I wonder why someone like Harbor Freight does not make battery powered drills etc. that will accept Milwaukee or DeWalt batteries.
Of course I know that major companies make a lot of money selling batteries, but I suspect HF doesn't sell that many, considering price of the tools.
There are probably copyright and patent reasons no one makes tools to fit major companies batteries, but it seem they would be really easy to get around. A tab to break here, extra contacts to cover more than one brand, etc.
What got me started thinking was when I looked at a cheap 4" battery powered saw at a hardware store. The battery looked a lot like an M-12 Milwaukee, but wasn't. It was just what I needed for what I was doing at the time, but no way I would buy it, because I knew I would never find another battery for it.
EDIT: Maybe I am wrong. Perhaps the question should be..Does anyone make tools that take multiple brand batteries?