M12 Must have tools?

[tyyost]

Received a few new M12 4.0 batteries for Christmas. I currently have a 3/8 ratchet, a basic drill, the right angle die grinder, and the inflator. Bought the ratchet years ago with the drill, so both are non fuel.

I‘m pretty deep into the M18 so anything that overlaps I’ve been buying in 18 volt. Since the inflator is my most used tool I was tempted to just ask for the M18 inflator and slowly phase out of M12 stuff, but the ratchet is great, and die grinder, although underpowered, is handy to have around.

Is there anything else in the M12 lineup that is a must have?

 

[tyyost]

I was just looking at the Milwaukee Tools website, and I had forgotten about the M12 band file, did that turn out to be a good tool, or will it leave me disappointed like the die grinder does?

1/2" X 18" M12 FUEL™ Bandfile | Milwaukee Tool

MILWAUKEE® M12 FUEL™ 1/2” X 18” Bandfile is the first cordless bandfile that delivers pneumatic performance, size, and features for professionals in automotive, industrial & metalworking

www.milwaukeetool.com

 

[Firebrick43]

M12 fuel hackzall is my most used m12 tool. Awesome to cut pipe and conduit/emt, drywall, and even prune limbs.

The M12 pex expander is also awesome.

 

[LeeG]

I use the M12 Surge impact almost exclusively over the M18. The M12 Rover task light is real handy as well.

Lee

 

[mike93lx]

My favorites are the inflator, rover task light and right angle grinder.

The non fuel hackzall *****. I use it for cutting pipe in the dirt but never anything more serious. I'd love to get the fuel, but I'd get the m18 model instead if I were you.

 

[tncatadjuster]

Surge impact, 3” cut off saw is useful.

 

[Jblount3]

I have the fuel ratchet and love that on vehicle work

 

[2ndGearRubber]

I use the fuel hacksaw for light trimming of trees and cutting wood. Long nech 1/4 ratchet is a favorite at work.

 

[71goldss]

I recently purchased the M12 bandfile. I had planned to get the Astro Pneumatic 3037, but the M12’s portability and low noise level won me over. No regrets so far!

 

[mrvm]

M12 impact driver, surge, impact wrench, recip saw, rover lights, tower light, die grinder and inflator. The M12 inflator is very compact, light and more importantly accurate for topping up tires to deal with TPMS. The M18 inflator is much faster for filling empty tires but IME the accuracy is not its strong point. I haven’t warranted it yet so it sits on the shelf.

 

[mepstein]

I was just looking at the Milwaukee Tools website, and I had forgotten about the M12 band file, did that turn out to be a good tool, or will it leave me disappointed like the die grinder does?

1/2" X 18" M12 FUEL™ Bandfile | Milwaukee Tool

MILWAUKEE® M12 FUEL™ 1/2” X 18” Bandfile is the first cordless bandfile that delivers pneumatic performance, size, and features for professionals in automotive, industrial & metalworking

www.milwaukeetool.com

If you do automotive metal work, you will love it.

 

[jonshonda]

M12 Surge Impact, Drill, Stapler, Polisher, Ratchet.

 

[Montauket]

That little circular cut off tool looks like it could be handy for small stuff

 

[tncatadjuster]

That little circular cut off tool looks like it could be handy for small stuff

It has no power, I have cut cable and concrete, and lightweight steel studs wih great success. It trips and stops often, but once you learn it works like a box knife not a chainsaw it’s handy.

 

[shakenfake]

M12 Underhood Light 2125-20

I only have three M12 tools: The underhood light, right angle drill, 3/8s brushed ratchet from a holiday kit special.
The ratchet is good but I find myself reaching for my M18 impact driver more recently.
The right angle drill I bought to try and extract a bolt. Other than that I have only used it as a medium for the eraser wheel.

 

[Black300zx]

My most-used M12 tools are:

• Fuel Impact Driver
• RA Die Grinder (LOVE IT!)
• Ratchet
• Fuel Hackzall
• Underhood light

If you're also invested in M18, the Hackzall and impact probably don't make sense for you unless you want lighter weight.

The underhood light is super handy around the house for general use. Anytime I'm working in the attic I will stretch the mount across 3 rafters to get lighting on whatever I'm working on.

Other ideas:

• A coworker really loves his M12 Fuel OMT. Good power, quiet, low vibration
• If you travel much, the USB Power Adaptor (48-59-1201) is a fantastic upgrade over the cheapo USB power banks that only last a couple years (a 4.0 will charge my phone from dead to full 2+ times).
• If you find yourself needing to solder much without a nearby outlet, the M12 soldering iron might be a good M12-specific item

 

[Beauregard]

The M12 Stick Transfer Pump is one handy little tool. Plumbers and well drillers use them around here to quickly move dirty water. My wife uses ours to empty the hot tub spa. Amazing how quickly it'll fill a five-gallon bucket.

 

[Montauket]

Thanks for that detail you just saved me a couple of bucks.

It has no power, I have cut cable and concrete, and lightweight steel studs wih great success. It trips and stops often, but once you learn it works like a box knife not a chainsaw it’s handy.

 

[VolvoRyan]

The M12 stuff really shines where you can use the compact batteries. Makes for a very small package. The right angle drill is excellent. You can put holes in really tight places with ease. I'm also a fan of the impact wrench. And Hackzall.

-Ryan

 

[bwringer]

The M12 stuff really shines where you can use the compact batteries. Makes for a very small package. The right angle drill is excellent. You can put holes in really tight places with ease. I'm also a fan of the impact wrench. And Hackzall.

-Ryan

Right; the larger M12 batteries don't make a hell of a lot of sense. If I've got that kind of room, I'll use the 18V tools.

I got a screaming pre-Christmas deal on an M12 screwdriver set at Homeless Despot; $59 instead of the usual $99, with two 1.5AH batteries. So far, I'm quite happy with it, very compact, and it has a LOT more torque than most. Cordless screwdrivers are usually too piss-weak to actually do any tough screwing...

I'm invested into the brushless Ryobi stuff, but they don't have anything that fills this gap. I hated to add another damn battery system, but this one made sense because it does something I can't get in snot yella.

I might spring for an M12 LED light if a good sale pops up.

 

[Firebrick43]

Right; the larger M12 batteries don't make a hell of a lot of sense. If I've got that kind of room, I'll use the 18V tools.

I got a screaming pre-Christmas deal on an M12 screwdriver set at Homeless Despot; $59 instead of the usual $99, with two 1.5AH batteries. So far, I'm quite happy with it, very compact, and it has a LOT more torque than a lot of screwdrivers.

I'm invested into the brushless Ryobi stuff, but they don't have anything that fills this gap. I hated to add another battery system, but this one made sense because it does something I can't get in snot yella.

Certain projects I find myself use an M12 tool with the 4.0 battery especially the impact driver and the hackzall.

I can easily stand the tool up but it’s still much lighter and compact than my m18 version.

I really don’t care at all for the m18 hackzall due to weight/size.

I still use my m18 surge a lot but working on a ladder installing or screwing pocket screw in cabinet casings I will grab the m12 fuel impactor.

 

[f121]

Stubby 3/8 impact and UHL are my m12 must buys, although it’s the radio that gets the most use.

 

[RAS61]

The impact driver is great, very compact, which is probably it's biggest advantage over the M18. I also really like the the drop light.

 

[pbon]

The M12 drill with hammer function is pretty capable. The basic m12 drill is extremely weak. I have bought the hammer version as a bare tool for as little as $59 so shop around. The M12 tower light is great and compact — I found a deal with battery for $119 or $129, I forget. I like the M12 non fuel 1/4 ratchet for its compact size.

 

[dscheidt]

Right; the larger M12 batteries don't make a hell of a lot of sense. If I've got that kind of room, I'll use the 18V tools.

I got a screaming pre-Christmas deal on an M12 screwdriver set at Homeless Despot; $59 instead of the usual $99, with two 1.5AH batteries. So far, I'm quite happy with it, very compact, and it has a LOT more torque than most. Cordless screwdrivers are usually too piss-weak to actually do any tough screwing...

I'm invested into the brushless Ryobi stuff, but they don't have anything that fills this gap. I hated to add another damn battery system, but this one made sense because it does something I can't get in snot yella.

I might spring for an M12 LED light if a good sale pops up.

I use my m12 Fuel drills and drivers almost exclusively instead of the m18 ones. I only use the m18 for things where I am drilling big holes, driving lots of long screws, or need another drill or driver to keep from changing bits. They're powerful enough to do anything I want them to (the m12 fuel drill and impact driver have more torque than any cordless tool, any brand, any voltage, did 15 years ago), and lighter, which means easier to carry and less tiring when working overhead.

the m12 screwdriver is great, I have one clipped to a leg of my workbench, and use it all the time. its great for flat pack furniture, removing lots of screws when taking things apart, and electrical device terminations.

I have the small m12 portaband, which is excellent for EMT (get the reamer that attaches to one of the band wheels!).

I also have the 5/8" m12 SDS, which is most excellent for holes up to about 3/8" in concrete, etc, and acceptable for 1/2. have not used the corded sds since I got it.

The copper pipe cutter works well, too, but you'd need to be cutting a lot of pipe for it to make sense.

 

[bbrins]

I use my M12 Rover and Stick lights, and my impact driver extensively, now thinking about adding the Rocket light as well. I also use my M12 inflator at least every couple of days.

The M12 dremel and the newer oscillating multitool are also quite handy.

I prefer to use my M12 impact driver and drill with the larger batteries vs my larger 20v stuff. With the M12, I can choose to stand the tool up with the larger battery for convenience, or if I need it to be more compact, I can use the compact 2.0/2.5/3.0 batteries. If I need more oomph, I'll use my DeWalt 20v stuff.

Just curious, how does the M12 Fuel Hackzall compare to the original? I know it is physically larger, and I imagine that it probably has better runtime and more power. I bought the original when it was first introduced in 2007 or 2008(?) and was so unimpressed that I immediately returned it. But that was back when the only batteries were just like 1.0 or 1.5 ah. Is that original version the same thing as the current non-Fuel version?

 

[alinc100]

Certain projects I find myself use an M12 tool with the 4.0 battery especially the impact driver and the hackzall.

I can easily stand the tool up but it’s still much lighter and compact than my m18 version.

This is one of my favorite reasons for the larger batteries and the M12. Got very used to flat bottom batteries holding the tool up on the bench.

 

[308guru]

I've been using my 2567-20 High Speed 3/8" ratchet more and more for automotive work. It doesn't have a lot of torque so you have to break fasteners loose more than you'd hope, but from there it's great. It seems to have 10mm or 12mm deep well sockets on it at most times.

 

[VolvoRyan]

Right; the larger M12 batteries don't make a hell of a lot of sense. If I've got that kind of room, I'll use the 18V tools.

I got a screaming pre-Christmas deal on an M12 screwdriver set at Homeless Despot; $59 instead of the usual $99, with two 1.5AH batteries. So far, I'm quite happy with it, very compact, and it has a LOT more torque than most. Cordless screwdrivers are usually too piss-weak to actually do any tough screwing...

I'm invested into the brushless Ryobi stuff, but they don't have anything that fills this gap. I hated to add another damn battery system, but this one made sense because it does something I can't get in snot yella.

I might spring for an M12 LED light if a good sale pops up.

I've done shocks and struts, and ran the spring compressor with the M12 impact using just one of the compact batteries. I barely ever use the bigger batteries unless I need to bring all the amps on the road.

Ryobi makes a lot of sense for a lot of tools. You can usually get the tool and battery/charger for much less than an M12 tool-only. There are a number of tools where it just didn't make sense to buy Milwaukee, unless that's your profession/hobby.

-Ryan

 

[tyyost]

I’m torn between the M12 system. I have the M18 Fuel impact driver, a surge, and a Gen 3 hammer drill as well as a ton more. I’m really looking for M12 tools that stand out, the suggestion of the stick transfer pump was a great one I had not seen before. If I had a big pen job I’d consider the expander but the ROI On that needs a big job to make the juice worth the squeeze.

I‘d forgotten about the underhood light and the staple gun as well, thanks for putting them on my list to look for deals on!

 

[LeeG]

I just thought of a few more. The M12 Installation Driver is great - see my review here. I'll add another +1 to the M12 Inflator. I use the M12 stubby Impact Wrench a fair amount also for small stuff around the shop. I have 20+ M12 tools, and probably use them 4x as much as any of my M18, just because they are lighter and more compact.

Lee

 

[rmack898]

I’m I have 20+ M12 tools, and probably use them 4x as much as any of my M18, just because they are lighter and more compact.

I couldn’t agree more.
I always reach for the M12 tool first.

Two that were not mentioned yet are the rivet gun and caulking gun. My hands don’t have the strength they had 40 years ago so these tools are must have’s in my shop, your needs might be different.

 

[sparky 1971]

I will not go without a M12 impact driver. I just bought what is my 6th overall and my 3rd Fuel. I have three M18's, one in the service truck and two in the garage that get used for the bigger stuff, but that's less than 1% of the time. If the M12 breaks, I buy another that day because I like it that much better than the M18. The compact bandsaw is a close #2 but that isn't really for everyone. My first one quit while still under warranty, but the warranty was to send it to Milwaukee for repairs and I was told to expect that to take two weeks. I bought another to get me by while waiting. I now have two of those as well.

 

[joe_pinehill1]

My M12 Rotary multi tool, (like a dremel) gets used a lot. I rarely use the Foredom tool

 

[whateg01]

I hope the inflator is as good as it's supposed to be. I have come to hate dragging the hose out to air up the tires on the trailer. Or if it's not in the driveway, having to air up the air bubble multiple times to do the same.

 

[signcrafter]

I started with m18 drill and impact kit and have a ton of m18 tools. I bought a m12 drill and impact when I needed one and didn't have my m18 with me. My m18 never gets used anymore. Have a bunch of both voltages now. Would not ditch your m12 stuff.

 

[sparky 1971]

I hope the inflator is as good as it's supposed to be. I have come to hate dragging the hose out to air up the tires on the trailer. Or if it's not in the driveway, having to air up the air bubble multiple times to do the same.

The inflator is awesome even if it seems slow. My service truck rear tires are supposed to be 80 psi, I don't remember the size but the standard 3/4 ton 16" wheels. I picked up a nail on a jobsite and by the time I noticed and got a plug in it, I was down to about 20 psi. It took everything a 3.0 battery had and about 15 minutes, but it aired it back to the 80 it was supposed to be.

 

[cccoltsicehockey]

I just thought of a few more. The M12 Installation Driver is great - see my review here. I'll add another +1 to the M12 Inflator. I use the M12 stubby Impact Wrench a fair amount also for small stuff around the shop. I have 20+ M12 tools, and probably use them 4x as much as any of my M18, just because they are lighter and more compact.

Lee

I came in here to second this. I bought the installation drivers as I need to replace all the handrails on a porch on a property my dad has with a large deck. The right angle and offset attachment were the only two I used in the entire project.

Since then though I have found it is my go to tool around the house most of the time.

I had not purchased any new power tools in like 8-10 years. Since I bought the installation tool it has been downhill since for my wallet. I have it, the new hammer drill and impact driver, the 3/8 ratchet, the 3/8 stubby impact. The size to power ratio I just find fantastic to my older 18v stuff.

 

[brandonsmash]

I'm primarily on Yellow with full-size tools but I do own a fair amount of M12 tools. In my opinion the best are the installation driver, surge hydraulic driver, and the soldering iron.

 

[whateg01]

The inflator is awesome even if it seems slow. My service truck rear tires are supposed to be 80 psi, I don't remember the size but the standard 3/4 ton 16" wheels. I picked up a nail on a jobsite and by the time I noticed and got a plug in it, I was down to about 20 psi. It took everything a 3.0 battery had and about 15 minutes, but it aired it back to the 80 it was supposed to be.

I just came back in from trying it out. Freshly charged, brand new out of the package 2.0 battery. 265/70r17 on my f150. Tire was at 34. Took about 7 minutes to get to 45. Battery is at 2 bars now. So, I won't air up all four trailer tires on one battery if they are flat, but topping them off with a couple batteries on hand should be fine. I still think this will be more convenient than kneeling by the tire holding a chuck on the valve stem for several minutes, checking the pressure every so often. I chose this over the DeWalt 20v inflater partially because this is more compact. Time will tell if I change my mind about this decision.