Milwaukee Tool Regrets: 5 Things I Wish Somebody Had Told Me Before I Spent Thousands
I have spent thousands of dollars of my own money on Milwaukee tools over the last several years. Not one of them was sent to me. Not one of them was sponsored. Every single tool you are about to read about came out of my pocket, which means I have earned the right to be honest about the ones that were worth it and the ones that were not.
In this post I am walking you through five Milwaukee regrets. Some of these will save you money before you ever click "add to cart." One of them completely flipped how I think about the entire Milwaukee lineup, and one of them means I owe Milwaukee a public apology for a review I made three years ago. I was wrong, and I will say so.
Here is what you will get out of this:
Which Milwaukee tools are genuinely worth the money for woodworkers
Which two tools I regret buying and what to buy instead
Why a dust extractor is a health tool before it is ever a woodworking tool
What most people completely miss about PACKOUT
The sleeper M12 tools almost nobody talks about
And the brand new Milwaukee tool that has the internet arguing with itself
If you scanned the QR code from the video, all of your links are right below. If you have not seen the video yet, you can watch it here, but this post stands completely on its own.
Every Tool Link From the Video
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Track Saw
Sanders
Routers
Dust Collection
PACKOUT Storage
Sleeper Picks
The Controversial One
Regret #1: I Called the Milwaukee Track Saw Boring, and I Was Dead Wrong
Three years ago I reviewed the Milwaukee track saw for the first time, and I said there was no innovative feature here. Nothing mind blowing. Nothing outstanding. I said Milwaukee blew it because they did not add Bluetooth or anti kickback or any of the flashy stuff I thought a new track saw needed in order to matter.
Yep. That was me. And I owe Milwaukee, along with everybody who watched that video, an apology.
What I Got Wrong About Innovation
Here is the lesson that cost me three years of using the wrong mental model when I judge tools:
Innovation is not always adding a feature. Sometimes innovation is just execution.
Packaging a tool up so well that every single feature it does have works perfectly, every time, for years. That is a form of innovation too, and it is the harder one to pull off.
I have owned this saw for over three years now and used it hard. I have access to multiple track saws in the shop at any given time because track saws are one of my favorite woodworking tools and I have bought a bunch of them. Guess which one I reach for almost every single time I break down a sheet of plywood?
The Milwaukee. Every time. It is just that good.
Why the Milwaukee Track Saw Earns Its Spot
Power. On M18 batteries you are not going to bog this thing down in anything you realistically want to cut.
Accuracy. Square cuts are dead on. Bevels are dead on. Repeatable, every session.
Depth adjustment. Push the button, slide, done. It is butter smooth and it lands exactly where you set it.
Anti tip feature. A small thing that keeps you safer and your cuts cleaner when you are working near the end of a track.
Anti splinter strip that drops down for clean edges on veneered plywood.
Dust collection that actually pulls, which matters more than most folks realize (more on that below).
A smooth plunge mechanism that does not feel notchy or cheap after years of use.
Is there anything I would still add? Sure. I would love an anti kickback or anti rotation feature that kills the motor instantly, similar to what Milwaukee already does on their drills. That is a nice to have, not a deal breaker.
Bottom line: what Milwaukee actually built here was the most standard track saw on the market, dialed in better than almost anybody else. It sits in my top tier. Grab the kit if you need batteries and a case, or save real money with the bare tool if you are already on M18.
A Track Saw Safety Note for Beginners
If you are new to track saws, respect them the way you respect a circular saw, because that is what they are. Always support your workpiece fully, use foam insulation board or sacrificial sleepers under your sheet goods, set your depth just barely past the material thickness, and let the blade come to a full stop before you lift the saw off the track. A track saw is one of the safest ways to break down plywood by yourself, but only when the sheet is supported and the depth is set right.
Regret #2: The Two Milwaukee Tools I Wish I Had Never Bought
Let me save you some money right here. There are two Milwaukee tools in my shop that I genuinely regret purchasing, and in both cases there is a better option, sometimes from Milwaukee themselves.
Skip: The Milwaukee M18 5 Inch Sander
The M18 5 inch sander came out in the last year or so and I was just not impressed.
It vibrates too much. Noticeably more than the competition.
The ergonomics are not there. The overall shape and balance could have been thought through better.
The competition is way ahead. The Festool 18v sander has real innovation, including a rake light that shows you scratches and swirl marks while you sand. The fit, finish, and comfort are close to second to none. The Makita 40v sander offloads the battery weight off the tool, which some people think is silly and I think is genius, because it makes long sanding sessions dramatically more pleasant.
I know jumping battery platforms is a big ask. I run several platforms myself, and more and more woodworkers are doing the same because sometimes the best tool for the job just is not in your color. Milwaukee has been chasing woodworkers hard the last couple of years and I think they simply missed the mark on this one. They should go back to the drawing board.
Buy Instead: The Milwaukee M12 6 Inch Sanders
If you love Milwaukee and you want a genuinely great sander, this is where they win. The M12 6 inch sanders are honestly some of the smoothest sanders I have ever held.
There are two stroke rates to choose from, and choosing correctly matters:
3/32 stroke for finish work and veneers. This one is like no other sander I own. You can set a glass of water on it and it barely moves. You feel that smoothness in your hands after an hour of sanding.
3/16 stroke for standard woodworking and faster stock removal.
The one drawback is that it is the M12 line, so it will drain a battery fairly quick. Run the bigger XC batteries and you will be much happier.
Skip: The Milwaukee M18 2 1/4 HP Plunge Router
The M18 plunge router is a beast, and I mean that in both directions. It is well built, no question. It has micro adjustments, a turret depth stop, and most of the features you want. But it is heavy and it is extremely top heavy, which becomes annoying the moment you have to do edge work or tip it at all.
Buy Instead: The DeWALT 20v Plunge Router
The DeWALT 20v plunge router does it better, and the safety features are the reason:
Anti rotation. If you get a kickback, it shuts the motor off instantly. That is the difference between an oh no and a hospital visit.
Overload protection. A flashing indicator tells you when you are pushing too hard. That means longer bit life, cleaner cuts, and better battery runtime, because it is teaching you to let the bit do the work instead of forcing it.
Router safety reminder: always rout in the correct direction, take multiple shallow passes instead of one hogging pass, keep both hands on the tool, and never freehand a small workpiece. A router bit spinning at 20,000 RPM does not forgive impatience.
Where Milwaukee Absolutely Wins: The M18 Trim Router
The Milwaukee M18 trim router is by far my favorite cordless router in the shop. The micro dial adjustment lets you dial in the exact bit depth you want, it has plenty of power, and it has variable speed and everything else you would want in a compact router.
Pair it with the Kreg router base and it goes to another level entirely. That is a tag team worth winning.
Compared to the DeWALT trim router, this is where Milwaukee wins. The DeWALT base is just big, and after a long routing session it starts cramping your hand. The Milwaukee fits right.
Regret #3: I Did Not Take Dust Collection Seriously Soon Enough
This one is a little nuanced, so stay with me.
A dust extractor is a health tool before it is ever a woodworking tool.
Yes, it collects chips and keeps your shop cleaner. But that is not the real reason to own one. The real reason is the fine dust, the stuff you cannot see, the particles that get down into your lungs and do not come back out. That dust is genuinely dangerous. Long enough exposure can cause serious health problems, and in some cases it can be fatal. Wood dust from certain species is a known respiratory irritant and a recognized carcinogen with prolonged exposure.
Most of us sand a lot. Which means most of us are breathing a lot. I did not take that seriously enough early on, and that is the regret.
What Makes the Milwaukee Dust Extractor Different
When I first saw the price tag on the Milwaukee dust extractor kit, I clutched my pearls. That kit includes two big 12 amp hour Forge batteries and a charger, so there is real sticker shock. But here is the move most people miss: buy the bare tool and just plug it into an extension cord like any other corded tool. That drops it right into the same price neighborhood as Festool and the rest.
What nobody else is doing, at least that I have seen:
It runs on batteries or a cord. On batteries you get 125 CFM, which is respectable. Plug it in and you get 175 CFM, which makes it one of the most powerful suction extractors I own. When I need to vacuum the whole shop floor or pull serious air through a tool, this is what I plug up.
HEPA filtration, which is the whole point. Do not buy a dust extractor without it.
The Bluetooth activation button. You can pair a sander to the extractor so the vac kicks on automatically when the tool does. But even if a tool is not pairing compatible, you just push the button on the vac itself. I use that constantly. It is one of the most underrated features on any dust extractor.
Suction volume control, which matters more than beginners realize. Turn the suction down while sanding so you do not suck the sander flat against the wood and cause the paper to dig in.
PACKOUT attachment on top, so you can stack a box or storage right on the vac.
Who Should Buy It, and Who Should Not
Buy the Milwaukee if: you are woodworking regularly, especially in an enclosed shop or inside a house where you are cutting wood or sheetrock, and you are already on the M18 platform.
Look elsewhere if: you only get in the shop once a month or so and you are not on the Milwaukee platform. Something like the Hercules dust extractor runs a little over $300 and under $400, plugs straight into the wall with no battery platform required, has HEPA filtration, and gives you volume control. That is a really good budget option.
Two things I wish someone had told me sooner: take your lung health more seriously than you take your tool budget, and you do not have to spend over a thousand dollars to get good dust collection.
Do Not Stop at the Vacuum
A dust extractor handles dust at the source, which is exactly where you want to catch it. But it does not catch everything. Pair it with an air filtration unit in the shop and a properly fitted respirator when you are sanding or cutting MDF. A dust mask from the paint aisle is not a respirator. This is the one area of woodworking where cheaping out has consequences you cannot undo later.
Regret #4: I Thought PACKOUT Was Overpriced Plastic. It Is Actually a Shop Building System.
For years I walked past those red boxes at Home Depot and thought, why on earth are people buying overpriced plastic containers?
And yes, they are plastic. And yes, they are pricey. But that is not the end of the story.
What sold me was not buying a PACKOUT. It was buying the track saw, which came in one. Once I got it in the shop and actually handled it, I realized these are extremely well made. Then I started buying more. Small ones, big ones, drawer boxes, first aid boxes, wall storage. I went a little nuts, because it turns out the system is the product.
Why PACKOUT Is Worth It for a Woodworking Shop
Everything has a home. Your tools live in the same spot every time, so you are not digging through a drawer for twenty minutes looking for a saw you know you own.
The attachments are the real value. Tool holders, battery holders, and all kinds of accessories clip right onto the sides.
Wall storage changes everything. I keep a dedicated battery station for my M18 and M12 batteries, and you can mount PACKOUT boxes directly to the wall.
2 drawer and 3 drawer boxes are the ones I would start with if you are building from scratch.
Custom inserts. I 3D printed inserts to hold my orbital detail sander and my installation driver, so every part and piece stays together. You can grab those same 3D print files here, or just cut Kaizen foam, which works great too.
Browse the full PACKOUT lineup here if you want to see what is available.
The PACKOUT First Aid Kit Deserves Its Own Paragraph
The one that surprised me most is the PACKOUT First Aid Kit. Could you buy a first aid kit at Walmart for less? Absolutely. But this one is genuinely well equipped and it lives in my shop where I can grab it instantly.
I use it more than I expected. Shop nicks, small cuts, the occasional burn, and even when somebody in the house needs a bandage or some antibiotic cream. Every single shop should have a stocked first aid kit within arm's reach, period. If you take nothing else from this entire post, take that one. Know where it is, keep it stocked, and make sure everybody in your house knows where it is too.
What I wish someone had told me: you are not buying a plastic box. You are buying a system that makes you work more efficiently.
Regret #5: The Milwaukee Sleeper Tools Almost Nobody Talks About
These are the tools I bought over the last couple of years that quietly became some of the most used things in my shop.
M12 Installation Driver. This thing pivots a full 360 degrees on the 90 degree head, and the heads swap out so you can get into basically any position to drive screws or drill holes. One of the most useful tools you can own, especially for cabinet installs and tight corners.
M12 Orbital Detail Sander. Shaped kind of like home plate, gets right up into tight inside corners. I have used this one a ton.
Milwaukee 3 inch Orbital Sander. For small parts and small spaces where a 5 or 6 inch pad is just too much sander.
M18 Blower. Detailing the truck, blowing dust off the workbench, and dusting yourself off before you go in the house so your wife does not get mad at you. Real world use case right there.
M12 Ratchet. For assembly and general fixing of things.
M18 Grinder. Because sometimes you just need a grinder.
M12 Bandsaw. This one shocked me. I have used it to cut bolts, including hardened steel bolts. Ever tried that with a hacksaw? It is near impossible and your shoulder pays for it. This cuts right through. Plastic pipe too. Just an all around handy tool to have.
M18 Reciprocating Saw. Who does not love a good sawzall?
M18 Drill. This was the very last Milwaukee tool I bought, and honestly I only bought it because I already had a pile of drills and figured why not. Then I found out it has the anti rotation feature, the same thing I love on the DeWALT. If a bit binds up, the motor shuts off instead of wrenching your wrist. That feature alone should be on every drill sold. It is also seriously powerful.
Beginner safety tip: if you are drilling with a large bit, a hole saw, or an auger, always use the side handle if your drill has one, and always brace for the bind. Anti rotation technology is fantastic, but good habits work even when the electronics do not.
The bigger lesson here is that Milwaukee covers basically everything, and unlike some other major brands, they keep releasing genuinely new tools month after month. I appreciate a brand that keeps pushing forward, especially when the new stuff is actually useful.
The Tool Dividing the Internet: The Milwaukee M18 Jobsite Lunch Warmer
Alright, here it is. Half the internet says Milwaukee has lost their ever loving mind, and the other half says they are absolute geniuses.
The Milwaukee M18 Lunch Warmer runs off M18 batteries and it is PACKOUT compatible, so it clicks right into your stack. You fill the container with leftovers, snap on a battery, and set a timer and a heat level. It warms your food automatically so it is hot and ready the second lunch rolls around. Also available at Acme Tools.
Here is my honest take. I started working construction back in 1995, and for years I ate a cold sandwich out of a lunch box in the cab of a truck. This would have been perfect. Especially if you are hauling leftovers to the jobsite.
I think it is genius. And I think it is a perfect example of what Milwaukee is doing right in general, which is building the products their customers actually ask for, even when the internet thinks it is silly.
Genius or dumb? Drop your vote in the comments on the video. I want to know which side you are on.
Never Pay Full Price: Get Daily Tool Deals Free
Here is what a lot of folks miss about Milwaukee. They see a price tag, wince, and walk away. But these tools go on sale constantly, and if you are patient you can save real money.
That is exactly why we built The Morning Cut, my free daily tool deals email. Every single morning we send out the deals we find across Milwaukee, DeWALT, Makita, Ryobi, Festool, and more. No cost, no catch, just deals in your inbox before you buy something at full price you could have gotten for less.
Sign up for The Morning Cut here. It is completely free.
Building a Woodworking Business, Not Just a Tool Collection
If you are reading a post about tool regrets, there is a decent chance you are not just building furniture. You are building something bigger, or thinking about it.
That is what Sawdust Startups is for. It is my coaching community for woodworkers who want to actually make money in the shop instead of just spending it. We work through pricing, finding customers, staying consistent, and building a business that fits your life instead of taking it over. Most of our members are running small garage shops and figuring it out one step at a time, same as I did.
Come check out Sawdust Startups here.
Safety Is the Cheapest Upgrade in Your Shop
I want to close the tool talk with the thing I would go back and tell twenty five year old me, standing in a shop full of sawdust with no vacuum and no respirator.
Protect your lungs first. Dust extraction at the source, air filtration in the room, and a real respirator on your face. You cannot undo years of exposure.
Protect your hands at the table saw. Use a quality push block like the Gripper instead of a scrap of plywood, use featherboards to keep stock tight against the fence, and never freehand a cut. If you are buying a table saw and the budget allows it, SawStop's flesh detecting technology is the single best safety money you will ever spend.
Protect your ears and eyes every time. Not most of the time. Every time.
Respect kickback. It is the number one cause of serious woodworking injuries, and it happens faster than you can react. Riving knives, blade guards, and featherboards exist for a reason, so use them.
Keep a stocked first aid kit within reach and make sure your family knows where it is.
The best tool in the world does you absolutely no good if you are not around to use it.
Final Thoughts
Looking back, my Milwaukee regrets fall into two buckets. A couple of tools I should not have bought, and a whole lot of lessons I should have learned sooner. The track saw taught me that execution is innovation. The dust extractor taught me that health is not a line item you skip. PACKOUT taught me that a system beats a pile of boxes. And the M12 lineup taught me that the best tools in a brand are often the ones nobody is making videos about.
If you are just getting started, do not try to buy the whole platform at once. Buy the tools that solve a problem you actually have, protect your lungs and your hands from day one, and let the collection grow with the work.
Now go make some sawdust, and be safe doing it.
Keep reading: check out the rest of the blog posts linked below for more honest tool reviews, beginner woodworking guides, and shop upgrades that are actually worth the money.
Kreg invited me inside their Iowa headquarters for a full facility tour. I saw where the jigs get assembled, who owns the company, and why calling their support line gets you a real person.