In this post, we’ll compare Makita vs Milwaukee, go over some of the cordless combination tool kits, and shed some light on whether it’s worth the additional cost to own the prestigious Milwaukee brand.
In the case of power tools, Milwaukee and Makita are two major brands. Milwaukee, in particular, has earned a reputation of being the best over the last decade or so.
If you would like to have an amazing tool collection and enjoy superior results, Milwaukee is a great choice.
If you are looking for the best, you’ll most likely have to spend more. Milwaukee tools tend to be more expensive than Makita and other well-known brands.
Makita vs Milwaukee Overview
If you’re among those who prefer to support American businesses, Milwaukee is definitely your best bet.
The company was started in Wisconsin (Milwaukee) in 1924 and it began as a power tool repair company before becoming popular for an electric hand drill built for Henry Ford.
At the same time, Makita is of Japanese origin and the company by chance began as a tool repair business as well. They can be considered as one of the most innovative companies in the field of power tools.
In fact, Makita was the first one to come up with cordless tools during the late 1970s. Although DeWalt is considered to have revolutionized the cordless industry during the early 1990s, they were not the first ones to conceive the idea or design it.
Both companies are now global conglomerates with production plants around the world. Despite the fact that Milwaukee has headquarters in Wisconsin (Brookfield), it is owned by a major investment firm based in Hong Kong – Techtronic.
Manufacturing-wise, as previously stated, both companies have assembly/production facilities all over the world. Milwaukee outsources the bulk of its production to China.
Makita has operations in 9 countries, including the United States, Japan (where it has its headquarters), the UK, and Germany.
Best Cordless Combination Tool Kits
1. Makita LXT 18V Cordless Li-Ion 6-Tool Combo Kit (XT610)
2. Milwaukee M18 18V Cordless Fuel 6-Tool Combo Kit (2896-26)
3. Makita LXT 18V 3Ah Cordless Li-Ion 15-Tool Combo Kit (XT1501)
4. Milwaukee 18V Compact Drill And Impact Driver Combo Kit (2691-22)
5. Makita LXT 18V 3Ah Cordless Li-Ion 4-Tool Combo Kit (XT442)
6. Milwaukee M18 Compact Cordless Combo Kit (2696-24)
Power Tool Comparison
Is Milwaukee better than Makita in terms of tools? For the most part, they certainly are. Yet the question remains: they are better by how much? Is the price gap between them reasonable? Let’s have a closer look to see what we can find.
We’ll compare Makita’s LXT 18V kit to Milwaukee’s high-end Fuel M18 cordless kit below. Both are toolsets with 6 pieces, but the Makita product line is around 40% cheaper than the Milwaukee line.
Let’s find out if Milwaukee is able to back up its claims and prove that its power tools are worth the higher price tag.
Makita vs Milwaukee Cordless Tools
Makita LXT 18V Cordless Li-Ion 6-Tool Combination Kit (XT610)
Includes a 1/2″ hammer drill, a 6 1/2″ circular saw, a 1/4″ impact driver, a reciprocating saw, an LED lamp, a 4 1/2″ angle grinder, charger, 2 batteries, and a Makita carrying bag for contractors.
Milwaukee M18 18V Cordless Fuel 6-Tool Combination Kit (2896-26)
Comes with a 1/2″ hammer drill, a 6 1/2″ circular saw, a 1/4″ impact driver, a reciprocating saw, an LED lamp, a 4 1/2″ angle grinder, a charger, 2 batteries, and 2 heavy-duty contractor bags (one large, one small).
So, as we can see, each kit contains the exact same collection of tools. So, if Milwaukee wants to justify the staggering price tag, they’ll have to be much better than the Makita lineup.
Application And Usage
It turns out that they do. The standard of the M18 cordless Fuel tools is instantly apparent when you hold one. They are sleek and feel light in your hand, but they’re rock solid. There are no implications of having cut corners in terms of construction or materials.
However, what they really shine is in their performance. You would have no trouble drilling through mixing concrete, mortar, or drilling 3/8” holes in 1/8” angle iron (all tasks that would normally be completed using a corded power drill).
All these tasks are also possible with the Makita LXT tool, but they take longer and put a greater strain on the battery compared to the Milwaukee M18.
Whatever Milwaukee is doing in order to design these batteries, we think the whole team deserves credit for their engineering. They’ll be completely charged in less than 1 hour, and they’ll keep going all day under normal conditions without any problem.
Now, don’t dismiss the Makita LXT series. As previously mentioned, these are effective tools that can perform all of the tasks similar to the M18 Fuel series.
Under heavier workloads such as cutting 1/4” PVC, tearing piles of decking, and using a cutting wheel on an angle grinder to cut 1/8” steel tubing, the Makita tools strain and wear down a lot faster than the Fuel tools.
Despite the fact that the Milwaukee tool outperformed the Makita by a wide margin, these tools were put through rough usage. The wringer we put them through was likely more than the average at-home DIYer.
Final Thoughts
So when it comes to Makita vs Milwaukee, Is Milwaukee better than Makita?
The answer should be obvious by now. Are they worth the additional cost? Maybe not for an average homeowner who plans to use the tools occasionally.
You don’t have to go out and spend top dollar on a cordless tool kit if you are not a contractor using it day in and day out for various tasks. For the vast majority of homeowners and DIYers, the Makita product line would provide enough value to get the job done.
If you’re planning to build a house or do a full demo/rehab/renovation of your house, Milwaukee is a great choice.
Similarly, if you’re a contractor searching for tools to bring to the workplace every day, we recommend investing in Milwaukee – they’re superior tools in terms of performance.
Here are the best cordless combination tool kits:
1. Makita LXT 18V Cordless Li-Ion 6-Tool Combo Kit (XT610)
2. Milwaukee M18 18V Cordless Fuel 6-Tool Combo Kit (2896-26)
3. Makita LXT 18V 3Ah Cordless Li-Ion 15-Tool Combo Kit (XT1501)
4. Milwaukee 18V Compact Drill And Impact Driver Combo Kit (2691-22)
5. Makita LXT 18V 3Ah Cordless Li-Ion 4-Tool Combo Kit (XT442)