We’re going to start this off with what we didn’t see at Milwaukee’s NPS18 event before jumping into all the good stuff. Of course everyone has a ton of wants, needs and guess on what new products are getting launched at these events but they can only do so much. Steve Richman, Milwaukee’s President got up and said the answer is YES we are going to make that; for pretty much any (logical) tool you are asking about just a matter of time. So For this year’s event no M18 tracksaw, no M18 trim routers, no cordless M18 framing nailer, no new M18 drain cleaning/plumbing, no M18 lawn mower and no revival of the Titan Workcarts. But we did see a ton of exciting stuff and PRE-SALE M18 Tools are already up!!!!
New M18 HIGH OUTPUT 12.0Ah 48-11-1812 & 6.0Ah 48-11-1865 (coming September) are what is going to make all these other big launches possible. Using 21700 cell these pack have 50% more power, run 50% cooler, 33% longer runtime (when compared to M18 9.0Ah) and can operate down to -20F so a big step forward in battery technology. They can pull energy out faster without adding heat now it’s possible to exceed 15amp performance with a 18V platform. Charge times are reported at 2 hours with the current rapid charger but they said a new charger was in the works for late 2018 or early 2019 to get that time down.
Milwaukee M18 FUEL Super Sawzall 2722-21HD ($399 w/12.0Ah) can outperform the corded 15amp 6538-21 ($199) Sawzall which is the industry leader. Claiming over 2000 watts of peak power this saw beat Dewalt’s Flexvolt recip and their own corded in the demo cutting a pair of stacked 2×12. Specs: 3000 SPM, 1-1/4” stroke, orbital action on/off, adjustable shoe, rafter hook, LED light and 5 speed dial.
Milwaukee M18 FUEL Circular Saw 2732-21HD ($399 w/12.0Ah) using the same new Powerstate motor with over 2000 watts of power this 7-1/4” circular saw will replace the existing 2731-2x model eventually. Specs: 5800 RPM, LED light, electric brake, includes dust port and rafter hook.
Milwaukee M18 FUEL 16” Chainsaw 2727-21HD ($399 w/12.0Ah) this one can’t get here fast enough. Claims to outperform up to 40cc gas saws, compatible with Oregon bars & chains, quieter operation, no gas or oil to mess with, safe for indoor use, cuts 1 cord or fire wood on a single 12.0Ah charge.
Milwaukee M18 FUEL 8-1/4” Table Saw with ONE-KEY 2735-21HD ($549 w/12.0Ah) the power on this table saw is very nice and they say more than the 15 amp jobsite saws on the market so we did they not go 10”? The only other competitor is Flexvolt which is also an 8” so if you’re in need of a cordless table saw does not look like you will be able to go much larger yet.
Milwaukee M18 FUEL 7”/9” Angle Grinder 2785-21HD ($399 w/12.0Ah) we’ve seen a few other cordless 9” grinders at this point and have got to say this is certainly the most user friendly in terms of size, weight and ergonomics. We did not have any time to kick up some sparks so reserving all praise and/or criticism until we can get our hands on one June/July. We were surprised not to see a variable speed trigger or brake on this model as both those features would be nice.
Milwaukee M18 FUEL Jig Saws D-Handle 2737-20 & Barrel Grip 2737B-20, coming late summer and winter respectively these new jig saws are going to phase out the existing brushed model 2645-22 which has been a solid performer. Both of the new jig saws have variable speed control, LED, orbital, powerful brushless motor and many of the other features you’d expect from a high end cordless jig saw.
Milwaukee M18 FUEL 3-in-1 Backpack Vacuum created for general clean up at 57 CFM but also great option for some silica dust collection applications. Suprisingly pretty quiet so we could see this as a preferred option when working around customers (or customers of your customers). Pretty lightweight on the back with great weight dirstibution, reporting great runtime with the 12.0Ah battery but very capable with any M18 battery.
Milwaukee M12 FUEL Stubby Impacts ¼”, 3/8” & ½” coming in later summer these powerfully units are going right after other 18V impact wrenches as well as stubby pneumatic impacts. With 250 Ft. Lbs. Nut Busting Torque they have a ton of power or the compact size. Red team is really trying to take away the need for air in the shop.
Milwaukee M18 FUEL 1” Impact Wrench with ONE-KEY is another tool going after air power. This version is designed more for structural steel and utility work but no doubt the mechanics version will be following soon after. Unfortunately this unit is not expected to hit the shelves until late 2018 (which could mean 2019) and they are not sharing any of the critical info such as Price or torque specs other than to match against Makita’s 1” corded TW1000 ($829) and show that it can beat it and the TW1000 which reports 738 ft lbs. so at the prototype sits probably 750-800 ft lbs.
Milwaukee PACKOUT sees a handful of new additional as well with the addition of a Plate Dolly, new Mounting Plate, a couple low profile organizers and a new soft sided bag with zipper. There were all welcome additions if you are already in the system and should make for a much more useful system.
Milwaukee expanded Lighting with new M12 & M18 Rocket Lights which both can go AC/DC. Also 2 new RedLithium USB and 2 new non-rechargeable lights LED options with actually is a pretty slow year for new Light when it comes to Milwaukee. Expect to see these new additions in Q3 or Q4.
New Heated Gear will be coming for the season with some small updates (usb packs & rapid heating) for jackets & hoodies but the big news will be in their new “mid-layer” quilted options which will have a jacket and vest option for both men and women. These will get heating in the shoulders (instead of pockets like the top layer jackets) as they are of course designed to be used with a shell top layer to go over top. Another big addition is the Heated Gloves which will utilize the smaller RedLithium USB battery a nice step forward for this battery line which we full expect more to come.
Hand Tools continue to expand with several new full lines of Tape Measures, Empire levels, utility tools, conduit benders, full socket sets, plumbing wrenches and more. We will dig in much deeper in the week/month to come as these start to hit the market because there is a lot to cover here.
Accessories again we are looking at a ton of new stuff, New Carbide Sawzall Blades and Hole Saws, all New Circular Saw Blades which is stuff hitting the market as we speak. We will see new accessories for the utility market and new step bits and lots more again we will be following up with more in-depth coverage very soon!
Stay Tuned we’ve got a few dozen more videos in the works on each of these topics and full posts to follow. We will all be be seeing red for weeks to come!