Milwaukee has recently announced their plans to release a six-bay sequential M18 charger, lining up well with the recent release of their higher amp hour M18 batteries. The Milwaukee M18 Six Pack Charger is the first multi-bay charger for the M18 batteries, and arguably the first multi-bay charger for the M series of batteries, unless you count the M12/M18 multi voltage charger.
The Six Pack Charger will feature six charging bays for sequential charging of any M18 battery, integrated hang holes to enable vertical mounting of the charger, and a pass through plug, so it does not take up a valuable outlet on the jobsite. I haven’t seen one in person to check it out myself, but it claims to charge one of the new M18 CT 2.0 Ah batteries in 45 minutes, and a M18 XC 4.0 Ah in 90 minutes. The regular compact and XC batteries will charge in 30 minutes and an hour, respectively.
The unit itself does not appear to be much bigger than the three bay chargers of the past, which means they are roughly the size of a medium toolbox, and as a result the hang holes for wall mounting make sense, especially if it is to be used as a battery organizer as much as a charger, or if you are using it in a shop with limited table space for a bulky item. The fact that it charges sequentially is a bit disappointing, but you would probably need some pretty serious power if you wanted to charge 6 M18 batteries all at once in a reasonable amount of time. It also does not have a roll cage to protect it from rough handling, which raises some questions about durability.
All in all, I am sure this will be a great product and will find a happy home in lots of workshops due to its organizing and space saving features. Milwaukee’s multi-bay chargers have been a popular product on jobsites for quite some time, and some of their older Milwaukee Chargers are still in use today, as you can see in the picture below.
The M18 Six Pack Charger has a scheduled release date in January, but you can pre order one at Ohio Power Tool, as well as finding a wealth of other Milwaukee Tools. Don’t forget, if you have any questions about the Six Pack Charger, Milwaukee tools, or anything else power tool related, you can call a pro at (800) 242-4424. You can read Milwaukee’s full press release about the Six Pack Charger below.
Milwaukee® Powers Up the Jobsite with New Six Pack Sequential Charger
12/11/12
MILWAUKEE, WI – Milwaukee Tool Corporation continues to deliver productivity-enhancing solutions to the professional tradesman with the introduction of the M18™ Six Pack Sequential Charger. The new Energy Star rated charger will sequentially charge up to six battery packs of any Milwaukee M18™ LITHIUM-ION battery, allowing the user to walk away confident they will have enough power to complete their job.
“With the expansion of the M18™ system and the wide adoption of the platform, users often have many tools that require multiple M18™ LITHIUM-ION batteries,” says Justin Hermsen, Assistant Product Manager for Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation. “With the new six pack charger, users can reduce the amount of time spent changing out batteries, increasing productivity on the jobsite.”
Available in January 2013, the new Six Pack Sequential Charger will feature a compact design, integrated hang holes for vertical mounting, and a pass through plug to conserve outlet space. The new unit will charge M18™ compact batteries in 30 minutes and extended capacity (XC) batteries in 60 minutes.
With the introduction of the new six pack charger and an unrelenting commitment to grow the M18™ cordless platform, Milwaukee® continues to expand its leadership position in LITHIUM-ION cordless.
