Milwaukee vs Ryobi:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Ryobi had more branded searches than Milwaukee among orbital sander brands in New Zealand. Ryobi had about 8,200 branded searches, while Milwaukee had 2,950. Ryobi made up 27.3% of all orbital sander brand searches we track, and Milwaukee accounted for 9.8%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about orbital sander brands, Ryobi appeared in three of the five answers and Milwaukee in two. Milwaukee was mentioned before Ryobi in two out of three answers that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Ryobi, about 3 searches for every 1 for Milwaukee
Who does AI mention more?
Ryobi, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, Milwaukee in 2
Who does AI recommend more?
Milwaukee, named ahead of Ryobi in 2 of 3 answers
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Top orbital sander brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Ryobi was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Milwaukee was mentioned in two out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Milwaukee was listed before Ryobi in two out of three answers that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Makita4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Bosch4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers- Ryobi3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
DeWalt2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers- Festool2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Milwaukee2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about orbital sander brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which orbital sander brand should I buy in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best orbital sander brands in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best orbital sander brand in New Zealand for wood sanding?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“sander for wood”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“cordless orbital sander”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 19, 2026.
Is Milwaukee or Ryobi more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Milwaukee and Ryobi by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all six orbital sander brands we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.
Share of searches by month for Ryobi, Milwaukee. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Makita | Ryobi | DeWalt | Festool | Milwaukee | Bosch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 34.1% | 27.5% | 19.5% | 9.2% | 9.2% | 0.58% |
| Nov 2025 | 28% | 33.8% | 22.6% | 6.7% | 8.4% | 0.48% |
| Dec 2025 | 30.4% | 36.7% | 18.2% | 6.1% | 7.9% | 0.63% |
| Jan 2026 | 33.3% | 32.6% | 19.2% | 6.9% | 7.3% | 0.7% |
| Feb 2026 | 34.3% | 27.5% | 20% | 8.7% | 9.1% | 0.47% |
| Mar 2026 | 31.9% | 30% | 19.3% | 9.3% | 8.9% | 0.55% |
| Apr 2026 | 34.8% | 27.9% | 19.7% | 7.8% | 9.1% | 0.6% |
| May 2026 | 34.9% | 22.9% | 20.5% | 9.6% | 11.5% | 0.6% |
| Jun 2026 | 32.7% | 22.6% | 23% | 10% | 11.1% | 0.56% |
| Jul 2026 | 34.3% | 23.2% | 20.4% | 10.6% | 11% | 0.59% |
| Aug 2026 | 30.7% | 25.4% | 21.1% | 8.5% | 13.8% | 0.52% |
| Sep 2026 | 33.2% | 27.3% | 19% | 10.1% | 9.8% | 0.57% |
How has the Milwaukee and Ryobi comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Ryobi was ahead of Milwaukee in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Milwaukee’s share of searches among orbital sander brands in New Zealand moved from 9.2% to 9.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 2.2K to 3K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Ryobi’s share of searches among orbital sander brands in New Zealand moved from 27.5% to 27.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 6.6K to 8.2K.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand orbital sander brands in September 2026?
3 changes
In September 2026, Festool overtook Milwaukee to rank 4th among orbital sander brands in New Zealand, with 10.1% of the searches.
In September 2026, Ryobi gained share of searches among orbital sander brands in New Zealand, from 25.4% to 27.3%.
In September 2026, Milwaukee lost share of searches among orbital sander brands in New Zealand, from 13.8% to 9.8%.
How are branded searches counted?
8 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Milwaukee’s and Ryobi’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Other head-to-heads among orbital sander brands
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