Milwaukee Tool found its “promised land” in tool technology, or its definite game changer, if you will, when it graduated from NiCad to lithium-Ion batteries. “In 2005 Milwaukee turned the power tool industry on its head when we invented the technology that enabled the use of lithium-ion in power tools. This was an achievement the industry had never experienced before and, while many other companies have utilized this technology to deliver their own cordless systems, we’ve remained at the forefront of lithium-ion technology innovation,” said Babacar Diop, product manager for Milwaukee Tool.
Boy, have they ever. What’s interesting to note is that a couple of years ago Milwaukee was giddy about the launch of its RED LITHIUM High Demand 9.0Ah battery pack shown at its annual New Product Showcase (NPS). Today, Milwaukee shatters that ceiling with a breakthrough with its M18 Cordless System by extending its range of M18 REDLITHIUM HIGH OUTPUT Batteries.
The new M18 REDLITHIUM HIGH OUTPUT XC8.0 and CP3.0 battery packs will join the company’s current HIGH OUTPUT HD12.0 and XC6.0 offerings, establishing new top-tiers of performance for the XC (Extended Capacity) and CP (Compact) battery segments.
All M18 REDLITHIUM HIGH OUTPUT batteries provide 50% more power, run 50% cooler, and offer increased run-time over standard M18 REDLITHIUM batteries, all while being compatible with the entire M18 System of more than 175 tools. Backward compatibility is key as “we can’t abandon any of our existing users,” says Diop.
Milwaukee offers three segments of batteries, optimizing performance designated as:
- CP — powerful, with less weight for reduced user fatigue and smaller size to better fit in tight spaces.
- XC— more power and run-time versus CP, a great balance of performance and weight for a wide variety of tools and applications.
- HD— the most power and run-time, ideal performance for high demand applications and stationary tools.
Concurrent to the HIGH OUTPUT battery release, Milwaukee has launched its M18 and M12 Super Charger. Coming straight from the nearest phone booth, if those even exist anymore, is the new Super Charger, more powerful than a locomotive. Ok, maybe that’s a stretch, but it’s pretty frickin’ powerful, compared to older iterations of chargers, and others on the market today. The new offering charges up to 4x faster—or 40% less charge time—than Milwaukee’s standard chargers, as well as the best combination of charge time and pack life. It’s pretty simple, “the longer tools run, the more they need charging,” says Diop.
The charger leverages Milwaukee’s REDLINK Intelligence to optimize the charge rate based on the battery type and temperature—high performance down to 0 F, and with the High Output HD 12.0 reaching full performance capability at temps as low as -20 F, according to Diop. This all culminates in all HIGH OUTPUT batteries charging in one hour or less, which is pretty significant for today’s jobsite.
When asked recently if Milwaukee found its next battery technology Shangri-la, Diop intomated that the company is not only committed to lithium-ion technology, but it is committed to the best possible technology for its tools. Stay tuned.
M18™ REDLITHIUM™ HIGH OUTPUT™ Batteries
- CP
- HIGH OUTPUT™ CP3.0(48-11-1835) – NEW!
- Launch: April 2019 ($99)
- HIGH OUTPUT™ CP3.02-Pack (48-11-1837) – NEW!
- Launch: April 2019 ($149)
- HIGH OUTPUT™ CP3.0Starter Kit (48-59-1835) – NEW!
- Launch: May 2019 ($139)
- XC
- HIGH OUTPUT™ XC6.0(48-11-1865)
- HIGH OUTPUT™ XC6.0 2-Pack(48-11-1862)
- HIGH OUTPUT™ XC8.0(48-11-1880) – NEW!
- Launch: May 2019 ($199)
- HIGH OUTPUT™ XC8.0 Starter Kit(48-59-1880) – NEW!
- Launch: May 2019 ($249)
- HD
- HIGH OUTPUT™ HD12.0(48-11-1812)
- HIGH OUTPUT™ CP3.0(48-11-1835) – NEW!
Chargers Optimized for HIGH OUTPUT™
- M18™ & M12™ Super Charger(48-59-1811) – NEW!
- Launch: July 2019 ($159)
