These Battery Adapters Could Simplify Your Milwaukee Tool Needs And Save You Money
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Originally established in 1924, Milwaukee Tools sells a variety of reliable power tools and is the preferred brand for many people's home improvement needs. With a long history and ever-improving cordless tool line, different Milwaukee power tool battery variations have come and gone, creating a unique issue for people with older Milwaukee power tools. The problem? Older power tools may not take the newest batteries.
After all, battery efficiency goes down over time, and this is especially true when speaking on the older V18 batteries compared to Milwaukee's more modern options. Third-party power tool battery adapters enable people to use the latest batteries by modifying older tools to accept the new line.
Using some of these adapters could save you money, especially if you're in a pinch and have many older Milwaukee tools in the garage that you just can't use. All of these battery adapters are affordable, and we've selected ones with high ratings across the board. Keep in mind that none of the following suggestions are official Milwaukee products and come with their own risks. More information about our selection criteria can be found at the end of this article.
What are Milwaukee battery adapters, and are they safe?
Power tool battery adapters enable people to swap different battery types for incompatible tools. As Milwaukee M12, M18, and MX FUEL lines are mostly available at hardware stores, your prior tools in the V18 Lithium-Ion line can become completely useless, as the new batteries don't fit the old tools. Some choose to use Milwaukee battery adapters rather than buy an entirely new set of expensive M18 or MX FUEL power tools.
In addition to making older tools compatible with a new line of batteries, battery adapters also make lower-voltage tools work with higher-voltage batteries, thus generating more power for the tool. This can come in handy in cases of V8 tools, where the power output isn't enough. In some cases, it can also make M12 tools compatible with M18 or MX FUEL batteries.
It is important to note that there are dangers associated with using battery adapters, as these tools are meant for specific voltages. Using a higher-voltage battery could overheat the tool, resulting in potential fires. It could also wear down the engine faster as the tool is rated for a specific voltage. Lastly, there's a possibility that the battery adapter just won't work for what you're trying to do. That said, being able to buy a few $20 adapters is much cheaper than replacing all the power tools in your shed, so it may be worth trying, depending on your situation.
BTRUI for Dyson V8 Battery Adapter for Milwaukee M18
The BTRUI Battery Adapter is made specifically to improve the power of the Dyson V8 vacuum cleaner. Though the Dyson V8 Vaccum Cleaner has 4.4 out of five stars on Amazon, one of the main complaints about the cordless device is that it lacks power. The BTRUI Battery Adapter costs $24.99 on Amazon and is compatible with Milwaukee M18 18V batteries. The BTRUI battery adapter is compatible with the following Dyson models:
- Dyson V8 Absolute Vacuum
- V8 Animal Vacuum
- V8 Fluffy Vacuum
- V8 Motorhead Vacuum
- V8 Hand-held Series Vacuum Cleaner
- V8 SV10 Vacuum Cleaner
- V8 Animal Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner
A Milwaukee M18 battery makes the vacuum more powerful, and the battery naturally lasts longer than the Dyson V8 battery. In addition, while the device adds bulk to the overall vacuum's form factor and weighs 15.2 ounces, using it should be cheaper than replacing your cordless vacuum for inadequate battery performance. Overall, the adapter is rated 4.4 out of five stars and has been praised for its easy setup.
Alian Adapter Converter for Milwaukee M18 18V Battery to Milwaukee V18
The Alian Adapter Converter enables people to use the new Milwaukee M18 batteries with old V18 tools in the Milwaukee tool line. This tool is especially useful if you have a bunch of older V18 tools, but the batteries are drained or don't work as well as they used to due to battery cell degradation.
Also, the M18 18V batteries are notoriously better and have a better reputation than the V18 line, which is often cited as underpowered. So, the Alian adapter might be worth it regardless of whether you still own V18 tools. The Alian Adapter Converter is compatible with the following Milwaukee tools using the following battery types:
- V18 48-11-1830
- V18 48-11-2230
- V18 48-11-2232
- V18 48-11-2200
- B18, BXL18, BXS18
- MX18
- MXM18
- MXS18
The Alian Adapter Converter only costs around $19 on Amazon and maintains a 4.5 out of five-star rating, with most users reporting that it works with older Milwaukee tools.
POWHAZY Converter for Milwaukee M18 to M12 Battery Adapter
Without a power adapter, Milwaukee M18 and M12 tools are exclusive to its line, so you can't use an M18 battery with an M12 tool, but The POWHAZY Converter changes that. The POWHAZY Converter is one of the better-rated adapters to do this on Amazon and costs $23.99. The converter works on both Milwaukee M18 18V batteries and Milwaukee 12V power tools.
In total, this battery adapter is lighter, weighing only 6.2 ounces, but will still add some bulk at 4.8 x 4.57 x 4.02 inches. The product currently maintains a 4.6 out of five-star rating on Amazon with a little over 300 overall reviews.
Though the description says the converter also works for DeWalt 20V batteries, negative reviews have said they drain the batteries quickly, so it might be best to avoid this adapter for those purposes. Modern batteries have complex digital management and other features that aren't synchronistic across brands, so there is potential for unintended effects when mixing and matching power tool battery brands and tools.
Selection methodology
Milwaukee is well-known among home improvement enthusiasts for reliability and durability. Most Milwaukee cordless power tools are reviewed highly, with the latest M18 line offering better battery power and life than previous Milwaukee power tools. All the power adapters on this list maintain a 4.4 out of five-star rating or higher on Amazon and have been praised for their compatibility with Milwaukee power tools and ease of use.