M12 Cordless Multi-Tool 2426-20

[kythri]

Milwaukee M12 Cordless Multi-Tool 2426-20

Good evening!

Looking for feedback on the Milwaukee M12 Cordless Multi-Tool (2426-20).

I don't own an oscillating multi-tool, and have never really needed one, but in the past couple weeks, I've discovered a couple projects that I want to do would be FAR easier if I had one.

I was thinking about the Ryobi JobPlus tool, since I'm in the Ryobi 18V One+ platform rather deep. The $129 3.0Ah Battery 2-pack / get a "free" tool deal that was this year's Black Friday "deal" has been extended to February 3rd of 2020, and the Ryobi P340 JobPlus tool is $69.00 (regular price). Taking advantage of the $129 deal's pro-rating the battery and "free" tool would end up costing me $44.95 for the tool, after returning the batteries for that pro-rated refund.

Then I remembered, I just bought into the M12 platform - I've got FUEL versions of the M12 hammer drill/driver, 1/4" hex impact driver and 3/8" impact wrench, plus (2) 2.0Ah and (2) 4.0Ah batteries.

The M12 multi-tool is currently $81.37 at Home Depot. That's a wee bit more expensive than the Ryobi, but, it's also dramatically smaller, which seems attractive. The Ryobi JobPlus is probably a bit bulkier than a dedicated multi-tool, and while the interchangeable head seems cool, there really aren't any other heads available (Ridgid JobMax) that do something better than other tools I already have, so...

I'm willing to spend the extra for the Milwaukee, and go that route.

Before I plunk down for it, I wanted to make sure that it doesn't have any "issues" that might make a different make/model (not specifically the Ryobi) a more attractive option.

It looks like the Milwaukee uses standard size blades/accessories, so that's cool, too.

What are your thoughts? Any reason that I shouldn't buy it? If you think this is a dog, what would you recommend? Ideally, I don't want to spend much more than what the Milwaukee would cost me.

Edited to add: I should probably note that, if the general consensus is that the Ryobi JobPlus tool and the M12 2426 both ****, I would appreciate that alternative recommendations point towards a corded option - I will not be buying a third battery platform.

 

[kythri]

Also, any recommendation on a blades/accessory kit?

 

[DFB]

I just bought my very first oscillating tool (can you believe it lol )

Was the M18 Milwaukee version it's been $99 for a full kit with tool bag battery, charger and a small 1.5 amp battery @HD for a while now, and cuts like a dream. Though the little battery is quite limited in run time it will still handle most any cut quick and efficiently.

I used the Milwaukee bit that came with but did opt for an additional 9 pc Milwaukee set of assorted blades for various materials including ceramic and concrete.

That 9pc kit also went on sale too right after I made my purchase

I debated the M12 (I have an extensive line up of M12 stuff) and though cant see it not working effectively most of the posters on the Milwaukee Addiction steered me towards the M18 on that tool.

Biggest complaint I ever read for some Milwaukee users is that the battery sometimes vibrates loose on the M12.

I like the M18 soo much I would maybe pick up the M12 on a freebie offer if one comes my way

Power and runtime are obviously a major factor in using many cordless cutting tools but a good blade is probably more important.

A lot of people over time have been waiting for a FUEL version of this tool from Milwaukee.
I dunno But in general Fuel versions of different tool models can offer up a big boost in performance

 

[kythri]

I will admit, I did look to see if there was a FUEL version, but didn't find one.

Has there been any product announcement of such?

 

[jshillin]

I have the M12 tool and it really does come in handy. For the price, it's a no brainer.

 

[DFB]

I will admit, I did look to see if there was a FUEL version, but didn't find one.

Has there been any product announcement of such?

No...not that I'm aware of.

Personally I thought the brushed M18 worked great at least for my needs. and I didn't even envision needing a FUEL version. Maybe if use one all day long be different.
----------------------------

IMO all M12 tools are very good and make great small project tools. Used correctly within their limits and without exuberant expectations and comparisons to more powerful tools corded or cordless. Obviously for big jobs and/or commercial work 18/20v platforms offer up larger, more powerful tools and extended run time batteries.

IMHO just need to know what your buying for with when going M12

Multi Tool to make an electrical box cutout in sheetrock or a cabinet...ok, trim some protruding nails...ok. A few floor board notches...ok, a piece of copper pipe good too. I'm sure there are a lot of other small jobs an M12 multi tool will shine on too

Going at 6 door frames trimming a dozen side jambs and 2 dozen pieces of face trim while doing a flooring job the M12 tool most likely wouldn't be my tool choice of the day

 

[BMack37]

M12 is not very powerful.

I'm heavily invested into Milwaukee but I bought the Dewalt OMT. DCS355C1 is $100 at Lowe's and HD, brushless OMT kit with one battery and charger.

 

[HDtalk]

Re: Milwaukee M12 Cordless Multi-Tool 2426-20

I have the M12 oscillating tool and it performs well. As a previous poster said, keep in mind it isn't a heavy duty rated tool and is good for small jobs. Last night used it to remove an 1/8" x 32" strip of oak on a piece of transition molding and also made a couple of notches to fit between the door jambs. A few months back also used it to remove a section of an exterior door jamb that was damaged when the wind caught the storm door. It's nice that it is on the smaller size especially for detailed work.



Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[Hammer1963]

I use mine all the time. Never an issue. I use Milwaukee and Multitoolblade.com for most blades.

 

[Smokeem]

I would look at going to a corded one. I’ve got a corded one made by Rockwell and it has served me well. I’ve never been in a situation where I didn’t have power. I have also used mine many times is a scraper blade removing flooring that would have ate through battery’s. If you only planned to use it for a couple cuts here and there cordless would probably work. They are one of those tools that you don’t think you would use a lot until you have one and realize they make certain jobs much easier.

 

[Minnesota Steve]

I have the M12 2426... It's a great little multitool. It depends on what you are doing. It's really convenient for light duty stuff. I mostly have used it for drywall, and an occasionally door jamb. It doesn't really quickly burn through batteries, so the little 1.5 or 2.0 batteries are fine and even with an XC 3,4,6 I don't think the battery gets in the way. I've not had battery vibrate out. But the tool doesn't have a lot of weight and depending on what you are doing it can vibrate a lot. It's more of an issue of causing your hands to go numb.

I think it's a great tool, maybe not the best multitool but for light jobs like cutting drywall or trimming a door jamb it is great.

The blade holder comes with an adapter which you can fit a wide variety of blades. It uses a hex screw to hold blades in place... so it's not real fast or convenient to swap out blades. And you need to keep track of your wrench as there's no place to store it on the tool. It's not a deal breaker, and having the screw clearly gives you a firm hold on the blades so it might be preferable as I have no experience with quick change systems.


As far as buying blades... I bought a little set at Home Depot that was made by Dremel and came with a case. Had a couple drywall blades, trim blades, metal blades and a sanding attachment. Having the case is nice as I can store the hex wrench for the multitool in it.

 

[kythri]

Thank you all, for the feedback - very much appreciated!

I think I'm going to snag it - if it doesn't work out/work well for what I'm doing, I'll return it and look at something else.

 

[mike93lx]

A multitool is incredibly helpful to have. I have the cheapest Harbor Freight, which has been good, just loud and no variable speed.

I recently bought an M12 kit with the one you are referencing and haven't used it yet, but I'm looking forward to a cordless one that is nice and compact.

 

[Robinson1]

My experience has been that cordless multitool dont draw alot of power and the batteries last much longer than unexpected. I can work pretty much all day and never run down a 3.0 dewalt 20v battery. That's not continuous use but frequent short cuts doing flooring and general remodeling.

I cant tell much difference in the blades. They all dull fairly fast and are completely trashed if you hit a nail. I buy 25 packs of generic blades from ebay and amazon. Heat really kills this type blade so of you are making a long cut in hard wood use a slower speed.

 

[DFB]

I have the M12 2426... It's a great little multitool. It depends on what you are doing. It's really convenient for light duty stuff. I mostly have used it for drywall, and an occasionally door jamb. It doesn't really quickly burn through batteries, so the little 1.5 or 2.0 batteries are fine and even with an XC 3,4,6 I don't think the battery gets in the way. I've not had battery vibrate out. But the tool doesn't have a lot of weight and depending on what you are doing it can vibrate a lot. It's more of an issue of causing your hands to go numb.

I think it's a great tool, maybe not the best multitool but for light jobs like cutting drywall or trimming a door jamb it is great.

The blade holder comes with an adapter which you can fit a wide variety of blades. It uses a hex screw to hold blades in place... so it's not real fast or convenient to swap out blades. And you need to keep track of your wrench as there's no place to store it on the tool. It's not a deal breaker, and having the screw clearly gives you a firm hold on the blades so it might be preferable as I have no experience with quick change systems.

Ya that's a very good comparison point between the Milwaukee M12 and M18 (and maybe something to consider with other brands and models)

The M18 version is tool less blade changes and since I'm pretty new to using one

(I'm just so old school here )

I found it amazingly simple and quick to use.

Just lift a lever, unthread the mounting fastener, mount your blade/adapter thread the fastener back in by hand and lock the lever back over...DONE!

 

[jgromada]

I have several . I have that M12 you mentioned, it is fine but underpowered (trimming up plywood) compared to my others. Nice compact size, but it does require a hex wrench for changing attachments which i don't think is a problem.

My latest is a DeWalt very nice and i got that one since you can get a depth gauge for it. Most powerful, smoothest motor and attachment change is very quick and very strong. on special from Amazon for $99. My biggest gripe is with DeWalt marketing, They show pictures on Amazon with the depth attachment, but I had to pay the extra $25 to buy it. Worth it.

I also have the Ridgid Jobmax both 12 v a & 18 v originally for the multitool but actually mostly dedicated it for the other attachments i have. (right angle drill, drywall rotary cutter, autohammer and probably one or two others i have forgotten) I actually bought the 12v version because i wanted a particular Jobmax head and it was almost cheaper to buy an extra 12v tool than to buy the head by itself. The Ridgid is capable, my biggest complaint with the 18v version is the battery sticks so far out of the end of the tool it becomes unwieldy especially with the drywall rotary cutter, which is why i got the 12v Jobmax version. Better match.


Best buy i got was a 30 piece attachments from Ridgid i got from Direct Tool Outlet. Normally $40 from Home Depot, got it for Direct Tool for $20 on a post Christmas sale. Sanding attachments, variety of cutters....

 

[juddspaintballs]

I just recently debated the M12 or M18 multi-tool since I have both M12 and M18 tools already. In the end, I chose the M18 for $100 with charger, small battery, and bag from Home Depot. I'm changing my entire house's flooring from carpet to laminate and I need to trim all door jambs and trims. My Rockwell corded tool died in the middle of the job, so I went with battery powered. No regrets going M18.

 

[PugetDude]

The M12 OMT is great- for small jobs. Be prepared to swap batteries if you need to use it for an extended scraping/sawing/sanding session.

Better yet, buy a cheap HF corded version as a backup to use for bigger jobs requiring extended runtime. It's hard to beat the M12 for convenience and portability, switch to the corded version if you're going to be there awhile.

 

[mc4life27]

The M12 OMT is great- for small jobs. Be prepared to swap batteries if you need to use it for an extended scraping/sawing/sanding session.

Better yet, buy a cheap HF corded version as a backup to use for bigger jobs requiring extended runtime. It's hard to beat the M12 for convenience and portability, switch to the corded version if you're going to be there awhile.

I say get the m18 not that much bigger but way more power.


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[kythri]

I bought the M12 last night. For as infrequently as I need it (I haven't needed one yet), I'm sure it's going to do fine, but if I need something more, I'll likely look at corded.

I'm already invested in the Ryobi 18V platform, and recently, the Milwaukee M12/12V platform.

I don't want a third battery platform.

 

[BMack37]

I say get the m18 not that much bigger but way more power.


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

M18 also has a lever release.

 

[DFB]

Though the OP has made his choice and has already purchased a Milwaukee 2426 multi tool.

This Home Depot package deal offer just came to my attention so I will tag it in here (also in the Milwaukee Deals thread and Milwaukee Addiction)

2426 OMT, 2462 Impact Driver, (1) 1.5AH battery, charger, and nylon tool bag for $99

How long it's stays good for is anyone guess

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwauk...-with-Battery-and-Charger-2462-21MT/310343044

 

[jgromada]

Though the OP has made his choice and has already purchased a Milwaukee 2426 multi tool.

This Home Depot package deal offer just came to my attention so I will tag it in here (also in the Milwaukee Deals thread and Milwaukee Addiction)

2426 OMT, 2462 Impact Driver, (1) 1.5AH battery, charger, and nylon tool bag for $99

How long it's stays good for is anyone guess

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwauk...-with-Battery-and-Charger-2462-21MT/310343044

Just to point out that is by far not Home Depot's best deal on this. I bought these items along with a drill for the same $99.

 

[Sloper0204]

I have the M12 tool and it really does come in handy. For the price, it's a no brainer.

This. I purchased one last year for a small project and used it more than I thought I would have. Actually looking forward to doing drywall and cutting electrical boxes out with it.

 

[DFB]

Just to point out that is by far not Home Depot's best deal on this. I bought these items along with a drill for the same $99.

Well that is a good deal for sure

Are we to assume that 3pc deal not currently available now?

 

[DFB]

Well will tag in one more current 2426 OMT package deal right now today CPO has the 48-59-2424P M12 REDLITHIUM CP 2 Ah and XC 4 Ah Lithium-Ion Battery , Charger, and Bag Kit for 50% off...if you buy the multitool which also has a 15% discount offer to be applied

so one 2.0 compact battery one 4.0XC battery, the OMT tool, charger and a storage bag is just $108.74

EDIT: Totally sold out on THAT one now

 

[Crabman]

kythri and all,

Thanks for this helpful thread. Like kythri I have been thinking about getting an OMT. I am already in M12 and M18 so it seems it is power (M18) vs. size convenience (M12).

I see that for $99 you can get:

M18 plus 1.5 battery, M18/M12 charger and bag

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwauk...ttery-Accessories-Charger-2626-21CP/309844463

or

M12 with 1.5 battery and M12 charger plus 1/4 Hex impact driver and bag

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwauk...ickid=3jsRqG3cUxyJW-M0MSU5wRc5UknyMKULE2k32U0

Both options seem like good deals to me.

kythri good luck with the M12.

I am leaning to the M18 since I already have the hex impact driver.

Bruce