Brand · 20 products · Tools & DIY, Garden & Outdoor Living and Outdoors & Fitness
Milwaukee
Is Milwaukee worth buying?
Milwaukee earned a buy verdict on 10 of the 20 Milwaukee products we compared (50%), in line with the 49% average across every brand on the site. 3 won their comparisons outright: Milwaukee SHOCKWAVE Impact Duty Drill and Drive Set (50-Piece), Milwaukee 12PC QUIK-LOK HOLE DOZER Bi-Metal Hole Saw Kit (49-22-4702) and Milwaukee Stabilizer Knee Pad with Thigh Strap (48-73-6051). 8 are an "it depends": right for a specific buyer, not for everyone. We would skip 2: Milwaukee 2446-20 M12 Cordless Lithium-Ion Grease Gun and Milwaukee SHOCKWAVE Impact Duty Thin Wall Hole Saw, 1-1/2 in. (49-56-9835).
Verdicts synthesize independent testing and long-term owner reports; we do not run a lab and never take review units. Each product below links to the comparison it was judged in. How we review.
Buy it 10 products
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The Best Drill and Driver Bit Sets: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) · Tools & DIY
Milwaukee SHOCKWAVE Impact Duty Drill and Drive Set (50-Piece)Won the comparison
Nails the fundamentals: impact-duty SHOCKZONE driving bits, drill bits in the mix, and almost no wasted count.
Best for: Anyone running a cordless impact driver or drill who wants bits that survive real work
$$ · mid-range
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The Best Hole Saws: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) · Tools & DIY
Milwaukee 12PC QUIK-LOK HOLE DOZER Bi-Metal Hole Saw Kit (49-22-4702)Won the comparison
The only kit here whose maker publishes a depth of cut, an RPM figure per material and a warranty, on an arbor documented to drive other brands' saws.
Best for: The tradesperson who wants one arbor system that will still drive whatever hole saws end up in the bag later.
$$$ · premium
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The Best Work Knee Pads: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) · Tools & DIY
Milwaukee Stabilizer Knee Pad with Thigh Strap (48-73-6051)Won the comparison
A hinged thigh strap takes the load off the back of the knee, and the large flat cap keeps you steady when you are working in one spot.
Best for: Flooring, tile and mechanical trades who spend hours kneeling in one position and want the straps off the back of the knee.
$$ · mid-range
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The Best Chainsaws for Homeowners: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) · Garden & Outdoor Living
Milwaukee M18 FUEL 16" Chainsaw (2727-21HD)Runner-up
A pro-grade 16-inch battery saw that cuts hard and fast, and a no-brainer if you already live on the M18 platform.
Best for: Owners already invested in Milwaukee M18 who want serious cutting power in a battery saw.
$$$ · premium
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The Best Cordless Hedge Trimmers: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) · Garden & Outdoor Living
Milwaukee M18 FUEL 24" Hedge Trimmer (3033-20)Runner-up
The pro-grade choice for dense, overgrown, woody hedges and all-day work on the M18 platform.
Best for: Landscapers and homeowners already on M18 who tackle thick, neglected, or high-volume hedges.
$$$$ · flagship
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The Best Impact Drivers: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) · Tools & DIY
Milwaukee 2953-20 M18 FUEL 1/4 in. Hex Impact DriverRunner-up
The highest published torque here at 2,000 in-lb, in a head you pay for in inches.
Best for: Heavy fastening and removal work where output and impact rate matter more than getting into tight spaces.
$$$ · premium
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The Best Non-Contact Voltage Testers: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) · Tools & DIY
Milwaukee 3202-20 Voltage Detector with LEDRunner-up
A tough single-range pen with the same CAT IV 1000 V rating and a work light you can run on its own.
Best for: A jobsite spare or a first tester where ruggedness and a good light matter more than a low-voltage range.
$ · budget
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The Best Pole Saws: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) · Outdoors & Fitness
Milwaukee M18 FUEL 10" Pole Saw w/ QUIK-LOK (2825-21PS)Runner-up
A pro-grade 10-inch pole saw and, thanks to the QUIK-LOK system, the head of a whole modular yard tool set for M18 owners.
Best for: Owners already invested in Milwaukee M18 who want serious cutting power and a modular attachment system.
$$$ · premium
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The Best Safety Glasses: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) · Tools & DIY
Milwaukee Performance Safety Glasses (48-73-2020)Runner-up
The only pair here whose maker publishes a signed compliance certificate that names the exact part number you are buying.
Best for: Someone who wants an impact rated pair from a shelf today and would rather have documentation they can download than a longer feature list.
$ · budget
No buyable Amazon listing at our last check.
Read the comparison -
The Best Tape Measures: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) · Tools & DIY
Milwaukee 48-22-1216 16 ft Wide Blade Tape MeasureRunner-up
Publishes standout and reach as two separate numbers, which lets you use the one that is a property of the tape.
Best for: Trades and DIY work where extending unsupported across a room matters more than millimetre-level certainty.
$$ · mid-range
It depends 8 products
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The Best Cordless Drills: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) · Tools & DIY
Milwaukee M18 Compact Brushless Drill/Driver (3601)
A beautifully built compact with all-metal chuck and gear case - worth it if you're on the M18 platform, hard to justify if you're not.
Best for: Buyers already invested in M18 batteries, or heavy DIYers who want pro durability and plan to add more Milwaukee tools
$$$ · premium
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The Best Cordless Lawn Mowers: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) · Garden & Outdoor Living
Milwaukee M18 FUEL 21" Self-Propelled Dual Battery Mower (2823-22HD)
Arguably the most powerful mower here - but its flagship price only pencils out if you already live on the M18 platform.
Best for: Tradespeople and M18 tool owners who want maximum power and can amortize the cost across a battery fleet they already own.
$$$$ · flagship
No buyable Amazon listing at our last check.
Read the comparison -
The Best Cordless Leaf Blowers: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) · Garden & Outdoor Living
Milwaukee M18 FUEL Blower (2724-20)
A compact, well-built blower that makes total sense if you already own M18 batteries and near-zero sense if you don't.
Best for: People already invested in the Milwaukee M18 system who want a capable blower for driveways and light yard work.
$$ · mid-range
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The Best Heat Guns: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) · Tools & DIY
Milwaukee M18 Compact Heat Gun 2688-20
A cordless heat gun with one temperature, one airflow and a trigger, which is either exactly enough or nowhere near it.
Best for: An electrician, plumber or installer already carrying M18 batteries who mostly does heat shrink and thawing work away from an outlet and accepts one fixed setting.
$$ · mid-range
No buyable Amazon listing at our last check.
Read the comparison -
The Best Heated Jackets: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) · Outdoors & Fitness
Milwaukee M12 Heated TOUGHSHELL Work Jacket (M100B-20M)
A work jacket built around the M12 battery system, so it makes sense only if you already own the batteries.
Best for: Tradespeople already invested in Milwaukee M12 batteries who want a rugged shell.
$$ · mid-range
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The Best Locking Pliers: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) · Tools & DIY
Milwaukee 48-22-3410 10 in. TORQUE LOCK Curved Jaw Locking Pliers with Grip
The only one here with published part numbers for the two things that wear out, but the product page gives no jaw capacity.
Best for: Someone who expects to own the tool for a decade and wants a spring and adjusting bolt part number on file before they need it.
$$ · mid-range
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The Best Rotary Tools: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) · Tools & DIY
Milwaukee M12 Rotary Tool 2460-20 (tool only)
A 12V cordless rotary tool aimed at tradespeople, built for cutoff and grinding, sold without a battery.
Best for: Electricians, plumbers, mechanics and DIYers already on M12 who want a cordless tool for close-quarter cutoff and grinding.
$$ · mid-range
No buyable Amazon listing at our last check.
Read the comparison -
Tire Inflators: Which to Buy and Which to Skip · Automotive
Milwaukee M12 Compact Inflator (2475-20)
An excellent top-off tool that only makes financial sense if you already own M12 batteries.
Best for: Existing Milwaukee M12 owners who want a precise, pocketable top-off tool that piggybacks on batteries they already have.
$$ · mid-range
Skip it 2 products
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The Best Grease Guns: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) · Tools & DIY
Milwaukee 2446-20 M12 Cordless Lithium-Ion Grease Gun
A compact, light M12 gun that lists a run time, but states the lowest pressure here, no flow rate and a single speed.
Why we skip it: States more than 8,000 PSI, the lowest pressure figure in this group against 10,000 PSI for the other three.
$$ · mid-range
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The Best Hole Saws: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) · Tools & DIY
Milwaukee SHOCKWAVE Impact Duty Thin Wall Hole Saw, 1-1/2 in. (49-56-9835)
A good sheet-metal tool sold in the same aisle as real hole saws, and rated by its own maker for a fraction of the work.
Why we skip it: Milwaukee rates it for plastics and thin gauge metals up to 1/8 in. thick, which rules out most of what people buy hole saws for.
$ · budget
Milwaukee in our categories: Tools & DIY (13) · Garden & Outdoor Living (4) · Outdoors & Fitness (2) · Automotive (1)