Milwaukee M18 Brushless 18-Inch Fan Vs. M18 Jobsite Fan: What's The Difference?

It's important to have the right tools on hand when working hard on a job site or doing a DIY project at home, but it's just as important to have the right safety gear. While that includes obvious items like gloves and safety glasses, it also includes equipment that will keep you cool and your work area well-ventilated — such as fans. With heat records breaking seemingly every summer, it's more important than ever that you keep cool while hard at work, and there are any number of reasons why air conditioning might not be an option — the power may not be turned on during construction, a client may not have A/C available, or you may be working outside.

Fans are also important not just for keeping the temperature lower but also for drying wet surfaces and clearing your area of hazardous airborne materials like sawdust, aerosol paint, and the like. You won't want just any fan, either. You'll want an appliance built for the job site that's durable enough to withstand the elements and potentially get banged up a bit. You'll also want one that's portable so that you can not only bring it to any job but place it in the ideal location as you work.

Milwaukee offers several tools that will help keep you cool, including fans. Both the M18 Brushless 18-inch Fan and M18 Jobsite Fan are part of Milwaukee's proprietary M18 battery-powered tool system, which means you'll be able to run them for hours even if you're far from a power outlet. But there are plenty of differences between the two products you'll want to know about before purchasing one. Here's a more detailed look at the differences between the Milwaukee M18 Brushless 18-inch Fan versus the M18 Jobsite Fan.

The Milwaukee M18 Brushless 18-inch Fan is a hybrid-powered floor fan that's on the heavier side, though not as large as some industrial work fans — an intentional design choice that makes it more portable. It weighs just 17 pounds and has an integrated handle that makes carrying it a cinch. While its blade is 18 inches, its casing — which is constructed of steel, ABS plastic, and glass-filled nylon — means it takes up more space than that: The fan is 26.5 inches tall and 23.3 inches wide. It has two thin feet, which limits how you can place it. You won't want to rest this on the hood of your car, for example, or a sloped, uneven surface at a construction site. The "brushless" in the name of the product refers, of course, to the brushless motor that powers it. Since it's brushless, it runs less hot and, in theory, extends the lifespan of the fan.

Milwaukee has literally hundreds of different tools and products, and the M18 Brushless 18-inch Fan is, relatively, one of its newer appliances. Because of this, and because it costs more than many Milwaukee tools (including the M18 Jobsite Fan), there seem to be a lot less people that currently own the product than with the M18 Jobsite Fan, and as such, there are a lot fewer customer reviews for it so far. Similarly, not as many retailers seem to carry the product. The M18 Brushless 18–inch Fan has product code 0821-20 and is available for just under $250. Major hardware retailers that sell the product include Home Depot, Acme Tools, and Ace Hardware.

The hybrid-powered M18 Jobsite Fan is smaller than the M18 Brushless 18-inch Fan, as well as more affordable — it's a Milwaukee tool that will help keep your DIY projects cheap. It weighs just 5.2 pounds, which is less than a third of the weight of the M18 Brushless, and is just 10.29 by 7.15 inches in size. Because it's smaller and lighter, you're not just limited to placing it on the floor. What's especially useful is that it's designed with integrated keyhole hangers and hanging holes for a versatile range of hanging orientations and placement options. However, while there's a place on the top of the product for you to grip it, the M18 Jobsite fan doesn't have a built-in handle like the M18 Brushless 18-inch Fan does, which makes it a little more of a nuisance to carry around — despite its smaller weight. It also means that hanging it will take an extra step or two.

The M18 Jobsite Fan, which has product code 0886-20, is generally in stock in more locations than the M18 Brushless 18-inch Fan, making it easier to come by. You can find it at major retailers like Ace Hardware, Acme Tools, and Home Depot for typically around $99.

Just because the M18 Brushless 18-inch Fan is larger doesn't necessarily mean it's the more powerful fan. It does have an edge over the M18 Jobsite Fan when it comes to air circulation — the former has a 50-foot reach and can generate an airflow of 3,400 cubic feet per minute (CFM) compared to the latter's 40-foot reach and 284 CFM capacity. However, the M18 Jobsite Fan offers a stronger breeze with its maximum air velocity of 18 miles per hour, while the M18 Brushless 18-inch Fan is limited to an air speed of 13.5 miles per hour.

In addition to power, the products differ in the versatility of their airflow as well. The M18 Brushless 18-inch Fan has a 360-degree head rotation, so you can swivel it up, down, front, or back depending on your cooling, drying, or ventilation needs. The M18 Jobsite Fan, on the other hand, has a 120-degree adjustable head with nine different stopping positions.

There are some similarities to the two products, however. Both have three different power settings (low, medium, and high), are hybrid-powered, and are relatively easy to store, though for different reasons. The M18 Jobsite Fan is compact and lightweight enough that you should be able to find a decent spot for it in your truck and/or garage or tool shed. The M18 Brushless 18-inch Fan, meanwhile, has a "stackable design for optimized storage and transportation."

As previously mentioned, both the M18 Brushless 18-inch Fan and M18 Jobsite Fan are hybrid-powered, which makes both products extremely versatile. They're each integrated with an AC adapter so that you can plug them in and use them indefinitely on a job site that has access to wall outlets or a generator. They both also function cordlessly as part of Milwaukee's proprietary M18 system of 18-volt lithium-ion batteries. These batteries are interchangeable with over 290 other Milwaukee tools and products and can use the same chargers, which can make for a time-saving and money-saving efficient tool collection if you'd like. One downside to this is that you'll have to pay extra for batteries and chargers if you don't already own them.

This is particularly noteworthy as both fans need larger-capacity (and more expensive) batteries to function practically. The large blade of the M18 Brushless 18-inch Fan can spin for up to five hours on high when powered by the hefty M18 HD12.0 battery; on low, it can run for 23 hours on a single charge. With the smaller XC5.0 battery, you can expect up to two hours of runtime on high and nine hours on low. The smaller M18 Jobsite Fan can get nearly twice that with the same XC5.0 battery — up to 17 hours of airflow on low. That means it's certainly the more energy-efficient of the two fans, though keep in mind that you can expect even less runtime with the smaller batteries of the M18 system that are commonly available.

After vigorously testing the product, Pro Tool Reviews gave the M18 Jobsite Fan an impressive 9 out of 10 overall score, praising its power, portability, and battery capacity, though noted some drawbacks to the appliance. These include limited power settings, as well as the fact that — at its highest setting — the fan's noise is a little loud. Additionally, after researching dozens of different fans, The Spruce named the M18 Jobsite Fan it's best overall portable fan that's available online. The Spruce highlighted the durability of the fan, as well as the versatility that comes with the AC power option, though it noted the lack of an oscillation feature and the additional costs that you incur if you don't already own M18 batteries and chargers.

Overall, though, these are both positive reviews for the M18 Jobsite Fan from reputable publications. The M18 Brushless 18-inch Fan, on the other hand, seems to have much less published reviews by tool and hardware experts — perhaps because it's a relatively newer product. However, there are still customers who have weighed in on the product. 

Based on over 80 customer reviews from Home Depot, the M18 Brushless 18-inch Fan has a respectable 4.3 out of 5 overall user score, with 54% of customers recommending the fan. Generally, the customer reviews for the M18 Jobsite Fan on Home Depot's website seem to be more favorable, however. Some complaints mention the high cost of the product and how quickly the fan drains its batteries.