Milwaukee M18 FUEL 3017-20 vs Greenworks 80V 730 CFM Blower: Two-Pack M18 Against the Big-Box 80V

Where these two differ

Both are big handheld blowers that clear wet leaves. The Milwaukee 3017-20 is a bare two-pack M18 FUEL blower rated around 800 CFM that assumes M18 packs in the shed. The Greenworks 80V 730 is a kit blower rated 730 CFM that arrives with a pack. Airflow is close; the starting cost and the platform decide.

This comparison is based on the published specifications and manuals for both blowers and on recurring owner feedback. We have not run either blower ourselves.

Moving leaves

Both clear wet matted leaves, gravel beds and the fence-line pile in one pass. The Milwaukee has a touch more airflow. Neither leaves a homeowner wanting.

Weight and handling

Both are heavy. The Milwaukee with two packs tires an arm in a half hour at full power; the lock-on trigger helps. The Greenworks is heavy with its kit pack and balances well.

Batteries and runtime

Two M18 12 Ah packs on the Milwaukee last a large yard. The Greenworks kit pack lasts a normal yard on medium and drains fast on turbo. The Greenworks arrives ready; the Milwaukee needs packs.

Platform

M18 runs everything Milwaukee makes including the M18 mower. Greenworks 80V runs a mower, chainsaw, trimmer and snow blower. For an M18 household the Milwaukee adds no battery system; for anyone else the Greenworks is the cheaper start.

Yard jobs this decides

An M18 shed: the Milwaukee. Anything else: the Greenworks. The leaves do not separate them.

Warranty and support

On the Milwaukee M18, Milwaukee covers M18 FUEL tools with a five-year warranty and M18 packs with three years. On the Greenworks 80V, Greenworks covers 80V tools with four years and packs with two. Both makers run service networks in the US and both honor the warranty only with proof of purchase, so keep the receipt with the manual. Registration takes a few minutes online and is worth doing the day the tool arrives.

Care and storage

Both are brushless battery tools and both last longest with the same habits: hose or brush debris off after each use, store packs indoors at partial charge through the winter rather than empty or full, and keep the machine out of direct sun in a shed. Neither needs oil changes, spark plugs or fuel stabilizer. A pack left at zero through a cold winter is the most common cause of a dead tool in spring on either platform.

Accessories worth adding

A second pack is the accessory that changes ownership of either machine, because it turns a runtime limit into a swap. A spare blade or impeller cover, a mulch plug if one is not in the box and a rapid charger are the next three. Both makers sell these through the same outlets as the machine, and third-party packs are a false economy on either platform.

Common owner complaints

Milwaukee owners mention weight. Greenworks owners mention noise and the smaller pack in some kits. Both are reliable.

Which one should you buy

Buy the 3017-20 if M18 packs are already in the shed. Buy the Greenworks 80V 730 otherwise.

Our verdict

The Greenworks 80V 730 CFM takes this comparison for most buyers on starting cost. The Milwaukee 3017-20 is the stronger blower and the right buy for an M18 household.