Milwaukee M18 FUEL 7” Variable Speed Polisher 2738-22

M18 Cordless Polisher

Once upon a time, many moons ago, I spent a summer as a car detailer for a high-end car wash. Just by chance the guy who had done their detailing for several years had quit and without any formal training I was head of detailing first week on the job, literally was detailing a new Porsche on day 1! (just a warning if you ever thought by paying $100+ meant you were getting a seasoned pro it does not). Detailing 5-6 cars/day was the expectation and everything from high end sports cars to rusted out station wagons that smelled like someone died inside. Burned a lot of paint that summer learning how to buff out scratches and what you can’t fix.

One of the big frustrations in detailing was the power cord, with the polisher/buffer the cord is possibly more of a problem than any other power tool we can think of. First the cord is getting dragged around the shop floor getting covered in dirt, grease, compound, wax, tire cleaner, etc. Then you’ve got to work over top of the car you are trying to keep clean so you keep the cord out of way by throwing it over your shoulder, now you’ve got the dirt stick cord rubbing on your neck… The M18 FUEL Polisher 2738-22 ($449) is a no brainer for those in the detailing business. Also available as a multi-pad kit 2738-22P ($499) or as a bare tool 2738-20 ($249), all available in July.

M18 Polisher KitEven though a battery will always add some additional weight to a tool, the M18 Polisher actually comes in lighter than their corded versions, Dewalt or Makita polishers. The Variable Speed is controlled two ways, with speed dial in addition to the variable speed trigger for maximum user control. This cordless polisher also delivers on power and consistency, CPT (Constant Power Technology) means continuous RPM whether the user feathers lightly or much harder for heavy defect removal.

2738-22 Milwaukee

Battery Life is the biggest question we had, this is a serious application which uses a lot of juice. Milwaukee claims with the M18 polisher each 5.0Ah will last enough to cover 1 car. When we pressed them for a minutes times they said about 35-45 minutes of continuous use, which is very respectable. One important detail it that the M18 Polishers also come with the M18 Rapid Charger 48-59-1808 ($79) which will charger M18 and M12 batteries 40% faster than traditional charger so there will always be a full battery ready to go. It will of course also work with the M18 9.0Ah when launched for detailing 2 cars per charge, no word yet on any 9.0Ah kit version.

Milwaukee Cordless Polisher

Package this with an M12 mini polisher for all those hard to reach places and Milwaukee has a very nice solution for professional detailers of cars and boats. For any other questions on Milwaukee Tools give the pros at Ohio Power Tool a call 800-242-4424 and they will be happy to help you find the right tool for the job.

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