Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp, Brookfield, Wis., used a one-day symposium in late July to unveil more than a dozen new tools—ranging from a battery-powered palm nailer and tubing-connection tools to a battery-heated jacket and even non-powered hand tools—that will be coming out this fall.
The event also showed off dozens more new products the company has brought to market this year, including a battery-powered grease gun, a cordless no-hub coupling driver and a wide range of non-powered hand tools. All were introduced since April. ENR got an up-close look at the new lineup.
Palm Nailer
Many of the new products scheduled for introduction this fall are powered by Milwaukee’s rechargeable battery packs: the M12 (12 volts), M18 (18 volts) and M28 (28 volts). New for the M12 system is a palm nailer that Milwaukee says is the industry’s first cordless tool of its kind.
The unit weighs 3.3 lb and will drive a 16-penny nail into a pressure-treated 4x4 piece of lumber in less than two seconds. Its 6½-in. length fits easily between studs. At $130, the nailer can drive 6- to 16-penny nails and is powered by the same M12 battery that drives more than 25 other Milwaukee tools.
“It frees the user from having to drag a hose and compressor all over the work area,” says Corey Dickert, a Milwaukee associate product manager for cordless tools. “It will cost about $130 and drive about 100 16-penny nails or more than 200 electrical-box nails per charge.”
ProPEX Expansion Tool
Available in models that use the M12 and M18 power packs, Milwaukee’s new powered tools expand flexible, PEX tubing to allow the installation of connectors. The tools are designed to replace slower and more cumbersome hand-operated expanders that typically have long lever-arms. PEX tubing is used in plumbing, radiant heating and cooling and fire-protection applications.
The M12 expander handles tubing from 3/8-in. to 1-in. in diameter. The M18 expander handles tubing from 3/8-in. to 1½-in. in diameter.
Battery-Powered Multi-Tool
Coming in October, Milwaukee’s new oscillating Multi-Tool will run on the M12 power pack and perform a multitude of tasks, from flush-cutting door trim and plunge cutting in drywall for electrical boxes to sanding. It will accept bits from all major manufacturers, and an adaptor comes with the tool.
Battery-Powered Jacket
Also coming this fall is a new heated jacket powered by the M12 battery. Its multi-layered fabric resists wind and water, while sewn-in carbon fiber heating elements provide extra warmth.
Temperature can be set to preheat, low, medium, or high with a touch controller on the front of the jacket. The battery, which also can be used to power more than 25 Milwaukee tools, sits in an ergonomic pocket.
Yes, Hand Tools
In addition to a new battery-powered grease gun, drill-drivers, hole saws, twist-release arbors and Hackzall reciprocating saws, Milwaukee has ventured into an unlikely space: hand tools. “We ask how we can innovate to deliver products that are really different and better than what’s already out there,” says Tim Albrecht, Milwaukee product manager.
The new line has grown out of Milwaukee’s relatively new focus of “delivering solutions to users” for all aspects of their work. It also follows on the heels of last year’s $4.5-billion combination of power-tool competitor Black & Decker and hand-tool giant Stanley Works. “All our hand tools are priced to match the competitors,” Albrecht says.
