Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp. Cordless vacuum

Three years ago, Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp. juiced up the $12.3-billion tool sector with 28 Volts of cordless power, pushing past a longtime 18-Volt plateau with lithium-ion cells. Refinements to batteries and motors are now enabling new lines of speciality tools.

The Brookfield, Wis.-based tool maker is starting to roll out new li-ion tools geared toward smaller, niche tasks, partly in hopes of mitigating effects of a sluggish economy but also to take advantage of the lightweight combination of battery chemistry and “frameless” electric motors. In the mix are a copper-pipe cutter, hacksaw, vacuum and inspection scope. A new line of “lifestyle” products also may arrive soon. Steve Richman, president, gives no details, just a hint: “The iPod changed the game,” he says. “That’s the dream.”

Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp. Hacksaw

Working since 2005 as a unit of Hong Kong-based Techtronic Industries Co. Ltd.—the multinational parent of Ryobi, Hoover and Homelite and licensed maker of Ridgid and Craftsman power tools—Milwaukee soon after its buyout blew the doors off the market with 28-Volt, li-ion power. Perhaps it was too soon. Users complained of motors burning up under the sudden power boost. But several years of refinements to batteries and motors have made the technology more reliable.

Since then, the batteries have proven that bigger is not always better. Their high power-to-weight ratio produces tools that average 1-in. shorter and 1-lb lighter with 100 lb-in. more torque than older cordless ones.

Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp. Camera

The next step for li-ion is jumping from the toolbox to the toolbelt. “We’re going to take the batteries to places that people never expected,” says Paul Fry, a Milwaukee group product manager. This fall, the tool maker will start to expand its lithium line into 12, 18 and 28 Volts, each geared for ultra-portable, all-around use or high-run-time jobs.

ENR recently spent a day at Milwaukee’s headquarters, where the company pulled the wraps off more than a dozen new tools, most of which fell into the ultra-portable, niche category. But first, we tried out the usual standards, some of which were still in the testing phase. A two-speed, 18-Volt drill bored through pine like butter in first gear but jammed up when we kicked it into high speed. The problem illustrated how important electronics have become on tools. An engineer flashed a program into the tool and fixed the problem. Conversely, an impact wrench cinched up lag bolts too tight, and they started to sink into the wood. But a cordless grinder and jigsaw (available in January), were gems.

Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp. Tubing cutter

Next up were the gee-whiz gadgets. A cordless pipe cutter about the size and weight of a flashlight employs a lubricated-for-life rotating head. It grabs on with 1½-in. of clearance and cuts up to 1-in.-dia. K, L and M-type copper tubing. Costing about $200 against a $20 swing cutter, it is not for the occasional plumber. But for a pro, it’s a wrist-saver. The 12-Volt tool promises 200 cuts on a charge, though we longed for an onboard reamer to finish up the job.

A reciprocating “Hackzall,” named in honor of its big-brother Sawzall, opened up the imagination. We liked how the 12-Volt tool made plunge cuts into drywall for roughing in electrical boxes. Designers say it can make a 21-ft-long cut through 5⁄8-in. oriented-strand board on one charge, with a blade that makes ½ in. strokes up to 3,000 times per minute. It has its own line of thin-kerf blades but will also accept larger, Sawzall blades in a pinch.

Nearly identical to Ridgid items introduced in the last year are a cordless vacuum and inspection camera. The shop vac is handy for small jobs, sucking 16 minutes with a 28-Volt battery and 11 minutes with 18 Volts. It holds 2 gallons and comes with a crevice tool. The camera helped us fish electrical wire through a mocked-up wall. Using a 12-Volt pack, it has a 3-ft-long cable that can accept optional extensions. A 2½-in., LCD screen zooms in on hard-to-see objects.