Is it even possible???

[whitetailhntr]

Is there any way to really determine what is the overall better tool between Milwaukee and Dewalt? To me I cannot understand why anyone would ever buy dewalt over Milwaukee. Then while using a Dewalt impact at work I started wondering is there a way to determine which is better? Or is it just a preference? My Father won't buy anything but Dewalt, but is that just because of habit? Milwaukee seems to have better battery's and I like how they feel in the hand. Though Dewalt has some really low prices compared to some Milwaukee items. I always liked the looks of Milwaukee better, maybe it's an aesthetic thing.?. What's your preference?


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[T45]

marketing? tribalism? Money? color?

The sort of ford vs chevy or coke vs pepsi or evo vs sti debates will never be finalized.-- but everyone has their own 'reasons' in addition to irrational attachment factors.

Also, sometimes people just like a choice and to be different, so surely that part of it.

And other people are looking for good enough, not always 'the best' and once they find good enough, it becomes a game of risk and change aversion--swapping systems becomes a hassle and a headache, not a revelation.

 

[woody 73]

For myself only it's like a catch-22 damned if I do and damned if I don't, so let me explain.
Many, many, years ago Dewalt was at the top of the heap and I bought their cordless products, (keep in mind lot's of batteries, battery chargers, kits, etc. Then later Milwaukee becomes king of the hill, so what to do?

Start all over again and get rid of all my good working Dewalt and buy Milwaukee, I don't think so. I look at this way, both products work well enough and if you wait long enough there will be another king of the hill.

Not that it answers your question just my two cents.

 

[larry_g]

Without specific part/model numbers to compare your not going to be able to get a good answer. At any one time you may have one model/brand better than the other, find a good one and next week you get the same model and it is out of a different factory with different rev numbers and it will be a POS. Buy the one that you like. It's a Ford vs Chevy thing.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[buckwheat_la]

All have advantages and disadvantages. I guess you should be more specific, under what criteria to you wish to make this judgement on? Dewalt might have better batteries but Milwaukee might have more products, Dewalt might have more power but Milwaukee has better longevity.....etc.

So in general I have this opinion about your comment

Top Brands
Makita, Milwaukee, Dewalt, Fentool
-these brands are used by tradesmen everywhere

Mid brands
Rigid (some would argue this with me), Sears, Mastercraft (Canada), Skil
-these brands work alright for some tradesmen, and just as good for homeowners, but if you are going to be using it every day for work, expect more failures

Low brands
Most house brands and no name brands, Walmart etc.
-Anything you get from these tools beyond a couple uses is a blessing.

I am sure I missed a few things, but this gives you a basic break down.

 

[FullRaceMerc]

Not having used both as cordless I have no input on the comparison Milwaukee vs Dewalt. My Milwaukee corded tools have many miles on them & are still running great. I like the brand.

For us it is about interchangeability in cordless tools. Years ago when we left the 9.6v Makita stuff almost everyone in our small company got Dewalt. One guy bought another brand & was always stuck somehow. For the next set he bought Dewalt. Being able to share batteries & tools within the crew is handy. We have used Dewalt cordless ever since.

Currently I use some 18v & some 20v Dewalt. The battery life on the higher Ah 20v batts is great. The charge indicator on the batteries is nice too.

A plus for Dewalt is their adapter to fit 20v batteries into 18v tools. It's a great idea on their part. By keeping the little used specialty tools working with the new battery system it makes it so you don't have to change over all at once. If you don't have to change over all at once, you are less likely to change brands. Even if they sell less specialty tools to the Dewalt faithful, they are more likely to sell most tools to existing customers who might just change brands since they have to buy everything anyway. Now if they'd only realize that instead of selling it for $40+, if they'd just give that adapter away it would be good for brand loyalty. Or at least sell it for a reasonable price.

 

[speed bump]

It depends on location, what's available, and what is pushed. 10-15 years ago you only bought Dewalt or Makita for cordless tools if you wanted good cordless tools. Milwaukee has really pushed over the last 10 years and changed that. Personally I was set to buy Milwaukee tools because Dewalt went through a period where everything they made sucked. As luck would have it my family bought Dewalt tools and so when I buy new tools they will be Dewalt so that everything matches.

 

[Superbec]

Is there any way to really determine what is the overall better tool between Milwaukee and Dewalt?

you will have to buy 10x of each brand and the equivalent tool than proceed at a bunch of non destructive test than destructive than long runs than get the service data from the factory than choose red because making a yellow tool is just silly

 

[whitetailhntr]

you will have to buy 10x of each brand and the equivalent tool than proceed at a bunch of non destructive test than destructive than long runs than get the service data from the factory than choose red because making a yellow tool is just silly

Well said[emoji23]


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[jdelrizzle]

All have advantages and disadvantages. I guess you should be more specific, under what criteria to you wish to make this judgement on? Dewalt might have better batteries but Milwaukee might have more products, Dewalt might have more power but Milwaukee has better longevity.....etc.

So in general I have this opinion about your comment

Top Brands
Makita, Milwaukee, Dewalt, Fentool
-these brands are used by tradesmen everywhere

Mid brands
Rigid (some would argue this with me), Sears, Mastercraft (Canada), Skil
-these brands work alright for some tradesmen, and just as good for homeowners, but if you are going to be using it every day for work, expect more failures

Low brands
Most house brands and no name brands, Walmart etc.
-Anything you get from these tools beyond a couple uses is a blessing.

I am sure I missed a few things, but this gives you a basic break down.

What about Hilti?

 

[John in OH]

I have Milwaukee but have used a Dewalt drill a time or two. I'm very happy with Milwaukee, but one cool feature that the Dewalt had that I wish my Milwaukee drill had is the built-in bubble level. For certain jobs it is really nice to have the level to help know if the drill is being tipped or not.

 

[Catadj78]

I'm loyal to the Skil brand

 

[buckwheat_la]

What about Hilti?

Never used them or know of anyone who used them. Where do you rate them?

 

[Evan(CA)]

Never used them or know of anyone who used them. Where do you rate them?

I've never used their cordless tools but the Hilti demo and rotary hammers are top of the line.

 

[Cope]

To me it's Ford vs Chevy vs Mopar. Whatever floats your boat.

 

[katiexoxo]

Hilti > Festool > Makita > Bosch > Milkwaukee > Dewalt

 

[jdelrizzle]

Never used them or know of anyone who used them. Where do you rate them?

Top of the line, expensive...

 

[gasgas17]

I have never found Milwaukee tools any better over all. The new DeWalt cordless tools are pretty nice. I have had great luck with their cordless drills over the years, using them everyday at work. I find most brands have a couple tools that are really good and that is how we choose our tools. Not really by brand loyalty. We do however have a local DeWalt factory outlet/service center and they send email notifications of their sales, so we tend to scoup up the factory reconditioned tools when they are on sale. 95% of the reconditioned stuff is just stuff that was opened or last years model and never used and about 1/2 price or better when it's on sale. The cordless tools always come with brand new batteries too. I just picked up a new 20 volt max drill for the work van on Thursday. Reg price at Home Depot was 379.00. I paid 169.00 for it at the outlet. https://www.homedepot.ca/en/home/p.20v-max-li-ion-premium-hammer-drill-driver-kit.1000708316.html

 

[MikeF2316]

I went Milwaukee because I wanted the M12 ratchet. Dewalt has nothing like it. Then I wanted a 3/8 drive impact, ironically because I used a Dewalt one. It seemed silly to not get one that matched my current battery and charger. Then a light and a right angle drill followed, then even more stuff.

 

[bczygan]

If you buy the wrong one.....You will be damned for eternity!

I'm not telling you which one it is...

 

[skipnay]

Milwaukee

The warranty is probably the best there is. Tools are 5 years and batteries are 3 years. My local Milwaukee dealer had to repair one of my cordless drills due to something I did. Was willing to pay for it out of my own pocket but they fixed no questions asked and didn't charge me a thing. Even asked if I needed a rental. Never get that with anything else I ever had.

After having 2 cordless hammer drills, bandsaw, sawzall, 3/8 impact, 1/2 impact, circular saw, nut drivers, flash lights, flood lights, grinder and so on in 18 volt is awesome. I don't think anyone other company has all of that, that can compete with milwaukee. I think I'm getting the shop vac and right angle drill for Christmas.

 

[jhelrey]

I had the Dewalt 18V XRP stuff. I got down to having just two batteries left and toyed around with investing more money into batteries or dumping them. I do construction and our tools are provided. Boss buys Milwaukee for the warranty, batteries, etc. Our stuff is used in the rain, snow, mud, slush, sand, dropped from heights, and they will not die. The XRP batteries just do not have the run time like the M18s. I sold off all of my Dewalt stuff and it's amazing the size differences when the tools were side by side.

The amount of M18 tools are impressive. I can invest into the M18 batteries and virtually buy every tool I will need from them. I've even thought about selling off some corded stuff and getting cordless instead. For me, it's so nice not having to look for power. I like the 6 pack charger for being able to put all the batteries on and walking away. I usually will have 4 batteries out at a time. Drill, Impact, Circ Saw, and Miter Saw.

Then comes the deals with Vets Day, Cyber Monday and I couldn't resist. The red boxes keep stacking up in my basement.

 

[71goldss]

I have Milwaukee but have used a Dewalt drill a time or two. I'm very happy with Milwaukee, but one cool feature that the Dewalt had that I wish my Milwaukee drill had is the built-in bubble level. For certain jobs it is really nice to have the level to help know if the drill is being tipped or not.

I have a good collection of m12 and m18 tools now, but I still use my Craftsman C3 compact drill quite a bit, and it too has the built-in bubble level. I agree, it's a cool feature that I've relied upon more than once. I find it odd that Milwaukee hasn't added it to their drills?

 

[WWheeler]

I own both Dewalt and Milwaukee cordless tools and I like both. A lot. Can't go wrong with either brand.

 

[Teenager with old tools]

All have advantages and disadvantages. I guess you should be more specific, under what criteria to you wish to make this judgement on? Dewalt might have better batteries but Milwaukee might have more products, Dewalt might have more power but Milwaukee has better longevity.....etc.

So in general I have this opinion about your comment

Top Brands
Makita, Milwaukee, Dewalt, Fentool
-these brands are used by tradesmen everywhere

Mid brands
Rigid (some would argue this with me), Sears, Mastercraft (Canada), Skil
-these brands work alright for some tradesmen, and just as good for homeowners, but if you are going to be using it every day for work, expect more failures

Low brands
Most house brands and no name brands, Walmart etc.
-Anything you get from these tools beyond a couple uses is a blessing.

I am sure I missed a few things, but this gives you a basic break down.

I will say though, I have a black and decker drill/hammer drill corded I have put it through hell its still goin


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[CJM8515]

I find milwaukee really stepped it up in the last few years. To me they have the most diverse line of tools. Dewalt really hasnt done that and Makita is second to Milwaukee in that area.

As a home user who isnt that nice to his tools I can say every single milwaukee tool I have Im very happy with. Nothing has let me down yet in the two years Ive owned them.

 

[WWheeler]

[...] As a home user who isnt that nice to his tools I can say every single milwaukee tool I have Im very happy with. Nothing has let me down yet in the two years Ive owned them.

I can say the same about the few Milwaukee tools I have, which are all newer additions to my arsenal, but I can also say the same about every one of my Dewalt tools most of which I've owned since the mid 1990s.

 

[619DioFan]

I will say though, I have a black and decker drill/hammer drill corded I have put it through hell its still goin


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I have one of those as well. thing has drilled through everything I throw at it.

 

[619DioFan]

I can only speak about Ryobi and Milwaukee. I have had great luck with all my Ryobi tools. some of them are over 10 years old. use the cordless reciprocating saw a lot. cordless drill and impact driver are used every day at work. when I wanted something stronger I looked at the IR cordless and Milwaukee fuel. did not like the angled body on the IR so went with the Milwaukee. have both 1/2 and 3/8 drive fuel impacts. after almost 2 years I can say that getting them is the best tool money I have spent in a very long time. super powerful and zero problems.

 

[Coach James]

"Is there any way to really determine what is the overall better tool between Milwaukee and Dewalt?"

First you would have to determine what "better" means? Battery life? Torque? etc.

Then you would have to determine a testing method that will give results that can be measured within a specified degree of accuracy.

Then you would need a statistician to determine what sample size is needed to conduct the tests and get results that are statistically meaningful.

Then spend the money to conduct the tests and use the results to determine which is better based on the criteria you chose to mean better.

Or you could accept that both brands make good tools and buy whichever you like the most.

Coach

 

[TigerDude]

It is impossible to have an opinion on something without how you feel about it coming into play.

This is why Pepsi wins in plain cups but Coke wins when you see the can. (And stop, no you can't, not if you include a third like Sam's choice).

 

[justanengineer]

20+ years ago comparing Milwaukee to Dewalt or most other homeowner brands would've been rather comical but in recent years Milwaukee's really come down and Dewalt's improved so its a bit of a tossup. Personally, I've stuck with Milwaukee because they still are tops in product support and motor quality IMHO, my gripes being simply that while ergonomics are improving the case and plastic parts are getting cheaper. Realistically tho, things change over time. I drive past the original Porter Cable plant in Syracuse every week or three and cant help but wonder if the old-timers arent turning in their graves, professional quality tools of yesteryear are a joke of a hobbyist name now, so who knows what the future holds...

 

[WWheeler]

It is impossible to have an opinion on something without how you feel about it coming into play.

This is why Pepsi wins in plain cups but Coke wins when you see the can. (And stop, no you can't, not if you include a third like Sam's choice).

Hahaha. My son and my nephew luv Pepsi and won't drink Coke if given a choice. They both have complained for years because I only buy whichever is cheaper in the store at the time. They are close enough to the same thing to me & I could care less whichever is in my cup.

So, after years of listening to both of them griping my wife and I gave both of them several blind taste tests, each time from just-opened 2 liters in plastic cups poured over an identical # of ice cubes, and each and every time they both have picked the Coke. We have repeated this test on multiple occasions and each time they both pick the Coke over Pepsi. It blows my mind. Not once have either of them picked the Pepsi. Still, to this day, neither one of them will drink a Coke product if they are told that's what it is.