10 New Milwaukee Tools For Your Garage And Yard In 2024
Milwaukee Tools is a company that has inspired loyalty among users in many trades for years — in fact, 2024 marks 100 years of history for the toolmaker. The company has often spoken of its commitment to tradespeople, and is proud of its reinvention of itself as a problem solver for workers in the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing trades. This renewed focus has resulted in many new tools, as well as new ways to power those products.
Milwaukee Pipeline is an online trade show that the toolmaker has been presenting since 2020; the most recent installment dropped earlier this year and features over 100 new tools. New products for landscaping, construction, and automotive applications debuted, as well as tools any homeowner would be happy to have around the house or garage. We've focused on 10 diverse new Milwaukee products that would be at home in professional or DIY settings, although Milwaukee's tools do lean towards professional applications in many cases.
We've provided links for purchasing these new Milwaukee tools where available, and approximate release dates for tools that haven't yet hit shelves.
Milwaukee MX Fuel Redlithium Forge HD12.0 Battery and Super Charger
Milwaukee introduced the Redlithium Forge batteries and superchargers in 2023 and recently added HD12.0 batteries to that lineup. The new batteries offer double the runtime of the MX Fuel batteries, along with double the charge capacity of the XC6.0 battery, and double the capability for high-powered or constantly running equipment like the tools we'll be covering. These batteries are also coated for use on construction sites and in foul weather.
Even the charger has seen upgrades, with the Super Charger utilizing the battery's Cool Charge tech to bring cool air into the battery during recharging while actively removing hot air from the battery pack. The result is a battery that charges faster — only 65 minutes for the HD12.0 — and is ready for use immediately after charging.
The Super Charger also utilizes Milwaukee's Redlink tech, which provides overload protection and optimized tool performance, as well as One-Key. One-Key is a Bluetooth-based system that can help track tool locations, and it's integrated in most of the tools on our list. The One-Key system and its free app allow for document backup, tool customization, inventory management, and more — you can even remotely disable tools that have gone missing.
The Milwaukee MX Fuel Redlithium Forge HD12.0 Battery/ Super Charger Expansion Kit is available at tool retailers like The Home Depot and others.
Milwaukee MX Fuel Portable Battery Extension
While we're on the subject of batteries, this handy little tool provides some relief for users who need a lighter load. After all, while it makes some of the best cordless tools in the industry, those battery packs are no joke. The company's MX Fuel Redlithium Forge HD12.0 battery packs weigh over 13 pounds each, with some tools requiring a pair of battery packs for best performance. That's a lot of extra weight to pack onto tools that can already come in at over 150 pounds.
However, Milwaukee is a toolmaker that keeps user comfort in mind — after all, it recently released several PPE inserts and power tools designed to keep users cool on the job site. In keeping with that mindset, the Milwaukee MX Fuel Portable Battery Extension is a backpack-style harness fitted with an adapter that locks the battery pack in place, distributing the weight of the pack to the back of the user rather than the arms. The lighter load means less fatigue for the user and more portability for those larger tools.
The adapter can also be detached from the harness, and the included 8-foot tether makes the extension ideal for keeping a battery on the ground, rather than physically attached to a tool. The adapter also has a built-in handle for increased portability, allowing users a handy way to move heavy battery packs around the job site without needing to carry them during tool usage. While it's not yet for sale at the time of publishing, Milwaukee has stated that the MX Fuel Portable Battery Extension will be available in Q2 of 2024.
Milwaukee M18 Fuel Quick-Lok Reciprocator Attachment
The 2024 Pipeline presentation showed that Milwaukee is determined to provide professional landscapers with the specialty equipment they need, with a number of new tools for that trade. Dual-battery backpack blowers, telescoping pruning shears, and high-powered string trimmers were all introduced with folks who use outdoor power equipment for a living in mind. In addition, Milwaukee is continuing to support its popular Quik-Lok line of attachments for its M18 Fuel Power Head. This versatile system provides a diverse lineup of lawn care tools, all connected by a split boom that hooks into the Power Head and is powered by the same Milwaukee M18 Fuel battery used in other Milwaukee handheld tools. These new attachments join Milaukee's great lineup of yardwork products.
Five new attachments were announced. One of the coolest is the Quik-Lok Reciprocator Attachment, a dual-blade system that can quickly clear brush up to a half-inch thick while controlling thrown debris, saving both the user and any unfortunate passersby from thrown lawn waste. Other new attachments include a blower, hedge trimmer, bed redefiner, and cultivator. Overall, the M18 Fuel Quik-Lok system now includes over a dozen attachments for its Power Head, allowing even those with minimal storage space to take advantage of a range of outdoor power equipment, all powered by Milwaukee's M18 battery system.
The Milwaukee M18 Fuel Quik-Lok Reciprocator Attachment, as well as the whole lineup of Quik-Lok tools, is available at The Home Depot and other retailers.
Milwaukee M18 Fuel ½ High Torque Impact Wrench
Impact wrenches are often a source of debate among mechanics, whether they're professionals or home hobbyists. Some technicians swear by their trusty air-powered impact guns, while many others lean towards battery-powered wrenches. Air tools are lighter, cost less, and until recently were far more powerful. Battery-powered tools are much more portable and, thanks to battery improvements, they're starting to match air tools in power. If you're a home mechanic looking for a Milwaukee tool to fit in a cramped garage, battery-powered tools could make all the difference.
As one of the most respected names in power tools, Milwaukee has developed a devout following among professional automotive technicians and home hobbyists. The company's latest addition to its lineup of powerful impact wrenches is its M18 Fuel ½" High Torque Impact Wrench, which boasts 900 ft-lbs of fastening torque and 1100 ft-lbs of nut-busting power — perfect for those rusted-on lug nuts that always seem to appear when customers are ready to swap out their cold, snow-covered winter tires.
Innovations included in this impact wrench include a trio of LED lights around the anvil, getting some light into tight spots, and a handy auto shutoff that limits fastening torque to 50 ft-lbs for those times when users need hand-tight force but don't have a torque wrench handy. At only 7.3 inches long, this powerful tool can get into snug areas with ease.
The Milwaukee M18 Fuel ½" High Torque Impact Wrench is available at tool dealers like Acme Tools.
Milwaukee MX Fuel 20 Plate Compactor
The advances Milwaukee has made in its battery technology have allowed for some pretty impressive developments. One of the most jarring is the introduction of traditionally gas-powered construction equipment, now offered with battery-powered alternatives. These new tools offer comparable performance without the kinds of problems that come with gas-powered tools, like engine maintenance, fuel availability, noise, and emissions.
Milwaukee's push into battery-powered construction equipment includes heavy-duty products like the MX Fuel 20" Plate Compactor. The company claims this cordless compactor can finish the same job as its gas-powered equivalent in half the time — 3000 linear feet for pipeline or foundational work, or 5000 square feet for more traditional plate compactor uses. It's even got a reverse function, a rarity among comparable plate compactors.
Speed options allow for better accuracy around corners and higher speeds for quicker work on straightaways. The tool also features a fold-down handle that locks in place for portability and storage, and the included pair of RedLithium Forge HD 12.0 batteries provide 35 minutes of runtime each, with the Milwaukee Super Charger providing a recharged battery pack in just over an hour.
The Milwaukee MX Fuel 20" Plate Compactor Kit is available online at Acme Tools and other dealers.
Milwaukee MX Fuel Rocket Dual Power Compact Tower Light Kit
Looking at Milwaukee's lighting lineup, it's hard to argue with the company's claim it offers the industry's most extensive range of high-output lighting. The toolmaker offers everything from huge towers that can illuminate an overnight job to headlight bands that allow workers to see and be seen from a quarter-mile away.
If one has already bought into the MX Fuel battery line, the upgrade to the Milwaukee MX Fuel Rocket Dual Power Compact Tower Light is a no-brainer. Offering over five times the output of its M18-powered baby brother, this tower light covers over 2300 square feet with up to 15000 lumens of bright light. It's also incredibly portable, as its seven-foot-tall lighting tower telescopes down in seconds and is compatible with Milwaukee's Packout modular storage system. And with three hours of high-intensity light or ten hours at low power, this tower will keep a job site illuminated as long as you're willing to keep working. There's even a plug-in option — hence the "dual power" in the name — if those MX Fuel batteries are needed elsewhere.
The Milwaukee MX Fuel Rocket Dual Power Compact Tower Light Kit will be available in the third quarter of 2024 per Milwaukee.
Milwaukee M18 Fuel 21 Self-Propelled Dual Battery Mower
Tradition is often the enemy of progress, and there are always going to be some folks who just assume that a battery-powered lawn mower can't possibly compare to their trusty Craftsman gas guzzler. To those holdouts, Milwaukee simply offers up a handful of facts to back up the new addition to its lineup of outdoor power equipment.
When compared to a 200cc gas mower, the Milwaukee M18 Fuel 21" Self-Propelled Dual Battery Mower provides more maximum torque, faster blade speeds, lower noise output, easier height adjustment, and the benefit of instant throttle response. On a single charge using a pair of M18 Redlithium High Output HD12.0 batteries, this beast can run for 45 minutes while removing 1 ½ inches of heavy grass, or 90 minutes performing a light ½ inch trim on a well-manicured lawn.
The mower comes with everything one would expect, including a grass bag, mulch plug, and side discharge chute. While batteries are not included with the mower, the M18 Redlithium High Output HD12.0 batteries recommended by the manufacturer are compatible with over 250 Milwaukee products, which should make deciding to switch to a battery-powered mower a little easier for Milwaukee tool stalwarts.
The Milwaukee M18 Fuel 21" Self-Propelled Dual Battery Mower is available at tool stores like The Home Depot.
Milwaukee Roll-On 7200w/3600w 2.5kWh Power Supply
Portable generators provide temporary power when one needs it most — at powerless job sites, on outdoor adventures, or simply as backup power at home — and virtually every major hardware brand makes a generator. However, most generators cause some headaches as well — the gas-powered nature of most of these devices requires proper ventilation, and the noise they produce can be a big distraction to both users and others, especially in public settings. It can be hard to pick the right portable generator for your home.
Powered by an internal REDLITHIUM 2.5kWh battery, the Milwaukee Roll-On 7200w/3600w 2.5kWh Power Supply is a weatherproof power inverter that provides 7200 watts of startup power and 3600 watts of continuous power to run a pair of devices via two traditional outlets. It can also charge Milwaukee batteries and USB-powered devices at the same, while the outlets are in use, and all of that can even be done while the unit itself is charging, too.
A built-in handle and roll cage will protect the power supply in harsh conditions and keep the unit portable, and the tool's charger provides a full charge in under 3 ½ hours, or a 25% charge in about an hour. It's compatible with Milwaukee's Packout system, as well.
The Milwaukee Roll-On 7200w/3600w 2.5kWh Power Supply is scheduled for release in September 2024.
Milwaukee M18 Red Exterior Dual Slope Rotary Laser Level Kit
Rotary lasers are so cool. These little devices can project a level line 360 degrees around themselves, making them fantastic for interior projects like setting tile or installing cabinetry, where precision and level installation are paramount. Outdoors, tasks like grading or installing large-scale additions like decks are made easier with the combination of an exterior rotary laser and receiver (necessary since the laser is invisible in sunlight).
Milwaukee's line of rotary lasers began showing up on store shelves in late 2023, and the newest version of the tool is the Dual Slope Rotary Laser Level, set to release in 2024. It's designed with a roll cage around it, providing a degree of durability necessary for such a delicate device. Milwaukee says that the laser can withstand up to a roughly 5-foot drop, or a roughly 6 ½-foot tip-over when mounted on a tripod.
The included remote control can adjust slope while also mirroring the display on the device, handy when one considers the 4000-foot range of the level's receiver — it certainly beats walking back to the device for a reading.
The Milwaukee M18 Red Exterior Dual Slope Rotary Laser Level Kit is available for pre-order from Acme Tools with an expected ship date of April 2024.
Milwaukee Torx Bit Sockets and Milwaukee 5pc 1000v Insulated Hand Tool Set
During the company's Pipeline presentation, Milwaukee's leaders stressed taking the company's interest in expanding its hand tool line more seriously. This is a commitment the toolmaker has been focused on since 2010, when it launched a separate business unit specifically for Hand Tool solutions. Since then, Milwaukee has produced hand tools with many interesting and unique features that help them stand out in a crowded market.
For example, the Milwaukee 5pc 1000v Insulated Hand Tool Set shows the leaps that design and thoughtfulness can make toward improving tools that have existed for decades.
The set is obviously intended for electricians, as all of the tools included offer protection against up to a thousand volts. However, there are a number of nice little details in the tools' construction. The wire strippers have an integral bolt cutter and a slightly curved cutting blade, while the screwdrivers have magnetic tips and a slimmed-down working end to get at deep-set screws or into other tight spaces.
Thoughtful design is also highlighted in Milwaukee's upcoming line of Torx bit sockets. The toolmaker's trademarked Four Flat design adds flat sides to traditionally round sockets to keep them from rolling away, and the sockets have a smaller profile than their rounded counterparts. Another benefit of this flat-sided design is that one can use an open-ended wrench to grab the sides — a benefit for removing those fasteners with minimal clearance between them and a vehicle's frame, for example.
Milwaukee's 5pc Insulated Hand Tool Set is available from Acme Tools and other retailers; the toolmaker's Torx sockets will be available in late March of 2024.