Tool Review: Milwaukee M12 FUEL 1/4” Right Angle Die Grinder Kit
The review:
For Lou Fort, lead technician at K.A.R.S. Inc. in Huntingburg, Indiana, the number one draw of the Milwaukee M12 FUEL 1/4" Right Angle Die Grinder Kit, No. 2485-22, is its cordless design.
Fort notes the grinder has saved him “a bunch of time” by not having to maneuver around vehicles with an air hose … especially for quick, one-minute cutting or cleaning jobs.
“The more we can do with cordless power tools, the more we are able to get done in any given day,” he says.
According to Fort, the time-saving tool required little setup before use. The kit includes two batteries, which Fort says needed to be charged before putting the grinder to work. Aside from that, installing the different tool bits and setting the grinder’s speed were simple tasks, easily completed without referencing the manual.
Upon receiving the Milwaukee tool, Fort says the die grinder was packaged in a “sturdy cardboard box covered with information.” The information included a picture of the die grinder, as well as the rest of the contents, specifications, additional information, and other M12 tool offerings. Along with the die grinder, the box contained two batteries, an M12 charger, and a contractor bag.
Fort has used the 1/4” die grinder for a variety jobs around the shop and says he’s “put this die grinder through the wringer.”
The lead technician has used the Milwaukee die grinder to do surface prep work with both 2” and 3” Rol-Loc surface prep disks, to nip off nuts and bolts with a cut off wheel, to trim panel reinforcements, and to elongate a couple of holes.
While using the tool, Fort enjoyed features such as the functionality of its LED and the four operational speeds, which he says help “to extend tool bit life while reducing operator fatigue.” He also appreciated the ease of use of the speed control and the LED charge indicator on the handle, which shows the amount of charge left on the tool’s battery.
The technician’s only complaint with the die grinder was that he felt the run-time on the batteries was a bit short. Otherwise, his suggestions for improvement included having a “reversible version” or creating the die grinder with “an angled … head for better access in tight spots.”
Fort remains impressed with Milwaukee’s die grinder, however, and says he will be using this tool almost daily to make his day’s work easier than it would be without it.
