10 Milwaukee Tools That Prove Going Electric Doesn't Always Mean Losing Power

The gas versus electric debate has long raged among homeowners. Gas-powered mowers, edgers, and power washers, for instance have reigned supreme for many years. The duration of use compared to battery-operated competitors, power output weighed against both battery and plug-ins, and versatility of use made gas-powered tools the favorite by a long shot. But this isn't the case any longer. Many fantastic battery-powered tools and equipment are beginning to compete admirably against their combustion engine counterparts. Moreover, with the changeover from gas to electric, homeowners, DIYers, and contractors can put their weight behind the environmentally conscious move toward conservation and community protection. Automotive travel (including air travel, the trucking industry, and rail freight, all of which have seen a green shift in recent years) accounts for 29% of all U.S. emissions. While consumer and professional tool usage sits decidedly in the shadow, it's also true that any little bit you can do will help turn the tide.

The choice to go a little greener no longer needs to involve a drop off in power or reliability, thanks to toolmakers like Milwaukee. The brand with a century of experience producing high quality power and hand tools has recently added the MX Fuel range to its comprehensive lineup. In concert with some of the most impressive M18 Fuel tools, these professional-grade, heavy-duty tools make for a lineup with blistering power and massive longevity, threatening the age-old dominance of gas-powered alternatives.

There's perhaps no better place to start this conversation than with a demolition hammer. The MX Fuel Breaker (a 25-Kilogram Class Demolition Hammer) matches the power output of corded, pneumatic, and gasoline-powered models and is the industry's first of its kind (according to Milwaukee). The hammer is a heavyweight when it comes to productivity. 50 ft.-lbs. of impact energy easily surpasses the capabilities of traditional corded variants, and a battery technology that's immensely potent underpin the MX Fuel tool. A single charge on an XC406 battery pack designed to power the MX Fuel range provides 40 feet of breaker power over a 6-inch thick and 1-foot wide trench.

The demolition hammer might not be a typical inclusion in an average homeowner's garage. Indeed, a suburbanite may never need to chip away a concrete pad. But for those living out in remote areas or in agricultural communities, the need to repair and replace concrete slabs around the property might actually be quite frequent. Rather than relying on a supply of gasoline or a nearby power outlet, this mobile and immensely powerful hammer actually can surpass the productivity of its classical competitors.

A miter saw is one of the shop essentials that any DIYer or professional remodeler simply can't do without. These saws replace the antique charm of the miter box — an angle guide that offers manual cutting assistance for traditional woodworkers — and make repeatable angled cuts a standard capability. A good miter saw will offer a sliding blade housing that allows the user to cut through the entirety of a workpiece. It will also feature dual axis rotation that accommodates angular positioning left to right and along the vertical axis.

Miter saws have traditionally been tethered to a power outlet. They're big, bulky sawing units that demand ample power to make consistent chops throughout a day of use. However, Milwaukee's M18 Fuel range includes a battery operated 12-Inch Dual Bevel Sliding Compound Miter Saw that changes everything. The unit delivers the same power as a 15 amp, corded model and can bite through 330 cuts on a single battery charge. As a direct competitor to more traditional corded models, the M18 Fuel miter saw is lightweight (15% lighter than its competition) and features all the high tech inclusions that pros demand of their tools. A shadow cut line LED and adjustable stainless steel detent plate round out a fantastic saw that changes the conversation around battery-operated tools in a big way.

When thinking about forestry applications, battery power rarely comes to mind. The solid performance of traditional, gas-powered chainsaws is rarely contested by any other means of cutting through timber. Yet Milwaukee is again pushing the limits of what electrical power can achieve. The M18 Fuel range offers a variety of heavy power functionality, and the 20-Inch Dual Battery Chainsaw offered in the lineup is a shining example of just this precedent.

With two M18 batteries onboard, the M18 Fuel chainsaw powers through any kind of timber you might need to fell. A 15-inch section of ash can be sliced through in just 10 seconds with this chainsaw, compared to a 70cc competitor's 12 second time requirement (gas operated). Similarly, with the help of Milwaukee's most powerful XC Forge batteries, the unit can deliver 9.5 Nm of peak torque (and 5.8 peak horsepower), roughly double the 4.8 Nm of torque put out from a 70cc gasoline driven chainsaw. In virtually any scenario beyond deep backwoods operation, this Milwaukee offering eclipses the admitted versatility and immense power output of classically valuable chainsaws. Once again, an M18 Fuel tool is reimagining an entire industrial segment with a massively capable power tool operating off battery power alone.

Yet another classic gasoline powered juggernaut, the cut-off saw (sometimes called a consaw for its primary ability to cut through concrete) has predominantly relied on a gasoline tank to generate its voluminous cutting power. These tools are staples in the utilities management space and feature in the collections of major DIYers who live in areas that have typically built with concrete block or brick rather than timber framing.

However, the Milwaukee MX Fuel 14-Inch Cut-Off Saw (featuring Rapidstop technology) challenges this longstanding status quo. A change to electric power means that the tool doesn't rely on nearly as many moving parts that demand routine servicing. As a result, the consaw is more than capable of providing reliable cutting power for the long haul without issue. Similarly, Milwaukee claims that the Cut-Off Saw provides the same power expected from a 14-inch gasoline guzzler. Instant start (rather than a pull start system that requires a bit of lead time to kick off cutting tasks) and an elimination of gasoline engine emissions means that the saw can be used in enclosed spaces without additional personal and environmental safety concerns. A shift to electric power in this platform might not have seemed feasible until recently, but with the MX fuel lineup in full swing, the changeover means the same great performance without any of the drawbacks of a gasoline powered engine.

The table saw is a crucial piece of equipment on a typical jobsite or in the hands of a competent woodworker or carpenter. Whether you're a DIYer or a professional, owning a table saw allows for the long, straight cuts that so many different jobs demand. Combined with a miter saw, builders and remodelers are able to make both length-ways shave cuts and angled cross cuts to produce most of the sizing work required to create or refurbish just about anything. But like the miter saw, table saws have long relied on cabled power to operate. With such a high velocity blade that makes lengthy, demanding cuts through a workpiece, corded power was the only way to deliver reliable performance.

Milwaukee again takes this tool up a notch with the M18 Fuel 8-1/4-Inch Table Saw (featuring the brand's One Key tool management system and beating out its primary competitor in a head-to-head comparison). This battery powered table saw outputs the same power that a 15 amp corded saw generates and can handle a rip capacity of 24-1/2 inches, just a hair over a half sheet of plywood. On a single charge of a battery, the table saw delivers up to 600 linear feet of cutting capacity, proving that corded power is no longer the only way to go.

Mowing the lawn has historically demanded the overwhelming performance boost that gasoline power provides. A small lawn might have allowed a shrewd homeowner to utilize a plug-in electric model, but independent battery power has eluded the lawncare enthusiast and professionals until just recently.

One Milwaukee offering proves that it's become possible to incorporate reliable battery-powered performance in the lawn care space more than any other (although a number of great Milwaukee products do exist in the landscaping arena). The M18 Fuel 21-Inch Self-Propelled Dual Battery Mower is a stunning piece of equipment. Not only does this introduction rewrite the book on how lawn care can be performed, but the mower is capable of delivering a higher max torque output than a 200cc gas lawnmower. The electric framework gives this mower a lesser maintenance schedule than a typical gas-powered lawnmower requires, and its higher blade speed provides a supreme cut that shears through grass without binding up and ultimately damaging the integrity of the lawn. With a dual battery power source, the M18 Fuel lawnmower is capable of handling a half-acre plot when set to remove a 1-inch cutting of grass at the 3 MPH self-propelled speed. The mower offers a self-propelled range between 0 and 4 mph, accommodating any sort of operator's needs.

Anyone who has worked on their own driveway, foundation slabs, paver decking, or anything similar will be intimately familiar with the plate compactor. Whether you used a powered model or the trusty handheld compactor, you'll certainly know the value of a quality plate compactor. You may also recognize the typical power producer found in these heavy duty tools. Plate compactors tend to utilize gasoline engines to produce the immense hammering action necessary to pound down subsurface material in preparation for a top dressing or concrete pour. This device is used to slam down the top layer of material in order to densely compact it, adding weight-carrying strength in the process. As such, solid power stretched out over a long runtime is required for any plate compactor worth its salt.

Milwaukee's MX Fuel 20-Inch Plate Compactor delivers on the promises of the tool category. But it does so without the bulky and maintenance-heavy demands of the ICE engine that once powered virtually all of these tools. The push start button delivers immediate compaction capability and a single HD 12.0 Forge battery provides enough juice to cover a 5,000-square-foot work area. As is the case with other MX Fuel tools, the lack of a gasoline engine in a tool that has traditionally relied on this form of power means a reduction in environmental safety precautions. Not only will you cut out harmful emissions, but the battery powered tool can be used safely within interior work spaces.

The M18 Fuel Telescoping Pole Saw is another tool that seamlessly upgrades the typical homeowner's ability to manage their landscaping needs. Lengthy trimming arms are another key tool segment that has often been dominated by gasoline power in the past. As is the case with many of the tools found in the lawn care space, electricity, and especially battery powered tools, has often meant a reduction in power or a small handheld device only. Milwaukee's range turns this paradigm on its head in a big way, with the lawn mower, chainsaws, and the M18 Fuel Telescoping Pole Saw.

The pole saw can reach well up into the canopy of a tree without the use of a ladder or any other kind of height adjustment on the ground. This keeps your feet firmly planted, allowing for safe usage and confident trimming. The 2.3 horsepower peak output is more than capable of sawing through any kind of typical trimming tasks you might find in both a professional landscaping setting, or as a homeowner seeking to manage your own growth. The electric motor once again delivers near-instantaneous power output, reaching full throttle velocity of a 25 m/s chain speed in under a single second.v

Grass edging and trimming is another feature of lawn care that has typically required either a tethered connection to a wall outlet or the cordless power of a gasoline engine. But Milwaukee has once again introduced a battery powered solution that offers the best middle ground. Reducing reliance on gasoline combustion power is a valuable feature for homeowners and professional lawn care specialists looking to improve their workflow in the yard. Without the need to plug in, however, this tool provides ample range for tackling any edge work you might find around tight corners, sprinkler heads, or bushes and flower beds. The M18 Brushless String Trimmer provides a 16-inch cutting deck for widespread trimming needs, and the easy load head allows a user to change out the reel for a new 25-foot line in under 30 seconds.

When paired with a high output 8.0 M18 battery pack, the brushless trimmer is capable of producing a full hour of runtime, more than enough to manage a single lawn's edge work. It's almost certainly enough to give a pro landscaping team ample time to finish off a day's work around the corners and crannies as well, providing a real, functional alternative to the gas powered models of yesteryear.

Nailers have typically required the pneumatic pressure that comes from an air compressor located somewhere on the jobsite. Compressed air powers the nail into a work surface, giving it incredible fastening capabilities. But nailers run on connected air require a hose and occasionally need a power source, too. This creates a long mess of cabling that follows the user around their worksite, and it can potentially cause a bit of a hazard when working in teams — as is often the case in framing work and other sites where an air compressor and nailers might be in play.

The M18 Fuel 15 Gauge Finish Nailer cuts the cord and eliminates the needs to connect an air hose, as well. It's powered by a nitrogen air spring mechanism within the body of the tool, making for extreme fastening power in a small and unconnected package. The nailer is perfect for installing finishing trim work, and the 15 gauge size is more than capable of holding fast a range of larger project pieces, too. With its Powerstate Brushless motor (a staple among M18 Fuel tools), the finish nailer is able to provide users with "pneumatic-like nailing response with zero ramp-up time from nail to nail."