Best Milwaukee Power Tools for Woodworking (And 2 I Regret Buying)

Aug 31

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By Matt Outlaw · 731 Woodworks · August 31, 2026

I have spent thousands of dollars of my own money on Milwaukee tools over the last several years. Milwaukee has never sponsored a video and has never sent me a tool, so this list of the best Milwaukee power tools is built on what I actually reach for. It also covers the two I regret buying, starting with the M18 5-inch sander (2837-20) and the M18 plunge router (2838-21).

The Short Answer

The best Milwaukee power tool I own is the M18 track saw (2831-20). It is in my top tier of track saws after three years of use.
Best of the rest: the M18 trim router (2723-20), the M12 6-inch sanders (2584-22CX and 2585-22CX), the dust extractor (0888-20) and the M12 installation driver (2505-22).
Skip the M18 5-inch sander (2837-20) and the M18 plunge router (2838-21). Both have better options elsewhere.
Packout is not storage. It is a shop building system, and that is why the price makes sense once you commit.

The Best Milwaukee Power Tools in My Shop

If you want the short version of the best Milwaukee power tools, it is the track saw first and everything else after. I have access to multiple track saws in the shop at any given time because I have bought a bunch of them. Track saws are one of my favorite woodworking tools. When I get ready to break down a sheet of plywood, I grab the Milwaukee almost every time.

After that, the list is the M18 trim router, the M12 6-inch sanders, the dust extractor and the M12 installation driver. Those are the tools I use constantly. The Packout system belongs on the list too, even though it is not a power tool, because it changed how the whole shop works.

The two I would take back are the M18 5-inch sander and the M18 plunge router. Neither one is junk. Both are just beaten by other tools at the same money, and I go through exactly why below.

Milwaukee M18 track saw 2831-20 on its track making a plunge cut in the shop — The Milwaukee M18 track saw is the one I grab first.

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Watch the Full Test

The video shows the tools in hand, including the water glass sitting on the M12 sander and how top heavy the M18 plunge router really is. Some things are easier to see than to read.

Milwaukee M18 Track Saw Review (2831-20)

Three years ago I reviewed this track saw and said Milwaukee blew it. I said there was no innovative feature here, nothing mind blowing, just a solid tool built on what everybody else was already doing right. I was 100 percent wrong and I owe Milwaukee an apology for it.

Here is what I missed. Innovation is not always adding a feature just to add a feature. Sometimes innovation is execution. Milwaukee built the most standard track saw on the market and dialed every part of it in. The power on M18 batteries handles anything you want to cut. The cuts come out square every time, and the bevels are dead on.

The depth adjustment is push button and butter smooth. It has an anti-tip feature and an anti-splinter strip that drops down. Dust collection is on point and the plunge mechanism runs smooth. After three years of hard shop use, it stays in my top tier. I have tested 15 track saws to find the best one and the ones to avoid, and this one earned its spot.

The one thing I would still like to see is an anti-kickback or anti-rotation feature like the one on their drill, just to shut the motor off. That is a nice to have, not a dealbreaker.

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Milwaukee M18 Sander vs M12 Sander: Which One to Buy

The M18 5-inch sander (2837-20) is one of the Milwaukee tools I regret buying the most. It vibrates heavily, and I did not like the ergonomics or the overall design. Milwaukee has been focusing on woodworkers hard the last couple of years, and I think they missed the mark on this one.

For comparison, the Festool 18V sander has real innovation with the rake light on it. The fit, finish and comfort are almost second to none. The Makita 40V offloads the battery weight, which some people think is dumb and I think is genius. Both are way better than the M18. I ranked the whole category when I tested 15 cordless sanders to find the best one.

If you want to stay in the Milwaukee platform, buy the M12 6-inch sanders instead. There are two stroke rates. The 3/16 (2585-22CX) is for standard woodworking. The 3/32 (2584-22CX) is for finishes and veneers, and it is the smoothest sander I have ever held. Set a glass of water on it and it barely moves. The only drawback is the M12 platform, since it drains batteries fairly quick. The bigger XC batteries help a lot.

Glass of water sitting on the running Milwaukee M12 6-inch sander showing how little it vibrates — The 3/32 stroke M12 sander barely disturbs a glass of water.

Sander	Milwaukee M18 5-inch	Milwaukee M12 6-inch (3/32)	Festool 18V	Makita 40V
Smoothness	Heavy vibration	Smoothest I have held	Excellent	Excellent
Standout feature	None that won me over	3/32 stroke for finishes	Rake light, Bluetooth	Offloaded battery weight
Main drawback	Ergonomics and design	M12 battery drain	Different platform	Different platform
My verdict	Regret buying it	Buy this instead	One of the best I have used	In the same conversation

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Milwaukee M18 Plunge Router vs Trim Router (2838-21 and 2723-20)

The M18 plunge router is 2-1/4 peak horsepower and it is a beast. It is also extremely top heavy. Any time you have to do edge work or turn it sideways, that weight becomes annoying. Build quality is good and the micro adjustments and turret depth stop are there, but for the money I spent, I wish I had passed.

The DeWALT 20V plunge router does it better in my opinion. It has anti-rotation, so a kickback shuts the motor off instantly. It also has overload protection that flashes when you push it too hard. That means bits last longer, cuts stay cleaner, and batteries drain slower because the tool is telling you to back off.

Milwaukee M18 plunge router 2838-21 on the bench showing its tall top heavy body — The M18 plunge router is well built, but the height is the problem.

Here is where Milwaukee gets routers right. The M18 trim router, listed as a compact router on some sites, is by far my favorite cordless router in the shop. The micro dial adjustment lets you dial in the exact depth of your bit. It has plenty of power and variable speed. I run mine in a Kreg base, and that combination is hard to beat.

Compare that to the DeWALT trim router, which has a big base that starts cramping my hand when I am routing a lot. The Milwaukee just fits right.

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Is the Milwaukee Dust Extractor Worth It (0888-20)

I wish somebody had told me a long time ago that a dust extractor is a health tool more than a woodworking tool. It collects dust, sure. But a HEPA filtration extractor is protecting your lungs, and I did not take that seriously enough early on.

The fine dust you cannot see is the dangerous stuff. It gets into your lungs and does not come out. Long enough exposure can cause serious health problems and can be fatal in some cases. Most woodworkers sand a lot, so this matters.

The price made me clutch my pearls at first, especially the kit with two 12 amp hour Forge batteries and a charger. Buy the bare tool instead and run it on an extension cord like any other corded tool. That puts it right in the price range of other dust extractors like Festool.

What sold me is that it runs on batteries or a cord. Cordless you get 125 CFM, which is respectable. Plugged in you get 175 CFM, and it is one of the most powerful extractors I own. The Bluetooth button is underrated. Pair a sander and the vac starts automatically, or just push the button for a tool that is not compatible. The volume control matters too, since dialing back suction keeps a sander from sucking down into the wood.

If you work wood in an enclosed shop or in a house, you need this kind of dust collection. If you only get out there once a month, look at something like the Hercules dust extractor. It runs a little over $300 and under $400, plugs straight in, has HEPA filtration and volume control. You do not have to spend $1,300 to protect your lungs. If you are already on Milwaukee though, this is a solid buy and I do not regret it.

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Is Milwaukee Packout Worth the Money

For years I walked into Home Depot, looked at those red plastic boxes and thought people were paying too much for storage containers. They are plastic and they are pricey. That is not the whole story.

What sold me was not buying a Packout. It was buying the track saw, which came in one. Once I had it in the shop, I saw how well made it was. Then I started buying smaller boxes, bigger boxes, drawer boxes, the first aid kit and the wall storage. It got me organized in a way I did not expect.

That is the part people miss at the price tag. Your tools live in the same spot every time. You are not digging through a drawer for twenty minutes looking for something you know you own. The attachments that clip onto the side, like tool holders and battery holders, keep adding to it. I keep my M18 and M12 batteries in a wall storage area.

I even used my 3D printer to make inserts for storing things like the orbital detail sander and the installation driver. I bought the files from the guy who makes them and linked them below. Kaizen foam works too if you would rather cut your own.

The first aid kit surprised me most. You can buy a first aid kit anywhere, but this one is well equipped and I use it constantly. Shop nicks, burns, and anything that happens in the house. You are not buying a plastic box here. You are buying a system that makes you work more efficiently.

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Underrated Milwaukee Tools Nobody Talks About

These are the sleeper picks. Tools I bought over the last couple of years that I now use all the time, and almost nobody brings them up in woodworking conversations.

First is the M12 installation driver (2505-22). It pivots 360 degrees on the 90 degree head, and you swap heads to get into basically any position to drive screws or drill holes. It is one of the most useful tools you can buy. The M12 orbital detail sander is shaped like a home plate and gets into tight corners. The 3-inch orbital sander handles small spaces.

The M18 blower is good for detailing a car, blowing dust off the bench, or dusting yourself off before you walk in the house. The M12 ratchet helps with assembly and repairs. I keep a grinder around because sometimes you just need one. The M12 bandsaw surprised me most. Try cutting a hardened steel bolt with a hacksaw sometime. This cuts right through it, and it handles plastic pipe too.

Then there is the M18 drill (2904-22), the last Milwaukee tool I bought. I only picked it up because I already had a pile of drills and figured I did not need another. I did not know it had anti-rotation, the same feature I love on the DeWALT. If the bit binds, it shuts the motor off before it wrenches your wrist. It is fantastic, and it is a very powerful drill.

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Milwaukee M18 Lunch Warmer (0811-20): Genius or Dumb

This is the tool dividing the internet right now. Half the people say Milwaukee lost their mind and the other half say they are geniuses. It runs off M18 batteries and it is Packout compatible, so it clips right into your stack.

You fill the container with leftovers or your lunch, set the heat level, and set the time you want it ready. It warms the food automatically so it is hot when lunch or supper rolls around.

I think it is genius. I started working construction in 1995 and usually had a cold sandwich. This would have been perfect back then, especially if you were hauling leftovers to the jobsite. Milwaukee is building what their customers are asking for, and that is what has everybody arguing.

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Do Milwaukee Tools Ever Go on Sale

A lot of people see a Milwaukee price tag and write the brand off without a second look. Milwaukee runs sales constantly, and the same tools that look out of reach at full price are often a different conversation on sale.

I track deals every day and send them out for free. You can also browse the current Home Depot tool deals or the best Acme Tools deals any time you are shopping.

All Tools From This Video

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Acme Tools

The Tool Nut

Kreg Router Base

Other

3D Print Files for Milwaukee Packout

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best Milwaukee power tool for woodworking?

The M18 track saw (2831-20) is my pick. I own several track saws and I grab the Milwaukee almost every time I break down plywood. The power, the square cuts and the smooth plunge put it in my top tier after three years of shop use.

Is the Milwaukee M18 sander any good?

I regret buying mine. The M18 5-inch sander (2837-20) vibrates heavily and the ergonomics did not work for me. If you want a Milwaukee sander, buy the M12 6-inch instead. If you are open to other platforms, the Festool 18V and the Makita 40V are both better tools.

Is the Milwaukee dust extractor worth the price?

Yes if you are already on Milwaukee batteries and you do a lot of woodworking. Buy the bare tool and run it corded to avoid the sticker shock of the kit. Corded you get 175 CFM, which is a lot of suction. If you only work wood occasionally, the Hercules extractor is a good budget alternative.

Is Milwaukee Packout worth it?

It was for me, but not as storage. Packout is a shop building system. The wall storage, the drawer boxes and the clip-on accessories keep every tool in the same place so you stop wasting time hunting. That organization is what justifies the price, not the box itself.

Milwaukee vs DeWALT router: which is better?

It splits by size. I prefer the DeWALT 20V plunge router because of anti-rotation and overload protection, and because the Milwaukee M18 plunge router (2838-21) is very top heavy. For trim routers I prefer the Milwaukee M18 (2723-20), since the DeWALT has a big base that cramps my hand on long sessions.

What is the Milwaukee M18 lunch warmer?

It is a Packout compatible food warmer (0811-20) that runs off M18 batteries. You load it with leftovers, set the heat level and set the time, and it warms your food so it is ready at lunch. People are split on whether it is brilliant or ridiculous. I think it is genius.

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