How to get started with Milwaukee M18?

[Marc Voorhees]

So, I hane noticed my Porter cable 20V tools have started dying. In the past year my jigsaw, circular saw, and now 18 gauge nailer have all given up the ghost. This is a little under half of the tools I own for the system. The drills and drivers still seem rock solid, but unfortunately other projects have ground to a halt due to lack of tools :/

As such, after so much research my eyes are bleeding, I think I want to get Into the M18 system (maybe. Could probably still convince me to go DeWalt. I am really torn still, so feel free to convince me otherwise)

What is the best way to do this? Buy a big kit with tools I don't necessarily need but it comes with batteries? Buy individual tools as I need them?

Buy battery sets separate?

This is not something I need today (a nail gun sooner rather than later would be nice though) and my local performance tool is having a demo day sales event in early December. I spoke to them today and the owner suggested there i come with a list of what I want and was ready to buy on the spot and hammer the Milwaukee rep on the spot for free batteries or bare tools etc. He said lots of people have great luck with that approach. He also steered me away from DeWalt due to supply issues.

The price of the Milwaukee genuinely makes my nose hairs curl a bit, so if I end up going this route I would like to make sure I do it in the best way possible!

Any suggestions or ideas would be appreciated!

Thank you all in advance (seriously, feel free to sell me on DeWalt instead as well. Seems much more affordable)

Cheers all

 

[sparky 1971]

I would start by buying a one tool kit. Drill, impact, etc. That will get you a tool, two batteries, and a charger. Then buy bare tools. Eventually, you may need/want another charger and more batteries. I'm probably at about 30 M18 and 20 M12 tools and 15 M18 and another 15 M12 batteries and 6 chargers. I think I've purchased three M18 kits and two M12 kits.

Milwaukee is constantly having specials too. Buy two bare tools, get another or a battery at no extra cost and $100 off a kit with a trade in and they throw in another bare tool are two that I have taken advantage of in the past.

 

[Kscardsfan]

Black Friday is coming. Bare tools are cheap. I occasionally add a battery when I spot a deal.

 

[oldwino]

Like Sparky said, but a drill kit or ? That includes a charger and a couple of batteries. This time of year they are pretty cheap and a good start

 

[jonshonda]

I honestly would with M12. Very impressive for their size and weight!

 

[sparky 1971]

M12 is impressive, especially in the impact department. However, when it comes to drills and saws, the M18 lineup wins hands down. I look at the M12 as a luxury vs. necessity. Anything the M12 can do, the M18 can also do, but not the other way around. That being said, I am guilty of using M12 tools 90% of the time.

 

[Marc Voorhees]

Bare tools are cheap.

The $300 Brad nailer I need to buy disagrees with you, but I see your point.

I am perusing the home Depot Black Friday catalogue. I am looking at buying the battery and drill packages and then adding on some bare tools to that.

 

[sparky 1971]

Check out acme tools. I threw the flyer away last week but I think there were some decent deals in it.

 

[ChevyEFI]

If you have a Lowes, walk through there until you see a sale on the top hammer drill / 1800 in-lb 3-light driver set by Bosch first. Once you have that...

The Milwaukee thing... Make sure it's what you need and (wait for sale / coupon / stack) and buy it. I don't need lots of batteries, so if I have the basic 18/12 charger, I'm good.

Sticking to a brand is for suckers. Compare tools and buy. If there's no difference, stick to what platform you have. But don't let it put blinders on you.

 

[Snapped-off]

Sticking to a brand is for suckers. Compare tools and buy. If there's no difference, stick to what platform you have. But don't let it put blinders on you.

I'd rather stick to one brand than cherry pick the best of each tool and have 4, 5, or more different battery systems.

 

[Snapped-off]

Check on Home Depots Black Friday offerings. The Makita deals they have right now are insane, and the main reason I decided to go all in on blue.

They're doing deals with Milwaukee and Dewalt as well, but I didn't look too much into them.

 

[472scout]

I bought two different M18 kits off Craigslist for way less then even sale price.

 

[jeepnut24]

M12 is impressive, especially in the impact department. However, when it comes to drills and saws, the M18 lineup wins hands down. I look at the M12 as a luxury vs. necessity. Anything the M12 can do, the M18 can also do, but not the other way around. That being said, I am guilty of using M12 tools 90% of the time.

Except for that sweet m12 die grinder… I love mine… I waited years for one, and it’s M12

 

[MushCreek]

I started with a kit- drill, 1/4" driver, circular saw, SawZall, two batteries, and of course, a flashlight. I use them all, including the flashlight. I bought the set on ebay for much less than local stores, and the seller claimed to be an authorized Milwaukee dealer. I've had them over ten years, and built my house with them, so they've been heavily used. I've gradually accumulated six batteries, but one went bad. I had to put new brushes in the driver, and that's about it. Batteries are expensive. I got a deal on my 1/2" impact with two 5.0 batteries.

 

[sparky 1971]

Except for that sweet m12 die grinder… I love mine… I waited years for one, and it’s M12

I've had one for about eight or nine years now and they are sweet other than the battery life. I don't think there is a M18 version and since the OP asked specifically about M18...

 

[Badgerstate]

So, I hane noticed my Porter cable 20V tools have started dying. In the past year my jigsaw, circular saw, and now 18 gauge nailer have all given up the ghost. This is a little under half of the tools I own for the system. The drills and drivers still seem rock solid, but unfortunately other projects have ground to a halt due to lack of tools :/

As such, after so much research my eyes are bleeding, I think I want to get Into the M18 system (maybe. Could probably still convince me to go DeWalt. I am really torn still, so feel free to convince me otherwise)

What is the best way to do this? Buy a big kit with tools I don't necessarily need but it comes with batteries? Buy individual tools as I need them?

Buy battery sets separate?

This is not something I need today (a nail gun sooner rather than later would be nice though) and my local performance tool is having a demo day sales event in early December. I spoke to them today and the owner suggested there i come with a list of what I want and was ready to buy on the spot and hammer the Milwaukee rep on the spot for free batteries or bare tools etc. He said lots of people have great luck with that approach. He also steered me away from DeWalt due to supply issues.

The price of the Milwaukee genuinely makes my nose hairs curl a bit, so if I end up going this route I would like to make sure I do it in the best way possible!

Any suggestions or ideas would be appreciated!

Thank you all in advance (seriously, feel free to sell me on DeWalt instead as well. Seems much more affordable)

Cheers all

Id start with an impact or a drill/driver and then add tools as you need. I say drill/driver because they typically come in a kit that is fairly cheap.

 

[joseywales]

I would look real hard at the larger combo sets right now. Starting with nothing, you might want nearly all of what is in a combo. I can typically live with it, if it's on a good sale, and there's only one tool I don't need.

Also note, M12s come with M12 chargers. M18, most times, come with a combo M12/M18 chargers. The stockpile of M12 only chargers continues in most garages I believe. Hopefully Milwaukee runs out of those soon and issues only the M12/M18 combo chargers, hopefully.

 

[Kscardsfan]

M12 is impressive, especially in the impact department. However, when it comes to drills and saws, the M18 lineup wins hands down. I look at the M12 as a luxury vs. necessity. Anything the M12 can do, the M18 can also do, but not the other way around. That being said, I am guilty of using M12 tools 90% of the time.

I love my M12 stuff. The impact has all but replaced my 18.

 

[sparky 1971]

I hear ya. My newest M18 impact is about five years old and looks brand new. But when it comes time to run in a bunch of 3/8 lag screws the M12 is staying on the shelf. Same thing with the drills. I'm not going to use my M12 to run a 1-1/8 or 1-3/8 varibit through a junction box. It's also equally worthless with a 1" auger bit into a 2X4. That's what the big stuff is for.

 

[Banjorear]

M12 is impressive, especially in the impact department. However, when it comes to drills and saws, the M18 lineup wins hands down. I look at the M12 as a luxury vs. necessity. Anything the M12 can do, the M18 can also do, but not the other way around. That being said, I am guilty of using M12 tools 90% of the time.

Me too. Their size and weight are just prefect most of the time, but I know what you mean about the M18 being needed sometimes.

 

[Showkey]

Black Friday is coming. Bare tools are cheap. I occasionally add a battery when I spot a deal.

If your just starting witha new platform……
There are some great deals on M18 and M12 kits right now as well:

 

[Snapped-off]

If your just starting witha new platform……
There are some great deals on M18 and M12 kits right now as well:

Looks like all non fuel unfortunately. I've been seeing alot of guys online buying that old 1/2" impact thinking they're getting the current gen high torque.

 

[Marc Voorhees]

If your just starting witha new platform……
There are some great deals on M18 and M12 kits right now as well:

I have. Seen lots of these, BUT if I am changing o er I think I want to do the brushless fuel line for. As much as I can

 

[BreeStephany]

As others have suggested, I would start with buying a drill & impact driver combo kit with batteries and a charger, then buy bare tools to make your kit. I know the Fuel versions are a bit more coin, but they are definitely worth it for your drill and impact driver, as these are likely the tools you are going to end up using the most and the Fuels can take the abuse and provide a bit more torque.

Ideally, I would look for a kit with 5.0Ah batteries. I am not the biggest fan of the 2.0Ah and 3.0Ah batteries. The smaller batteries do weigh less, but at least for me, the weight reduction isn't justified over the run time of the larger batteries.

I am still rocking my V28 set from 2007. The batteries did eventually give up the ghost over the years I wasn't working in the trades and using my tools daily, but the M28 batteries work with the V28 tools. Part of the reason for staying with the 28V line is that I have 3x 1/2" drills, sawzall, circular saw, bandsaw, 1/2" impact gun and SDS plus rotary hammer that are all 28V, so investing in a couple of new batteries was significantly less than rebuilding the set with M18 tools.

Working in the trades, I'm not really loyal to one brand or another and just find the best tool for the job, which for me has been Makita for my daily carry impact driver, drill and cordless metal cutting circular saw and Milwaukee for pretty much everything else.

Just my two cents.

 

[Robinson1]

I dont know what Dewalt shortage he is talking about. Both Lowes that are close to me have Dewalt stock everywhere and tbe local Ace has pallets.

Easiest way to get into Dewalt is buy the $149 drill and impact kit. Then take advantage of the $199 for two 5 ah battery deal and get a free tool. Also lots of new in box bare tools on ebay from reputable sellers.

I like milwaukee but Dewalt is cheaper. Ive used them professionally for 15 years. No complaints

 

[sparky 1971]

I have. Seen lots of these, BUT if I am changing o er I think I want to do the brushless fuel line for. As much as I can

The biggest difference between brushed and Fuel will be noticed in the impacts. It's night and day. The Fuel drills are a little better, not a whole lot though. The old school M18 might have less power on paper, but can break your wrist just as easily. And, I haven't really noticed much of a difference at all with Sawzalls, and have never used a Fuel circular saw or grinder to compare to what I have. With batteries, 5.0 is good enough. On the job, I use 5.0 in everything except for the Super Hawg, Hole Hawg, bandsaw, and vaccuum. They go through batteries pretty quick so I use 8.0 and 9.0 in them. I don't have any 12.0...yet.

 

[Showkey]

Yes……I agree you do have to watch the kits for:

Brushless vs brushed………..but a DIY guy weekend warrior can get a great value with brushed tools.
I have some that are over 10years old purchased long before brushless was a thing.
That brushed M18 Impact will handle all the typical lug nuts etc. If you need to loosen the crank bolt on HONDA or the lugs on school bus maybe you need to up grade.

Battery size ……..from 1.5 to 12.0AH HD XC HO

There are brushless kits available on sale………..

At its most basic level, the difference between Milwaukee M18 and M18 Fuel tools is that most M18 products have a brushed motor and all M18 Fuel tools have a brushless one. ... The result of brushless technology is primarily three things: longer runtime, higher performance, and longer motor life.

The M18 High Output batteries from Milwaukee are designed to provide “50% more power” and “run 50% cooler” than the original REDLITHIUM XC battery packs. ... The rest of Milwaukee's traditional battery packs use 18650 cells, which are more compact but don't have as long of a runtime. Same for M12 …….

 

[tyyost]

I just want to chime in that if your not buying a kit with the newest gen fuel stuff you are bound to be disappointed at some point. The whole point of M18 stuff is the fuel being the top of the class, any brushed stuff will be on par with you P/C set.

I usually start with the tool I want in a kit. That said you can save a bunch of coin if your a savvy shopper. Between HD, JDT, and other online tool distributors you can get some good deals on build your own kits.

 

[MushCreek]

All of my M18 tools are the older brush-type ones, and I built my house with them.

 

[jeepnut24]

I've had one for about eight or nine years now and they are sweet other than the battery life. I don't think there is a M18 version and since the OP asked specifically about M18...

That was exactly my point, there are several tools only in one of the lines. See what you need first, then go for it. For me, it’s the electric die grinders, which are only M12 at the moment.I don’t think there is an m18 soldering iron either.. I believe the ratchets are the same.

 

[tyyost]

I have had fuel and no fuel versions of a few tools and can confirm there is certainly a user difference. I sent a gen one 1/2” impact down the road and bought the new high torque and they aren’t in the same class. In the rust belt with an extension and swivel you need everything you can muster.

I also have the non-fuel angle grinder and a newer 5“ fuel one. They are also night and day. The non-fuel was at best a cutoff grinder, anything else burned through batteries like crazy. With a 6.0 batt the fuel will run a cup wire wheel for a big job.

Most of these brushed versions of these tools are 10+ year old tech in a wrapper being sold at low a price point. Buying one may have satisfaction of having a big tool brand, but none of the advantages or innovation. YMMV

 

[bobg03]

Are the M12 tools available in the Fuel version?

 

[AJHD]

Are the M12 tools available in the Fuel version?

Yes, they are. Milwaukee offers the Fuel line in both M18 and M12.

Anyway... It's not really that difficult. Buy one tool and the rest will follow (you will buy more). If you don't already have batteries/charger, buy a kit. Problem solved. Power tool manufactures force you to invest a specific platform and it's difficult (expensive) to stray away from that platform. The engineering and marketing are already done for you.

I suggest going with Fuel, generally better performance and newer tools.

As for M12 vs M18, it really depends on what you're doing. I have both, I think most Milwaukee guys do. Bigger tools are M18, smaller tools are M12... If I don't need to carry around a 5lb impact or drill, I'm not going to, that sort of thing.

 

[littlelebowski]

I dont know what Dewalt shortage he is talking about. Both Lowes that are close to me have Dewalt stock everywhere and tbe local Ace has pallets.

Easiest way to get into Dewalt is buy the $149 drill and impact kit. Then take advantage of the $199 for two 5 ah battery deal and get a free tool. Also lots of new in box bare tools on ebay from reputable sellers.

I like milwaukee but Dewalt is cheaper. Ive used them professionally for 15 years. No complaints

If you like Dewalt, you might as well buy Craftsman. Same thing, different skin, and cheaper.

 

[Bolster]

If you like Dewalt, you might as well buy Craftsman. Same thing, different skin, and cheaper.

Is that so! So the Craftsman cordless tools are just rebranded Dewalt?

 

[Marc Voorhees]

If you like Dewalt, you might as well buy Craftsman. Same thing, different skin, and cheaper.

That seems a bit of a stretch no? Are they made by the same people?

The DeWalt stuff seems nice and almost as complete as the Milwaukee (as far as offerings)

I ha e however priced out a few different packages from both, I will post them here for comparison and comment a bit later this afternoon when. I have a moment

 

[2Busy]

I’ll toss this out there. Consider going with Dewalt for their 20v line and Milwaukee M12 for 12v. That’s what I’ve done and have no regrets (you’ll have two different battery platforms anyway, no matter what you decide). Dewalt 20v Max is generally less expensive than M18 Fuel, their lines are pretty comparable and I don’t think you’ll see much/any difference in performance and durability. Regardless, as Sparky points out, you’ll find yourself using the M12 tools the vast majority of the time anyway.

 

[Marc Voorhees]

So this is What I am comparing as of right now- All brushless motors, done my best to compare Apples to Apples as best as possible

Milwaukee Set Up
Home Depot 5.0Ah Battery Set
Home Depot Drill/Driver/Nailer Combo
Mid Torque 3/8 Impact bare Tool (but might go with the kit to get several extra batteries)
Hackzall (Free gift with kit purchase)
Cordless Router (Free Gift with kit and why not I guess)

Cost: $1077 essentially

What it included: (all Fuel) 2960-20, 2804-20, 2853-20, 2746-20, Hackzall, Router, and 4 5.0AH Red Lithium batteries 2 chargers


Dewalt Set up
Lowes XR Drill and Driver Kit
Lowes 5.0Ah Battery Kit
Brad Nailer Kit
XR Sawzall (Free Gift with kit Purchase)
3/8 Impact Driver MAX Brushless

Cost $800

What it includes: 1/2 XR Drill, 1/4 XR Driver, Brushless Brad nailer, XR Sawsall, 3/8 Driver, 2 2.0AH Batteries, 2 5.0 AH batteries, 1 8.0AH Battery, 3 chargers

This is essentially what I am debating at this point. Don't want to wait too long, the Splitting the M18 M12 or going Dewalt 20 and M12 is not something I thought about.

As a note, I will be keeping the PC 20V drills that I currently have for now, they are pretty good all in all, but once I try the brushless, who knows what I will think about that!

Thoughts and ideas?

 

[Snapped-off]

So this is What I am comparing as of right now- All brushless motors, done my best to compare Apples to Apples as best as possible

Milwaukee Set Up
Home Depot 5.0Ah Battery Set
Home Depot Drill/Driver/Nailer Combo
Mid Torque 3/8 Impact bare Tool (but might go with the kit to get several extra batteries)
Hackzall (Free gift with kit purchase)
Cordless Router (Free Gift with kit and why not I guess)

Cost: $1077 essentially

What it included: (all Fuel) 2960-20, 2804-20, 2853-20, 2746-20, Hackzall, Router, and 4 5.0AH Red Lithium batteries 2 chargers


Dewalt Set up
Lowes XR Drill and Driver Kit
Lowes 5.0Ah Battery Kit
Brad Nailer Kit
XR Sawzall (Free Gift with kit Purchase)
3/8 Impact Driver MAX Brushless

Cost $800

What it includes: 1/2 XR Drill, 1/4 XR Driver, Brushless Brad nailer, XR Sawsall, 3/8 Driver, 2 2.0AH Batteries, 2 5.0 AH batteries, 1 8.0AH Battery, 3 chargers

This is essentially what I am debating at this point. Don't want to wait too long, the Splitting the M18 M12 or going Dewalt 20 and M12 is not something I thought about.

As a note, I will be keeping the PC 20V drills that I currently have for now, they are pretty good all in all, but once I try the brushless, who knows what I will think about that!

Thoughts and ideas?

You missed out on the free tool with the milwaukee battery set you posted. That deal is sold out.

 

[AJHD]

That seems a bit of a stretch no? Are they made by the same people?

The DeWalt stuff seems nice and almost as complete as the Milwaukee (as far as offerings)

I ha e however priced out a few different packages from both, I will post them here for comparison and comment a bit later this afternoon when. I have a moment

Yes, actually they are. Stanley Black & Decker owns both Dewalt and Craftsman.

Tool Brands: Who Owns What? A Guide to Corporate Affiliations

toolguyd.com

That said however, I don't know what tools (if any) have the same internals but a different outer shell. I'm also sure they don't share the same batteries, if I remember correctly.

Fun fact however, the MAC Tools branded versions are also re-branded Dewalt, and they work with Dewalt batteries. Again, Stanley Black & Decker also owns MAC.