Please stop ignoring 12V tools if you are a DIY homeowner
What started as a compromise eventually led to a new preference for me. I had always thought I needed 18V tools for DIY projects around the house, but I was sorely mistaken. Here’s why my Milwaukee M12 tools are more than adequate for DIY projects around the house and how they’ve become my go-to tool for everything.
Before, it was 18V or broken.
Years ago, 12V tools were considered a compromise option. You only got them if you couldn’t afford “real” 18V or better tools. In people’s defense, the 12V tools were actually quite underpowered.
I remember using 12V tools about 15 years ago, and they definitely weren’t what I would want to do DIY projects with. The drill could barely get through a full-depth 2×4, the driver had trouble putting in an offset for a TV wall mount, and the circular saws seemed underpowered.
12V tools were also extremely hard to find. The big brands, like Milwaukee, DeWALT or others, simply didn’t make them. You had to get off-brand 12V tools or find a rare 12V from a well-known brand. The battery ecosystem wasn’t well built and it just wasn’t a go-to option for either DIYers or professionals.
18V, 20V and 24V are the “norm” for most people
The stigma around small tools has never gone away.
Since 12V tools were underpowered and rare, the tool of choice was 18V or higher. Growing up doing DIY projects with my family, I always wanted “more powerful” 20V or 24V tools, but we always had the RYOBI 18V ONE+ line. Truly, RYOBI tools have absolutely gotten the job done for the many DIY projects we have done.
When I talk about DIY projects, I’m not talking about building an end table or modifying a door. My family completely completed a basement build (including hanging a ceiling, doing electrical work, insulating walls, and building a full bathroom), completely gutted and renovated a house that had 2,500 square feet of rotten deck outside and had been abandoned for eight years, and many other projects.
I grew up using drills and hammers almost as much as keyboards and mice. DIY projects were simply second nature to my family, and so I insisted on the “better”, more powerful tools, but ultimately realized that 18V was perfectly suited to the tasks we were doing.
At that time, professional job sites also had a similar outlook: 18V or higher was simply the standard for cordless tools. 18V tools provided the power needed for “real” work, they lasted long enough to do most of a day’s work, and the ecosystems were large enough that there was likely any tool you might need running on your battery.
I originally bought 12V not because I wanted to, but because I had to.
The 18V was out of stock, so I “settled” for the 12V.
When my wife and I got married several years ago, we had a RYOBI 18V tool kit on our registry. I grew up doing DIY projects and wanted to continue the tradition with the new family my wife and I were making. We got the money for the toolbox through the registry and I was excited to buy it. However, when I went to Home Depot to purchase the RYOBI kit, I discovered that the deal I signed up for was out of stock and there was nothing comparable available.
I certainly couldn’t afford Milwaukee’s M18 line, and DeWALT was out of the question as well. So I found the closest kit possible for the types of tools I wanted, and it was a Milwaukee M12 system.
The Milwaukee M12 tools were initially a stopgap measure. I only asked them to hold me off until I could buy “real” 18v tools later. The thing is, shortly after purchasing the Milwaukee M12 tools, I realized that 12V tools weren’t as underpowered and limited as I once thought.
That’s right, the origin of 12V tools were undernourished. But, in 2019, when I received my M12 tools, they absolutely weren’t. The impact driver was just as powerful as the old RYOBI 18V impact driver my dad and I used, and the drill was more than powerful enough to handle the tasks I threw at it. This surprised me, but it was certainly a pleasant surprise: I wasn’t going to have to buy 18V tools after all, at least, not right away.
Buying 12V tools was the best decision I ever made.
Eventually I had to buy 18V tools. Not necessarily because my 12V tools didn’t offer enough power, but because the 12V tools I had didn’t have all the tools I needed for a specific project. The 1*V tools are definitely more powerful and more plentiful, but I actually only use my 18V tools when I need in these days.
If I’m doing a project around the house, 9 times out of 10 I’ll grab a 12V tool and not an 18V tool, when I have a 12V tool to grab for the task. My wife also prefers to use 12V tools for projects because they are lighter, smaller and easier to handle.
What started as a compromise quickly turned into a new preference. There are very few projects where my 18V tools are needed. Sure, these projects come up from time to time, but it’s so rare that these days I pick up the 18V tool purely out of convenience for a little extra power when I’m screwing in a big lag screw or cutting a lot of material.
- What is included
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M12 impact driver, hammer drill, 3/8″ ratchet, charger, two batteries
- Wireless?
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Yes
If you’re looking for a great DIY starter kit from Milwaukee, this M12 3-Tool Combo Kit is for you. With an impact driver, hammer drill, and 3/8-inch ratchet, plus a 4 Ah and 2 Ah battery, this kit is a great starting point for projects at home and on your vehicle.
My Milwaukee M12 tools are older these days because there are now more powerful Milwaukee 12V tools on the market than the ones I have. If you’re new to DIY projects, I highly recommend checking out Milwaukee’s M12 line. They are powerful, lightweight, easy to use, and best of all, less expensive than many 18V, 20V, or 24V tools on the market today.
