Opinions needed from Milwaukee M12 Ratchet users

[Billy Jack]

Thanks to opinions of the members here, I finally broke down and bought an M12 3/8" ratchet last year, after not owning any kind of power ratchet for 50 years of car work. I've tried a couple lame cordless models over the years, gave them away and went back to full-manual mode with Snap On and S-K. The Milwaukee has definitely earned its keep in my box with its labor saving, but I have a question for the experienced users of cordless ratchets here.
Do you trust the M12 3/8 ratchet to break most bolts loose? For reference, I'm speaking of things like brake caliper bolts or hex bolts with no larger than 5/8" or 15 mm head.
I know the thing has enough torque to snap your wrist when tightening, but when I'm trying to break a fastener loose manually and use about the same force I'd be using with one of my 10 inch 3/8" ratchets, the M12 flexes like It's about to break, so I use one of my 3/8" ratchets or a longer box wrench to break it loose, then switch to the M12 to run it out.
Is that "break loose and switch tools" behavior typical of other users out here, or am I being too kind to my (expensive) tools.
Thanks in advance for your opinions.

Bill

 

[mike93lx]

It doesn't break much loose and isn't designed to. I tend to break things loose with a regular ratchet or wrench, then run them out with the m12. It's an amazing tool that I wish I bought a long time ago

 

[Odd-job]

Depending on corrosion breaking things loose with the gen 1/brushed M12 3/8 ratchet is a gamble in that size range. It seems its durability is more in line with 1/4. Maybe the more limiting factor is the lack leverage with my puny arms. Also will note the housing and battery start tweaking in protest if you are pushing the limits. The m12 1/4 fuel extended I feel more comfortable breaking bolts loose with.

 

[uncwstudent]

When I had them, I didn't really use them to break bolts loose. 90% of the time, they just didn't have enough power--particularly the original M12 3/8 ratchet. I had the Gen 1 Fuel version as well that might have been better but it was so big that I had a hard time using it anywhere and sold it.

Like you, I would use a breaker bar or ratchet to break the bolt loose (depending on torque needs) and use the M12 to spin them off in tight places.

Eventually, I got tired of doing that and sold the M12 ratchet. Now I just use my Ridgid 3/8" subcompact impact wrench. The battery area is big but the head is very small and can get in a lot of tight places. It has 225 ft-ibs of "break away torque" which really means nothing, other than the fact that it is far more powerful than the M12 ratchet. It does an amazing job of breaking bolts...in my experience. It also has an autostop setting so that it doesn't crank your wrist like the M12 ratchet does when tightening something down. As soon as it starts hammering, it stops.

Milwaukee makes an M12 subcompact which I hear is great too. The head is a little bigger than the Ridgid but the battery area and form factor are much, much smaller.

 

[wafrederick]

The head of the fuel is too bulky and I hate the paddle trigger.The none fuel 3/8,Milwaukee is dropping

 

[darkzero]

The head of the fuel is too bulky and I hate the paddle trigger.The none fuel 3/8,Milwaukee is dropping

If they are finally going to stop making the brushed non-Fuel it's cause it's old & redundant. I don't understand why people still look to buy that one new these days, other than price, now that there's the High Speed Fuel (small head, much lighter, & it's fast).

I had the 1st gen Fuel, hated it, gave it to my brother & bought the High Speed Fuel when it came out. Couldn't be happier now. Well I could be happier, I'd prefer a button trigger over the paddle & a different lock out switch and position but I'm not gonna buy a different battery platform to get that.

 

[Professional Tool User]

Even the fuel ratchets aren't that great for breaking loose anything bigger than the smaller automotive sized bolts. I don't know about the non-fuel ratchets, but the fuel ratchets allow you to hand turn the ratchet when leverage is an issue. Even then, I use my Milwaukee fuel stubby gun far more often.

 

[nbpt100]

These are not made to break most bolts loose. Unless it is a small bolt. Like < m6 or 1/4. Maybe.. I bought mine to do a timing belt on my VW where there are a lot of long bolts in tight spaces. I now use it here and there. I am glad I have it but as suggested by UNCWstudent I would rather have a compact 3/8 drive impact with more torque. Both in the ideal world. The newer ones have more torque and the brake feature is nice so you do not slam you hand on something when it lost the torque to rotate the bolt any longer. The air powered ratchets do that. Battery is so superior.

As often said here.......no tool fits all situations.

 

[mike93lx]

If they are finally going to stop making the brushed non-Fuel it's cause it's old & redundant. I don't understand why people still look to buy that one new these days, other than price, now that there's the High Speed Fuel (small head, much lighter, & it's fast).

I had the 1st gen Fuel, hated it, gave it to my brother & bought the High Speed Fuel when it came out. Couldn't be happier now. Well I could be happier, I'd prefer a button trigger over the paddle & a different lock out switch and position but I'm not gonna buy a different battery platform to get that.

It's a great entry to m12. Keeping the low price model feels smart to me. I have one and love it

 

[finn]

Not sure which M12 fuel you have, the newer high speed or the older high torque.

I bought the Fuel high speed, and it’s weak sauce, in my opinion. You have to get used to the fact that it’s there to speed up fastener installation and removal, and it’s not going to break much of anything lose.

 

[tyyost]

I have the 1st gen ratchet, and while I love it, I break most everything over 1/2”/10mm loose with a long pattern box wrench. Depending on the job I may try, but it’s often not worth the frustration of trying to break it loose, yanking on the ratchet until it feels like it’s going to break and then going and getting the wrenches out anyway.

 

[Fedwrench]

I don't break many fasteners loose with my M12 ratchet. I usually use one of my compact impact wrenches for that. Either the Dewalt atomic or compact M12. I mainly use my high speed M12 ratchet for nut running, or upper engine work. Lots of plastic on newer vehicles.

 

[dchawk81]

I don't have the M12 but I do have a 12 volt ratchet and it's not really a break loose tool either. I do have enough confidence in it to crack the nut with it manually then pull the trigger though.

This isn't anything much bigger than a 9/16 fastener though. It's a speed tool more than a force tool.

If you need an impact, don't bother, but if you'd be sitting there wapping a hand ratchet back and forth for what seems like forever, this saves time.

 

[Oldsmobile]

I have the M12 3/8 ratchet and it is not a bolt breaker. I'm not a pro; I just like to maintain my own stuff.

The Milwaukee ratchet is great for repetitive action, like zipping spark plugs in and out. But it's not an impact and it won't break bolts loose for the most part on battery power.

That being said, I think it is still a very useful tool and good to have.

 

[M635_Guy]

I will crack nuts with it, but if there's a lot of force required, I usually use a regular ratchet to break it loose (one of the reason I have multiple sets of 3/8" sockets) and then use the M12. The thing is pretty beefy so I do a lot with it, but I'm not going to abuse it.

[edit: Mine is the FUEL 1st gen - not sure I'd trust the "regular" one for much in the way of leverage]

 

[dnschmidt]

The best of the Milwaukee ratchets are the FUEL high speed by a long shot. Looking forward to the high speed extended neck models that they've just introduced. THESE TOOLS AREN'T MADE FOR BRAKING ANYTHING over 12mm headed bolts loose and they shouldn't be as they are nutrunners and not impact wrenches. If you need an impact wrench Milwaukee has a full line. The M12 stubby and the Mid-torque are the pick of the litter.

 

[39 LaSalle]

I love my 1st gen ratchet. As others have said though, it's more of a speed things up than break things loose kind of tool. If it's something I know isn't torqued down tight I'll go ahead and use it like a ratchet to get it started, but on many things I break it loose the old fashioned way before hitting it with the M12.

 

[dnschmidt]

Many seem to be forgetting that IT IS A RATCHET and can be used like a conventional ratchet. Being quite long it's a pretty good NORMAL ratchet at that. Have we all gotten so lazy that loosening a bolt has become too much. Once it's loose buzz it off.

 

[CJM8515]

i have the 3/8 and 1/4 non fuel ratchets. i bought them because the head size of the fuel is just way to large to be useful in many situations as it wont fit. they wont and shouldnt be used to break fasteners free really. even the snap on cordless ratchets arent designed for that-they do have better torque though.

i usually will use it as a regular ratchet and break whatever it is free or ill grab a regular old ratchet to do that. the cordless ratchets are for speed, not overall torque. use an impact gun if you want torque.

 

[M635_Guy]

Many seem to be forgetting that IT IS A RATCHET and can be used like a conventional ratchet. Being quite long it's a pretty good NORMAL ratchet at that. Have we all gotten so lazy that loosening a bolt has become too much. Once it's loose buzz it off.

Right. It's a "you know when it might be iffy" kind of thing. I use it a fair bit, and there haven't been too many times when I swapped to a regular ratchet to crack the fastener.

 

[Billy Jack]

Thanks for the feedback, folks.
I see most of the opinions mirror my thoughts.
Nowadays, I'm an aged home gamer, not a pro, so "beating the book time" is not critical. As I mentioned in my original post, I also have a stubby impact that's strong enough to break loose lug nuts, torqued to 100 ft.lbs., but the ratchet fits in places the stubby won't, so I'll continue to use my longer 3/8" ratchets for anything that seems too much for the M12 ratchet.

Bill