5 Must-Have Milwaukee Tool Instruments And How To Use Them

Owned by Techtronic Industries, Milwaukee Tools is a well-known and trusted tool manufacturer with a rich, innovative history. More than likely, you've noticed the classic red color while shopping at Home Depot due to a deal made with the store — you won't find Milwaukee sold at other tool stores like Harbor Freight or Lowe's.

Many projects, such as home renovations or fixing an electrical issue, require more than power tools and a can-do attitude. Fortunately, several Milwaukee instruments can help make the job easier and more efficient. These instruments also provide a level of safety while handling more dangerous fixes. As attested by reviews from buyers who have used the products, here are five Milwaukee tool instruments that will come in handy and how to use them. A more in-depth explanation of our methodology for choosing these instruments can be at the end of this article.

Sometimes all you need to know is if an outlet has any power going through it, so having a simple tool to test that can come in handy. Milwaukee's Voltage Detector is a handheld device that allows you to check the AC voltage — up to 1000 volts — in your outlets in seconds. This instrument only costs $20 at Home Depot and comes with a 4.2/5 rating from 188 buyers. However, one of the most common complaints is that this model does not come with a flashlight.

To use the voltage detector, press the on/off button for one second and place the tip into each side of the outlet. If you want to check for AC voltage in any other part of a circuit, place the tip against the circuit. You'll know you have power running to it when the tip and the V on the instrument light up red and the tool repeatedly beeps. This voltage detector has the highest safety rating in the industry — though, we do advise you still use caution when working with electricity.

A multimeter is going to be one of the best tools to read multiple ranges of electrical circuits like voltage, current, and resistance. Milwaukee's Digital Multimeter is a much more reliable tool than an analog multimeter because it has high precision readings, and it comes with a CAT III safety rating, meaning it is safe to use on some large building lighting systems and polyphase motors. It's advised to follow the safety recommendations to protect you from unintentional shock.

To use the multimeter, make sure you turn off the power to the circuit you want to check. On the multimeter, select the mode and connect the black probe to the common jack and the red probe to the jack labeled volt/omega. From there, you'll stick the black probe into the neutral slot and the red probe into the hot slot. After, you'll check your reading. When you're done, remove the red probe first then the black probe.

This multimeter has a wide voltage range of 600 volts AC/DC, a wide resistance range of 600 ohms-40 M ohms, and frequency measurements of 10 Hz to 50 kHz. However, it does cost the hefty price of $170 at Home Depot. It comes with a 4.5/5 star rating from 33 buyers. However, the biggest complaint is the rubber coating to allow for an easier grip — it's known to become sticky due to peeling. Other than that, the instrument works as it should and gives accurate readings.

There are moments when using a tape measure just isn't enough, especially if you need the measure for a fairly large space. Milwaukee's 150 Ft Laser Distance Meter gives you the ability to not only find the length of any given surface up to 150 feet, but you can also learn the surface area, total area, and volume of the space you're measuring. The device even comes with a built-in two-position auto-detecting lever so you can easily retrieve measurements from corners and beyond.

This laser distance meter costs $105 at Home Depot and received a 4.2/5 rating from over 200 consumers. There are several great reviews on the device, but a couple of negative reviews discuss how the laser is hard to detect in daylight and that it seems to work better in darkened areas or at night. To use this laser distance meter, simply turn it on, select your measurement type, and aim the laser at the target. From here, press the OK button to lock in your measurement and continue taking measurements if more information is needed.

Temperature guns can be used to test the temperature of many things, like the seal of a wheel bearing after a drive to make sure it's not getting too hot or hotspot in your home's electrical system. Take note that they don't work very well at measuring boiling water, though. Milwaukee's M12 Lithium-Ion Laser Infrared Temperature Gun is part of the M12 battery system. There are other temperature guns made by Milwaukee, but this one received the highest rating with 4.7/5 stars and costs $120.

This temperature gun has a 12:1 ratio, meaning that it can scan a one-foot spot from 12 feet away. Also, it's fairly easy to use. Simply pull and hold the trigger for two seconds and scan the surface area of the object you want to temperature of, though the object does need to be larger than the spot scanned. If not, the reading may not be completely accurate. The temperature will show on the screen. Once you release the trigger, the screen will turn off after 10 seconds.

There's no fun in having to tear apart an engine or manually look through the plumbing to figure out where the issues lie. Instead, you can try using a borescope. Milwaukee's M12 12V Lithium-Ion Cordless Auto Technician Borescope is a great way to access tight spaces and nondestructively look through pipes and hoses, saving you time and energy. This instrument does come with a hefty price at $429, but it also comes with high reviews from users stating that the picture quality is great and the side camera that's included is very handy.

Milwaukee's borescope is only five millimeters in diameter, so it allows you access to glow plug holes and fuel injector ports. It even comes with heat sense temperature alert technology, so if the area being inspected is too hot for the equipment, the tool will let you know and automatically shut down. Operation is simple too. Turn on the camera, guide the cable into the space you want to investigate, and view everything on the camera. You do have the option of recording videos and taking photos too. You can even zoom in and use the LED light for a better view. To see how to navigate the camera aspect of the tool, review the operator's manual.

These specific Milwaukee instruments were chosen after thorough research of all the tools in the Milwaukee instrument line. The selections were based on reviews and ratings, both positive and negative, costs, and variety to make sure there was a wide range of useful instruments. 

The reviews come from Home Depot customers who have bought and actively used the products. To add to that, we made sure all the items on this list were affordable, all but one being under $170 and the most expensive still being under $500. We do encourage you to do any extra research you feel may be necessary. We also advise you to use safe practices while handling these tools since some do involve electricity.