4 of Milwaukee's best tools are overpriced when you actually do the math

Published Oct 7, 2026, 10:00 AM EDT Aggy is a veteran writer and editor in the technology and gaming space. Having served as a Managing Editor for high-traffic digital publications, alongside being an editor and consultant for over a dozen sites. Aggy's published work spans a wide and respected array of tech and gaming outlets, including WePC, Screen Rant, How-To Geek, Android Police, PC Invasion, and Try Hard Guides. Beyond editorial work, Aggy's direct experience in the tech sphere extends to app development. Aggy has published two games under Tales and is always eager to learn and do more. He also likes working on computers and researching in his spare time. He knows about Windows, Linux, Audio, Video, and much more. Cordless tools have gotten good enough that reaching for a corded option feels like a step backward for most jobs. Milwaukee knows this, and it's priced its M18 lineup accordingly. The problem is that "cordless" doesn't justify a higher price on every tool. Some of these tools cost much more than a comparable option, and the extra money doesn't get you better cuts or finishes or save you any time. You're mostly paying for the battery and the name. Going cordless doesn't make sense for a sander Dust hoses keep you tied down anyway Credit: Milwaukee The Milwaukee M18 FUEL 5" Random Orbital Sander is a cordless finishing sander. It's made for cabinetmakers, trim carpenters, and contractors who don't want to be stuck near an outlet. It runs on Milwaukee's POWERSTATE brushless motor with a 5-speed selector that goes from 6,000 to 12,000 orbits per minute. The 3/32-inch orbit is pretty small, so it's easy to control. This should leave fewer swirl marks and a surface ready for stain. It also has VACLINK Bluetooth dust control that automatically turns on your extractor. If you look at the buy page, there are a few complaints, and the biggest one is the price. It's $189 as a bare tool on Amazon. That's a lot for just a sander. Compare it to the competition, and it gets worse. A Makita 5-inch sander setup runs around $128. If you don't already own M18 batteries, you're paying a huge premium just to go cordless on one tool. Cordless makes perfect sense for a drill, impact driver, or saw, where you're climbing ladders, crawling into tight spaces, or moving all over a job site. A finishing sander isn't that tool. It mostly lives on a workbench next to an outlet, so having a cord isn't really a problem. Also, proper sanding basically requires dust collection, so the sander is almost always hooked to a vacuum hose, anyway. That means the battery and VACLINK really just add weight and give you one more thing to charge. You need to buy the plunge base separately Credit: Milwaukee The Milwaukee M18 FUEL Compact Router is a cordless trim router. It has a brushless motor and Milwaukee's REDLINK PLUS electronics. It puts out about 1.25 horsepower and weighs just 3 pounds. Speed runs anywhere from 10,000 to 31,000 RPM, so you can slow it down for a delicate edge profile or crank it up for hard maple. It takes standard 1/4-inch shank bits, has dual LED lights to see your cut line, a rubber-covered power switch, and a tool-free spindle lock, so bit changes need only one wrench. That all sounds good, but when you compare prices, it doesn't feel worth it. The list price is $177 on Amazon. The problem is DeWalt's 20V MAX XR Brushless Compact Router is only $130 at Walmart. It gets even more expensive when you factor in accessories. Out of the box, you get a fixed round base, a straight-edge guide, two sub-base plates, and a dust shroud. What you don't get is a plunge base, which many woodworkers need for stopped dados, mortising, inlay work, and blind cuts. Milwaukee sells that separately for $149. Add it in and your total climbs past $300, which makes the shelf price pretty misleading if you were expecting a complete package. The cheap vibration buzz goes right into your hands Credit: Milwaukee The M18 Cordless Multi-Tool is probably the Milwaukee tool most worth skipping. The main issue is that it uses a brushed motor, not the newer brushless FUEL version. Brushed motors waste a ton of energy as heat and friction instead of putting it toward actual cutting power. It runs 11,000 to 18,000 OPM with no vibration dampening at all. So that high-frequency buzz goes straight into your hands the whole time. The pricing is where it gets really hard to justify. This goes for $149, but you can get one from Bauer for only $40. Paying full retail for the bare Cordless Multi-Tool is a tough sell. You could likely find kits that give you a lot more for around the same price. In this case, you're really just paying for the brand name. Sharing batteries might make you want to stick with Milwaukee, but at this price, you'd be fine using a different brand for this one. Good features don't justify the wild price tag on this jig saw A battery platform won't change how your cuts look The Milwaukee M18 FUEL jig saw is a D-handle cordless jig saw. It's meant to replace corded saws for carpenters, remodelers, and cabinetmakers. It has a POWERSTATE brushless motor with REDLINK PLUS electronics, variable speed up to 3,500 strokes per minute, and a 1-inch stroke length. It handles hardwoods, sheet metal, and composites just fine. I was really impressed by the features list. It has a 4-position orbital action selector, tool-less blade clamp for quick T-shank swaps, tool-less bevel adjustment that locks up to 45 degrees, a built-in dust blower, and an LED work light. The real problem is the price. This is listed at $229, which is a lot for a standalone cordless jigsaw. DeWalt's DCS334B 20V MAX XR can be found for $141. It's well-built and has good reviews, but that doesn't make it worth $229. At full price, you're mostly paying for the Milwaukee name and getting to keep using your M18 batteries. The thing is that how a jigsaw cuts comes down to blade choice, stroke speed, and orbital settings, not which battery platform it runs on. There are a few minor quirks too, like a little play in the blade clamp, which you don't want at this price. Milwaukee is not a bad option Milwaukee makes fantastic tools, and it's actually my favorite of the big brands. The M18 platform is well-built, and the battery system is worth investing in for the right tools. The catch is that many of their tools cost more simply because people trust the name. If you're already deep in the M18 ecosystem, then you definitely have a great reason to keep buying into the brand, but don't let that stop you from comparing prices.