bad.  The downsides are that the tools and batteries are damned heavy, and replacement batteries are super expensive.  Like $150 for two 5Ah batteries.

Parallel path..

I got a Milwaukee M12 driver (small 12v battery) maybe 7-8 years ago for a work project and kept it around.  I assumed it was for light duty stuff and only used it around the house occasionally.  Then last month I got the M12 stubby impact wrench, and now I wish my whole tool collection was Milwaukee M12.  Small, lightweight, cheaper batteries and enough power for any job I would want to take on.  Seriously great tools.  The impact weighs probably 1/3 what my Makita 18v impact weighs, and it's up for any automotive job I could think of.