In October Milwaukee Power Tool will launch its largest release of new products ever. The 2 lines of products currently exist but this will greatly expand on both of these lines and truly give them a foothold into several new markets. The new products will be part of the new M12 (12 volt) & M18 (18 volt) tool lines.
The Milwaukee M12 tool line currently features the Micro Driver 2401-22 and M-Spector Camera 2310-21. Soon to be released (October 1st – target date) are an Impact Driver 2450-22, Copper Cutter 2471-22, Flashlight & Hackzall 2420-22. These new tools will be very popular among plumbing and HVAC contractors. The copper tube cutter especially will be a huge time saver and can handle 3/8” to 1” copper tube. The Hackzall is ideal for cutting pvc tubes or putting boxes in drywall and plywood. It will be a handy tool to have but will not replace your Sawzall for all jobs. You can find a few extremely well priced M12 combo kits available on Ohio Power Tool which will be available in very limited quantities to promote the new tool launch.
The Milwaukee M18 line expands on the current battery system used by the compact 18 volt model 2601-22. The 2601 however has a slim battery which is light weight but not powerful enough to use with the new hammer drill 2611-24, Sawzall 2620-22 or circular saws 2630-22. A new larger M18 battery will work with all the tools and will be called the XC battery. The new M18 line features a light weight hex impact that outperforms the competition in speed, torque and run time available with compact batteries 2650-21 or XC batteries 2650-22. The new line will also add additional tools in the following months such as a grinder, jigsaw as well as other new tools. The new M18 will eventually replace the current line of V18 tools as the only Milwaukee 18 volt tools but that will not happen until some time in 2009 and the batteries and accessories will of course be available for at least 5-10 more years.
All the new M12 & M18 tools are available now for Pre-Sale from Ohio Power Tool. The Pre-Sales will be fulfilled in the order they are received so if you want to be the first kid on the block with the new tools you should probably make a pre-order ASAP. On the other hand if you are looking for a great deal on great tools you can get a V18 4 tool combo 0920-29 for $426.36 or a V18 Hammer Drill & Hex Impact 0824-24 for $299.
Look for several in-depth tool reviews and more information on the M12 & M18 tools over the next week.
