5 Milwaukee Products To Keep You Warm When Working In The Cold

Winter is here, bringing cold weather to most of us who live in the Northern Hemisphere. That means working outdoors or in garage spaces has become much less comfortable and convenient. The arrival of cold weather doesn't necessarily mean you have to put all your projects on hold until spring, though. Slashgear and Milwaukee Tools are here to help get you through to spring. 

Milwaukee is celebrating its centennial this year, and while the company is probably best known for 100 years of producing durable and highly regarded tools for woodworking, auto repair, and home improvement projects, Milwaukee also makes an array of equipment and accessories that can help keep you and your workspace warm during the cold months. Let's take a look at five of the products you can buy in the familiar red, black, and white color scheme that will make your winter projects easier and more enjoyable.

If you have an open carport or other well-ventilated workspace, Milwaukee's M18 forced air propane heater is something to consider. It retails for $229 at Home Depot and Blain's Farm and Fleet and has a maximum output of 7,000 BTU per hour, enough to keep you warm on the coldest days. An M18 battery or AC power is required for ignition and to power the brushless motor (the battery and charger are not included). The 10' LP gas hose and regulator can be stowed on the body of the heater, and the entire apparatus weighs 14.5 pounds.

The heater has three simple controls on top of the rear of the case: a rocker-style power switch, an ignition button, and a knob to vary the intensity of the heat. Milwaukee boasts an eight-hour run time on a fully charged XC 5.0 M18 battery. Home Depot buyers give it an average rating of 4.7 out of five stars, and Popular Mechanics tested this heater and "were amazed at how clean, quiet, easily portable, and effective it is."

A pair of durable, warm work gloves is invaluable whether you're working on your car, clearing snow with a snowblower, or putting up fencing. Milwaukee's performance series winter work gloves are water and windproof and have a SMARTSWIPE knuckle on both hands so you can use your tablet or smartphone without touching it with dirty fingertips or removing your gloves. 

They have 60 grams of insulation and an extra-strong layer of material between the thumb and forefinger, where work gloves often wear out most quickly. They also have a terry cloth band around the wrist to wipe away sweat and a nylon loop to make pulling them on and off easier. 

These gloves come in five sizes, from small to XXL, and retail for $30.97 at Home Depot. Buyers there give them an average rating of four out of five stars, with many praising the warmth and comfort, although some reviewers note that they run a bit small and suggest ordering a size larger than usual. 

A stylish option that will keep you warm in the dead of winter and also be useful when the weather gets a little warmer is the M12 heated hooded sweatshirt, which comes in a complete kit with battery, holder, and charger for $139 at Blain's Farm and Fleet or $159.99 at Ace Hardware.

The full-zip hoodie comes in six sizes, from small to 3XL, and has two open pockets in front, a zippered pocket in the back, and carbon fiber heating elements throughout to evenly warm your torso. There is an LED-lit button on the left breast to control the heat output and a waffle weave lining to help keep the heat generated from escaping into the winter air.

Milwaukee boasts eight hours of run time on the lowest of three settings, and the hoodie has an average rating of 4.5 out of five stars from more than 2,000 Amazon buyers. Benjamen of Toolguyd tested this hoodie, and although he questioned the placement of the rear zippered pocket, he was pleased with its overall performance and value. "I really like this hoodie," he wrote, "both with the heat on and without. Its construction and ability to retain heat are excellent."

Another M12-powered garment that will keep you toasty warm on the most frigid of winter days is Milwaukee's toughshell full-zip jacket. This jacket comes in kit form for $199 at Ace Hardware and includes the jacket, an M12 RedLithium CP3.0 battery and compact charger, and a heavy-duty cable to connect the battery. It is available in six sizes from small to 3XL in black, grey, or red and Milwaukee boasts 12 hours of run time on the low setting and three hours on high. 

Like the hoodie, it has carbon fiber heating elements in the chest and back and is controlled via a LED-lit button on the left breast. The battery can be placed in the front pass-through or back pocket, and the charger has a USB port for use with any smartphone, tablet, or other portable device. You can also use your other M12 series batteries to power the jacket.    

If the Performance series work gloves aren't quite warm enough for you and you're intrigued by the technology in Milwaukee's heated jackets, check out the RedLithium USB heated gloves. 

These gloves have a fleece lining, leather palms and fingers, and a SMARTSWIPE index finger so you can use your smartphone or tablet without exposing your hands to the elements. They also have an extended cuff to keep out snow and a nylon loop to make adjusting them easier. The heating elements are spread throughout the palms and fingers for even heating, and a button on the cuff allows you to select between three power settings. 

The kit comes with gloves, two RedLithium USB batteries, two USB chargers/controllers, and a USB wall charger with cable. Milwaukee boasts up to six hours of warming time on a fully charged battery. The kit sells for $179 at Home Depot and $189.99 at The Warming Store, and the gloves come in nine sizes from XS to 5XL.