Milwaukee is known for manufacturing and selling high-quality tools that are powerful enough for professionals but affordable enough for DIYers who just want to use the best gear available. The brand's M18 Fuel line takes the power and utility of its equipment to another level. However, it's not clear to a lot of people what exactly makes the M18 Fuel system different from Milwaukee's vanilla M18 line, especially since the batteries for both are interchangeable and the tools in each, such as impact
drivers, can look extremely similar on the outside. Unless you know everything about Milwaukee's M18 system, the distinction between the two can be downright confusing.
For starters, the M18 Fuel line is not a completely different system from the M18 line — unlike the M12 tool line, for example, which is totally separate from both. Rather, the M18 Fuel line is part of the overall M18 system, which includes over 250 different cordless tools that are powered by interchangeable 18-volt batteries. The designation is for products that are the best of the best within the line, and part of the reason M18 Fuel tools are superior is because they all are powered by brushless motors.
Many power tool motors — especially older ones — contain carbon brushes, which are crucial components that conduct electricity between the stationary and rotating parts of a motor. One drawback to brushed motors is that the carbon brushes eventually wear out and the tool it powers becomes less efficient as it ages. The brushless motors of Milwaukee's M18 Fuel tools use sophisticated electronics instead of brushes, so they last a lot longer. They also allow for more powerful tools and can have longer runtimes on a battery. Because of this, brushless tools greatly outperform brushed ones and can be used for more demanding applications.
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M18 Fuel Tools Are Also Smarter
Just to be clear, Milwaukee does have M18 power tools with brushless motors that aren't in the M18 Fuel line. In other words, all M18 Fuel products are brushless, but not all brushless Milwaukee 18V tools are M18 Fuel. What separates M18 Fuel a step further is that they are equipped with Redlink Plus Intelligence, which allows for more advanced communication between the tool and its battery. This is possible because of the Powerstate brushless motors used by M18 Fuel products, which are more compact, powerful, and longer-lasting than many other brushless motors. Because electronics are installed in place of carbon brushes, those electronics can also be used to perform other functions.
By combining sophisticated software with advanced hardware, Milwaukee's Redlink Plus can equip a tool with various useful features, including increased productivity, better vibration control, on-board fuel gauges, additional speeds and assist modes, as well as thermal protection. Thermal protection is especially important because, by keeping the motor and battery from getting too hot, it not only keeps the tool running smoothly and efficiently, but makes it safer to use. Another similar benefit is that tools with Redlink Plus can use Milwaukee's Autostop failsafe.
When the Redlink Plus Intelligence onboard an M18 Fuel tool communicates with Milwaukee's advanced Redlithium batteries, the tool benefits even further because the communication is two-way. You can use Redlithium batteries on less-sophisticated, brushed tools in the M18 line — and may see some improvement in performance — but when you power an M18 Fuel tool's Powerstate motor with a Redlithium battery, it allows you to get the fullest potential out of Redlink Plus Intelligence and gives you a tool that is often one of the best-performing in its class.
Some Milwaukee 18V Tools Only Come In The M18 Fuel Line
One other difference between Milwaukee's M18 and M18 Fuel lines is that they don't have the exact same roster of cordless tools. While both can use any M18 batteries or chargers and work as part of the same power system, there are some tools you can only find in the M18 Fuel lineup. While there are several kinds of Milwaukee chainsaws and accessories available, if you want a larger cordless 20-inch model, the only option is the M18 Fuel 20-inch Dual Battery Chainsaw.
Similarly, while there are different kinds of grinders made by the tool company, the only braking grinders you can find are in the M18 Fuel line, such as the 5-inch Flathead Braking Grinder with Paddle Switch No-Lock. It might not be surprising that the only portable 18V table saw Milwaukee makes is also exclusive to the more powerful M18 Fuel ecosystem.
There aren't many Milwaukee 18V cordless tools that you won't find in the M18 Fuel line, but a few exist. There is an M18 Fuel Blower, for instance, but its compact-sized counterpart only comes in a brushed-motor model. However, you can find plenty of other compact tools in the M18 Fuel line, such as a Compact Vacuum and a Compact Router, which is one of Milwaukee's best-rated M18 tools you can buy. There are also several products in Milwaukee's Force Logic series, including M18 Cable Cutters and M18 Knockout Tools. While these aren't part of the M18 Fuel line, though, they still run on brushless motors and are equipped with Redlink technology, which makes them closer to M18 Fuel tools in design and performance than the brushed tools of Milwaukee's vanilla M18 system.
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