Bunnings vs Mitre 10 vs Total Tools AU 2026: DIY Hardware and Power Tools

Verdict. Bunnings wins for price, range breadth, and DIY convenience with its Ryobi ONE+ and Ozito exclusives plus PowerPass Pro Rewards for tradies. Total Tools wins for serious Makita, Milwaukee, and DeWalt trade depth and specialty kit access via its Trade Rewards program. Mitre 10 wins for regional Australia coverage and larger-format independent stores. Most Australian households and tradies end up using at least two of the three, splitting by job type.

The three chains at a glance (as of September 2026)

Chain	Ownership / model	Loyalty program	Strongest range	Best-fit shopper
Bunnings	Wesfarmers, corporate	PowerPass Pro Rewards (free, ABN, tiered rewards launched 13 July 2026)	Ryobi ONE+, Ozito, house brand, garden, timber	DIY renovator, small-job tradie
Total Tools	Metcash majority-owned, franchise	Trade Rewards (ABN) + Insider Rewards (consumer + trade)	Makita LXT, XGT, Milwaukee M18, DeWalt XR	Serious tradie, repeat power-tool buyer
Mitre 10	Metcash IHG banner, independent stores	Trade+ Pass + Mighty Rewards	Regional coverage, timber cuts, garden, paint	Regional Australia, larger-scale reno

Table shows structural differences as at September 2026, sourced from each chain's official trade and program pages. Store counts and ownership structures accurate as of publication.

Where ShopBack sits

ShopBack is Australia's cashback and rewards app that pays real cash back when you shop online at hundreds of partner brands. Bunnings and Officeworks appear as ShopBack partners in Australia, with cashback rates that vary by promotional window. Sign up in about a minute at shopback.com.au/signup and you can layer cashback on top of your PowerPass or Insider Rewards earn.

How we picked

Sample size: Jia's team surveyed 18 Australian shoppers between June 2026 and September 2026, split across DIY-only (n=8), part-time-side-hustle tradies (n=6), and full-time trade account holders (n=4). Inclusion criteria: at least three purchases in the survey window across two or more of Bunnings, Mitre 10, and Total Tools. Exclusion criteria: national commercial account holders (pricing is negotiated, not published). Limitations: sample skews east-coast metro plus one Ballarat regional cluster; Perth and Adelaide underrepresented. Disclosures: Bunnings and Officeworks are ShopBack partners in Australia. Total Tools and Mitre 10 are not ShopBack partners as of 22 September 2026. Jia holds no personal PowerPass or Trade Rewards account.

The three chains, in order

1. Bunnings, for price, range breadth, DIY convenience

Bunnings is Australia's largest home-improvement chain, owned by Wesfarmers, with more than 380 stores nationally. The consumer proposition is price ("lowest prices are just the beginning" price-match), one-roof range across tools, garden, timber, paint, plumbing, kitchen and bathroom fittings, and Bunnings-exclusive house brands Ryobi ONE+ (300+ tools on one 18V battery platform) and Ozito.

PowerPass Pro Rewards launched on 13 July 2026 as the biggest overhaul of the trade program since 2011, per the Bunnings media release. The new program keeps the existing PowerPass discount pricing on 50,000+ SKUs and layers on six annual spending tiers that unlock store credit, Shell fuel discounts, and Qantas Business Rewards points at higher tiers. Bunnings Managing Director Mike Schneider said PowerPass Pro Rewards "reflects Bunnings' commitment to backing Australia's tradies and small to medium-sized businesses beyond the products they purchase at the trade counter" in the July 2026 launch coverage.

Jia's team tested a Bunnings PowerPass sign-up on 2026-08-04 with an ABN-holder side-hustle carpenter; the account activated in under 10 minutes online and the first Ryobi ONE+ 6-piece kit purchase pulled the PowerPass tier-1 discount at checkout automatically.

Best for: Weekend DIY, first-home renovators, small-job tradies who want one-roof convenience. Watch out for: Power-tool range is intentionally curated to top sellers. If you want a specific Makita XGT bare tool or a DeWalt XR FlexVolt kit, you often will not find it at Bunnings. Merchant callout: Shop Bunnings on ShopBack to layer cashback on eligible online orders.

2. Total Tools, for serious trade range depth

Total Tools is Australia's largest specialist power-tool and hand-tool chain, with roughly 100 stores nationally under a franchise model, majority-owned by Metcash since 2022. The consumer proposition is depth: the full Makita 18V LXT range, XGT 40V, the complete Milwaukee M18 and M12 catalogue, DeWalt XR and XR FlexVolt, plus trade brands like Festool, HiKOKI, and Metabo that Bunnings does not carry.

Total Tools runs two overlapping programs, per the Trade Rewards and Insider Rewards pages. Trade Rewards is for ABN holders and includes bulk pricing, credit options, digital tools, and dedicated trade support. Insider Rewards is a consumer-and-trade loyalty program with tiered benefits including bonus offers and early sale access.

On 2026-09-06 Jia's team compared a Milwaukee M18 FUEL 6-piece kit (M18FPP6X-6.3A) between Bunnings and Total Tools; both retailers priced within $8 of each other on the flagship kit, but Total Tools had four additional Milwaukee bare tools in stock that Bunnings did not carry at all.

Best for: Full-time tradies, serious hobbyists building out a Makita LXT or Milwaukee M18 platform, specialist kit buyers. Watch out for: No ShopBack cashback partnership in 2026, so the online-cashback layer that works on Bunnings does not apply here. Merchant callout: No SB partnership; pay with a rewards credit card and stack Insider Rewards for the loyalty layer.

3. Mitre 10, for regional coverage and independent depth

Mitre 10 in Australia trades under Metcash's Independent Hardware Group as a banner of independently owned stores across ~450 locations, with strong regional and rural coverage. The consumer proposition is proximity in towns where Bunnings does not exist, plus the deeper timber, paint, plumbing, and garden departments that larger independent Mitre 10 stores carry.

Trade sign-up runs through Trade Online with a Trade+ Pass linked to an ABN, per the Mitre 10 Trade page. Consumer loyalty runs through Mighty Rewards at participating stores. Pricing on branded SKUs is set store-by-store, so the same Makita drill-driver can vary between Mitre 10 stores in the same city.

Best for: Regional Australia (Bunnings-poor postcodes), larger-scale renovation and building projects, timber-heavy jobs where independent stores cut to spec. Watch out for: Range and pricing consistency vary widely by store. Call ahead for stock on any specific branded item. Merchant callout: No SB partnership; use for the categories where independent-store depth beats Bunnings' curated range.

4. The stack for renovation season

For a full bathroom or kitchen reno running $8,000 to $20,000 in materials, the pattern that surfaced across our sample was: main structural buy (timber, plumbing, tiles) at Bunnings for price and one-stop range, specialty power tools at Total Tools if you need trade-grade for daily use, top-up and specialist timber cuts at Mitre 10 if you have a good independent local. Stack a rewards credit card across all three plus PowerPass Pro Rewards tier progression on Bunnings.

Best for: Home renovators doing multiple jobs across 6 to 12 months. Watch out for: Don't buy on price alone across three chains for a small job; drive time erases the saving. Merchant callout: Browse Officeworks on ShopBack for the toolboxes, printer paper for site plans, and stationery that renovation projects always seem to consume.

Sale-window notes

The three big power-tool sale windows in Australia are Father's Day (early September), Black Friday and Cyber Monday (late November), and EOFY (mid-to-late June). Boxing Day is smaller in hardware than in consumer electronics. Total Tools' Insider Rewards members typically get 24 to 48 hour early access to flagship combo-kit deals. Bunnings runs recurring brand-partner promotions across the calendar rather than clustering discount into three windows.

Verdict by job type

• Weekend DIY, one-time job: Bunnings.
• Serious hobbyist, building out a battery platform: Total Tools for the tool, Bunnings for the consumables.
• Full-time tradie, daily use: Total Tools Trade Rewards for the specialty range, Bunnings PowerPass Pro Rewards for the site consumables and materials.
• Regional Australia, no Bunnings within 45 minutes: Mitre 10.
• Multi-job renovation: All three, split by category as above.

Frequently asked questions

Is Bunnings actually cheaper than Total Tools on Makita and Milwaukee?

On the same SKU, Bunnings and Total Tools are usually within a few dollars of each other on Makita LXT and Milwaukee M18 flagship kits, thanks to Bunnings' long-standing "lowest prices are just the beginning" price-match commitment. Where they diverge is range depth. Total Tools carries the full Makita 18V LXT catalogue including higher-end brushless bare tools, XGT 40V, and trade-specific kits that Bunnings rarely stocks. For flagship combo kits it is a wash on price. For anything beyond the top five sellers, Total Tools carries it and Bunnings often does not.

What is PowerPass Pro Rewards and how is it different from old PowerPass?

PowerPass Pro Rewards launched on 13 July 2026 as the biggest overhaul of Bunnings' trade program since 2011, per Bunnings' media release. It replaces the flat discount model of the older PowerPass with six annual spending tiers that unlock store credit, Shell fuel discounts, and Qantas Business Rewards points at the higher tiers. The base PowerPass discount pricing on more than 50,000 SKUs remains. The rewards layer is new. Free to join for ABN holders and does not carry a membership fee.

Which chain has the widest DeWalt range in Australia?

Total Tools carries the deepest DeWalt XR 18V, XR FlexVolt 54V, and DeWalt Atomic Compact catalogue in Australia. Bunnings stocks the main DeWalt XR 18V line but limits SKU count per store. Mitre 10 depth varies by store, since many are independently operated. If you want a specific DeWalt bare tool or an XR FlexVolt kit, check Total Tools first. If you want a standard DeWalt drill-driver combo kit at DIY pricing, Bunnings is usually in stock and priced competitively.

Do I need an ABN to sign up for PowerPass or Trade Rewards?

Bunnings PowerPass requires a valid ABN and is aimed at trade and small-business customers. Mitre 10 Trade+ Pass and Trade Online also require an active ABN. Total Tools Trade Rewards has both trade and retail insider tiers, with the trade tier requiring an ABN. DIY consumers without an ABN can still shop all three chains at retail pricing, and can use ShopBack to earn cashback on their in-store gift-card top-ups or eligible online orders where available.

When are the best sale windows for power tools in Australia?

The three big power-tool sale windows in Australia are Father's Day (early September), Black Friday and Cyber Monday (late November), and EOFY (mid-to-late June). Boxing Day is smaller in hardware than in electronics. Bunnings and Total Tools both run brand-partner combo-kit promotions across these windows, with Total Tools' Insider Rewards members getting early access. Use ShopBack to check whether Bunnings or Officeworks online cashback rates are elevated during these windows before you check out.

What is the Total Tools Insider Rewards program?

Total Tools Insider Rewards is Total Tools' consumer-and-trade loyalty program with tiered benefits. Higher spend tiers unlock better perks, per Total Tools' Insider Rewards page. Trade members access a separate Trade Rewards layer with bulk pricing, credit options, and dedicated support. The two programs run in parallel, so a tradie with an ABN can hold both an Insider Rewards account and a Trade Rewards account against the same profile.

Is Mitre 10 more expensive than Bunnings?

On identical branded SKUs, Mitre 10 pricing is usually within 5 to 10 percent of Bunnings, though it varies store by store since Mitre 10 stores in Australia are independently owned under the Metcash-supplied Independent Hardware Group banner. Mitre 10's real value is in regional coverage (Mitre 10 covers many rural and regional towns where the nearest Bunnings is over an hour away) and in specialist depth at larger stores (garden, plumbing, timber cuts). For metro DIY on price alone, Bunnings usually wins.

Can I stack cashback on hardware buys?

Bunnings and Officeworks are ShopBack partners in Australia, though cashback surfaces and rates vary by promotion window. Use ShopBack to compare cashback on Bunnings gift cards and Officeworks online orders before you check out, and activate ShopBack in the browser or app so the tracking fires. Mitre 10 and Total Tools do not have a direct ShopBack partnership in 2026, so gift-card cashback on those chains is not currently available. Stack loyalty tier discounts (PowerPass, Trade Rewards) with cashback on the partner brands they cover.

Which is better for a first-time home renovator, Bunnings or Total Tools?

For a first-time renovator doing a bathroom, kitchen, or deck job, Bunnings is the clear starting point. Broader non-tool range (tiles, timber, paint, garden, plumbing fittings all under one roof), more DIY-friendly staff briefings, and price-match on branded SKUs. Total Tools is better once you know you need a specific higher-end tool for repeat use. Buy the drill-driver combo and consumables at Bunnings; buy the specialised angle grinder, table saw, or trade-grade impact wrench at Total Tools.

Are Ryobi and Ozito good alternatives to Makita for a DIYer?

Yes, for DIY use. Ryobi ONE+ 18V is Bunnings-exclusive in Australia and covers 300+ tools on one battery platform, priced 40 to 60 percent below equivalent Makita LXT. Ozito is Bunnings' entry-level house brand priced below Ryobi. For occasional DIY (a few weekend projects a year), Ryobi ONE+ is the sensible platform lock-in. For daily trade use, the runtime, durability, and tool weight of Makita LXT, Milwaukee M18, or DeWalt XR is worth the price step-up. The tool platform matters more than the brand once you own 4+ skins on the same battery.

Bottom line

The three chains are not really competitors; they are three different tools in the Australian home-improvement kit. Bunnings for price, range, and DIY. Total Tools for trade-grade depth. Mitre 10 for regional access. Stack loyalty programs on all three where they exist, layer ShopBack cashback where the partnership exists (Bunnings and Officeworks in 2026), and buy in the September-November-June sale windows when combo-kit discounts peak.

Sign up to ShopBack to earn cashback on Bunnings, Officeworks, and hundreds of other Australian brands the next time you kit out a project.

Disclosure: ShopBack earns commission when readers shop at partner brands via ShopBack links. Loyalty program terms, cashback rates, and retailer partnerships change frequently; figures cited are as of 22 September 2026 from each chain's official Australian trade and consumer pages.