What Is Milwaukee's Top-Off M18 Charger Good For & How Much Does It Cost?

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While Milwaukee Tool touts its M18 Top-Off as "the most compact M18 battery charger" on the market, at up to 65% smaller than the charger that comes in Milwaukee's Power Tool kits, it's much more than a battery charger. Sure, in addition to its diminutive footprint, its ability to charge a Milwaukee M18 CP2.0 battery from depleted to full in 42 minutes, or an XC5.0 in an hour and 45 minutes, or even the HD12.0, Milwaukee's highest storage-capacity M18 battery, in just under 4 hours is impressive. However, if it were only a small battery charger, we wouldn't be discussing what the M18 Top-Off is good for. Given that the device's full name is the Milwaukee M18 Top-Off Charger & Power Supply, $99.00 at The Home Depot, it's apparent that it does more than charge batteries. 

The M18 Top-Off features two USB-C ports. One of the ports is capable of delivering 15 watts for charging cell phones, tablets, laptops, or headlamps directly from a Milwaukee M18 battery. The second port, a bi-directional 100-watt USB-C PD port, can be used to charge the battery when connected via the included 100W USB-C cable to another USB-C outlet or the included 65W USB-C wall adapter. The second USB-C port can also charge other electronic devices from an M18 battery.

Milwaukee's M18 Top-Off Charger & Power Supply works with all of Milwaukee's M18 batteries, but it doesn't come with one. However, if you're already a part of the Milwaukee power tool universe, it can be a handy addition to your power tool kit.

One feature that makes this unit worth buying is its compact size. Whether you're looking for a battery charger/power supply combo for use in an RV, tiny home, or truck cab that doubles as your mobile office, space for an additional component can often be limited. With a footprint of just 11.3 square inches, it'll likely take up less space than your smartphone. Overall, the M18 Top-Off Charger & Power Supply measures 3.71 inches long, 3.04 inches wide, 1.9 inches tall and weighs just half a pound. Of course, the final dimensions will depend on which M18 it's used with.

Another feature that makes it worth the money is Milwaukee Tool's 5-year Limited Warranty. While the warranty may not cover abuse or even normal wear and tear from frequent use, it's nice to know that if it fails because of a defect after a few years of sporadic use, it'll be covered, especially if you've kept your receipt.

If you've been following Milwaukee power tools for a while, you may have seen the M18 Top-Off 175W Power Supply as part of the company's power tool accessory lineup. In fact, if you're a regular SlashGear reader, you likely saw the older M18 Top-Off model featured on our list of handy Milwaukee products for your Summer vacation.

While the two M18 Top-Offs have some similarities, there are enough differences to make having both in your tool kit a reasonable option. We've already covered the features of the M18 Top-Off Charger & Power Supply, so let's look at some features found on the M18 Top-Off 175W Power Supply that are missing from the newer model.

Most notably, the 175W Power Supply delivers up to 175 watts of power compared to the newer Charger & Power Supply model's 115 watts. You'll also notice the presence of a 120V receptacle. While having a standard household plug-in is a handy feature, it's also the only source of the 175W maximum power.

The 175W Power Supply also features a USB-A port not found on the newer model. It can deliver 1.67 amps at 9 volts, totaling 15 watts, or 12 watts with 2.4 amps at 5 volts. The only USB-C port is rated for up to 45W with a maximum of 15 volts at 3 amps.

Another key difference is that the M18 Top-Off 175W Power Supply isn't a battery charger. It's also the only one of the two that features a rafter hanger, an important feature if you need to take your power supply with you wherever you go.