12V LITHIUM-ION BATTERY [DIY & Tools] [DIY & Tools] [DIY & Tools] [DIY & Tools]

I purchased this battery to use with the Milwaukee M12 3/8 inch right angle drill I puchased at the same time. Unfortunately the electronic clutch on the drill did not funtion at all and I had to return the drill. I now have a battery that will not work with the rest of my tools......I did order anothe drill the same as that one from home Depot. It came and it had the same electronic clutch problem. I had to return the 2nd drill to Home Depot. I have decided not to try ordering another of the Milwaukee M12 3/8 inch right angle drills after my experience with two of them not working.

These are great batteries. They get good life. They charge quickly. They have great shelf-life. They snap in and out very easily. And they're reasonably priced. I love my Milwaukee drill. I picked up an extra one of these batteries because I have a tool-only Hackzall and I wanted an extra battery for it. It was not a difficult decision. That $35 price tag was an easy sell for me because I know these are quality products. The life on these batteries with the Hackzall is not stellar, but that thing is kind of a beast so it's expected. Besides, they charge in only 30 minutes so it's not a big deal. But what I really love about these batteries (and LiIon in general) is the long shelf life. I can charge the batteries, leave them there for weeks and come back and there they are fully charged and ready to go. It's fantastic especially for a guy like me who doesn't use a drill every day like a professional contractor would. So ya, I love these batteries and I would highly recommend the Milwaukee M12 tools that go with them.

Es original, buen precio

good product

Had I read these reviews before buying a small collection of Milwaukee M12 tools, I might have been steered elsewhere. Some of these customer experiences are bordering on the horrific. Thankfully, their warranty support seems solid and I've not only got 4 authorized service locations within 15 miles, but an official Milwaukee Tool service center less than 25 miles. So I offer this review NOT to contradict those written by other owners that experienced battery problems, but simply to add some data to the mix, and track how well my 6 batteries perform from the outset. For all intents, all six batteries entered service the week of 4/18/2011. All have charged fine out of the box, no blinking light errors on the charger, all showing fully charged on the built-in tool "fuel gauge," and all appearing to give a normal run time. I plan to update this review every few months to track the reliability of these batteries. Five of the batteries are "white labels" (actually black, red & white) on the bottom, including an individually packaged one that I bought from Amazon; the sixth has a "black label" (which came included with the 90° right angle drill/driver kit). I've got an email in to Milwaukee requesting an explanation of the significance in label color, and will update with their answer here if/when I receive it. All five batteries are labeled with something to the effect of "Cells from Korea; final assembly in China." This causes me wonder if Milwaukee had some problems originally with generic battery cells, and has since changed to a reputable brand? If I receive any clarification from the manufacturer, I'll provide it. My main tools are a Ryobi 18v group with a mix of NiCad and Li-Ion batteries. These Milwaukee 12v batteries are significantly smaller and lighter weight than the Ryobi 18v Li-Ion equivalents, but run times of the drivers and saw are similarly (and expectedly) reduced. I certainly prefer carrying a bag of these lighter batteries and smaller tools around for smaller / more routine jobs around our remodel project, but continue to depend on my 18v gear for more intensive tasks and for quick cordless recip saw tasks. Once the remodel is complete, when my 18v gear is remanded to the garage, the small 12v Milwaukee batteries, driver and drill will probably have a permanent home in the kitchen tool drawer. Here's an email reply I received from Milwaukee customer service on 4/26/11 re: the batteries. It doesn't offer much info: "We are constantly improving our battery technology to offer the best performance and durability. We now offer the "red" Lithium Batteries, which offer more run time, more power, and may be used in temperatures down to zero. Most issues with the M12 battery was due to a good connection between the battery and charger. We did improve the electronics in the original battery to add more power, but it was an improvement, not a correction for the previous battery." (Update 5/24 - 1 month) All good; no battery problems to report! Two batteries lived in the sweltering hot attic for two weeks, one in the right angle drill and one in the driver, doing light duty work for electrical outlet and light installation. They maintained their charge (no topping off) despite the drawn-out usage period and hot hot temps. Two more batteries went on a field trip for some light duty Ikea shelving assembly and installation in the mini drill. A fifth battery spent the day yesterday in the recip saw cutting through 2x blocking and 10 gauge nails. Good run times considering the amount of work this little saw accomplishes. (Update 7/20 - 3 months) Still no troubles. In addition to tool duties, the batteries have been cycling through my Milwaukee 2590-20 M12 Jobsite Radio and I consistently receive full 8-hour runtimes (generally 8am to about 5 pm), indicating me to all six cells remain at relatively equal capacities (albeit in a low-discharge application). Still continuing to receive great performance in my driver, drill, and mini-recip saw. Next up, I have Milwaukee's M12 PEX expander tool lying in wait. (Update 6/2013 - 2+ years) All batteries remain in service. Even though at this time the tools are not seeing regular heavy daily use, the batteries are daily being cycled through the jobsite radio on a daily basis. One of the older black/red labeled units is showing shorter run times than the others, which last 8+ hours (depending on whether I'm playing talk or music, maybe also volume dependent?). They're doing fine in the tools where the charges don't get stale, so I can leave a battery in the drill and it can just "be there" for days or even weeks without me being surprised by a dead tool. Looking at replacing my cordless Dremel with a Milwaukee M12 rotary tool just because I've got all these batteries available to plug in as needed; no battery management necessary.