Mixing Milwaukee and Ryobi works in case you stick to 1 easy rule

Picking a device platform is sort of tougher than choosing what home to purchase. For some motive, it feels very everlasting. However, two device platforms can positively coexist. I run each Milwaukee’s M12 and Ryobi’s 18V ONE+ platform in my workshop, and that is how I make the excellence of which instruments I exploit for what job.

The instruments I attain for occasionally are virtually all the time Milwaukee

When it involves energy instruments, my Milwaukee instruments are positively my favourite. I’ve owned each Milwaukee and Ryobi my complete grownup life, and I spent most of my childhood utilizing my dad’s Ryobi instruments, so I’ve fairly a little bit of historical past with each manufacturers.

If there is a device I attain for most frequently in my store, chances are high it is a Milwaukee. Now, my only Milwaukee tools are 12V, however that truly would not matter for many of the work I do.

The Milwaukee instruments really feel higher in my hand, are extra compact, and ship a implausible expertise with out added bulk. This is why I make Milwaukee the instruments I attain for first—they’re simply higher (for me).

While I do know that my Milwaukee instruments are 12V, in comparison with the 18V that my Ryobi instruments are, it would not matter to me. The Milwaukee instruments are merely those that I attain for most frequently. They’ve taken extra abuse (and held up), and nonetheless ship the torque and energy I want without having to be big and bulky.

Plus, Ryobi would not have a big 12V lineup of instruments. They have some 4V instruments, however virtually every thing Ryobi does is 18V, 40V, or 80V, so smaller instruments simply aren’t actually an possibility with Ryobi.

Ryobi’s lineup is far more expansive

And additionally usually cheaper for one-off instruments

Now, if I like Milwaukee a lot, why do I keep Ryobi around? It’s as a result of Ryobi instruments are sometimes far cheaper than Milwaukee. I can find Ryobi refurbished at Direct Tools extra regularly, and it is also straightforward to search out them on Facebook Marketplace and even simply on sale at Home Depot.

So, I preserve Ryobi round for 2 causes: it is barely extra highly effective than my 12V Milwaukee gear, and one-off instruments are method cheaper.

Take the caulking gun, as an example. While Milwaukee does have an M12 caulking gun, it is $179. Ryobi’s 18V caulking gun is just $84—almost $100 cheaper. As one other instance, the Milwaukee M12 18-gauge Brad nail gun is $279 (although it is usually on sale for $229), whereas Ryobi’s 18V 18-gauge Brad nail gun is $149 full value.

The instruments do the identical job, one is simply greater and bulkier, however far cheaper. So, for a one-off device like this that I possible will not seize for that always, I’ll go along with the cheaper Ryobi.

Also, for higher-power instruments, it is cheaper to make use of Ryobi. Things like larger impact wrenches for auto work and issues like which are cheaper to purchase from Ryobi than Milwaukee. Is it constructed as effectively? Probably not, however for the few instances I would want to make use of it, Ryobi is better-built than Hart or Hyper Tough.

I do not wish to have greater than two battery ecosystems in my store

There are so many device manufacturers on the market, and none of them work properly with the opposite

There are an insane variety of device manufacturers on the market, all with different batteries. Ryobi 18V, Bosch 12V, Bosch 18V, Milwaukee 12V, Milwaukee 18V, Ryobi 40V, DeWalt 20V MAX, Kobalt 24V, Craftsman 20V, and much more that I’ve not named but.

The drawback is, I’ve seen folks’s retailers and garages the place they needed to have 12 completely different chargers plugged in as a result of that they had 12 completely different battery manufacturers. They wanted an affect driver for automobile DIY repairs and went to Harbor Freight and simply purchased what was there. Caulk gun is Ryobi. Drill is DeWalt. Track noticed is Festool.

The drawback with a setup like that is there’s simply merely no cohesion. The instruments all work, the batteries all work, nevertheless it would not work in your favor.

Instead of the sort of a setup, I’ve simply settled on two main battery platforms—Milwaukee 12V and Ryobi 18V. At some level, I’d change over to Milwaukee 18V and preserve a number of Ryobi batteries/instruments round for one-off initiatives, however, for now, it is simply Milwaukee 12V and Ryobi 18V.

I do wish to discuss why I stated “main battery platforms.” I even have a number of non-Milwaukee 12V or Ryobi 18V battery-powered instruments in the home, nevertheless it’s sometimes issues I picked up tremendous low-cost or they’ve a selected objective.

For instance, I’ve a Greenworks 40V leaf blower. It was a present from my dad and mom, and it is one battery for one device—a selected objective. I even have a DongCheng 20V drill, which was one other present and it really works effectively for an indoor drill for the reason that battery and drill go collectively. Again, a selected device for a selected objective.

I simply will not exit and spend a bunch of cash on one other platform until there’s a very particular motive, like switching from one platform to a different. Buying one device simply is not price it until I completely cannot get it on both of the 2 platforms that I presently use.

Before you choose a battery platform, ensure it has what you want

Power instruments actually simply come all the way down to what battery platform you wish to help. I began with Milwaukee’s M12 line as a result of, on the time, Ryobi did not have the deal I needed on its 18V instruments. Then, I picked up the 18V package once I was prepared.

Now, I’ve the 2 device platforms that swimsuit me completely. I’ve realized what I would like over time, and my setup displays that. Both Milwaukee and Ryobi can positively coexist in a workshop surroundings, however provided that each device platforms have very particular jobs, which is precisely how I’ve mine arrange.