Milwaukee M18/M12 Wireless Jobsite Speaker

   It's a well known fact that listening to music while working can make you more productive. Blasting the radio is a sure way to improve your attitude especially if you have a monotonous job... or it's Monday. And that is why jobsite speakers and radios are a popular purchase for many construction companies and contractors. A jobsite speaker truly is an investment in productivity. It seems the war to make the best, toughest, and loudest jobsite speakers is raging between the big tool brands. What makes me glad about this is because when tool companies compete, better and better equipment is being produced and released every year for us to use.

 
  Milwaukee is no slacker when it comes to tough and portable radios. Their plug in and M18 radios are a popular choice with many. Adding to their array of music equipment, Milwaukee has recently announced the release of a new M18/M12 wireless jobsite speaker being released sometime in early 2017. I had the privilege to test one out over the past few weeks, so let me tell you about it.

  First of all I would like to clarify that this speaker is just that, a speaker. There is not a radio function. You connect your smartphone or tablet to this speaker and can play tunes from: your music library, saved playlists, or stream your music or radio stations if WiFi is available. There are two ways to connect your device to this speaker. The main way most people will connect is by using the wireless Bluetooth capabilities. The speaker also sports an audio jack allowing you to plug in everything from cell phones, iPod's, laptops - even walkmans if you have the sad misfortune to still own one.

At Quick Glance:

   The Milwaukee M18/M12 speaker is constructed of a hard plastic. The black plastic grill on the top and front panels contains an awesome looking honeycomb like hexagonal design that shimmers in the light. The front face includes a bright red almost lightning bolt looking inlay almost reminiscent of Milwaukee's logo that connects to the side handle. It looks excellent and really makes this speaker stand out. It's at home on the jobsite but sleek enough for your backyard BBQ or at the beach.

The rugged side handle and shock absorbing end caps

   

  The M18/M12 speaker has simple controls and is easy to use. On the top of the speaker there are only five buttons. From left to right the speaker has an on/off button, a Bluetooth selector button, an auxiliary selector button, and volume up and down. Press and hold down the Bluetooth button until it flashes to pair it to your device. That's all, plain and simple. When it pairs the speaker beeps to let you know you're ready to rock.

Simple 5 button controls

  If you flip the speaker around, the battery terminals are in the middle indented section of the speaker, the M18 terminal in the centre of the indent and the M12 terminal on the left side. The batteries install in the same fashion you would slide them onto a M18 or M12 power tool. All Milwaukee M12 and M18 batteries will fit and power this speaker including the massive M18 9.0 high demand batteries. Milwaukee claims that a 5.0 amp hour battery will give you 16 hours of play time. This obviously depends on the volume your music is played and the age of the battery. Even the slim 1.5 amp hour M18 batteries provide hours of loud, clear music. I used an M18 2.0 amp hour battery at the shop and got roughly two days of music out of it.

Compatible with all M12 and M18 batteries even the 9.0

   

  On the right side of the back is a red latch. Under that latch is the plug in for the wall plug adaptor, the auxiliary input and a 2.1 amp output usb charging port. This latch contains a gasket that seals it from moisture and debris which even kept water out after I repeatedly submerged this speaker in a bucket of water. Please note that if you are using the speakers on board usb port to charge your phone or tablet, a considerable amount of battery will be consumed. I'm always surprised at how much battery power a smartphone uses to charge. I can usually charge my smart phone twice on one M18 2.0 amp hour battery. Although this speaker does have an optional wall plug, this new Milwaukee speaker does not charge your tool batteries when plugged in.

Gasket sealed ports

Nothing but Heavy Duty:

   Milwaukee prides themselves on making top quality, heavy duty, professional grade tools and equipment. This speaker keeps up with that for sure. The speaker is designed for the toughest jobsites, and features a reinforced grill, impact resistant end caps and roll cage. The  hexagonal design makes this speaker roll if dropped, reducing the impact. The thick end caps cushion the falls and protect the battery pack as well. A fall from several feet onto concrete caused no damage and it seems like the sturdy build quality will keep this boom box in good condition for years to come. We dropped this speaker from heights of up to six feet multiple times with no problems, the battery stayed attached and the music continued to play. Even after I kicked, dropped, threw and rolled this speaker on concrete the only visible damage was some scuffs and scratches to the thick plastic endcaps.

  The wireless jobsite speaker is also IP54 water and dust protected. The "IP" rating system or Ingress Protection is a rating system used to define the quality of the level of sealing electrical enclosures against moisture, dust and dirt. According to a IP rating chart, IP54 is rated for protection from water spray in any direction. So this speaker is not rated to be waterproof, but is definitely weather resistant. In the interest of performing a thorough test, I fully submerged this speaker in a bucket of water half a dozen times with no problems. And again, the music continued to play. This is not recommended, but it clearly shows the build quality of this little speaker. So basically, a little rain won't affect this speaker, but don't go swimming with it. If this speaker does get submerged accidentally for some reason some features may not work properly until the speaker dries out. The day after our submerge test our speakers bluetooth wouldn't work. I put it in front of the heater and two hours later it worked perfectly. As I write this -days later- the speaker continues to work without a glitch.

Sharp looking design

How Does it Sound?

  Milwaukee claims this little speaker is the loudest, clearest sound system in its class. This speaker does get impressively loud. It goes all the way up to 119 decibels, the equivalent of a police siren! I blasted music in my shop on the maximum volume and believe it or not, it was too loud. Even with compressors kicking on, saws running and impact drivers screaming, you'll be able to hear your music. I agree with Milwaukee's boast of this speaker having low harmonic distortion. Even when you crank it up, it's clear and not muddy. In general this speaker is exactly what it claims to be: loud and clear. It's nice, but not perfect. I do wish for one thing, which is an equalizer. The treble can get a tad high sometimes and there is a definite need for a little more bass with most types of music played. 

Room for Improvement:

  The Milwaukee M18/M12 wireless jobsite speaker has many good features. It's very heavy duty, produces loud and clear sound, is compatible with the majority of Milwaukee's batteries and just plain looks sexy. Before I continue, I must say that this speaker cannot be fairly compared to any larger jobsite radios with chargers. Milwaukee also makes jobsite radios that will charge your tools batteries. This speaker is just that, a speaker. It's not a jobsite radio. It's small, tough and lightweight design is more about simplicity and portability in my opinion. It's less than half the size of most jobsite speakers that can pump out the same or more volume. That being said, I didn't and don't expect this speaker to charge my batteries. Two things I would like to see on future models would be the above mentioned on board equalizer and yes a radio. I know I said you can't compare this to a jobsite radio but it would improve this speaker so much. Your music library won't suit everyone on the jobsite, playlists get old fast and streaming music can get expensive. Its fair to assume a radio component wouldn't take up that much inside space. Again this speaker isn't a radio so I can't complain, but a radio would in my opinion make this speaker a more desirable purchase for many.

Compact, Heavy Duty, and Loud:

   Considering this speakers small size, tough construction and high output, it will be an excellent speaker for many professionals and others looking for great sound quality with a rugged design that won't take up a lot of space. This speaker fills a niche, but if you are looking for something a little more versatile with some more features, perhaps with a radio and on board tool battery charging capabilities this speaker may not be the best option for you. Milwaukee makes several excellent jobsite radios that may fit your needs better, 

  The Milwaukee M18/M12 wireless jobsite speaker is a quality made little boom box that I highly recommend if you are looking to purchase a bluetooth speaker. And because of its heavy duty design, it should continue to blast your favorite tunes for years to come.

Please click on the below link to view the YouTube video of my very own speaker torture test!
 Milwaukee Speaker Torture Test

   

 

Milwaukee M18 Fuel Surge Hydraulic Driver

  The last year or so has brought countless new amazing cordless power tools to the market. With battery technology getting more and more advanced, many options are being opened to tool companies to create and run bigger more powerful tools traditionally only available as corded equipment. Miter saws, rotary hammers and table saws are now available as cordless models. As tool companies compete, we are now and will continue to see better technology being available in power tools.

  One of my favorite power tools released in 2016 was definitely the Milwaukee M18 Fuel Surge Hydraulic Driver. But what's all the hype about these new drivers? If you squint a hydraulic driver looks a lot like an impact driver but believe me that these new hydro drivers are totally different beasts. So what is the difference? There are many reasons why this driver is uniquely awesome and would be great for you. Let's consider what this driver offers you.

Less noise then an impact:

  The Surge hydraulic driver won't make you deaf. If you've ever used an impact driver you know that these power tools are dang loud. How loud is dang loud? The average impact driver produces between 85-100 decibels depending on the model and speed they are being used at. This is about the same noise level as a running lawnmower. Considering that noise level would be within three feet of your ears, it's quite loud. According to the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) OSHA Fact sheet an employee must wear hearing protection if they are exposed to noise levels of 85 decibels or above. So the average impact driver produces noise levels that could cause hearing damage to you over long term exposure. Milwaukee claims that the new Surge hydraulic driver produces only 76 decibels. That's 50% less noise than the average impact driver. Interestingly, 76 decibels is comparable to a toilet flushing. Even if you don't mind wearing hearing protection while using your impact driver, you're not the only one affected by the loud noise. In many situations, using an impact driver on the job could be unthoughtful or possibly just not acceptable. Noise on a construction site is to be expected, but contractors and service technicians that work in condos, stores, offices and hospitals often times can't or shouldn't make excessive amounts of noise. This includes home-owners and DIYers. I have to say that although this tool is quieter, it's not quiet. It produces less noise than an impact driver but much more than say, a drill. Regardless, wouldn't it make more sense to use a tool that made less noise? The answer is yes. 

  How is this reduced noise output possible? An impact driver uses a metal hammer-like mechanism that slams against another metal piece to produce the impact, which basically spins the bit. This metal on metal hammering causes -as discussed above- very loud noise levels and a fair amount of vibration to your hand. The Surge hydraulic driver on the other hand uses Milwaukee's Fluid-Drive™ hydraulic powertrain. In simple terms, this driver uses a oil impulse mechanism that rapidly expands and compresses hydraulic fluid to create torque. This reduces the metal on metal contact which produces higher noise and vibration to your hand.

Compact, lightweight design:

  The Milwaukee Surge is compact, lightweight and should last longer than an impact driver. While there are many hydraulic drivers on the market, the Surge is by far the most compact. The length of this tool is a tiny 5 inches compared to the bulky 6.2 inches of the Ridgid Stealth Force hydraulic driver. In fact, the Milwaukee Surge is more compact than any other available oil impulse driver as of yet.
  So it's smaller, so what? Tools are getting smaller and smaller these days for a reason. More compact tools fit into tighter places, are lighter and cause less fatigue, and are generally more comfortable to use. The Surge should also last longer than your typical impact driver. Because there is less metal on metal contact and hammering, there is less wear and tear on your tool. The Surge contains Milwaukee's excellent Powerstate™ brushless motor which they claim lasts up to 10x longer than other manufacturers motors. 

The Torque Issue:

  I had a conversation with a fellow tool lover about the new Milwaukee Surge and he said to me that he would never get a hydraulic driver. He expressed that it did not have enough torque. Is this the case? If you looked at the specs on the Surge you would notice that it is rated at 450 in/lbs of torque. Naturally, many were confused by this as the comparable sized Milwaukee M18 impact driver is rated at a beefy 1800 in/lbs of torque - 4 times more!  Why would anyone in their right mind want a driver with such a low torque rating? Two words: sustained torque. While the Milwaukee impact driver produces 1800 in/lbs of torque, that is peak torque. The tool only produces that massive amount of turning power on each impact. So if you think about it, the torque levels would drop immediately after the impact, then jump back up when the next one occurs. This mechanism works but again, produces a tremendous amount of noise! In contrast, the Surge uses its oil impulse mechanism to provide much longer sustained torque. The force that moves the collet is engaged longer than the brief hammer of an impact driver. This sustained torque rating lets this hydro driver keep up and often times outperform a standard impact driver.

Photo by Milwaukee Tool

There are limitations:

  Milwaukee says that 90-95% of fasteners used are small to medium sized and this is what the Surge hydraulic driver was designed for. When I faced off the Surge with the M18 Fuel impact driving small to medium fasteners like deck screws, tapcons and self tapping screws the Surge could not only keep up, it was often times faster and a lot quieter! But sustained torque only gets you so far. When it comes to using larger fasteners like lag bolts, the Surge hydraulic driver slows considerably. Is this a bad thing? No. This driver was designed to drive small to medium sized fasteners, which is what most people use 90-95% of the time. Expecting a tool to be able to perform beyond its designed purpose is unreasonable. 

M18 Surge & M18 Impact

Will the Surge replace your impact?

  Possibly. Unless driving large fasteners is a common occurrence for you, Milwaukee's new hydraulic driver is less noisy, lighter, more compact, and will more than handle the majority of tasks. This truly is an amazing driver, and it is my option that hydraulic drivers are the way of the future for drivers. Need more power for large fasteners? Use your impact, but the other 90% of the time I can bet you'll reach for your Milwaukee Surge hydraulic driver.

Milwaukee M18 Fuel Surge Hydraulic Driver specifications:

Model: 2760 

Torque: 450 in/lbs 

Weight: 2.3 pounds bare tool

Length: 5 inches

RPM: Mode 1 - 900, Mode 2 - 2100, Mode 3 - 3000
IPM: 4000

  The Surge has four driving modes including a self tapping screw mode which ramps up to avoid walking, drives fast and ends with a slower controlled finish to avoid stripping and breaking of fastener. This tool is available as a bare tool or in a kit. Prices vary depending on battery size.

  As tool and battery technology continues to advance we will see more and more new and awesome tools become available for us. Tools and equipment that produce more power and less noise. This new Milwaukee Surge hydraulic driver was so impressive to me that I can confidently say it was my favourite tool release of 2016. Try one out for yourself, I know it will become your favourite too!