The year is coming to an end, and there were a ton of new tools that hit the market over the past twelve months, and Milwaukee was responsible for many of them. To end the year on a high note, we decided to peruse back through the list and highlight our favorite new Milwaukee Tools from 2024. Here are ten that impressed our team this year!
M18 Forge Batteries
To kick things off, I’m starting with the launch of Milwaukee’s new higher-capacity Forge batteries. M18 Forge entered the market last year with a lone XC 6.0 battery, and it definitely turned some heads. This year, Milwaukee expanded with an XC 8.0Ah and a crazy power-dense HD 12.0Ah pack to the Forge lineup. Since its debut, the aim for Forge batteries has been to provide more power in a more compact and power-rich package, and these batteries deliver on that promise.
Looking at the XC 8.0Ah Forge battery, Milwaukee tells us that it provides the same power as the 12Ah standard High Output pack, but with a 20% reduction in size and a 30% reduction in weight by comparison. Additionally, the HD 12Ah Forge battery is capable of delivering 50% more power than its predecessor.
When paired with the M18 SuperCharger, both battery packs will charge up to 80% capacity in just 35 minutes. This is possible thanks to the impressive cooling technology built into these batteries and the charging technology that Milwaukee calls Cool Cycle.
Between the additional power and minimal downtime that these batteries are set to offer, they’ll make an ideal match for Milwaukee’s more power-hungry tools and equipment I’m about to cover.
These M18 batteries range in price from $199 to $249.
M18 Fuel 7-1/4 Inch Circular Saw 2834
We heard rumblings about a new M18 Fuel circular saw last year and even got a secret hands-on look after Milwaukee’s 2023 Pipeline event. Now that we’ve had substantial time to test the next-gen model, we’re even more excited. Milwaukee built this saw from the ground up with new internal electronics and brushless motor technology designed to pull maximum power out of the Forge battery packs.
The new 7 1/4-inch Sidewinder delivers 6,000 RPM, and Milwaukee says to expect 750 cuts per charge when paired with a 12.0Ah Forge pack. The saw is super-light—only 7.8 pounds bare—but it delivered top-of-the-line power in our tests.
It features a 2 5/8-inch depth of cut, and the guard and the shoe are both made out of magnesium. The saw also has an electric blade brake, LED work light, rafter hook, and all the fixings that we expect from high-end cordless circular saw.
This saw retails for $249 as a bare tool, and $449 as a kit. The kit includes a 12.0Ah Forge battery, charger, and a storage bag.
M18 Fuel Coil Roofing Nailer 2909
The next tool we got our hands on has been requested for going on a decade now: the M18 Fuel Coil Roofing Nailer. Roofers are gonna love this one. It’s designed for small roofing jobs and even roof repair jobs. It also has the added versatility of having the power, flexibility, and accessories to handle vinyl siding installation.
We got to use it, and it’s quick. It fires up to six nails per second, and has the efficiency to sink up to 1,100 nails per charge with a CP 3.0Ah High Output battery. Battery selection is important because you want to use those smaller packs to keep the working weight as light as possible.
The tool-free depth-of-drive adjustment makes changes quick and easy, and the vinyl siding tip is an attachment that improves this nailer’s overall versatility.
The speed is what really hammers it home for us, though. It’s not just something you’re used to seeing or feeling from a cordless tool like this. I’ve got no doubt that once you guys get your hands on it, you’re going see exactly what I mean.
This nailer retails for $379 as a bare tool and $$79 as a kit. The kit includes a CP3.0Ah battery, charger, and a storage bag.
M12 Fuel Gen II Stubby Impact Wrench 2562
The first M12 Fuel product on our list from this year’s Pipeline is the new iteration of the widely beloved stubby impact wrench. Much like the Forge batteries, the stubby serves one purpose: to give mechanics the absolute most power in as compact a package as possible.
Again, Milwaukee delivers on this promise with 550 foot-pounds of max torque. That’s a number we once thought impossible for an impact this size, considering we were getting those numbers from high-torque impact wrenches not too long ago! Yet this next-gen stubby only weighs 2.2 pounds as a bare tool, and since this is an M12 product, you get plenty of options for power without adding much to the weight.
As we’ve seen before, there’s a four-mode Drive Control, but there’s a new twist. Instead of pressing a button on top, you simply put the impact in neutral and double-press the trigger. It will continue cycling through the modes with each double-press, and when you’re ready to start, put it in forward or reverse.
It also has an auto shut-off mode that applies no more than 15 foot-pounds of torque for hand-tight applications to prevent over-tightening when using it in forward mode. In reverse, it functions as a bolt removal mode, slowing the RPMs once the bolt is free. This helps prevent bolts from flying around your work area.
The Stubby is certainly durable, but many mechanics want a little bit more protection to avoid damaging vehicle finishes. So Milwaukee also launched a protective boot to keep the tools safe from corrosive materials and oils. This compact impact wrench is available in 3/8 and 1/2-inch drives.
M18 Fuel Dual-Battery 20-Inch Chainsaw 2827
In recent years, Milwaukee has made a major push into the outdoor power equipment sector and this year introduced the M18 Fuel 20-inch Dual-Battery Chainsaw. This is another tool designed to pull maximum power from the new Forge batteries, delivering 70cc gas equivalent power and operating at a maximum of 7,400 RPM.
The saw features two power modes—Peak Power mode and Standard mode. Peak Power mode produces power levels of up to 5.8 horsepower and 9.5 Newton meters of torque. This allows you to make demanding cuts through thick lumber without bogging down. In Standard mode, the chainsaw peaks at 4.4 horsepower, which lets you prioritize runtime and keep the temperature down while still maintaining quality performance.
That 20-inch bar length provides enough reach and cutting power to efficiently fell medium to large-sized trees, making it a suitable replacement for farm and ranch class saws and getting into forestry territory. For the best balance of power and weight, Milwaukee recommends two 8Ah Forge packs. With that configuration, you can expect up to 60 cuts on a single charge through hardwoods up to 10 inches in diameter.
The Milwaukee 2827 retails for $899 as a kit that includes two 8.0Ah Forge batteries and a dual-port rapid charger.
M18 Bluetooth Jobsite Speaker 2954
The M18 Bluetooth Speaker features Bluetooth 5.3, offering an impressive range of up to 200 feet. It includes Milwaukee’s new Audio Link feature, which allows multiple devices to be chained together for a larger audio footprint.
You’ll also find a built-in equalizer to adjust bass, mids, and treble and a USB-C port for charging personal devices. For us, this was one of the most impressive Bluetooth speakers we’ve tested, quickly becoming our go-to choice for a crisp and clean listening experience.
This speaker retails for $159.99 as a bare tool.
M18 Fuel Dual-Battery Backpack Blower 3009
Earlier this year, Milwaukee released the long-awaited M18 Fuel Dual Battery Backpack Blower. You can expect to get around 650 CFM of volume out of the nozzle, along with 155 mph of airspeed. This power is more than enough to clear grass clippings, light debris, and heavy seasonal leaves. In terms of runtime, our testing yielded 29 minutes on high, 39 minutes on medium, and an impressive 62 minutes on low.
Despite its name, this blower can actually carry up to four M18 batteries, and runs off of two at a time. You can easily monitor your remaining battery-life using the gauge on the throttle as you’re using the tool. When the first set of batteries runs out, it’ll automatically switch over to the other batteries and keep going.
If you’re on the MX Fuel battery system, Milwaukee hasn’t forgotten about you! Be sure to check out the MX Fuel Backpack Blower which delivers Pro-grade performance and excellent runtime!
You can get this right now as a kit for $1,499. It includes four HD 12.0 batteries and a pair of dual-port chargers.
M18 Fuel Overhead SDS-Plus Rotary Hammer with Dust Extractor 3311
For those of you doing any kind of repetitive overhead drilling, the Milwaukee M18 Fuel Overhead Rotary Hammer should be your first choice! It greatly reduces dust thanks to its onboard dust extractor. The 2-in-1 design is lighter than previous M18 models, and the improved ergonomics make it more comfortable than ever.
This is an SDS-Plus model, so it’s going to use any of the SDS-Plus bits you’re likely to need. Its strong brushless motor allows you to comfortably drill up to 100 5/8-inch holes in solid concrete using a CP3.0Ah battery.
This innovative rotary hammer retails for $599 as a kit that includes two CP3.0Ah batteries, two dust sleeves, a charger, and a hardshell case.
M18 Fuel 9-Gallon Dual-Battery Dust Extractor 0888
As we see more and more Packout-compatible tools and accessories hit the market, we weren’t terribly surprised to find that Milwaukee released an M18 Fuel Packout 9-Gallon Dust Extractor. I mean, if you’re going to make a battery-powered dust extractor, why not have the top of it be Packout-compatible? This design allows you to store accessories and other tools right on the dust extractor, saving you time spent going back and forth to the truck.
This dual-battery dust extractor offers corded performance with cordless convenience, delivering 125 CFM under battery power and 175 CFM when plugged in. It also features a dual automatic filter cleaning mechanism, two HEPA filters for OSHA Table 1 compliance, and VacLink for touch-free activation. It’s projected to hit the shelves in Q4 of 2024.
M18 Fuel Dual-Battery String Trimmer 3006
At the last Milwaukee Pipeline event, I got my hands on their M18 Fuel Dual-Battery String Trimmer, and I knew we had to get it in for testing! This is easily one of the most powerful string trimmers I’ve ever used. It delivers 2.4 horsepower gas equivalent power and has a 17-inch cutting swath. The trimmer head supports 0.105-inch line, giving it a similar performance level to a brush cutter in many respects.
It’s very, very powerful, but you still get excellent runtime as well. On low, this trimmer ran for just over 54 minutes. Kicking it up to high speed, we clocked 31 minutes of continuous runtime with two 8.0Ah High Output batteries. That’s more than enough trigger time to knock out some serious trimming work!
The trimmer retails for $399 as a bare tool, or you can get the kit for $699 with two 8.0Ah High Output batteries and a dual-port rapid charger.