EOFY Tradie's Starter Kit Under $1500 Australia 2026: The Cordless Setup a Sole Trader Should Actually Buy

There's a moment most sole traders hit about a month after they go out on their own - the gear they nicked off the old boss's truck for years is suddenly their problem to buy. And buying it all at once, in the back half of June, with the financial year closing in, is a smarter play than most blokes realise. Buying the kit in one hit still makes sense, and for eligible small businesses the spend may be deductible in the year you buy it. Note that EOFY 2026 pricing has now lapsed - the figures below are current Amazon AU prices, not June sale prices. This is the cordless starter kit we'd put together for a subbie or sole trader walking into Sydney Tools or jumping on Amazon AU tomorrow with $1500 to spend - drill, impact, saw, storage and a measure, all on one battery platform. For the platform decision itself, the top7tools.au cordless drills guide goes deeper, and the EOFY deals page rolls up everything currently discounted.

The whole game here is picking ONE 18V platform and committing. The combo kit is the anchor purchase - it sets your battery ecosystem for the next decade, so it matters more than any single tool. Get that right and every skin you buy afterwards shares batteries and chargers. Get it wrong and you're carrying two chargers in the van for the rest of your working life. We've built three versions of the same kit below - a Milwaukee M18 build, a Makita LXT build, and a tighter Ryobi ONE+ build for anyone watching every dollar - and all three still come in under $1500, though the margin is thinner than it was in June.

Quick Picks - EOFY Tradie's Starter Kit Under $1500

Why an EOFY starter kit makes sense for sole traders

June is the one stretch of the year where the combo-kit price you've been staring at for months actually moves. Sydney Tools, Total Tools and Tool Kit Depot all run their hardest cordless deals in the EOFY run-up, and Amazon AU tends to follow the same curve. Two things line up at once: the deepest discounts of the year, and the close of the financial year. For an eligible small business, tools bought and first used before 30 June may sit under the instant asset write-off threshold and potentially be claimable in full this year rather than depreciated over time. That's context, not a reason to buy - the tools below earn their spot on merit. We've covered the threshold mechanics separately in our instant asset write-off tools guide.

The anchor: which combo kit to commit to

Milwaukee 3610-22CT M18 Compact Brushless Combo - the platform we'd marry into (~A$510)

Milwaukee 3610-22CT M18 Compact Brushless ComboCheck Price →

If you're starting from zero and you expect to be in the trade for the long haul, M18 is the deepest cordless range going - well over 250 tools share this one battery. The 3610-22CT pairs the compact brushless drill/driver and the 1/4" hex impact, ships with two batteries, charger and a bag, and it's the kit that opens the door to the whole M18 line later. The drill isn't the brawny FUEL hammer drill - it's the compact brushless unit - but for a starter setup driving screws, mixing the odd batch of no-more-gaps and boring pilot holes, it's plenty. Step up to the M18 FUEL combo later when the work demands it.

The good: the platform you're buying into is the real prize here, and it's the biggest in the business. Brushless motors on both tools, genuine M18 batteries in the box, and an impact that handles the bulk of fastening work a chippie or handyman throws at it.

The trade-off: it's the dearest of our three anchors, and the compact drill gives a little ground to the FUEL hammer drill in masonry. If you're drilling double-brick daily, budget for the FUEL drill down the track.

Makita DLX2283SM 18V LXT Brushless Combo - best value with batteries that matter (~A$533)

Makita DLX2283SM 18V LXT Brushless ComboCheck Price →

The LXT line is the other heavyweight, and this kit is the sweet spot for a sole trader who wants real grunt without the M18 price. You get the DHP485 brushless combi drill and the DTD153 brushless impact - the DTD153 is a proper tradie's impact, rated to 175Nm and quick enough to lay batten screws like punching through plasterboard - plus two 4.0Ah batteries, charger and a case. The 4.0Ah cells are the bit that lifts this above a lot of "starter" kits that ship with weedy 1.5Ah batteries you outgrow in a week.

The good: brushless drill and impact, 175Nm on the driver, and 4.0Ah batteries in the box for the same money other brands charge for 2.0Ah. LXT is the second-deepest platform after M18, so you'll never struggle to find skins.

The trade-off: the DTD153 is a three-mode impact rather than the four-stage assist found on the newer DTD173 - barely a downgrade for a starter, but worth knowing if you do a lot of fine fastening into soft pine.

Ryobi ONE+ PCL1200K2 2-Tool Combo - the tight-budget anchor (~A$269)

Ryobi ONE+ PCL1200K2 2-Tool ComboCheck Price →

Not every sole trader needs Milwaukee money, and the ONE+ range has quietly become a serious option - over 280 tools share the one battery, and the platform reaches from cheap brushed gear right up to the HP brushless line. The PCL1200K2 is the budget door-opener: drill/driver, impact, two 1.5Ah batteries, charger and a bag. It's brushed rather than brushless, so it works harder and the batteries are small, but for a handyman, a part-timer building a side business, or anyone who just needs the job done without two grand of outlay, it's hard to fault at the price.

The good: dirt cheap, opens the biggest budget-friendly platform in the country, and Bunnings stocks ONE+ on every corner so batteries and add-ons are never far away.

The trade-off: brushed motors and 1.5Ah batteries mean it's built for intermittent use, not eight hours a day on a commercial site. If you're full-time, don't stretch the ONE+ range further - step onto a trade platform instead. The Makita DLX2283SM gives you brushless motors and 4.0Ah batteries that will actually survive a full week on site, and it is the cheapest of the two trade anchors here.

Add a circular saw to the kit

A combo kit gets you fastening and drilling. The first skin almost every chippie adds is a circular saw, and buying it on the same platform as your anchor is the whole point of committing early. See the full circular saws buying guide for the deep dive, but for a starter kit two skins stand out.

Milwaukee M18 FCS5520 165mm Brushless Circular Saw (Skin) - ~A$349

Milwaukee M18 FCS5520 165mm Brushless Circular Saw (Skin)Check Price →

If your anchor is the M18 kit, this is the matching saw - a full 184mm (7-1/4") brushless saw that'll rip a sheet of ply or cross-cut framing pine all day on one of the batteries from your combo kit. It's a skin, so you're only paying for the tool, not another battery you don't need.

Makita DHS680Z 165mm Brushless Circular Saw (Skin) - ~A$289

Makita DHS680Z 18V LXT Brushless 165mm Circular Saw (Skin)Check Price →

The LXT match. A 165mm brushless saw is lighter in the hand than the 184mm units and still cuts deep enough for framing and decking. Runs off the same 4.0Ah batteries that came in your DLX2283SM kit. For a sole trader doing renovation and fit-out work rather than heavy framing, the smaller blade is genuinely easier to live with all day.

Storage: get it off the floor of the van

The fastest way to lose a morning is hunting for a driver bit in a milk crate full of offcuts. Modular storage is the bit new sole traders skimp on and regret. Our tool chests and storage guide covers the full modular systems, but for a starter kit, one wheeled box does the job.

DeWalt TSTAK Mobile Storage Box with Wheels DWST17820 - ~A$197

DeWalt TSTAK Mobile Storage Box with Wheels DWST17820Check Price →

A wheeled base unit you can stack TSTAK boxes onto and tow across a site, so you're not carrying everything in armfuls from the van. Brand-agnostic - it'll happily carry your Milwaukee, Makita or Ryobi gear.

Makita MAKPAC Interlocking Case Cart 4-Wheel Trolley P-83886 - ~A$165

Makita MAKPAC Interlocking Case Cart 4-Wheel Trolley P-83886Check Price →

If you went Makita, the MAKPAC trolley is the obvious match - your combo kit case and any MAKPAC skins clip straight onto it and roll as one stack. Tidy, lockable, and it keeps the kit organised from day one.

The measure: round out the kit

A laser distance meter pays for itself the first week. For quotes, set-outs and checking a wall is square before you start lining it, it beats fighting a tape solo every time. The measuring tools guide has the full range; two picks suit a starter budget.

Bosch Professional GLM 50-27 C Laser Distance Measurer - ~A$265

Bosch Professional GLM 50-27 C Laser Distance Measurer with BluetoothCheck Price →

50m range, Bluetooth so measurements sync straight to a quoting app on your phone, and rugged enough to live in the toolbox. The one to get if you're doing measure-and-quote work.

Stanley TLM40 Pocket Laser Distance Measure - ~A$61

Stanley TLM40 Pocket Laser Distance Measure (12m)Check Price →

For anyone who just wants a quick distance without the app, the TLM40 is a 12m pocket unit that lives in the nail bag. Cheap, simple, and good enough for room set-outs and rough measures.

Putting the kit together under $1500

Worth being straight with you: these numbers have moved a long way since we first published this guide, and not in your favour. The Bosch GLM 50-27 C has roughly doubled, the DeWalt TSTAK is up about 50 percent, and both trade combo kits have climbed. All three builds still land under $1500, but the comfortable headroom is gone.

A full M18 build - the 3610-22CT combo (~A$510), the FCS5520 circular saw (~A$349), the TSTAK mobile box (~A$197) and the Bosch GLM 50-27 C (~A$265) - lands around A$1321. That is still inside the budget, but it no longer leaves room for a multi-tool or a spare battery, so swap the Bosch laser for the Stanley TLM40 (~A$61) if you want that headroom back. A Makita LXT build comes in tighter: DLX2283SM (~A$533), DHS680Z saw (~A$289), MAKPAC trolley (~A$165) and the same Bosch laser (~A$265) is about A$1252. And a Ryobi build anchored on the PCL1200K2 combo (~A$269) plus the TSTAK box and the Stanley TLM40 sits near A$528, though note this one does not include a circular saw - budget another skin on top if you need one. Whichever way you go, you're set up on one platform with room to grow.

What you can claim and how

EOFY 2026 has been and gone, so tools bought now fall into the 2026-27 financial year and will be claimed in the return you lodge after 30 June 2027. For eligible small businesses, tools bought and first used or installed ready for use within a financial year may fall under the instant asset write-off threshold, which can mean the cost is claimable in full that year instead of being depreciated over several. The threshold is legislated year to year, so check the figure that applies to 2026-27 rather than assuming last year's. A cordless kit like the ones above sits well under that threshold. Whether you can actually claim depends on your circumstances - your work-use percentage, your business structure (sole trader, partnership, company), and the current ATO rules in force. The deduction context is exactly that: context. We're recommending these tools because they're the right starter kit, not because of the tax angle. If you want to know how the threshold applies to your situation, check ato.gov.au or talk to a registered tax agent.

A note on tax

This article is general information only and is not tax advice. top7tools.au is not a registered tax agent. Whether you can claim a deduction depends on your circumstances - your work-use percentage, your business structure, and current ATO rules. Talk to a registered tax agent or check ato.gov.au before claiming any deduction based on information you read here.

The verdict

For a sole trader starting from scratch, the Milwaukee 3610-22CT M18 combo is the anchor we'd commit to - the platform is the biggest in the country and you'll never run short of skins. (We previously pointed at the 2892-22CT here; it is still listed on Amazon AU but currently has no seller offering it at a price, so the 3610-22CT is the one to buy.) If value matters more than ecosystem depth, the Makita DLX2283SM gives you brushless tools and 4.0Ah batteries for less. And the Ryobi ONE+ PCL1200K2 opens the cheapest serious platform going for anyone testing the water.

Build out the rest from the same platform and you've got a working kit under $1500. For more, read our EOFY apprentice's starter kit guide, compare platforms in the M18 vs LXT vs XR vs ONE+ showdown, browse the full impact drivers buying guide, or check what's discounted right now on the top7tools.au EOFY deals page.