5 Milwaukee Tools That Are Compatible With One-Key

Running a professional construction job site isn't just about slinging tools around and comically dodging steel girders. It's a very in-depth, detail-oriented gig. Workers need to be in their proper places at the appropriate time, doing exactly what they're scheduled to do to keep the entire project on schedule. A big component of this process is making sure that all of the workers have immediate access to the tools they need.

However, we're all only human, and even hefty job site tools can get misplaced. If you're having trouble keeping a leash on your tools, then there's a system that can help, created by one of the giants of the tool industry, Milwaukee. Integrated into its higher-end tools like the M18 series, Milwaukee's One-Key system allows you to integrate tools into an entire digital library. This helps workers keep track of their whereabouts, record their usage, and fine-tune some of their functions. Not all Milwaukee tools have this feature integrated, though in many cases that can be remedied with Milwaukee standalone tick tool tracker tags. Here are some of the tools that do come ready to use the One-Key system and the additional features that allows.

The bread and butter of any good job site is a sturdy, reliable wrench. There are always at least a few nuts and bolts that need to be tightened or loosened as the job progresses, and if you use a motor-powered wrench, your workers will be spared some unnecessary wear and tear on their aching wrists. Milwaukee offers several battery-powered torque wrenches, but if you're looking to bring the art of wrenching into the modern age, you may be interested in the One-Key M12 Fuel Digital Torque Wrench.

This wrench features an entire onboard digital processor, which you can use to fine-tune the direction and level of force that's generated by the motor for all kinds of tightening and loosening applications. The computer keeps a record of the jobs you perform with the wrench, which ties into its One-Key functionality. With the One-Key app, you can not only track the location of the wrench, but also consult an up-to-date record of every fastener that it has been used on. This can be invaluable for inventory purposes, as well as keeping tabs on the general progression of a job.

When a regular wrench isn't quite sufficient for your fastening needs, that's when you'll want to bust out the impact wrench. A high-powered, impact motor can help put that extra bit of English on a stubborn bolt, as well as yank out any old nuts that need to be replaced. Milwaukee's M18 High Torque Impact Wrench can handle all of that with confidence, but that's not all that it's capable of — thanks to its One-Key integration.

When you're using this impact wrench normally, you kind of have to make an educated guess of how much force you're using, which can take some annoying trial and error. If you connect the One-Key app, though, your control over the tool increases exponentially. With the app, you can set the motor's speed and power parameters to convenient presets, or fine-tune them directly to get the perfect performance for you. Whatever you set it to, you can save those settings in up to four distinct profiles, which is great for passing the wrench around between workers or hitting subtly different jobs.

If ever there were an industrial tool that someone would be tempted to do something irresponsible with, it would probably be a jackhammer. The raw destructive power packed into a giant metal stake, vibrating at high speed, is definitely not something you can casually trust just anyone with. Of course, any professional hired to use such a thing probably wouldn't do anything untoward, but if you want to make sure, you can grab the One-Key equipped MX Fuel Demolition Breaker.

Like any other tool equipped with One-Key functionality, a manager with the One-Key app can track the current location and usage of the demolition breaker through its saved profile. More importantly, though, if you believe that someone is using the demolition breaker improperly — or worse, that it's been stolen for some nefarious purpose — you can use the One-Key app to enact a remote lockout. Until the manager with the app says otherwise, the demolition breaker cannot be powered up or used, providing plenty of time to track it down and give whoever swiped it a stern talking-to.

The entire purpose of the One-Key system is to make your Milwaukee tools compatible with an internet-of-things (IoT) framework, granting greater connectivity and control to your electronic devices even when you're not right next to them. One of the classic applications of such technology is allowing you to control the lights in your home with a connected smartphone. Of course, job sites need reliable illumination as well, so if you want to light the whole place up quickly, you can use a One-Key-ready M18 Radius Compact Site Light.

This discrete work light provides more than enough illumination to brighten up a nighttime job site, and it can be safely placed or hung up just about anywhere long term. Normally, you would have to manually switch on this kind of lantern every time you need light, but with the One-Key app, you can remotely activate it from up to 100 feet away. Whenever night starts to fall, just whip out your phone, tap a button, and you can see your work clearly again.

You might think that some of the larger tools don't need to be tracked as carefully as something handheld. Surely, something like a large-scale power supply, which is so large that it needs to be wheeled around, wouldn't need more than a casual glance to track down. However, even something as large as a power supply, when it's been sitting in one spot and doing its job for a while, can start to fade into the background and slip your mind. If you need a power supply you can keep tabs on, Milwaukee's One-Key-ready Roll-On Power Supply can accommodate you.

With the One-Key Bluetooth network, you can pinpoint the power supply's approximate location on a job site at any time. Since it has wheels, you can pick it up and wheel it over to whoever needs it next without throwing out your back. That's not all, though. Through the One-Key app, you can also connect directly to the power supply and customize its power usage options. If, for example, you want to make sure the entire power supply isn't drained by one person, you can tinker with the charge rate options to expand or limit the flow of electricity to devices connected to its outlets.