Every Tool In Milwaukee's M12 Portable Productivity System

First and foremost, Milwaukee is a major brand for impact drivers and drills, offering some of the finest on the market. This record of excellence continues in the M12 range, launched alongside its big brother (the M18 lineup) in 2008. The compact drilling range is anchored by the M12 Fuel ½-inch Hammer Drill/Driver, one of Milwaukee's newest tools. It's a combi-drill unit measuring just 6 inches in length and weighing 2.6 pounds. A brushless motor system delivers 400 inch-pounds of torque and claims the "fastest drilling and driving applications under load," according to the brand's own testing.

In addition to this flagship drilling tool, the M12 lineup in this category is completed by a right angle drill/driver, four other Fuel options (including an installation drill/driver featuring multiple chuck types), and a standard M12 drill/driver. Impact drivers bring a little expansion to the range. 10 driving tools round out the category, ranging from the newest M12 Fuel ¼-inch Hex Impact Driver to a Fuel 2-Speed Screwdriver and No-Hub Driver. The impact drivers also include a right angle driver, like the drills. Five of these units are part of the Fuel range, including one Surge option, and five drivers are standard M12 builds. There's also an SDS hammer drill included in the M12 range with integrated dust extraction. This combination tool makes drilling through masonry and concrete a breeze and reduces the impact on your sight and breathing that often accompanies this kind of work.

Saws in the M12 range come in a wide array of builds, as well. Among the M12 options, users can choose from one circular saw, two jigsaw models, two Hackzalls, and two multitool units. These seven saws run the gamut of cutting tasks and cover virtually any kind of sawing you might need to accomplish — a great help to the DIYer looking for a lighter alternative to the classic worm drive Skilsaw!

The Hackzalls — a development from an earlier Milwaukee invention, the Sawzall — come in a Fuel and standard build. Both offer the brand's potent reciprocating saw functionality in a slimmed down package. They're great for chopping branches outside or reaching into recesses to make cuts that wouldn't otherwise be possible with a more standard cutting tool. The circular saw, on the other hand, provides exactly what you'd expect of a routine cutter. It's built with nearly the same overall layout as the much larger M18 model but operates on the smaller battery platform and weighs far less. The 5 ⅜-inch saw weighs just 5.35 pounds but can handle a workload rivaling that of much heavier full-sized units. For jigsaws, Milwaukee's M12 range features a Fuel and standard build option, each delivering swerving cut capacity in a slimmed down profile. Finally, the multitools round out the offerings here. The plunge cut ability is an underrated functionality and anyone who has used one often wouldn't give it up for anything. These too come in a Fuel and standard model.

In another specific working arena, the M12 range delivers in framing and woodworking circles, too. Five nailers make their way into the catalog, delivering some great options for framers of all varieties. The Fuel 18 Gauge Compact Brad Nailer is a solid first fix option for construction needs, while the 23 Gauge Pin Nailer can be leveraged for fixing delicate trim work and other finishing touches. The range is completed by a Cable Stapler, ⅜-inch Crown Stapler, and a Palm Nailer.

Woodworking enthusiasts can also get their needs fulfilled via the M12 pipeline. The catalog includes an electric planer for fine tuning the faces of wood stock to create precision fits and flush surfaces that meet whatever specification you may have in mind. The lineup is also graced with a Fuel Orbital Detail Sander for precision sanding to create silky smooth wood surfaces, even far into tricky corners that might demand a hand sanding or otherwise get overlooked.

Home maintainers, plumbing enthusiasts, and professionals in the trade also have quite a few resources at their disposal when considering the M12 tool family. There are three drain snakes and a standalone Trapsnake Driver Kit. The range features a 6-inch toilet auger and a 4-inch urinal auger, as well as a drain snake with a 25-foot bulb cable (and an included storage bucket emblazoned with the Milwaukee logo). The plumbing tools also include a pipeline locator kit that, according to Milwaukee, "provides the most intuitive plumbing locating experience" when tracing underground sewer lines and following camera sondes.

There's also a range of pipework tools to consider. An expander, stick transfer pump (for efficiently draining standing water from a work area), and pipe shears (both for plastic pipe and copper tubing). The plumber's toolkit is completed by a compact inflator and a Force Logic press tool kit with additional jaw attachments.

Home maintainers can also get the gear they need to take care of the lawn from Milwaukee's M12 lineup. A pruning saw that resembles a kind of miniaturized chain saw can be a valuable addition to a homeowner's tool chest when dealing with overgrown tree branches, and bushes that have taken over parts of the lawn. The M12 range's pruning shears are also a quality option for lawncare and plant maintenance. They deliver a firm and even pressure across the cutting blade for a clean slice that will leave plants with as little damage as possible.

There's also a Fuel 8-inch hedge trimmer offered in the range that brings great maintenance versatility to bear. Finally, the 1-Gallon Handheld Sprayer Kit can make fertilizing a lawn or laying down pesticide easy. It's a pumpless system that provides up to 80 PSI and can reach a distance of 17 feet in a vertical spray. A quick adjusting pressure nozzle dials in the desired spray pressure, ranging in three modes between 20 PSI and a max of 80. When paired with a CP 2.0 battery pack, the sprayer can deliver 80 gallons of liquid solution on a single charge.

Four laser levels complete the M12 tree. They range in sophistication from single plane leveling to fully functional three-plan lasers. Middle ground options feature a crossline and plumb point laser, and a four-point and crossline laser. Any of these tools would instantly revolutionize your home renovation capacity and immensely enhance productivity. A laser level is one of the necessities on a jobsite, and when it makes its way into the workflow of a DIYer looking to improve upon their own precision workmanship it transforms the landscape of a task.

All four laser levels make for a great addition that will repeatedly make for much more fluid work and an improved end product. The three-plane laser absolutely takes the cake, though. It features over 15 hours of continuous runtime when powered by a 4.0 XC battery in the M12 system. The high-intensity lasers offer visibility of up to 250 feet, as well, for remarkable scope when laying out widespread features like fencing. Indoors, the laser level's three planes make for excellent accuracy when addressing a wall's squareness or a feature's plumbness (contributing to alignment of a new wall or angular correctness in a corner space). The laser also comes with rare earth magnets in the base to offer a magnetic hold when placed on studs or other metal surfaces.