Is The Milwaukee Rapid Charger Worth It? Here's How Much Faster It Charges

When building out a battery-powered tool arsenal, there's far more to consider than which exact tools you need. Brand and price are important factors, in addition to the build quality and power of the tools you're seeking to buy. For many frequent tool users, Milwaukee has become a standout by these metrics over the years, with some of its tools proving that going cordless doesn't necessarily mean losing power. Of course, the tools themselves don't get very far without strong batteries behind them, giving them the ability to get a wide array of jobs done.

These days, Milwaukee tools rely on different types of its Redlithium batteries, including the not easily interchangeable M12 and M18, as well as the MX Fuel lines. Each comes with varying levels of power, longevity, and durability, lending themselves to different tools and use cases. Naturally, the thing they all share is that, at some point or another, they'll have to recharge. Speaking specifically to the M12 and M18 lines, if you don't want to wait around forever for your near-depleted batteries to charge up on a standard charger, Milwaukee has come up with some solutions. The most heavy-duty is the Super Charger, which is said to charge up to four times faster than a standard charger. Alongside it is the slightly less quick, yet still speedier than the standard option, Rapid Charger.

Milwaukee offers several Rapid Charger options, including the Milwaukee M12 and M18 battery Rapid Charger, the Milwaukee M12 and M18 six-bay rapid charge station, and the Milwaukee M18 dual-bay simultaneous Rapid Charger, to name a few. This variety is great, but how much faster can you actually expect your Milwaukee batteries to charge with a Rapid Charger? 

To get the best idea of just how much time you'll save on battery charging with a Milwaukee Rapid Charger, it's worth comparing it to those of standard chargers. For instance, for an M12 battery like the M12 High Output XC5.0, you're looking at a charge time of around 105 minutes with a regular standard charger. That same battery can get a full charge in around 75 minutes when on a Rapid Charger. This puts into perspective just how much faster a Rapid Charger really is. You might still be waiting a bit, but a half-hour faster is nothing to scoff at.

Moving over to M18 variety of battery, we see more impressive reductions in charging time. The XC5.0 can take up to 105 minutes to get a full charge on a standard charger. Put it on a Rapid Charger, though, and you're looking at an estimated charge time of around 60 minutes. Even the standout Forge XC6.0 sees a significantly dropped charge time when placed on a Rapid Charger. Standard charger time for it is around 115 minutes, with the Rapid Charger bringing that down to about 62 minutes.

These charging times are pretty noticeable improvements, especially for the price. A regular M12 and M18 multi-voltage charger typically costs around $79.00, and the Rapid Charger version sits in the $99.00 neighborhood. Still, that's not to say that a Rapid Charger is a must for every Milwaukee user out there.

User testimonies regarding Milwaukee's Rapid Chargers seem to be somewhat mixed. On one hand, there are those who are happy with their Rapid Chargers and have found them more efficient than standard ones. Some users have even expressed the belief that the Rapid Charger charged their batteries twice as fast as a regular one. Meanwhile, others online mentioned not seeing much of a difference in charging times in their experience, some going on to report issues. An anonymous user on the Milwaukee website said, "This rapid charger only lasted 6 months, never abused or wet." Other cases mention their unit undercharging their batteries or giving off a burning smell when in use.

With all of this in mind, is a Milwaukee Rapid Charger right for you? That depends on how badly you need batteries charged up faster. Only owning one or two batteries that drain quickly while you work or take care of jobs around the house, prompting lengthy waiting periods for them to charge, could justify one. Alternatively, running a job site where multiple Milwaukee tools are in use at a given time, and charging is pretty constant could make one a need. As for those that have numerous Milwaukee batteries or use the few they do have pretty infrequently and casually, you can probably get by without one for the time being.

At the end of the day, Milwaukee's Rapid Chargers appear to live up to their namesake, refilling batteries at comparatively faster speeds. It's just the other potential issues you'd have to keep an eye out for. If it does break, there's hope that the Milwaukee warranty hasn't reached its end just yet.