Summary
Speed matters when it comes to your power tool batteries. You might not think of speed when you think of a battery, but it’s arguably one of the most important facets of powering your machines. When it comes to batteries, speed is more about how fast they charge.
You need a capable charger to get your battery in order. For anyone who needs to have a battery charge quickly, it matters what charger you have. This is the case whether it’s a computer, phone, tablet, or power tool. For your tools, if you’re relying on one battery system, as a lot of us do, you know you can use the same battery to power many tools.
However, when brands offer many different types of chargers, as Milwaukee does, it can get confusing to know which one you should actually use.
Milwaukee has so many batteries that you can use
But which ones are actually worth your time?
Milwaukee is a premier power tool manufacturer that has tools for both DIYers and professionals, offering a full range of cordless and corded tools. Milwaukee is known for its compact and premium cordless tools, such as its Sawzall.
Milwaukee focuses on its M12 and M18 battery systems, which are the most accessible and easy to find. The systems highlight the voltage that the batteries provide and usually come with starter kits, so you’re most likely to see an M12 and M18 battery with your tool. M12 is for lighter work, and M18 helps you handle heavier tasks.
But you can use different kinds of batteries within the M12 and M18 systems. The standard options are the FORGE line of batteries and REDLITHIUM technology. REDLITHIUM technology uses smaller cells, while the FORGE line uses tabless cells that run cooler and deliver 50% more power over their life.
Of course, to use these batteries, you need to find ways to charge them. Milwaukee offers many options, which can be hard to keep track of. Some premium options are for specific professional use, while others are more compact and ideal for home use without taking up much space in your work area.
The M12 Compact Charger is easy to store
This is ideal for lower-power tools
The M12 tools only work with M12 batteries. The same goes for M18 tools with M18 batteries. You can’t swap batteries between the tools.
The M12 compact charger is perfect for any workbench space. It can charge any M12 battery and provides some of them with full power in 30 minutes.
It offers a keyhole mounting option that lets you put it wherever you need it in your workspace. There is one charging bay, so you can only charge one battery at a time.
The interface shows the battery level and how much longer it may need to charge. Because this is a standard charger, it takes a while to charge higher-technology batteries, such as the Milwaukee High Output XC5.0. This charger takes 105 minutes to charge that kind of battery. But a rapid charger would take much less time.
Milwaukee M12/M18 Rapid Chargers can handle times faster
It can handle multiple batteries at once
If you’ve built out your tool inventory and have decided that Milwaukee is your preferred manufacturer, you’re probably going to have some M12 and some M18 batteries that need charging. Something like the Milwaukee M12 / M18 Rapid Charger can charge both kinds of batteries quickly.
The multi-voltage charger provides up to 40% faster charging than a standard charger. It is also a sequential charger, so it will charge one fully before it charges the other one. This is important to remember because you want to make sure the one that you need more urgently is the one that is charging.
The charging indicator shows you when the batteries have at least an 80% charge, making them deemed ready to use. It will charge whichever pack is inserted first before charging the second pack that you insert.
The rapid charger can charge that High Output XC5.0 in 75 minutes. In a confusing element for consumers, you can also get a specific M12 / M18 Multi-Voltage Rapid Charger, which does arguably the same thing as the one not labeled Multi-Voltage. Milwaukee charges nearly three times as much for the one just labeled “Rapid Charger” as well.
You can get many chargers with more ports
The number of bays really depends on how many batteries you have
If you want to charge multiple batteries at the same time, you can get chargers with more than two bays. Milwaukee sells a lot of different options that give you different levels of charging prowess. There are many chargers that can fit four, six, or even 24 bays.
You’ll need to understand just how many chargers you might want to charge before you know what to buy. But, in the case that you’re building out a workshop for a business, you might want to opt for a 24-bay one like the M18 PACKOUT that comes with 24 batteries and four mounting plates that include six rapid chargers.
Because this comes with the batteries, it will set you back a good amount of money. The PACKOUT line can be transported in a carrying case that lets you bring tools and accessories to a job site. These chargers can slot into the case and easily be moved from place to place. This may seem ideal and can be. But this is likely only for someone who is a professional.
This is so big, it delivers the ability to charge up to 60 batteries on a single 15A circuit. If you don’t quite need this amount of power, you can opt for simpler bay layouts. The M18 Six Bay Sequential Charger charges six batteries at once and can be hung for vertical mounting. This will charge your batteries sequentially, so it’s important you know which order you place them in when you add them to your charger set.
If you want to give yourself an even faster charging situation, you need to get the M18 Dual Bay Simultaneous Super Charge. This is different from the sequential chargers because it charges your batteries at the same time. This gives you six times faster charging to 80%. This charger is built specifically to handle high-speed charging, so it is ready for the cooling that is needed.
It has an active cooling system that takes care of your batteries as they charge quickly. If you find that this is the kind of option you need, you’ll spend over $300 for simultaneous charging.
There are almost too many charger options from Milwaukee
Milwaukee makes premium power tools for both professionals and home users. Because of that, the company offers different types of batteries and chargers. This isn’t uncommon in the industry, but the number of chargers that Milwaukee offers is unique. Do you need all of them? No. Could you realistically use them all? Also no, as you probably don’t have a need for all these types. Think logically about your use cases, then decide which Milwaukee charger is right for you.
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