6 Lesser-Known Milwaukee Tools That Any Homeowner Would Find Useful

For as rewarding as homeownership truly is, it also comes with a saddle full of responsibilities with a seemingly never-ending list of chores to perform in and around the house to keep things in order. The right tool can make a world of difference in the efficiency and ease of your tasks, and few companies produce tools on the same caliber as Milwaukee.

For many, the name Milwaukee instantly conjures up images of heavy-duty drills, impact drivers, grinders, saws, and other sophisticated power tools. It's easy to see why, as the brand's lineup has consistently proven to be durable and efficient enough to handle the roughest professional environments, helping Milwaukee amass a reputation as one of the best power tool brands on the market. But if you think these are Milwaukee's only helpful set of items, think again. The famed equipment manufacturer carries no shortage of lesser-known products that, once you learn of their capabilities, you'll wonder how you went so long without. 

This list will look into six of these overlooked tools, with each product picked based on a combination of their usefulness, price, and reception from users. More about the methodology behind this list can be found at the end of this article. 

Chances are wherever you live gets hit by its fair share of nasty heat during the summer months. In these instances, it's hard to turn down a tool that will help you stay cool, especially if you have to work in the midst of such extreme temperatures. Designed to be used in heavy-duty construction sites and similar professional environments, the Milwaukee M18 18V Cordless Packout Jobsite Fan is a great pick that delivers on power and durability. 

Powering this fan is interchangeable Milwaukee's M18 battery that you may already have on hand for your other Milwaukee power tools. So long as the battery is well-charged, there's no need to rely on clunky cords or hard-to-reach outlets. On a full battery and depending on its speed setting, the fan can run for up to 6.5 hours and reach wind speeds of 20.5 mph. It's similarly versatile in the ways you can position its 300-degree rotating head and transport it, as it is compatible with Milwaukee's Packout line of interlocking tools and storage solutions. 

These qualities and more have allowed this to become a favorite among buyers. It has currently amassed a perfect five-star average rating from over 100 Home Depot customers, a rarity for products even as solid as this, with users praising its versatile setting options and surprising level of quietness. It currently goes for $129 at the retailer. 

Flashlights are a necessity in just about any household, as tools that can both help you see in dark crevices and corners as well as aid in emergencies when there are power outages. However, some situations call for a tool with more power and versatility such as the Milwaukee M12 Rover Service and Repair Flood Light. 

This compact little light can deliver as much as 700 lumens of light, far beyond the 100 lumen output of most traditional flashlights. Adding to this, its head can be pivoted 120 degrees and the tool itself can be magnetically mounted to nearby metal surfaces, allowing for easy use even when your hands are preoccupied elsewhere. This combination gives these flood lights a great amount of versatility, whether you're investigating your backyard after the sun goes down, looking under the hood of your car, or checking your fuse box during a blackout. It's also extremely durable, with an IP54 dust and water resistance rating, while also being resistant to drops from up to nine feet.

This is another highly-rated Milwaukee product, sporting a 4.9-star average rating based on more than 1,000 reviews. It has proven its worth in commercial and home settings alike, with many loving its long-lasting battery life, durability, and overall convenience. You can currently but it from The Home Depot for $59.

Milwaukee may not typically be in conversation as one of the best vacuum brands out there, but you may be surprised to learn that it actually carries its fair share of capable dust suckers. And it's not only hefty shop vacs that you'll find, as Milwaukee even carries a number of home vacuum cleaners that many may find handy. The Bagless M18 18V Cordless HEPA Compact Handheld Vacuum from Milwaukee is no exception to this, and could in fact be the most versatile of the bunch. 

While traditional home vacuums stand as the best way to give your house a well-rounded clean, a smaller tool such as this is ideal for accessing corners, crevices, and other tough-to-reach areas. Made to used in jobsites, the vacuum excels at gathering up rough pieces of debris such as metal shavings, wire scraps, and bits of concrete, making it more than suited for tackling most common household messes. Inside the vacuum is a dynamic motor powered by Milwaukee's M18 batteries and a HEPA filter that gathers up minute particles with ease. The vacuum also comes with a variety of accessories including a crevice tool, a 4-foot hose, and two extension wands. 

On The Home Depot's website, it sports a 4.2 out of five-star rating from over 1,300 customers. Many have praised its suction and compact size, although some have experienced issues with its attachments, as well as power problems while the vacuum is in use. The tool on its own can be purchased for $129 at Home Depot. 

Pumping air into a tire, pool, or sports ball may appear to be an effortless task, but it's easier to mess up than you might imagine. Filling items with too little air can bring about unwanted deflation, while too much air can cause stress to the item and structural damage. Having a Milwaukee M18 18V Cordless Electric Portable Inflator among your house's tool collection is a great way to avoid such issues. This device is made to inflate household items with precision while not requiring loads of time on your end. 

What sets this apart from similar products is the accuracy of its capabilities. While you should still be familiar with the PSI requirements of your tires or other inflatable items, the inflator's TrueFill system allows you to preset your PSI ratings and have the device remember them so it always stays within those parameters when in use. That means it will only fill until it reaches the air pressure you set up, and automatically stop once it's hit that number. You can even leave it alone to do the job without worrying if it will under or over inflate your tires. 

As of this writing, the Milwaukee M18 Cordless Inflator has a 4.8-star rating average from over 2,700 Home Depot buyers. Outside of a handful of complaints regarding minor air pressure inconsistencies, it's been largely loved for its speed and automated features. You can purchase it from the retailer for $179. 

While not every household needs an unwieldy chainsaw to cut down trees and make firewood, many will need something that can sufficiently cut through overgrown plants and branches invading their backyards. Easy to handle and surprisingly powerful for its size, the Milwaukee M12 Fuel 6-inch 12V Brushless Electric Cordless Battery Pruning Saw is a great pick for gardeners seeking a compact tool with some punch. 

Coming in at 6 inches long and 5 pounds, this saw is greatly equipped to access tight, hard-to-reach spaces that would otherwise be impossible for a regular-sized chainsaw. Additionally, it is easier and safer to handle than its larger counterparts. But don't let that size fool you, as this is still a sufficiently powerful device. Powered by a rugged brushless motor, it possesses the ability to make as many as 120 cuts on a full charge and go through up to 3 inches of material. Furthermore, you can alter its speed settings through the use of a variable trigger. Other interesting control settings include an automatic oiler for chain lubrication and a tensioner that lets you fine-tune the chain tension. 

Those with appropriately-scaled needs have found great use out of this pruning saw, as have the majority of buyers who rated it 4.8 stars on average. It's wide range of features do come with a hefty $199 price tag, so make sure this is an investment you'll make the best out of. 

Sometimes, with everything that is required to take care of a household, it's easy to forget some of the simpler tools that are needed for your regular tasks. The Milwaukee Fastback Folding Utility Knife may not have the bells and whistles of the more high-powered products on this list, but it's nevertheless bound to come in handy in more situations than one. 

From opening boxes to slicing food to cutting drywall, there's no shortage of places where this blade can't go. Its design is made to be easy to open and close through a simple press and flip component that requires only one hand to operate. The blade is sharp and durable enough to take on a wide array of tasks, and the tool comes with safety features to prevent accidental cuts or injury when not in use. It also comes with five additional blades for quick and easy replacement. At just under 7 inches in total length, the utility knife is easy to handle and transport, aided by a clip that can attach to belts, pockets, and bags with ease. 

With a 4.7-star rating average based on over 1,100 reviews, the Milwaukee Fastback Folding Utility Knife has been widely enjoyed by users, who appreciate its surprising strength and storage features, although some state that it could use a boost in durability. It's an extremely affordable tool as well, costing only $12.97. 

Plenty of time and consideration went into deciding what would be on this list. Knowing that the needs of homeowners are all different, we did our best to include as wide an array of items as possible that could apply to various situations, all while hitting certain shared qualities. Every item was chosen based on a variety of objective factors as well as our own judgement as buyers to best determine if they were worthy of a recommendation. 

We first looked at each tool's overall functionality and versatility. This required inspecting each item's primary purpose and determining if they would be suitable for most household needs. Tools that sported with a range of functions or additional accessories were a plus, as they would appeal to a wider range of homeowners than a more specialized item. 

We then judged if the price of each item. While a good few of the products on this list are over the $100 mark, we did our best to ensure that everything came in at an accessible cost while also having its price accurately reflect its respective features and functions. From there, we looked at the reception from buyers to make a final judgement. We only sought tools that sported high overall average ratings, although we still made sure to look through as many individual reviews as possible to get a good idea of the pros and cons experienced by actual buyers.