5 Tools Milwaukee Makes That Ryobi Doesn't

As a homeowner who's into DIY house repairs and all sorts of home projects, you're probably pretty familiar with and might already use Milwaukee and Ryobi tools. They're two of the leading tool makers and are similar in a lot of ways. For one, Milwaukee and Ryobi are among the popular brands owned by China's Techtronic Industries (TTI), along with Hart and Ridgid. They also offer almost the exact same range of products, from power tools like hammer drills and impact wrenches to outdoor equipment like mowers and saws. 

But even with these common points, Milwaukee and Ryobi don't overlap as much as you think. Their tools' build quality, performance, and price aren't exactly the same. Plus, there's a selection of tools that one brand offers but the other doesn't. If you're curious what types of products you can find at Milwaukee but not Ryobi, here are five of them. 

Speakers for on-site entertainment at work have become quite standard these days, with multiple tool companies like Ryobi and Milwaukee including them in their catalog. However, not everyone is into shared music, so you might want a more personal option like a pair of jobsite earbuds. Unfortunately, Ryobi doesn't carry any, but Milwaukee does.

Milwaukee's RedLithium USB Bluetooth Jobsite Ear Buds seem like your typical earbuds at first glance. It even has the same built-in control buttons that let you control playback, activate listening modes, and answer/end/reject calls. Under the hood, though, the earbuds are actually designed for the demands of the jobsite. One of its jobsite-specific features is the Jobsite Aware Mode. When enabled, it effectively minimizes the loud noises in your workshop but still helps you stay in tune with what's happening around. The earbuds are also built to be resistant to dust, water, and impact.

The earbuds kit includes three pairs each of silicone ear tips, foam ear tips, and ear wings, so you can easily replace the stock tips for whatever feels more comfortable and fits your needs better. But keep in mind that they have different Noise Reduction Ratings (NRR). The foam ear tips are rated at 25dB, while the silicone at 22dB.

Besides protecting your ears, the Milwaukee jobsite ear buds are phone call-capable too. You can quickly take phone calls even when your hands are busy working. On a single charge, the earbuds can last you as long as ten hours. If you use the RedLithium USB battery-powered charging case, you can stretch the runtime to up to 70 hours.

Hands-free personal lighting is important when working on your car or doing DIY projects. That's why one Milwaukee must-have lighting solution for home mechanics and DIYers is the Rechargeable Magnetic Headlamp And Task Light. 

You can use the headlamp in any of its available modes: spot mode for when you need long-distance lighting, flood mode for wide area lighting, and hybrid mode, where both the spot and flood LEDs are on. Both the spot and flood modes come with a low and high setting, so you can control the light output to match your needs. In spot mode, the LED emits 250 lumens on high and 100 lumens on low and will run for four and eight hours, respectively. In flood mode, you get an output of 250 lumens on high for around four hours and 50 lumens on low for up to 14 hours. If you need maximum brightness, you can turn on hybrid mode, which provides 450 Lumens, though the battery will only last for roughly 2.5 hours before needing a recharge. 

Besides the output, you can also adjust the position of the headlamp in case you need to direct light downwards. The light head itself is detachable from the strap, too, so it doubles as a mini portable task light. It can snap onto any metal surface with its back magnet and side magnets, but feel free to carry it with your hands as well. 

The headlamp is tough enough for the jobsite as it's rated at IP54. This means it's mostly protected from dust and can be exposed to water splashes. The case can even handle drops from two-meter heights. 

Vacuuming at home or in your workshop can be time-consuming and exhausting when you have to drag around a large and heavy machine up the stairs, through tight spaces, and across large rooms. Thankfully, backpack vacuums like the Milwaukee M18 Fuel 3-in-1 Backpack Vacuum are now a thing — though, this is one tool you won't find at Ryobi.

The one-gallon dry-only backpack vacuum is a more convenient way to clean your home or workshop. There are three ways to use it. You can either wear it on your back with the removable harness, hang it with the built-in hook, or simply carry it with the top handle. So even though the machine weighs a little over 15 lbs., it's much more manageable.

The vacuum features a brushless motor with a suction of 75" and a sound power level of 76dBA. It also comes with a certified HEPA filter for collecting microparticles. As with any other Milwaukee M18 tool, the backpack vacuum works with any M18 battery. With the Forge XC8.0 pack, you can use the machine for a maximum of 25 minutes on high and at least 40 minutes on low.

The vacuum is already kitted with a crevice tool, floor tool, and dust extractor adapter that you can connect to the end of the hose when needed. For easy access, you can store all the attachments right on the back of the machine.

Ryobi offers a variety of blowers, but they're typically bulky and designed for outdoor or workshop use. If you're looking for a more compact blower for cleaning tight spaces, you'll want an M18™ Brushless Precision Blower from Milwaukee instead.

This precision blower looks like a drill and is significantly smaller than your regular blower — only seven inches in length and two pounds in weight. It can deliver a maximum air speed of 570mph and air flow of 39CFM, ideal for removing dust and shavings in hard-to-reach areas like your car's cup holder or the corners of wooden shelves. You can still adjust the blower's speed and power, though. Just control them with the built-in variable speed trigger in the handle and three power modes in the base.

For better precision, you can also swap out the blower's nozzle with one of the three included attachments (6mm nozzle, 10mm nozzle, and inflator nozzle). These nozzles are made of rubber, so you won't have to worry about scratching delicate surfaces. When working in dim spaces, use the LED light under the head of the blower.

One thing you need to know before buying the Milwaukee Precision Blower is that it doesn't come with a battery. You can use whatever M18 pack you have, but the runtime will depend on the battery's capacity. With the M18 XC5.0 pack, the blower can run for at least half an hour at maximum power. If you need it for longer, you can go with a bigger-capacity pack.

Probably the biggest difference between Milwaukee and Ryobi is that the former carries more jobsite-exclusive tools, while Ryobi focuses on household equipment. One of the jobsite-exclusive tools Ryobi doesn't make and wouldn't really make sense in a home setting is the M18 Compact 1-Ton Chain Hoist.

Built for jobsites like assembly plants, shipyards, and warehouses, the Milwaukee chain hoist can handle materials weighing one metric ton (2,204 lbs). The machine itself, though, weighs about 46lbs. and can be carried by just one person. This — and the fact that the chain hoist is cordless and eliminates the need for extension cords — makes it pretty much portable.

You can set the hoist up in either the standard or inverted orientation. Once installed, you can then control it wirelessly with the included remote control. The remote is automatically paired with the machine and lets you adjust the hoist's speed, lift or lower the hoist, and stop it from as far as 60 feet away. There are also convenient LED notifications on the remote, which can tell you the status of the hoist's M18 battery, whether you're lifting a load above the weight limit, and when the hoist is due for an inspection soon.