RYOBI VS MILWAUKEE FOR DIY AUTO MECHANICS
If you want to start doing your own automotive work, should you go with Ryobi or Milwaukee cordless power tools?
It’s a heated debate, Milwaukee or Ryobi? Are they the same? Are they different? Who’s better…
We decided to poll a portion of our audience asking if they preferred Milwaukee or Ryobi for DIY auto mechanics. The crowd chose Milwaukee, but is it the better value? Let’s dive into the differences in detail.
Milwaukee vs Ryobi Poll
From an automotive DIYer perspective cost is probably your top priority.
Compatibility will drive everything else. You don’t want to waste money buying incompatible cordless tool brands. Pretty much all brands have different batteries and they ARE NOT compatible with each other.
CORDLESS BATTERY DIFFERENCES
Milwaukee has two main cordless tools; the M12 and M18. M12 is a 12v cordless lineup and the M18 is their 18v variant. Each set of tools has different battery types with different amp-hour ratings and battery indicators.
Unfortunately, the M12 and M18 batteries are not compatible which is a huge disadvantage. However, Milwaukee does sell a sequential M12/M18 charger which reduces the need for two separate charger stations.
On the flip side, Ryobi has one battery system, the ONE+. Ryobi also released newer ONE+ HP batteries which are ALL compatible with ONE+ and ONE+ HP Ryobi cordless tools. The difference between HP and non-HP batteries are mostly the amp hour ratings. Note that older Ryobi ONE+ batteries don’t have a charge indicator.
We won’t get into the higher voltage tools/batteries that both Ryobi and Milwaukee make as most of those cordless tools are outside the realm of automotive DIY repair.
CORDLESS TOOL MOTORS
Both Ryobi and Milwaukee have different variations of tools that have brushed and brushless DC motors.
Brushed motors have parts that wear out quicker compared to brushless motors. Brushless usually have better torque and speed specifications too.
We’ll stick with comparing brushless versions of Ryobi and Milwaukee cordless tools to keep things a bit more even.
Ryobi VS Milwaukee Cordless Impact Wrench
Up first is the mighty cordless impact wrench. We use our impact wrench on a daily basis to loosen lug nuts, larger suspension bolts, and any other nuts that are typically 14mm and up.
We’ll compare the Milwaukee 2962-20 M18 FUEL™ Mid Torque ½” Impact Wrench vs Ryobi P262 18V ONE+ HP ½” Impact Wrench.
Milwaukee 2962-20 M18 FUEL Mid Torque ½” Impact Wrench
Ryobi P262 18V ONE+ HP ½” Impact Wrench
The mid-Milwaukee and standard Ryobi range torque wrenches are within the same category and have plenty of power to loosen any stubborn bolts.
| ½" Impact Wrench | Ryobi | Milwaukee |
|---|---|---|
| Model | P262 | 2962-20 Mid Torque |
| Price (no battery) |
Avg. $159 | Avg. $199 |
| Motor | Brushless 18V | Brushless 18V |
| RPM Range | 0-2,800 RPM | 0-2,575 RPM |
| Nut-Busting Torque | 600 ft-lbs | 650 ft-lbs |
| Fastening Torque | 450 ft-lbs | 550 ft-lbs |
| Drive Ctrl. | 4 Modes w/Auto Off on impact |
4 Modes w/Auto Off at 35 ft-lbs |
| Weight (no battery) |
3.7 lbs. | 5.1 lbs. |
| Battery | 1.5 - 12 AH | 1.5 - 12 AH |
| Warranty | 3 Yr. Limited | 5 Yr. Limited |
| LEDs | 3 | 3 |
Beginner DIY automotive advice: Don’t use the torque wrench for tightening bolts.
Ryobi VS Milwaukee Cordless Right Angle Die Grinder
The right angle die grinder is one of the most versatile tools you can own. There are tons of different accessories that serve tons of different automotive repair applications.
Here’s a comparison between the Ryobi 18V ONE+ HP 1/4" Right Angle Die Grinder vs Milwaukee M12 FUEL™ 1/4" Right Angle Die Grinder:
Milwaukee M12 FUEL 1/4" Right Angle Die Grinder
Ryobi 18V ONE+ HP 1/4" Right Angle Die Grinder
| Right Angle Die Grinder | Ryobi | Milwaukee |
|---|---|---|
| Model | PSBDG01B | 2485-20 |
| Price (no battery) |
Avg. $149 | Avg. $219 |
| Motor | Brushless 18V | Brushless 12V |
| Max RPM | 22,000 RPM | 24,500 RPM |
| Speed Ctrl. | 4 Speeds | 4 Speeds |
| Weight (no battery) |
1.5 lbs. | 1.2 lbs. |
| Battery | 1.5 - 12 AH | 2 - 6 AH |
| Warranty | 3 Yr. Limited | 5 Yr. Limited |
| LEDs | 1 | none |
Ryobi VS Milwaukee Cordless Ratchet
At first, we thought the cordless ratchet was pretty useless until we started tearing down our project cars.
If you’re removing dozens of bolts at a time, the high-speed cordless ratchet will save your forearms from burnout.
And here’s the differences between the Ryobi HP 3/8” High Speed Ratchet vs Milwaukee M12 FUEL™ 3/8" High Speed Ratchet.
Milwaukee M12 FUEL 3/8" High Speed Ratchet
| High Speed Ratchet | Ryobi | Milwaukee |
|---|---|---|
| Model | PSBRC26B | 2567-20 |
| Price (no battery) |
Avg. $149.00 | Avg. $199.99 |
| Motor | Brushless 18V | Brushless 12V |
| RPM Range | 0-460 RPM | 0-450 RPM |
| Torque | 40 ft-lbs | 35 ft-lbs |
| Weight (no battery) |
3.5 lbs. | 1.7 lbs. |
| Battery | 1.5 - 12 AH | 2 - 6 AH |
| Warranty | 3 Yr. Limited | 5 Yr. Limited |
| LEDs | 2 | 1 |
FINAL VERDICT
Milwaukee cordless tools are around 20% more expensive, but some of their tools have slightly higher specifications and extra features.
For instance the Milwaukee impact wrench has an auto mode setting for max torque of 35 ft-lbs, but the Ryobi’s auto mode stops when torque starts kicking in.
On the flip side Ryobi doesn’t require two different batteries across certain cordless tools.
In order to have the same tool combination with Milwaukee you’ll end up with two different types of batteries, M12 and M18.
In conclusion, both are great. I’ve been using Ryobi for over 5 years. My brother has been using Milwaukee for all his DIY projects. So far we have no complaints, so what fan will you decide to be???
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