11 Ryobi Tools That Are More Powerful Than Milwaukee

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Milwaukee is a brand known for high power. The toolmaker focuses on measured deliverables in this area, and the performance of its products often speak for themselves. Users frequently turn to Milwaukee tools out of brand loyalty and the prestige that they have earned on jobsites, and there are even plenty of Milwaukee tools that even haters of the brand would love. But this manufacturer isn't the undisputed champion of power. Other brands make bigger, badder gear from time to time, and in categories like impact drivers, our own research has uncovered better options while delivering a significantly higher torque output.

Perhaps surprisingly, there is another name that should be on buyers' minds when looking for powerful tools that can give some of Milwaukee's equipment a run for its money: Ryobi. The Japanese toolmaker is a staple among DIY renovators, and an abundance of the brand's catalog can be found in your local Home Depot, usually at reasonable prices. These 12 Ryobi tools provide some extra oomph that most tool users might not have realized was hiding under the outer shell of these pieces of gear. All of them deliver a higher spec where it counts than their Milwaukee counterparts. Even though Milwaukee might deliver a better, more powerful combi-drill or impact driver than Ryobi, in other areas, the lime green tool option that rings up at a budget price punches well above its weight when competing against premium range names.

The Ryobi 18V ONE+ HP 1-Inch SDS Rotary Hammer offers a range of solid functions to support all kinds of user needs. Among its best traits (from personal experience using this kind of tool) is its three-mode operation. The tool features drilling and hammer drilling modes with an additional hammer-only setting to add breaker capabilities into the mix. This is often extremely helpful in handling outdoor hardscaping projects, in particular. The tool uses an anti-vibration handle to reduce the rumble you feel in your hands by up to 47% while delivering a no-load speed maxing out at 1,380 RPM alongside a rating of 5,000 blows per minute (BPM), and it produces up to 2.1 joules of impact energy. It's available direct from Ryobi or at Home Depot for $199 as a bare tool.

The Milwaukee M18 Fuel 1-Inch SDS Plus Rotary Hammer offers a very similar experience, albeit at a much higher price. The tool is available from Acme Tools for $329, down from a regular price of $379 at time of writing. For that added expense, you get a tool that offers 1,330 RPM and 4,800 BPM at its peak output. It operates in three modes as well, delivering roughly the same total output.

Ryobi's 18V ONE+ Cut-Out Tool is a renovator's support solution that often flies under the radar. This is a tool designed to cut sections out of drywall to allow for back boxes to be placed in the wall or as a means to cut excess material from curves and other detail work. It features an LED light and a lock-on switch while delivering up to 28,000 RPM and over 190 cuts per charge. The tool also accepts both ⅛-inch and ¼-inch bits. It's available as a bare tool from Ryobi and Home Depot for $59, and is listed on Amazon for $55 (the tool appears to be a nice deal here, although buying Ryobi batteries on Amazon may not be worth it).

In contrast, Milwaukee's M18 Cut Out Tool features the same blade speed but only delivers 120 cuts per charge, offering notably less runtime than the Ryobi model. It's a truly compact solution, though, so renovators working with particularly tricky geometries in their project spaces might still consider this as a better alternative even with its reduced functional range. The tool is also more expensive, retailing for $149 at Ace Hardware and Acme Tools.

A die grinder offers targeted material shaping capabilities that extend far beyond the control you'll get from an angle grinder. The 18V ONE+ HP Compact ¼-Inch Right Angle Die Grinder from Ryobi is listed at $169 for the bare tool (also available at Home Depot for the same price). It's a small-bodied tool, even though it operates on the mainline 18V battery platform. This gives the grinder ample power while also providing a lightweight (just 1.5 pounds) and compact option for greater access to tight working areas. It offers four speed selections with extended runtime and a maximum speed of 22,000 RPM.

Milwaukee doesn't currently have a right angle die grinder in its M18 lineup, but considering the compact nature of the Ryobi option, the tool actually lines up better in a direct comparison to the M12 Fuel ¼-Inch Right Angle Die Grinder than a hypothetical 18V sized tool. The two products feature very similar specs, with the Milwaukee model weighing 1.3 pounds and featuring its own approach to compact body design. However, the Milwaukee grinder produces just 20,000 RPM top speeds while retailing for $229 at Ace Hardware and Home Depot. This power reduction places it at a notable output disadvantage.

Ryobi's outdoor power tools offer great versatility for home landscapers, and most run on Ryobi's 40V or even its 80V platform. The 40V HP 21-inch Self Propelled Lawn Mower comes as a kit bundle featuring two 6.0Ah batteries and a charger. It retails at Ryobi for $739 and can also be found at Home Depot for the same price. The mower offers cutting height adjustments ranging from 1-inch to 4-inch options and can handle cutting over a ¾-acre lawn without needing to change batteries. The tool offers a 75 minute runtime and features the equivalent power to a 170cc gasoline mower. Ryobi claims that the mower offers the "industry's best 3-in-1cutting performance with [its] Cross Cut multi-blade system."

The Milwaukee M18 Fuel 21-Inch Self-Propelled Dual Battery Mower produces the same cut deck size and the same 1-inch to 4-inch cutting height range. The mower offers a power equivalent to a 200cc gas mower, so it does produce a higher output in terms of raw power, yet this mower is only capable of covering a ½-acre lawn on a single charge. It's also only capable of a 60 minute runtime when paired with some of Milwaukee's most extreme batteries (two Forge HD 12Ah battery packs). This makes it far less functionally viable for users with even moderately large cutting needs. It's available as a bare tool from Home Depot for $799 as opposed to the kit option from Ryobi.

The USB Lithium lineup is relatively new (we tried them out in 2024 when they released) and it offers good power in a much smaller tool body throughout the range. There are some that miss the mark, but our experience with Ryobi's soldering pen and other hobby tools in the lineup were generally positive. The $70 USB Lithium Soldering Pen Kit offers an operating temperature of 900 degrees Fahrenheit (although it doesn't offer variability). The tool requires less than 2 minutes to reach this temperature and includes a potent LED light and a fine point top alongside a thick cap that automatically shuts the tool off when it's placed over the soldering end.

Milwaukee's M12 Soldering Iron is a unique tool in that Milwaukee's primary competition doesn't make a similar, mainline soldering iron with truly cordless functionality. But this tool produces a maximum temperature of 750 degrees Fahrenheit, severely underperforming when compared to the Ryobi model. To be fair, sometimes a lower temperature is necessary, but without the ability to reach the same high-water mark, this tool may become a hindrance in some circumstances. It can be found at Acme Tools and Home Depot for $119.

Ryobi's 18V ONE+ HP AirStrike 18 Gauge Brad Nailer is capable of driving fasteners into both hard and soft woods. Ryobi claims it to produce "60% more driving power" thanks to the HP badge's improved power output over Ryobi's standard tools. The brad nailer has the ability to drive up to 2,250 nails per charge and is underpinned by the brand's AirStrike technology, providing its ability to sit comparable to pneumatic or corded options. The nailer can sink nails up to 2-⅛ inches into hardwood. It also features an AccuDrive nose that's slimmed down to provide better sightlines and accuracy. This brad nailer is one among a list of Ryobi nailing tools renovators might use, and it's a powerful and versatile option listed for $199 at Home Depot and direct from Ryobi.

Milwaukee's M18 Fuel 18 Gauge Brad Nailer compares oddly to the Ryobi equivalent. Where Ryobi offers great detail about the tool's driving capabilities, nailing capacity per charge, and more, Milwaukee offers vague language about the tool's size and technologies. It features zero ramp up time, which makes driving nails in quick succession easier. The Milwaukee nailer also delivers compatibility with both hard and soft woods, but specifics on its use are slim pickings, potentially indicating an underpowered tool. For those in them market for a Milwaukee-branded nailgun, though, it's available at Acme Tools for $279 and Ace Hardware for $320.

The impact wrench plays a special role in the tool collection of home mechanics and many others. This is a high-powered tool designed for breaking the connection on critically important fasteners and then returning those bolts to their positioning. Impact wrenches need to produce extreme torque to handle upsized bolts and large fasteners, too. The 18V ONE+ HP 4-Mode ½-Inch High Torque Impact Wrench is available from Home Depot for a Memorial Day sale price of $180 with a tool bag, charger, and two batteries, and Ryobi for $220 for the same bundle. While these prices are only valid at time of writing, this is a classic example of why it's important to compare prices at Home Depot and Ryobi's own page before buying! The wrench delivers on those promises to extreme power notably well, especially in comparison to other brands. The tool generates a maximum of 1,170 ft.-lbs. of breakaway torque and it features an auto mode to prevent over tightening or loosening.

Milwaukee is surprisingly an underperformer in the impact wrench arena when going head-to-head with Ryobi's high torque model. The M18 Fuel High Torque ½-Inch Impact Wrench delivers a maximum torque rating of 1,100 ft.-lbs. It features four drive modes with an auto shutoff mode that operates at 50 ft.-lbs. of torque for the equivalent of hand fastening power. It's available at Acme Tools for $299.

The 18V ONE+ Cable Stapler from Ryobi has the ability to drive 1,900 staples on a single battery charge. When paired up with Ryobi's "Cable Shield" staples, which this tool is designed specifically to drive, the brand notes that this stapler delivers the "industry's best holding power." It has the ability to drive staples in an effort to secure 14 to 10 gauge NM-B sheathed cable, as well as Coax, CAT3, and CAT5 cables. It features a 40-staple magazine and also offers some nice touches like a reversible belt hook and a viewing window to help improve alignment and prevent driving staples into a cable instead of around it. The tool can be found at Ryobi's website or at Home Depot for $219.

The M12 Cable Stapler from Milwaukee features a coil-spring mechanism to drive staples to the correct depth. It's compatible with Milwaukee's 1-inch insulated staples (much the same as Ryobi's set of stapling components) and has the ability to drive up to 1,200 staples on a single battery charge. The reduced runtime over Ryobi's option is a notable underperformance in the head-to-head comparison. The stapler can be found at Home Depot and Acme Tools for $279.

Ryobi's 18V ONE+ 6 Gallon Wet/Dry Vacuum produces just a hair lower suction power than its Milwaukee counterpart, but that's far from the whole story. The tool is available from Ryobi and Home Depot for $159, and offers high and low settings for varied cleaning support. The vacuum sits on all-terrain wheels to make rolling it around a workshop or elsewhere easier, even when the space is fairly messy or uneven. The tool generates an air flow that maxes out at 80 cubic feet per minute (CFM) while producing a sound level rated as low as 66.1 dB(A). It also weighs 19.4 pounds, which makes the tool significantly lighter than some others in its range, namely, Milwaukee's comparable shop vac.

Milwaukee's M18 Fuel Nexus 6 Gallon Wet/Dry Vacuum rolls on four wheels with locking casters. It delivers a slightly higher airflow rating of 87 CFM with no mention of the tool's produced sound volume. It is a little more powerful, but the tool weighs 26 pounds, making it noticeably heavier than its Ryobi counterpart. That makes it harder to move around during a cleaning job, and it creates a better power-to-weight ratio for the Ryobi model. It's available at Acme Tools and Home Depot for $249.

Sheet sanders make quick work of bulkier sanding jobs. The 18V ONE+ ¼ Sheet Sander operates with a quarter sheet attached to its sanding head, allowing for fast sectioning of a full sheet without having to worry about measurements. The tool is available direct from Ryobi and at Home Depot for $59. It's also listed at Amazon for $55. The sander offers fast paper changes with the help of an updated clamping system for the current model, and delivers 14,000 oscillations per minute (OPM) sanding speeds for powerful and fast material removal.

Sanders are often fairly similar in their output. The Milwaukee M18 Orbital ¼ Sheet Sander offers a slightly lower 13,000 OPM rating, making it a little less powerful than the Ryobi model. It does feature a more ergonomically useful body shape, however, potentially making the tool a little more comfortable to hold and use over lengthy sanding jobs. The tool is significantly more expensive, though, adding to the lower power output to make that choice a little easier in favor of the Ryobi option. It's available at Home Depot and Acme Tools for $149.

The 18V ONE+ HP Compact Barrel Grip Jig Saw is another tool that delivers a slim tool profile while still offering enhanced power output thanks to its HP badge and foundational power upgrades that come with this part of the Ryobi catalog. It's available as a bare tool from Home Depot and direct from Ryobi for $139, and the tool is also listed at Amazon for $136. The jig saw weighs just 3.85 pounds and offers a 1-inch stroke length with four orbital settings to lock in the exact cutting approach you require. It can handle harder material than just softwoods, as well. The saw is built with a die cast metal base and non-marring shoe, rounding out a high performance option that delivers variable speeds (via dial settings) ranging up to 3,200 strokes per minute (SPM).

The M12 Fuel Jig Saw lines up a bit better to the size and shape of the Ryobi barrel grip model than an 18V alternative. Both tools feature a scaled down, barrel-style grip for a more comfortable hand hold and great control over the cutting implement as it moves through a workpiece. The tool features five orbital settings, a variable speed dial, and an aluminum base plate. Milwaukee does not note whether it includes a non-marring shoe, and the tool offers a maximum cutting speed of 3,000 SPM (with a low end of 800), coming in below the Ryobi model's capabilities. The Milwaukee saw can be found at Acme Tools and US Tool & Fastener for $199.