Real data, ranked. No fluff, no filler.
Committed to Milwaukee red? Here's the highest-ranked Milwaukee in each of our top-10 lists, from M18 FUEL power tools to PACKOUT storage.
Milwaukee owners tend to stay Milwaukee: one M18 battery runs a huge range of tools, and PACKOUT boxes only lock to other PACKOUT boxes. So this page answers one question: which Milwaukee is the best buy in each category? Every pick is the top-scoring Milwaukee product in one of our ranked lists, scored on the same data as everything else on the site: Amazon star rating, number of reviews, and the features that matter for the job.
16 Milwaukee tools made our top-10 lists, across 12 of 31 categories. Milwaukee scores highest of any brand in 1 of them and is our Best Overall pick in 1. Below is the best Milwaukee in each category, with an honest note wherever another brand ranked higher.
The one to buy if money's no object — Milwaukee's M18 FUEL D-Handle jigsaw, with a rotating D-handle body that lets the blade swivel independently for tight, controlled cuts a fixed-body jigsaw can't match. Bare tool on the huge M18 platform.
Top score from any brand: the DEWALT DCS334B (92/100), 12 points ahead.
The proven workhorse. Nearly 4,700 reviews at 4.8 stars on the M18 platform — not the newest driver here, but the one with the longest track record of not letting people down.
Top score from any brand: the DEWALT DCF845B (84/100), 3 points ahead.
The pick for anyone already on Milwaukee M18. Solid and well-balanced for a bare tool; not the fastest, but it taps into one of the best battery platforms out there.
Top score from any brand: the DEWALT DCS391B (79/100), 6 points ahead.
The M18 pick, and Amazon's #3 best-selling oscillating tool. A 12-setting speed dial and an all-metal gear case on Milwaukee's full-size 18V platform. Bare tool, so bring an M18 battery.
Top score from any brand: the DEWALT DCS356 Kit (93/100), 16 points ahead.
Also in our top 10: 2526-20 (#8)
The pro's SAWZALL — Milwaukee invented the reciprocating saw, and the M18 FUEL is a brushless demolition monster with a huge 1-1/4" stroke. The pick if you're on the M18 platform.
Top score from any brand: the DEWALT DCS367B (86/100), 7 points ahead.
The M18 FUEL pick — a brushless grinder with an Electronic Clutch for kickback protection and a no-lock paddle switch, backed by 2,495 reviews at 4.8 stars. The pick if you're already on Milwaukee M18 batteries.
Top score from any brand: the DEWALT DCG413B (88/100), 5 points ahead.
Also in our top 10: 2888-20 (#7)
The pick for anyone already on Milwaukee's M18 platform. A powerful motor and a 7,000–12,000 OPM variable-speed dial let it remove more material per battery charge, with up to 35 minutes of runtime on a 3.0Ah pack.
Top score from any brand: the DEWALT DCW210B (92/100), 15 points ahead.
A 4.8-inch-long 3/8-inch wrench built for engine bays and under-dash work. Its auto shut-off mode stops at 20 ft-lbs, which keeps you from stripping small fasteners.
Top score from any brand: the DEWALT DCF900P1 (96/100), 9 points ahead.
Also in our top 10: 2967-20 (#6)
Milwaukee's M18 FUEL 1" hammer with AUTOSTOP, which senses a bind-up and cuts power before the tool can wrench your arm. Buy it if you're on M18 batteries and drill concrete for a living.
Top score from any brand: the DEWALT DCH273B (85/100), 9 points ahead.
Also in our top 10: 2613-20 (#9)
The modular favorite. Not a drawered steel cabinet but the platform most pros build on — impact-proof, weatherproof, and the base that every other PACKOUT box stacks onto.
This is also our Best Overall rolling tool chests & cabinets pick, from any brand.
The modern standard. Impact-proof, weather-sealed, and the box the whole PACKOUT system stacks and locks onto — the highest-rated portable box here.
Top score from any brand: the DEWALT DWST17806 (93/100), 15 points ahead.
The flagship jobsite bag. A big 20 in PACKOUT-compatible bag with a molded, weather-resistant base — the money-no-object hauler if you're on the system.
Top score from any brand: the Klein Tools 55421BP-14 (92/100), 19 points ahead.
No Milwaukee product made these lists when we last checked. Here are the best picks from any brand:
No. M12 and M18 are separate platforms with different battery shapes. M12 tools are smaller and lighter; M18 tools have more power. Most people pick one as their main platform and add the other only for compact jobs.
M18 FUEL is Milwaukee's premium line, with brushless motors and more power and runtime than standard M18 tools. Both run on the same M18 batteries.
No. PACKOUT pieces lock to each other, not to DEWALT TSTAK or ToughSystem or other brands' modular boxes. If you're already invested in PACKOUT, stay with it; if you're starting fresh, compare it against the other systems on our tool box lists.
Our lists are built from Amazon's best-selling, most-reviewed products, and no Milwaukee drill made our cordless drill top 10 when we last checked. See our cordless drill list for the best from any brand.
Nearly all the Milwaukee power tools here are bare tools ("tool only"), which is how Milwaukee sells best on Amazon. They make sense if you already own M18 or M12 batteries and a charger. If you don't, add a starter battery kit, or pick a kit from our main lists instead.