As above - there is no single brand tool best in general. My shop has Hitachi, Powermatic, Porter Cable, Jet, Makita, Milwaukee and Grizzly in descending order of quantity. I tend to over-research tools and buy the best I can afford - waiting a while longer for a tool and buying a good one is well worth it to me. Some brands I will no longer touch with a stick as they have burned me (e.g. anything produced by B&D (regardless of color), anything Craftsman with a plug, anything Delta from the past 7 years, etc.) There is no right or wrong answer - depends on the user and what type of tool you are buying.
Tools of the Trade is a good resource - as are Fine Woodworking and Fine Homebuilding. Woodworking.com and Woodweb are good places to float potential purchases on their boards too.
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