Every Tool In Milwaukee's M12 Portable Productivity System

Milwaukee power tools form the basis of productivity for many in the professional trades, and the iconic red and black body stylings have come to dominate DIYers' peg boards and tool boxes as well. Perhaps none are more crucial to great home improvement and maintenance capability than the M12 system. It's built on the same premise as the full-size M18 cordless battery platform but M12 tools are far more compact. The batteries themselves can fit almost completely into the housing on the tool in some instances, and weight loads from these smaller power tools are minimized to a level that might not seem possible. It's important to note that Milwaukee's M12 range covers both the standard brushless model and the enhanced performance Fuel lineup. Milwaukee tools labeled with the Fuel moniker provide more power output and enjoy heat protection and reduced vibration. Both are great tool lines, but the Fuel range offers Milwaukee's best offerings (This is true for the M18 Fuel system and the M12 range).

What's so incredible about the M12 system is the lack of power loss. M12 system power tools perform with the same immense output that users would expect from any other cordless drill, saw, or nailer. The result is a revolutionized productivity system built from the ground up with eight battery options (a 2.0 and 3.0 model, High Output CP 1.5 and 2.5, and XC 3.0, XC 4.0, XC 5.0, and XC 6.0 batteries). These power packs can charge through the standard fast charger from Milwaukee, which pairs an M18 and M12 connection together, or users can purchase the four-port M12 charger instead to support their growing tool collection. From power to tool, this is the complete lineup of Milwaukee M12 offerings.

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.

There are 23 tools in this category of the M12 catalog. Fuel and One-Key options feature prominently here, and buyers can select from a range of "stubby," extended reach, and right angle ratchets for a plethora of jobs. 19 of the 23 tools are included as part of the Fuel lineup, giving you a wealth of options when brushless motor power is required or preferred.

Five Fuel extended reach options are available in both ⅜-inch and ¼-inch variants, as well as an M12 Fuel Insider Extended Reach Box Ratchet with two anvil adapters (¼-inch and ⅜-inch) and a ¼-inch hex adapter. All five are right angle instruments that physically resemble a standard hand ratchet handle. Eight tools offer the friction ring fitting. Two right angle units and six drill/driver-style alternatives. Two of the trigger-action tool are standard M12 units while the rest are part of the Fuel range. Two more of the right angle ratchets are High Speed variants, in ⅜-inch and ¼-inch builds.

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.

Even though the M12 lineup is focused on delivering great power output in a shrunken down silhouette there are some heavy jobsite applications to be found within its confines. The M12 offerings don't just focus on a sort of small arms approach to carpentry, home repair, or construction. This is perhaps best exemplified in the tools that fit within the metalworks context. The M12 range features two band saws, ideal for slicing through pipe and bar stock for all manner of metal material use from forging to plumbing. The M12 Fuel Compact Band Saw is small enough (and light enough with a battery-included weight of 6.69 pounds) to hold in one hand while shearing through metal stock pieces. In addition to the Fuel option, there's a standard M12 band saw to consider.

In other metalwork applications, users can take advantage of a polisher, two band files (½-inch-by-18-inch and ⅜-inch-by-13-inch models), a variable speed nibbler, and a low speed tire buffer (perhaps a tool that might be a quality add-on for home mechanics, as well). There are also three grinders to consider (all of which bear the Fuel moniker): A cutoff tool, right angle grinder, and straight shank grinder. The M12 line also features a standard rivet tool for joining metal sheeting.

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.

A set of tools that are often overlooked fall into the category of site gear. From specialized clothing options to shop vacs, the M12 range has it all. Both a compact vacuum and wet/dry vacuum (1.6 gallon capacity) feature in the M12 lineup, as well as an Air-Tip Utility Nozzle. The range includes a job site radio and speaker that each feature robust build quality for solid performance in any working conditions. This might be sitting on a shelf in your home workshop or getting carted around from worksite to worksite and being subjected to dust and debris constantly.

Users can also get their hands on a grease gun as well as two caulking guns that make application of adhesives and other tubed products far less tiresome. The applicators come in a roughly standard skeleton gun type frame and a "sausage style" featuring an aluminum barrel. There are 11 site lighting options to peruse as well, from handheld to tower and moveable arm lighting solutions. This category also features a handheld blower and a mounting fan that can attach to components on the worksite or stand on its own base. Clothing options in the M12 range include 14 heated jackets and vests to protect you from the elements when working outside in the cold.

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.

Some of the M12 range's finest inclusions are electrical installation tools. Specifically, these additions stand out as unique because of the soldering iron inclusion. It's a rarity to find a cordless soldering iron from a major tool brand, and Milwaukee's M12 Soldering Iron delivers appropriate operational temperature within 18 seconds of powering up. The tool is built in a miniscule package that makes soldering in tight spaces — like within an electronic device's housing or under the hood of a car — far more accessible and less precarious for the operator. Rather than bringing along wiring and worrying about getting tangled up on the way out of a recess, the cordless iron simplifies the entire process for fast results and reliable solutions.

The electrical installation category includes a cable stripper and cable cutter, as well. Power tool variants of these core tool functions make a range of electrical work far less physically demanding and can improve the workflow of a professional installer or crafty home DIYer from the jump.

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.

Diagnosing issues in systems and tight recesses is another task that the M12 range can accomplish. With four diagnostic camera tools offered and a temperature gun, the Milwaukee lineup is well prepared to help you identify system troubles and look for intelligent solutions.

Perhaps the most impressive of the range is the M12 M-Spector Flex Inspection Camera. It features a 3-foot cable with a pivoting head that can roam around a problem site to provide a full view of trouble spots. The M12 family also includes an inspection camera with a 9-foot cable as well as a traditional, 3-foot diagnostic inspection camera and an Auto Technician Borescope with a 5mm cable width for impossibly tight gap penetration. The infrared temperature gun rounds out the diagnostic tools and can be a great help for a diverse set of workshop or household repair needs (identifying window leaks, inspecting forge temperature, or diagnosing engine compartment issues).

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.