5 Tools Ryobi Makes That Milwaukee Doesn't

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Ryobi and Milwaukee both make power tools, but the companies couldn't be more different. Milwaukee prides itself as a company that makes professional tools for professional tradespeople, and Ryobi has a reputation as a toolmaker for everybody. Milwaukee's product lineup includes specialty tools for concrete workers, electricians, and metalworkers; Ryobi's includes camping gear, lawn mowers, and stuff that wouldn't look out of place in your elderly aunt's crafting nook. Ryobi's new USB Lithium line of tools allows the tool manufacturer to make lighter, easier to handle tools as well, since the bulk of an 18 volt battery doesn't have to be considered when designing the product. What they lack in power, they make up for in precision and ease of control.

While SlashGear has highlighted some of the best innovations from both the highlighter-green and red brands in the past, today we're going to focus on some tools that Ryobi makes that Milwaukee doesn't. We tried to make a list that features products for various applications, rather than just one trade or category. We've also listed links to purchase these products from Home Depot as bare tools. If you're in need of the right battery for your Ryobi tool, make sure to purchase it from an authorized retailer, or the manufacturer's warranties might be voided.

Ryobi makes a surprising number of tools for woodworking. That doesn't necessarily mean equipment like circular saws and other tools made for cutting — although Ryobi makes plenty of carpentry-related products that fit into those categories. Woodworking is more of a fine craft, where carpentry focuses on building larger structures. The tools used in woodworking help to shape, design, and finish this living material include chisels, routers, planers, and joiners. Ryobi makes versions of all of these woodworking tools, including a unique version of the traditional chisel that's been used by craftspeople for centuries.

This Ryobi USB Lithium Power Carver Kit is terrific for woodworkers, adding what's essentially a battery powered chisel to their often extensive tool set. The little tool provides up to 14,000 strokes per minute with a 1 millimeter stroke length, and comes with attachments like a straight chisel, U-gouge, and V-gouge for various carving and removal applications. Users mention the fatigue avoided by using this tool rather than manual chisels, and while it isn't as powerful as some may want, most woodworkers manage their expectations and are happy with the detailed work you can accomplish with the Power Carver. The Ryobi USB Lithium Power Carver can also be useful for foam carving as well as projects that might also be performed with an oscillating tool.

The Ryobi USB Lithium Power Carving Kit is available at Home Depot for $69.

One of the toughest tools to use comfortably, in my experience, is a pair of bolt cutters. If you've never used them, or a comparable tool like a branch lopper or pipe cutter, consider yourself lucky. The first pair I had featured a loose center bolt that would constantly slip, pinching my arm, hand, or belly depending on how I was wielding them. However, even replacement bolt cutters were rarely easy to use, often requiring way more squeezing power than I could generate and still occasionally pinching me when I finally got through my intended target.

While Milwaukee makes a few manual bolt cutters and powered cable and pipe cutters, it does not make a specialized power tool for bolt cutting. Ryobi's 18V One+ Bolt Cutter is designed to get through the thick metal of chains, locks, fencing, and, obviously, bolts. The bolt cutter's hot forged steel jaws can get through materials up to ⅜ inch diameter, eliminating the fatigue and risk that can come with a manual bolt cutter. By not requiring manual force, the Ryobi bolt cutter can make more exact cuts than a manual tool. And repetitive cuts in things like fences or wire shelves can easily be handled, since Ryobi says the bolt cutter can make up to 200 cuts per charge.

The Ryobi 18V One+ Bolt Cutter can be purchased from Home Depot as a bare tool for around $115.

Milwaukee's focus on professional-grade hardware means that the red brand has left a niche market open for Ryobi — crafty nerds. The tools cosplayers, crafters, and DIY decoration makers use don't really have a place on the Milwaukee roster, but a heated wire foam cutter, glue gun, or rotary tool is an incredibly useful time saver for folks working with styrofoam, upholstery foam, and similar delicate materials.

Among the highlighter green tools you'll want in your craft room is the Ryobi USB Lithium Foam Cutter Kit. A small handheld device that heats metal tips or accessories, this foam cutter is a fantastic tool. I recently picked one up on a whim to help make Styrofoam tombstones for Halloween and the thing is a godsend. The Hot Wire Tip is great for larger cuts, and the Precision Engraving Tip and Holing Tip work well for inscriptions and decoration. The Foam Cutter is also compatible with Ryobi's Hobby Station.

While the Ryobi USB Lithium Foam Cutter is obviously a useful tool for crafting, it also serves a purpose for bigger jobs. Foam board insulation is common in areas that might experience moisture like basements, bathrooms, and even exterior foundation. When it's being installed, cutouts need to be made for windows and electrical boxes, and the foam cutter is a perfect tool to make those precise cuts.

Purchase the Ryobi USB Lithium Foam Cutter Kit at Home Depot for $99.

Every tool maker seems to have a variety of vacuums in their lineup. A quick search of the word "vacuum" brings up 141 results on Ryobi's website and 147 on Milwaukee's. And, sure, a lot of those entries are accessories, filters, and replacement parts, but that's still a lot of catalog space to devote to one type of tool. However, if you've ever worked at another person's house and gotten paid to do it, you'll know that job site cleanup is imperative to getting a good review and, if you're lucky, some good referrals in the future. While SlashGear has written about major shop vacuum brands in the past, we have not mentioned Ryobi's unique take on the tool.

Compatible with most of the five-gallon buckets you'll find at any hardware store, job site, or house remodel, the Ryobi 18V One+ Bucket Top Wet/Dry Vacuum is a convenient little innovation. Simply pop it on the top of a bucket and it's instantly transformed into a portable vacuum. It's got integrated storage ports for the included crevice tool and hose, a swiveling connection to allow for increased hose maneuverability, and a blower port to help clear sawdust and debris from corners and crevices, adding another layer of functionality to this tool. And the fact that it's powered by Ryobi's 18V One+ battery means its portable and can get to places a traditional corded wet/dry vac cannot.

The Ryobi 18V One+ Bucket Top Wet/Dry Vacuum can be bought as a bare tool at Home Depot for around $60. If you need one, you can grab an orange Home Depot Bucket while you're there for another four bucks.

Categories listed on Milwaukee's website are all business: power tools, sewer and drain maintenance, site lighting — tools designed to get a job done. Ryobi's site also lists recreation and cleaning; the kinds of products that can help around the home or while camping, alongside tools to install a shelf or maintain a backyard. With that in mind, here's a tool that Ryobi makes that Milwaukee doesn't, but also a tool that Milwaukee simply would not make because that's not what the red brand is about.

A unique solution to a problem many of us have while camping, the Ryobi 18V One+ Bug Zapper uses an internal UV light to attract insects before applying 2,550 volts to the little guys via electric mesh. Additional features include external LEDs and a handle to allow the zapper to double as a lantern. Ryobi claims this zapper covers up to 1½ acres, making any campsite or backyard gathering more tolerable if bugs are an issue. There's even a little removable tray to dispose of the bugs after they've passed on, just like you have on your toaster.

The Ryobi 18V One+ Bug Zapper is available without a battery for about $100 at Home Depot.