About Milwaukee
Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation was founded in 1924 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, by Albert F. Siebert, and the company moved its headquarters to nearby Brookfield, Wisconsin, in 1965, where it remains today. Techtronic Industries (TTI), the Hong Kong-based multinational behind RYOBI and RIDGID, acquired Milwaukee from Atlas Copco in 2005 and has since built the M12 and M18 cordless platforms into two of the widest professional battery ecosystems on the market, spanning drills, saws, impact drivers, outdoor power equipment, and mobile storage that all share the same packs.
That platform breadth is exactly what shows up across our own testing: in the roundups where we reviewed Milwaukee tools, reviewers repeatedly pointed to REDLINK PLUS electronics that monitor tool and battery temperature together, and to the PACKOUT modular storage system that lets a rolling case, an organizer, and a tool box latch together into one stack. Milwaukee backs the majority of its cordless power tools with a 5-year limited warranty covering defects in materials and workmanship, terms that were relevant across the hammer drills, impact drivers, and jigsaw we tested for DIYRated.
Brand website: milwaukeetool.com
What Milwaukee makes
Milwaukee's range runs wider than the products we review. The lines we know best from our own testing are marked with a star:
Hammer drills & drill-drivers
M12 and M18 FUEL brushless hammer drills on the shared battery platform, featured on DIYRated — featured on DIYRated
Impact drivers
M12 and M18 FUEL brushless impact drivers with DRIVE CONTROL modes, featured on DIYRated — featured on DIYRated
Jigsaws & cutting tools
M18 FUEL brushless jigsaws, circular saws, and reciprocating saws, featured on DIYRated — featured on DIYRated
Outdoor power equipment
M18 FUEL blowers, chainsaws, and string trimmers on the same 18V pack as the shop tools — featured on DIYRated
PACKOUT modular storage
rolling tool boxes, organizers, and cases that latch together into one stack, featured on DIYRated — featured on DIYRated
ONE-KEY connected tools
Bluetooth-enabled tool tracking, theft deterrence, and customizable performance settings for select M18 tools
Why we recognized Milwaukee
The DIYRated Top Brand recognition isn't paid for and can't be applied for. We award it to the brands whose products consistently stand out in our hands-on category reviews. Milwaukee earned it on the strength of the products below, evaluated the same way every product on this site is: bought, put to work on real jobs, and judged on merit.
Milwaukee products we rated highly
Milwaukee 2804-20 M18 FUEL 1/2 in. Hammer Drill (Tool Only)
1,200 in-lb of peak torque puts it second only to the corded rotary hammer in our roundup, and REDLINK PLUS electronics monitor tool and pack together to pull power back before either overheats. It carries 2,706 reviews at 4.7 stars, one of the deepest owner review records we found in the category, and drops straight into the M18 platform that most professional job sites already stock.
Read the 8 Best Cordless Hammer Drills of 2026 guide →
Milwaukee Electric M12 FUEL 1/2 in. Hammer Drill-Driver (3404-20)
At six inches long and two inches wide with an all-metal 1/2-inch chuck in a subcompact body, this is a tool electricians in the reviews reach for in panels, conduit runs, ceilings, and cabinet interiors where a full-size drill will not fit. It carries 1,889 reviews at 4.7 stars, a deep owner record for a 12V tool.
Read the 8 Best Cordless Hammer Drills of 2026 guide →
Milwaukee 2953-20 M18 FUEL 1/4 in. Hex Impact Driver (Bare Tool)
The most powerful 18V impact driver in our roundup at 2,000 in-lbs, capable of breaking loose corroded fasteners that stalled other drivers we tested. A 4-mode DRIVE CONTROL includes a self-tapping screw mode that backs off the instant the screw seats, and it carries 2,519 reviews at 4.7 stars.
Read the 8 Best Impact Drivers of 2026 guide →
Milwaukee 3453-20 M12 FUEL 1/4 in. Hex Compact Impact Driver Gen 3 (Bare Tool)
The shortest head length in our roundup at 5.0 inches and tied for lightest at 2.0 lbs, well suited to cabinet hardware and tight finish-work spaces. It was the highest-rated impact driver in our review at 4.8 stars across 1,719 reviews, and a tri-LED ring around the chuck eliminates shadows when driving inside a cabinet box or between studs.
Read the 8 Best Impact Drivers of 2026 guide →
Milwaukee 2737-20 M18 FUEL Brushless Cordless Jigsaw
A top pick in our jigsaw testing: the POWERSTATE brushless motor hits 3,500 SPM, the fastest cutting speed we measured in the category, and REDLINK electronics with Auto-Start protect the saw from overload while delivering instant trigger response. A bright LED work light and dust blower kept the cut line clear on plunge cuts and electrical rough-in work, and it carries 2,946 reviews at 4.8 stars.
Read the 7 Best Jigsaws of 2026 guide →
Milwaukee M18 FUEL Blower (Tool Only)
The highest-rated blower in our roundup at 4.8 stars across 3,754 reviews. It delivers 450 CFM at 120 MPH on the M18 FUEL brushless platform in a 4.3-pound package, and REDLINK PLUS electronics monitor battery and motor temperature to prevent thermal shutdown on hot days or back-to-back sessions.
Read the 7 Best Cordless Leaf Blowers of 2026 guide →
Milwaukee PACKOUT 22-Inch Rolling Tool Box (48-22-8426)
The wheeled base of the PACKOUT modular storage system, so every PACKOUT tool box and organizer latches onto it. An IP65 weather seal tolerates rain, jobsite dust, and wash-down, and 9-inch all-terrain wheels roll over gravel and uneven concrete without the deflection that affects small-caster chests. It carries 1,764 reviews at 4.8 stars.
Read the 8 Best Tool Chests of 2026 guide →What earned Milwaukee the recognition
- A century-old brand founded in 1924 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, now built around the M12 and M18 FUEL cordless platforms that run the same battery across drills, drivers, saws, outdoor power equipment, and mobile storage.
- Featured across five of our roundups on DIYRated: cordless hammer drills, impact drivers, jigsaws, cordless leaf blowers, and tool chests, with the M18 FUEL jigsaw standing out in our testing as one of our top picks for cutting speed.
- REDLINK PLUS electronics appear across the M12 and M18 tools we tested, monitoring tool and battery temperature together to guard against overload and thermal shutdown.
- The PACKOUT modular storage system lets a rolling tool box, organizers, and cases latch together into a single weatherproof stack, the only mobile storage system in our tool chest testing rated IP65 for outdoor jobsite use.
- Backs the majority of its cordless power tools with a 5-year limited warranty covering defects in materials and workmanship, and the M12/M18 tools we reviewed carry deep, consistently high-rated owner review records.