Today Ohio Power Tool called us because they had a special Milwaukee M18 demo tool on hand for one day, and thought we might want to see it. So we headed down to OPT, tried the tool out, and then stole it. This… is Coptool Special Coverage.
Our friends over at Ohio Power Tool repair a lot of tools. For testing purposes, they set up their own pneumatic system, threading and running their own air lines. For the last several years, they’ve used a Ridgid 700 Power Pony to thread all of their black steel pipes for running air to their repair center.
THIS is the new Milwaukee M18 2874-22HD ($1699) Pipe threader, and if you’re wondering why Milwaukee made one, well, we can sympathize. They made a powerful, competent tool, but didn’t make a stand, oil, or even a set of Dies. This uses Ridgid dies (any 12R Dies) 1/2″ up to 2”.
So to find out why Milwaukee decided it needed a pipe threader, we asked Jay at OPT to demo it for us, and give us his thoughts. Here’s what he had to say:
“We used the new Milwaukee to thread the same 3/4″ lines we use for air. Obviously battery power is going to be super convenient. It has 2 speeds, the back is flush, and the autostop is very nice (safety feature) and kicks in very quickly. It’s around the same weight as the Ridgid and the speed was comparable as well in 1st speed. For what it does, it’s definitely an improvement.”
So there you have it. The new 2874-20 ($1399) works just as well as they Ridgid, with the obvious benefit of being the worlds first cordless pipe threader, added safety features and 2-speed versatility for faster cutting on smaller pipes. If you’re anxious to get one of your own, Milwaukee tells us it will be available this July.
I want to thank Ohio Power Tool for inviting us to get a quick look at this guy. And don’t forget to join us this Friday at 5pm for our Coptool Week in Review. I’ll see you then.
-Rob
