5 Tools Milwaukee Makes That DeWalt Doesn't

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While some people don't really care what name is emblazoned on their tools and have a mixed collection of various colors and brands in their workshops, others tend to gravitate toward a particular tool manufacturer. There can be any number of reasons why you might prefer one brand over another, and if you're a heavy power tool user, it can make sense to stick to a single company, as it'll often save you space and money on batteries and chargers.

One reason you might favor a specific tool brand, though, is that it makes a particular type of tool you like to use. While most major tool brands have a strong overlap in their catalogs — you'll find power drills and cordless saws from nearly all of them, for example — there are a handful of devices and accessories that you may not be able to get from all of them. In some cases, you may only be able to get a certain kind of tool from one specific manufacturer, especially if the company recently developed it as a first-of-its-kind product.

Because of this, you'll find that there are some tools made by DeWalt that Milwaukee doesn't sell, for instance. This doesn't necessarily make DeWalt the better brand, though, because there are also products that Milwaukee makes that DeWalt doesn't. Here's a few such tools that you'll find in red, but you won't find in yellow — at least for now.

One of the last steps when laying down concrete is to smooth it out and remove any imperfections with a trowel. DeWalt sells plenty of hand trowels, but if you want to cover a lot more ground with a lot less effort, you're better off with a powered trowel, which the brand does not offer. This is somewhat surprising, considering DeWalt does make some heavy-duty concrete equipment, including its Powershift Concrete Power Screed Kit. While a screed, which levels wet cement, is similar to a trowel, you still need the latter for a clean finish.

One of the several Milwaukee tools that come in handy for concrete finishing is the MX Fuel 36-inch Walk-Behind Trowel. Not only does it offer powered troweling for easier labor, but it can smooth a lot more at once with its 36-inch span. It's also cordless and, despite being battery-powered, delivers five horsepower and can last 25 minutes per charge.​​ The trowel blades spin at 130 rpm, which is very likely a lot more than you can do by hand. Since it's electric, there's no priming needed either — it'll immediately start right up and can be controlled with an ergonomic throttle at the handle.

It's also quieter and easier to breathe around compared to a gas-powered machine, which also makes it particularly useful for indoor work. If you're wondering what the catch is, it's the cost. Whereas a hand trowel from DeWalt will run you less than $50, the Milwaukee MX Fuel 36-inch Walk-Behind Trowel is closer to $7,500. This bundle includes the walk-behind trowel, as well as three powerful MX Fuel Forge HD12.0 Ah batteries and a Super Charger that can fully recharge one 12 Ah battery in 65 minutes.

Many plumbers are big fans of Milwaukee's professional-grade tools, as the brand makes sure to include a versatile range of equipment for the trade. Many of its products are also Milwaukee tools useful for DIY plumbing, as well, and that includes its M12 AirSnake Drain Cleaning Air Gun. If you've never heard of the device, it's because there aren't many like it currently on the market. The tool uses pressurized air to blast debris and clogs out of pipes, offering a quicker and more efficient way to do so than using an auger or snake.

DeWalt does offer the latter, including a battery-powered 20V drain snake powered by a brushless motor, which is certainly easier than manually fishing one through your plumbing. But the brand doesn't have anything like Milwaukee's AirSnake, which, arguably, is also a much cooler way to flush your pipes. You also won't have a gross, grimy snake afterwards, nor will you risk scratching up your fixtures. Plus, you don't even need to remove the drain covers to use it.

Milwaukee's M12 AirSnake Drain Cleaning Air Gun, which goes for $429, can work with 1-inch to 4-inch drain lines, and the air can purge up to 35 feet. It can deliver up to 50 psi and is equipped with a variable pressure dial so you can also use it with more delicate plumbing systems. It'll work past vent stacks and tees and is strong enough to clear grease and sludge off pipe walls. The tool (product code 2572b-20) uses Milwaukee's compact M12 batteries and can get over 25 pressure cycles per charge.

Some products made by Milwaukee that aren't made by DeWalt are pretty niche or have a very specific functionality, like its air gun that blows clogs right out of your pipes. However, the fact that DeWalt — which has a wide range of all kinds of useful tools across many trades — doesn't have a soldering iron is honestly surprising. Milwaukee does, though — its cordless M12 Soldering Iron.

Milwaukee's 12V soldering iron is equipped with a 3-stop pivoting head that allows you to maneuver the tool more precisely and solder in tighter spaces. The tool reaches its operational temperature in less than 18 seconds and has a green LED indicator wired with Redlink Intelligence to let you know when it's ready to go, as well as a red LED when it's cooled down enough to be stored safely. There's also an LED work light to help you see where you're working. The tool can run for up to 40 minutes on a single charge using a Milwaukee M12 Compact Battery Pack.

The iron also comes with chisel and pointed tips that can easily be swapped out for one another tool-free, making Milwaukee's soldering iron — which is available for $119 — even more versatile and useful. But if you don't own Milwaukee batteries and already have DeWalt batteries, all is not lost. While not ideal, there are soldering irons made by third-party brands that are some of the available non-DeWalt tools that are compatible with DeWalt batteries. Or, if you want to get really creative, you can do like one Redditor and build your own "DIY cordless DeWalt soldering iron" using the brand's USB charging kit.

The Milwaukee M12 Fuel ½-inch Digital Torque Wrench is one of those tools that seems like such a simple, obvious idea that it's shocking most brands don't offer their own version of the tool. Yes, many brands — including DeWalt — offer digital torque wrenches that allow you to easily set your desired torque before fastening lug nuts on your vehicle. But what makes Milwaukee's so special is that it's motorized, effectively combining the power of an electric ratchet with the accuracy of a digital torque wrench.

Just how accurate is the Milwaukee M12 Fuel ½-inch Digital Torque Wrench? According to the manufacturer, it's accurate within 2% clockwise and 3% counterclockwise for torque-critical fasteners. People who've used the tool, which has a solid 4.3 out of 5 overall customer score on Home Depot's website, mostly confirm that it's as accurate as Milwaukee claims. It's also well-rated for how easy it is to use, since you don't need to do any turning or ratcheting yourself — just push the button after setting your torque and let the tool take care of the rest. You'll just need to handle the final quarter-turn or so to ensure accuracy, saving you loads of time if you're changing multiple tires or doing a lot of fastening in general.

The Milwaukee Digital Torque Wrench is equipped with four notification modes (LED, vibration, audio, and an LCD display) to notify you when it's reaching, meeting, or exceeding the torque target. The digital LCD display can also be set to one of six different languages and four measurement modes: ft-lb, in-lb, Nm, and kg-cm. Despite including Milwaukee's smart One-Key tracking and sophisticated technology to maintain accuracy, the device has a durable construction to better handle the harsher environments of garages and other jobsites.

Milwaukee has a reputation for pricey products to begin with, but the most expensive Milwaukee tool is its M18 325-foot Stiff Modular Pipeline Inspection System, which costs well over $10,000. Milwaukee offers several different tools and accessories that can be used to feed a camera into pipes to provide plumbers and other users with a live video feed, making it easier to locate and identify clogs, leaks, corrosion, and other important information. While it'll cost an arm and a leg to get the camera, monitor, and other parts of the system, it can also save a lot of money by finding where pipes need to be repaired without tearing up the floor and other infrastructure.

DeWalt offers some inspection gear with similar functionality, but nothing near as comprehensive as Milwaukee's products. The DeWalt DCT410S1 12V MAX Inspection Camera Kit has a three-foot cable, which won't get you very far down your pipes. DeWalt also sells an Inspection Extension Cable, but this only adds another yard to the camera's range. In addition to its 325-foot cable, which is over 100x longer than DeWalt's default camera, Milwaukee also sells 100-foot, 120-foot, 200-foot options and more.

It's still adding to its Pipeline Inspection line as well, and will soon release a 10-ft borescope cable compatible with its wireless monitor. Plus, it offers pipeline inspection gear in both its M12 and M18 power systems. At such high prices, this kind of equipment is overkill for most homeowners and DIYers, though it's easy to see why some professionals would find it worth the cost.