Milwaukee has recently announced two new cordless power tools – M12 Fuel high speed ratchets in 1/4″ and 3/8″ sizes.
Milwaukee says their new M12 Fuel high speed ratchets offer best-in-class productivity, thanks to the fastest speeds in the industry for installing and removing fasteners.
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As with Milwaukee’s other cordless ratchets, they’re going after pneumatic tools, with claims of rivaled performance.
The new Milwaukee cordless ratchets are said to be the fastest cordless ratchets on the market.
Their higher-powered M12 Fuel cordless ratchets operate at up to 200 RPM. These two new have variable speed switches and a top speed of 450 RPM.
Milwaukee also says that they have the most compact head size, allowing the ratchets to easily work in cramped spaces.
The new brushless motor ratchets are said to deliver up to 35% faster speeds than other solutions presently on the market.
Both ratchets are rated at delivering 35 ft-lbs max torque.
A protective rubber boot accessory will be available separately.
The ratchets ship with a recessed direction selection knob, but optional tall shift knob assemblies will be available separately.
Here’s what the new ratchet design looks like with the tall shift knob assembly in place. The ratchet head is not quite as compact, but it’s nice to have the option and ability to change it out.
In case you’re wondering, no, you cannot use the assembly to change the 1/4″ drive ratchet into a 3/8″ ratchet and vise-versa. Product imagery of the packaging shows that both optional assemblies are model-spesific.
Features, Specifications, and Pricing
Milwaukee M12 FUEL 1/4″ High Speed Ratchet (2566-22)
- 1/4″ drive
- 35 ft-lbs max torque
- 450 RPM max speed
- 11.1″ length with battery
- Weighs 2.1 lbs with battery
The 2566-22 kit includes the ratchet, (2) M12 CP 2.0Ah batteries, charger, and carrying case.
The ratchet will also be available as a bare tool (2566-20).
Price: $179 for the bare tool, $259 for the kit
ETA: Feb 2021
Milwaukee M12 FUEL 3/8″ High Speed Ratchet (2567-22)
- 3/8″ drive
- 35 ft-lbs max torque
- 450 RPM max speed
- 11.1″ length with battery
- Weighs 2.1 lbs with battery
The 2567-22 kit includes the ratchet, (2) M12 CP 2.0Ah batteries, charger, and carrying case.
The ratchet will also be available as a bare tool (2567-20).
Price: $179 for the bare tool, $259 for the kit
ETA: Feb 2021
M12 Fuel High Speed Ratchet Accessories
- 1/4″ & 3/8″ High Speed Ratchet Protective Boot (49-16-2567)
- 1/4″ High Speed Ratchet Tall Shift Knob Assembly (49-06-2566)
- 3/8″ High Speed Ratchet Tall Shift Knob Assembly (49-09-2567)
Price: $29 for the boot, $35 for the optional tall shift knob in either size
Buy Now: 1/4″ Kit via Acme Tools
Buy Now: 1/4″ Kit via Ohio Power Tool
Buy Now: 3/8″ Kit via Acme Tools
Buy Now: 3/8″ Kit via Ohio Power Tool
Accessories
Rubber Boot via OPT
1/4″ Tall Switch via OPT
3/8″ Tall Switch via OPT
Discussion
Here are the 3 main selling points Milwaukee is going after with these new ratchets:
- Fastest cordless ratchet
- Most compact head size
- Greater durability
This is on top of their “rivals pneumatic tools” philosophy.
What’s interesting is that Milwaukee already has M12 Fuel cordless ratchets, which operate at 200 RPM and capable of up to 55 ft-lbs of max torque. The goal here with these ratchets is speed.
35 ft-lbs (420 in-lbs) is still a good deal of power.
What if you need more torque?
With Milwaukee’s other cordless ratchets, it is NOT recommended that you use them manually for initial loosening or final tightening tasks.
https://tophandtool.com/reader-question-milwaukee-cordless-ratchets-final-tightening/
However, this is what Milwaukee says about these new M12 Fuel high speed ratchets:
The new ratchets can also be used manually without engaging the motor, allowing users to break loose and snug tight fasteners that require more torque.
It’ll be interesting to know how the internal designs might be different so as to allow for this.
Milwaukee’s M12 Fuel cordless ratchets have been extremely popular. Now, with this expansion, you can choose between M12 brushed motor ratchets (for greater affordability), M12 Fuel, M12 Fuel extended length, and now M12 Fuel high speed.
These high speed ratchets will only be available in 1/4″ and 3/8″ sizes, presumably because users typically step up to a 1/2″ drive tool for more power.
Do you plan to upgrade to these new M12 Fuel high speed ratchets?