8 Of The Best Milwaukee Automotive Tools & Gadgets To Buy (And 3 To Skip)

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Automotive enthusiasts are frequently avid tool enthusiasts, too. Caring for your car requires a heap of tools and gadgets, but the satisfaction (and frequently, the cost savings of doing a range of auto repair jobs yourself) is certainly worth the gear obsession. There are plenty of brands that auto repair pros prefer, and many more that straddle the divide between hobbyist and career mechanic. Milwaukee is among these crossover brands, enjoying widespread appeal on both ends of the spectrum. People love the red and black tools for a few key reasons, including its vast catalog and high power specifications.

A lot of great Milwaukee tools  can amplify the functionality of your toolkit with every new job you take on under the hood. Some are designed specifically to support the needs of auto mechanics, while others are solid all-rounders that deliver value across distinct fields but frequently play a central role in automotive work. Even with plenty to laud about the Milwaukee catalog, there will naturally be some tools and equipment that falls flat. Whether by way of unusually high price for the gear you're getting or a tool that simply misses the mark as it attempts to perform the job it was designed to support, there are always a few to avoid in any brand's catalog. Here are a few worth paying attention to and a few worth skipping.

The M12 Rivet Tool will play a key role in fastening all manner of automotive components, but it's especially for work with body components and other elements secured in a metal against metal fashion. It's available at Home Depot and Acme Tools both, for $279 for the bare tool. 

The M12 model lies within Milwaukee's scaled down portable productivity range of power tools. It weighs 4.3 pounds, almost half a pound lighter than the M18 model and features a length that's roughly half the measurement of Milwaukee's full sized option. The tool is fully battery operated, eliminating the need for air compressors or hoses that accompany classic pneumatic tools in this vein. It offers the ability to pull up to ³⁄₁₆-inch stainless steel rivets and can deliver 450 ⅛-inch steel rivets when paired with a small, 1.5Ah battery.

The tool reduces the muscle effort required to secure a rivet by more than 60%, according to Milwaukee, making the process of securing parts significantly easier. The brand also included some functional enhancements that tend to pop up in in higher-spec solutions. It offers a mandrel collector on the back end of the tool and features premium alloy steel jaws that operate with four separate retention nosepieces to give you a range of size compatibility options. It also includes an onboard LED work light and storage for the nosepieces you aren't using.

There's always room in a mechanic's collection for the classic ratchet and socket set, and there's a good reason why these hand tools form the backbone of every mechanics toolkit from the basic to sprawling and expensive. However the impact wrench plays another equally crucial role in handling timely repairs that won't leave you needing a break after just a short stint under the hood.

The M18 Fuel ½-Inch High Torque Impact Wrench with Friction Ring is a highly rated option that offers immense power output and plenty of versatility. You can find it for $299 at Home Depot. It's part of the Milwaukee M18 Fuel lineup, indicating that it features upgraded technology under the hood as well as a brushless motor and some other performance enhancements that go above and beyond the standard M18 range. 

Customer reviews across a number of online stores leave this tool with a near-perfect average score. It delivers a maximum of 1,400 lb-ft of breakaway torque and 1,000 lb-ft of maximum fastening power, offering up to 2,100 impacts per minute and a friction ring anvil for tool-free socket changes. It also features four drive modes and a maximum speed of 1,750 RPM. However, at 7.5 pounds alone before adding a battery into the mix, this isn't exactly a lightweight unit.

The M12 Variable Speed Polisher/Sander ($199 at Home Depot) is a solid option that allows for a range of tasks to be completed with one, singular tool. This unit is a small scale 12V option that weighs just a hair over 1.5 pounds. It features dedicated polishing and sanding modes as well as a variable speed trigger to put exacting control into your hands. It features a maximum speed of 2,800 RPM in polishing mode and 8,300 RPM in its sanding setting.

The tool comes with a range of accessory elements including sanding and polishing backing pads and operates with a tool-free accessory change function. This unit can serve incredibly well in a workshop that specializes in things like rust repair, or as a tool to use in performing finish and detail work. Buffing out compound to give your project vehicle a pristine sparkle at the end of your repair tasks is all in a day's work for this dual purpose tool that users across the board rate highly.

No vehicle can perform to its full potential with under-inflated tires, and yet so many people who work on their own vehicles lack the basic ability to reinflate them home. Adding an inflator to your garage is far simpler than you might anticipate. The M12 Compact Inflator Kit comes with a battery and charger. It's lightweight (3.83 pounds) and small (7.5 inches tall), and could even live in your trunk for mobile support if you're worried about tire troubles while out and about.

The tool includes a 26-inch hose with a PSI rating up to 120. It has the ability to fill an LT truck tire in under 4 minutes, and can top off a low car tire in under a minute. The tool utilizes an illuminated digital gauge that won't have you squinting at a classic needle gauge in an attempt to even out all four of your tires. It also features anti-vibration feet to keep the tool in place throughout your filling tasks. The kit with a 4.0Ah battery) is listed at Home Depot for $139, but is noted as out of stock currently. The bare tool price is the same, so this can be a great way to get into the M12 system when it's back on shelves if you aren't already using Milwaukee's smaller tools for some or all of your power tool demands.

Milwaukee's larger M18 Cordless Tire Inflator is also a great option for mechanics, DIY repairers, and car lovers of all sorts. Priced at $199 at Home Depot, it weighs roughly double what the M12 model does (7 pounds), and measures nearly 14 inches wide, though it stands at about the same height. If you're a driver of specialty vehicles or a larger truck, this is probably the better choice within the Milwaukee ecosystem. The tool features a maximum rating of 150 PSI and can accommodate specialty filling needs that reach over 100 PSI without trouble. It also features PSI memory presets, with four save slots to automatically dial in the fill pressure you need.

The inflator operates with a lengthy, 36-inch hose that's ideal for reaching deeper into recessed areas to cover a wide range of difficult air filling needs. Automatic shutoff at your pressure setting and the ability to top off 33-inch light truck tires in under a minute round out a great automotive tool that buyers overwhelmingly rate highly.

Wrenches are classic tools that every mechanic needs on hand. There's a dizzying variety of options out there, but you'll find quite a few to choose from within the Milwaukee catalog. The 15-Piece Ratcheting Combination Wrench Set is a notable pick among a list of highly rated Milwaukee wrenches because it adds a neat extra feature into the box end for improved ease of use. Instead of closed end wrenches that follow in the traditional style, these combination wrenches offer a ratcheting box end that should make for a slightly easier time turning fasteners.

The set is available from Home Depot for $170 and features a 2.5-degree arc swing. The ergonomic handles feature I-beam construction with ink-filled labels to indicate the size in a bold visual opposition to the shiny chrome finish that produces easily legible sizing markers. The open end feature Milwaukee's Max Bite grim that delivers a 25% increase in the tool's torque production over competitive models, as well. The set is also backed by a lifetime guarantee to add critical peace of mind to your purchase.

The 28-Piece ⅜-Inch Drive SAE Ratchet and Socket Mechanics Tool Set from Milwaukee is supported by the brand's lifetime guarantee and features a streamlined set of sockets in the middle size among the three standard drive options. This gives users a good compromise between improved access and heft, and it's my own personal preference whenever possible.

This tool set comes with a storage case to keep your sockets protected and organized for easy access when the next job arises. It also comes with extension bits and an adapter. The set features both standard and deep well sockets, too, providing coverage for a raft of turning needs and the limitations you may face when getting your hands greasy under the hood. Naturally, this is a highly rated kit, with Home Depot ($115) buyers giving it a substantially high average score. The ratchet operates with a 90-tooth design and features a 4-degree arc swing. The sockets also utilize a four flat construction that prevents them from rolling when you set them down on their sides, offering an improved users experience from start to finish as a result.

Milwaukee's M12 Underhood Light has been rated highly by owners, marking it as perhaps an entrant into the ranks of the best mechanic's work lights available. The tool offers up to 8 hours of runtime in its low setting when paired with a 4.0Ah battery and runs on the M12 system, making it lighter and easier to maneuver than a full sized option might otherwise be, although Milwaukee doesn't currently offer an M18 model that performs in this role. The light's mounting hooks are extendable, reaching out to a maximum width of 78 inches for compatibility with extra wide cars and trucks. It's available at Home Depot for $219 as a bare tool.

The light is also infinitely adjustable, with the ability to rotate, slide, and even separate the lighting element from its fixture. It can emit 1,350 lumens in its high setting for maximum visibility and functionality. The light is also backed by a limited lifetime warranty on the LED bar, meaning a buyer may just never need to purchase a new underhood light again.

Milwaukee's ¼-Inch Drive Ratchet is something of an oddity. Home Depot ($37) buyers rave about the tool, but virtually every other online retailer that carries it (including Milwaukee's own website) feature exceedingly poor average customer ratings. Acme Tools, Ace Hardware, and Farm and Fleet are just some names on a laundry list of stores with abominable ratings. Users appear to have issues with the tool's ratchet head breaking. Perhaps the problem has something to do with a bad batch of the forged tools, and therefore there may be smooth sailing ahead. It's also possible that the tool is just poorly constructed and there's no fixing it until Milwaukee introduces a replacement model.

With that said, Milwaukee does offer a lifetime guarantee on the tool, and all of its specifications indicate a potentially valuable option for turning fasteners. It features a 90-tooth design and a 4-degree arc swing rating. The tool is built with a slim profile to make access easier and it comes with a portable carrying case. The chrome finish adds a pristine look to the ratchet, and the guarantee indicates that a broken head won't cause you to require a follow up purchase. But just to be safe, it's probably best to avoid the tool, at least for the time being.

The Milwaukee M12 Soldering Iron is a unique tool, and in truth, it's the piece of gear that originally swayed me away from Makita or DeWalt years ago when I was considering a primary tool brand and battery system to patronize (although I've since bought tools from both of those other brands, too). This tool feels like a piece of gear that belongs among the best soldering irons for electronics repair and small parts work. It's a tool that I've used numerous times in the past, but admittedly don't typically reach for any longer. The tool allows for totally cordless soldering and its small body offers great reach into difficult points of access under the hood or elsewhere.

However, user ratings are decidedly negative. Milwaukee's site features a paltry 2.4 star average rating, even as Home Depot offers a 4.0 star average (and a $119 price tag for the bare tool). Specifically, concerns about the tool's plastic front end have been floating around for quite some time; I've personally heard this critique numerous times, although I've never had an issue with it. Yet many, many others have melted this part of their tool or run into other troubles with the unit. The bulk of owner experiences point to a piece of gear that's probably better left on the shelf, even if it offers some nice features like an 18-second heat up time and a three-stop pivoting head.

The M18 Compact Heat Gun ($159 at Home Depot) is another tool that users rate poorly. Cordless heat guns tend to get low ratings across the board, including options like Harbor Freight's Hercules model, with many users noting that their tools frequently experiences trouble remaining at operational temperature for any meaningful stretch of time. I've never used a cordless heat gun, but do have (and frequently use) a corded Skil model that routinely performs admirably. A heat gun is a great addition to an auto shop, and it can be crucially important in managing custom parts, removing decals and other elements from a vehicle, and much more.

Milwaukee reports that this model has the ability to reach its operating temperature in less than 7 seconds, and it features an LED work light to make visibility issues nonexistent when stripping paint or trying to heat and bend a part just a smidge for a snug fit. The tool includes a guarded nozzle that keeps the heated element recessed within the tool for better safety, and it offers a ladder hook to allow for hanging the tool between uses with ease. Even so, owners give this tool middling ratings, and there's a known sore spot with cordless tools of this nature, so it might be worth a pass if you're expecting to need a heat gun for a lot of jobs.

All of these tools and gadgets have been rated by at least 100 buyers. Each one listed as a tool worth considering has received an average score of 4.0 in its aggregate ratings from owners while those that may be better avoided experience a notably worse treatment with some averaging scores in the 3-star range and others in 2-star or lower territory.