5 Milwaukee Power Tools So Strange, We Can't Help But Want Them
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Milwaukee is one of the world's most well-known and respected tool manufacturers. The company has made hundreds of different power tools used across multiple different industries, from woodworking and construction to landscaping and automotive repair. Most of them are the kinds of items you'd see on the shelves of your local hardware store, alongside nearly identical tools from Makita, Bosch, and DeWalt. Still, some of them were designed for particular use cases.
Of course, Milwaukee still makes drills, saws, and other more standard, general-use power tools, but the company specializes in taking tools that traditionally require gas or plug-in electrical power and making them battery-operated. Milwaukee has an impressive line-up of swappable batteries, making it easy for do-it-yourselfers to power all their equipment using a single system of batteries and chargers.
All of their tools serve a purpose, but adding this remote power capability to some of them can be so unexpectedly useful that it's hard not to notice. Other manufacturers, like Ryobi, also have some strange tools in their inventory (particularly the new USM Lithium tools). Still, it's definitely worth taking a look at some of Milwaukee's inventory. Here are five tools from the company that are so strange we can't help but want them.
M12 FTB-0 12V Tire Buffer
The M12 FUEL Low Speed Tire Buffer is a handheld rotary tool that's specifically designed for repairing flat tires. It uses a half-dome grinding bit to clean out damaged areas inside flat tires so that they can be repaired. Pneumatic tools that do this already exist, but the M12 FUEL Tire Buffer being cordless makes it portable and easier to maneuver into hard-to-reach places. It also makes it an excellent choice for hobbyists who may prefer electric tools to air-powered systems. It runs on a 12-volt 4.0Ah REDLITHIUM-Ion rechargeable battery.
According to the Milwaukee website, "The tire buffer has the capability to complete passenger, light truck, and commercial flat tire repairs with ease. With a 2-Mode Drive Control, costly mistakes can be avoided as users are able to perform consistent flat tire repairs due to a dedicated Buffing and Drilling mode." It has an easy-to-hold, cylindrical design with a front light and a safety release on the side.
It might not be the only tire buffer on the market, but it's unique. It's certainly something to consider for any auto mechanics looking for more portable solutions for their restoration projects.
M12 12v Sub Compact Soldering Iron
Most people don't think of soldering irons as power tools, but it's a necessary instrument for electrical repair. How many soldering projects have been ruined by a rogue power cable knocking the wires you're trying to connect loose from the circuit board? Clumsy cables are definitely something worth avoiding when dealing with molten metal. This is another example where the tool itself isn't anything new, but Milwaukee has put its own twist on the design by making it battery-powered. The M12 Soldering Iron is compatible with the same battery packs used in other products in the M12 line.
The handle rotates, which is convenient for allowing the tool to reach difficult areas, like when doing automotive repairs. Milwaukee also claims that it can heat up in just 18 seconds. It has a lighting system: green to indicate when the tip is ready to use and red when it is still hot, so you know when it's safe to put it away. It has a swappable tip. The regular version only comes with a pointed tip, but an alternate version includes a chisel tip.
This is particularly nice for any outdoor soldering you might be doing, as you won't need to worry about running an extension cord to wherever your project is.
M12 Stick Transfer Pump
Anyone who has ever had to deal with flooding knows what a pain it can be to drain water. All sorts of debris can float unseen beneath the surface, just waiting to clog up the pump. Milwaukee's M12 Stick Transfer Pump has the company's trademarked 360-degree HydroPass filter, designed to prevent clogs while maintaining a strong pull even in water full of heavy debris. "Compatible with all of our M12 REDLITHIUM Batteries," Milwaukee says, "this pump keeps you productive, effortlessly pumping up to 9 gallons per minute and 275 gallons [on a single charge]."
The transfer pump has a 36" submersible aluminum barrel to make reaching the bottom of deep reservoirs and trenches easy. It has a 3/4" outlet compatible with most garden hoses. The battery-powered design also makes it easy to use one-handed, which is useful for controlling the outflow of water or for sticking your arm down a hole to reach the reservoir you're trying to drain.
M18 FUEL 3-in-1 Backpack Vacuum
We all know what a shop vac looks like. They're big, ungainly things on plastic wheels that love to get tangled and make you trip over their hoses and extension cords. It can be even more frustrating to try and use one for simple spot cleaning if you have it hooked up to any sort of dust collection system.
Milwaukee has a new approach: the M18 FUEL 3-in-1 Cordless Backpack Vacuum. This lightweight vacuum is another device that uses Milwaukee's patented battery technology. Its unique mobility is what makes this backpack vac so unique. Not only do you not have to drag the body of a giant shop vac around your workshop floor, but the lack of a power cord also makes it easy to vacuum out your car in the driveway or do some quick cleanup on a job site.
According to Milwaukee's page for the device, "The POWERSTATE Brushless Motor and cyclonic design deliver up to 2X more suction power than traditional job site vacs, allowing users to efficiently tackle common jobsite debris like drywall dust, concrete dust, and wood/metal shavings." On top of all that, the vacuum comes with a "flexible hose, telescoping extension wand, floor tool, crevice tool, HEPA filter, and dust extraction adapter." The company also claims that the vacuum only reaches 76 dB(A), considerably quieter than most shop vacs.
MX FUEL ROCKET Tower Light
If you've ever worked on a job site, you know the importance of good lighting. Light is vital both to making sure jobs are done correctly and safely. Milwaukee has a product to shed some light on things called the MX FUEL ROCKET Tower Light. This portable 10' lighting solution has an incredibly unique design. It can either be plugged in or run cordless, drawing power from an MX FUEL REDLITHIUM XC406 battery pack that Milwaukee promises will run up to 10 hours on a single charge. That can be immensely useful when working in an area that doesn't have immediate access to electricity.
The design is completely collapsable, making it easy to move around as needed. The lights are on a telescoping mount that can collapse into the base. This can then be rolled on built-in wheels to whichever location you need illuminated next. "Once it is in place, 4 outriggers can quickly be deployed to provide more stability on uneven surfaces," the Milwaukee website states. "The four multidirectional LED light heads give you the ability to cast up to 27,000 lumens of TRUEVIEW High Definition Output in several directions." These lights are also built to stand up to harsh weather conditions. Milwaukee has stated that these LEDs never need to be replaced and that the company's lifetime warranty backs them.