Milwaukee M18 Advanced Batteries Take M18 Fuel Tools to the Next Level
When Milwaukee first announced their 9.0Ah High Demand battery, they were already talking about the next steps in battery development. We’re seeing the benefits now with Milwaukee M18 advanced batteries. Dubbed “Milwaukee M18 High Output” batteries, they’re capable of delivering much higher power than their standard batteries.
Milwaukee M18 Advanced Batteries Design
The foundation of an advanced battery starts with upgrading from 18650 cells. The popular choices are 20700 and 21700. Those numbers simply designate the physical dimensions—18mm x 65 mm, 20 mm x 70 mm, or 21 mm x 70 mm. Milwaukee goes with 21700 cells.
The next step is giving energy a more efficient way to move from the cells to the motor. In other words, drop the resistance (Ohms). Thicker wire and better connections help a lot.
Finally, all that energy transfer can build up more heat, so you have to find a way to help is dissipate better.
By the time you put all of those pieces together, Milwaukee M18 High Output batteries are not only more powerful, but they’re also better built than their standard packs. In the end, Milwaukee is getting 50% more power while running 50% cooler than other M18 RedLithium batteries.
One thing you’ll notice is that they have a larger footprint than other M18 RedLithium batteries. The larger cells and better pack design push the dimensions out a bit. Not to worry, though, they still have the exact same connection as regular M18 batteries.
More Available Power, More Powerful Cordless Tools
When you have a stronger power source available, it gives you the ability to make more powerful tools. That’s exactly what we’re seeing with the introduction of Milwaukee M18 advanced batteries. Tools like the M18 Fuel Super Sawzall, new circular and rear handle saws, large angle grinders, 1″ impact wrenches and more are possible because there’s enough power to drive them beyond anything we thought possible just a few years ago.
That sounds almost like Milwaukee High Output batteries create a new system within a system, but there’s complete compatibility across the board. Every M18 High Output battery works in any M18 or M18 Fuel tool.
For products like impact drivers, you’ll see a slight performance bump thanks to the advanced pack design, but it’s not going to call on all the available power that’s there. The greater benefit is you get more capacity from a smaller battery to lighten your load. For the more powerful tools, there’s a much greater performance boost that in many cases, outperforms their corded counterparts.
It works the other way, too. If your 12Ah High Output battery just ran out and you only have to make a few more cuts before you break for lunch, take the standard 5.0Ah XC battery out of your drill and wrap it up. It still runs the tool, just at a lower power level.
Get Supercharged
One of the secondary benefits of a Milwaukee M18 advanced battery is its ability to charge faster. To borrow the phrase from Mel Brooks, the Milwaukee Super Charger takes things to ludicrous speed—charging the 216 Wh, 12Ah High Output battery in just 1 hour.
Standard M18 packs can’t handle that charging level, but there’s still cross-compatibility. When you put, say, your 5.0XC battery on the Super Charger, it simply charges as Milwaukee’s Rapid Charger rates to protect it.
Available Milwaukee M18 High Output Batteries
Like their standard batteries, advanced Milwaukee High Output batteries come in 1P, 2P, and 3P options. The “P” stands for parallel and tells you how many rows of cells are in the battery. 1P is 1 row of 5 cells, 2P is 2 rows of 5 cells, and so on.
- CP3.0 High Output ($119): 1P compact battery—great for lighter tools like impact drivers
- XC6.0 High Output ($169): 2P battery—general purpose battery for a wide range of tools
- XC8.0 High Output ($199): 2P battery—general purpose battery with a longer runtime than the XC6.0
- HD12.0 High Output ($249): 3P battery—high-capacity battery that’s best for the most powerful tools like table saws, miter saws, and large angle grinders
