4 DeWalt Tools That Are Better Than Milwaukee (According To Users)

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• Dewalt

If you ask any tradesperson to name the most heated power tool rivalry, they won't say Bosch vs. Makita. They'll go: "Yellow or Red?", in other words, DeWalt or Milwaukee, which is pretty much the jobsite equivalent of Ford versus Chevy, Coke versus Pepsi, Ronaldo versus Messi... You know, those debates that have been going on for decades. And if you've ever spent a Saturday scrolling r/Tools and similar forums or meandering around the tool aisle, then you know how quickly things can get personal, despite both being among the best power tool brands out there.

The thing is, however, brand loyalty only goes so far when you're 10 hours into a framing job or halfway through a cabinet install and your battery dies. It's at this point that the chatter fades and the reality about a tool's feel and ability to finish the job without fuss starts to show. Talk to mechanics, carpenters, and other people who actually earn a living with their tools, and you'll notice a pattern start to appear. Despite the hubbub, a handful of DeWalt tools keep coming up, often in discussions that start with, "I used to run all Milwaukee, but [...]"

Brand worship isn't the issue here; just results. Going into the next sections, you'll see what actual users have to say about the DeWalt tools that outperform their worthy opponents from the Milwaukee camp. Let's jump right into it already, shall we?

DeWalt 20 V MAX / XR Drill

Many users find that DeWalt's 20 V MAX/XR drill platform offers a consistent mix of power, smooth control, and longevity in high-volume framing, driving, decking, and general construction. One user in the r/Tools subreddit says, "I'm posting this opinion because of how much I see people talking about Milwaukee being superior online. [...] I have tons of power tools and DeWalt is the toughest I've used." Another talked about long service: "I've had considerably better luck with DeWalt than Milwaukee [...] All bought from a contractor supply house, all top-of-the-line tools. Not one tool, battery or charger lasted longer than 3 years, while the DeWalts before them were averaging 5–10."

In matters performance, a head-to-head comparison by Woodworking Guru points out that while Milwaukee may come out on top in terms of raw RPM or torque metrics, DeWalt often wins on the overall job experience, which entails quick setup, comfort in hand, and support from a battery ecosystem with regular deals. Also, as cited by Pro Tool Reviews, the DeWalt drill "holds up well under load, meaning it slows down very little once you give it a job to do."

Let's also talk about the value dimension. According to users, and as a fact, DeWalt often goes on sale, increasing accessibility to its broader ecosystem. And when you have a tool environment where batteries are shared between saws, drivers, job-site fans, and lights, those savings matter. 

DeWalt cordless saws and job-site accessories

DeWalt's cordless saws and job-site accessories consistently gain the trust of users, particularly those whose productivity is defined by accuracy and portability. Many pros who work them commend the brand for its easy portability and rack-and-pinion fence systems, which make daily work faster and easier. One pro carpenter wrote: "DeWalt makes the measurably best job-site table saw on the market because of their patented fence system [...] every manufacturer will copy it once the patent expires."

The sentiment from independent reviewers isn't any different. DeWalt's ability to strike a balance between accuracy and useful design is frequently highlighted by Pro Tool Reviews and other testing sites. Most technicians like the fence alignment and rapid-adjust stands, which eliminate the need for constant recalibration and help ensure that cuts stay uniform across projects.

Beyond saws, DeWalt also appears to extend its edge to its job-site accessories, such as fans, lights, and radios, all of which share the same battery system. "Some DeWalt tools are better," one Redditor and Milwaukee fan says. "For example: the jobsite fan." Independent assessment by The Inside Review revealed that this fan, the DCE512B, often runs for several hours on a single 20V MAX cell. Other DeWalt accessories, like variable triggers, routers, cordless sanders, leaf blowers, and even their tape measures, all received commendation from actual users in different forums. In simpler terms, precision and environmental comfort on the same battery bank is where DeWalt's steals the shine.

DeWalt oscillating multi-tool kit

The oscillating multi-tool is a tradesperson's bread and butter for renovation, trim, and jobs involving tight spaces, and many users feel DeWalt gets it right in this regard. Owners repeatedly highlight in comparison threads how DeWalt's balanced weight and tool-free blade-change mechanism make it practical for everyday use. One comment sums it up bluntly: "I love Milwaukee [...] The dewalt multi tool is far superior. Takes seconds to change the blade. Start and end of conversation."

Others point to practical comfort. "Having used both, I went and purchased a DeWalt for myself. I really did not like the speed dial design on the Milwaukee and I love the variable speed trigger on the DeWalt." wrote another user in the thread. The preference for usability over slightly improved performance is a recurring trend in both user conversations and independent testing.

Electric Counselor's 2025 cordless multi-tool roundup praised DeWalt for "delivering pro cuts with minimal vibration," its dual-grip design, battery ecosystem, and even ranked it as best overall, with the Milwaukee M18 coming second. By being able to share power cells between drills, multi-tools, saws — and almost everything else DeWalt — without carrying extra chargers, contractors who currently use DeWalt's 20V MAX batteries also find practical synergy, which counts bigtime in many jobsites. It's safe to say that while the DeWalt oscillating kit may not be the loudest in numbers, it is the one most users find themselves opting for when they need the job done.

DeWalt plunge and compact routers

When it comes to precision woodworking, that's when you can tell a good tool from a great one, and according to many users, DeWalt's plunge and compact wood routers fall well into the latter category. DeWalt's sophisticated plunge motion and user-friendly micro-adjustment ring, which together make fine-tuning depth changes smoother than Milwaukee's rival model, are consistently highlighted by cabinetmakers and trim carpenters. As one Redditor pointed clearly, "The corded DeWalt gets high marks in every trim-router shootout I've read. The Milwaukee M18 typically comes up a little short [...] If you want the best, get the DeWalt."

The preference is more than anecdotal. In a head-to-head by Tool Box Buzz, DeWalt's cordless router outperformed Milwaukee's in precision scoring and user control, two traits that mean more to finish carpenters than sheer power. Many forum reviewers at Garage Journal echo the same finding, with one user talking about the DeWalt going, "(DeWalt's) Handles makes a huge difference in control [...] widening the footprint helps mitigate the feeling of top heaviness and also helps you control the torque of the bit cutting thru the material."

If you're a pro who performs repetitive edging, dado routing, decorative profiling, and anything along those lines, that ergonomic comfort and consistent depth could mean faster, cleaner results. Additionally, DeWalt's router line also supports a range of accessory bases, fences, and guide bushings, allowing users to transition from handheld trim work to full plunge routing without switching ecosystems. Simply impressive.

Methodology

For this piece, we based our conclusions on three pillars of evidence. Coming first is lived-user feedback. We skimmed through hundreds, if not thousands, of posts from Reddit forums such as r/Tools. r/Carpentry, r/Dewalt, and r/Milwaukee, where pros and avid DIYers share in-depth reflections of what withstood years of use at the job site, what batteries failed, what accessories got swapped, and what not. Here's a great example of comments we were working with: "I'm a gas compression mechanic of 10+ years and my tools see a lot of abuse. I have tons of power tools and Dewalt is the toughest I've used [...] Pretty much all of my Milwaukee batteries have broken cases or loose locking mechanisms [...] my yellow tools are all bulletproof [...] basically indestructible."

Secondly, we compared those findings with controlled tool reviews and opinions from respected outlets that assess torque, durability, and runtime under repeated use. Lastly, we applied a reliability filter, in that we excluded comments not backed by repeat experience or tests and did the same to one-off claims, unless corroborated, of course. The result is a collection of concise, user-based conclusions, and for every category, we highlight where DeWalt gets the nod and why.