Milwaukee M12 Cordless Rivet Tool Review

Milwaukee M12 Rivet Tool Review

Milwaukee M12 Rivet Tool

Review Disclaimer

I hate to kick off a review with a disclaimer, but in the case of the Milwaukee M12 Cordless Rivet Tool, I have two.

  1. The M12 Rivet Tool featured in this review actually belonged to one of our Trailer Technicians. But he was kind enough to let us feature it in a review.
  2. The M12 Rivet Tool was only in our trailer shop for approximately 30 days, which wasn’t nearly enough time for a thorough review. However, during that short time we were still able to form some opinions that we feel are worthy of passing along.

Background

The Milwaukee M12 Rivet Tool was introduced in 2018 and marketed as “the first cordless rivet tool designed for the professional trades.” It is powered by Milwaukee’s M12 REDLITHIUM batteries and features 2,000 lbs of pull force. It is capable of pulling the following rivet sizes: 3/32″, 1/8″, 5/32″, 3/16″.

Using the M12 Rivet Tool

In the 30 days that the M12 Rivet Tool was in our shop, it performed flawlessly.  That being said, its use was mostly limited to light riveting jobs such as installing lights and brackets. But, for those tasks it performed exceptionally well. The battery easily lasted through an entire shift, and its 2,000 lbs of pull force was certainly adequate. Of course, for the Technicians that got their hands on the M12 Rivet Tool, what they enjoyed the most was not being tied to an air hose. Once you get a taste of that freedom, hooking back up to an air hose seems very restrictive!

The following video is a good representation of how the rivet tool was used.

Departure of the Milwaukee M12 Rivet Tool

So, if the Technicians were enjoying the M12, and it was performing in a satisfactory manner, why didn’t our Technician keep it? That really boils down to the one limiting factor of the M12… 1/4″ rivets are beyond its capacity. And 1/4″ rivets are used heavily in this particular trailer shop.

When our Technician purchased the Milwaukee M12 Rivet Tool, there wasn’t a cordless riveter on the market (that we were aware of) that could pull 1/4″ rivets. But sure enough, 30 days after he purchased the M12, he became aware of a new cordless riveter from Matco that can accommodate 1/4″ rivets. So, he traded in the Milwaukee M12 towards the purchase of the Matco Cordless Infinium Rivet Tool.

In All Fairness

In case you are thinking that Matco’s new entry into the cordless rivet tool market makes the Milwaukee M12 Rivet Tool obsolete, that’s not the case. There is, after all, a $400 difference between the two tools. Getting the extra capacity of the Matco will definitely cost you. If you don’t use 1/4″ rivets, that might be an extra tool expense you don’t have to incur.

Final Thoughts

As I said before, our time with the Milwaukee M12 Rivet Tool was too short. But during that time, it lived up to what I would expect from Milwaukee. As long as 1/4″ rivets aren’t something you commonly use, I think it is definitely worth a look.

Milwaukee M12 Rivet Tool Specs

  • Pull Force: 2,000 lbs
  • Stroke Length: 0.8”
  • Rivet Sizes: 3/32” – 3/16”
  • Rivet Material: Aluminum, Steel & Stainless Steel
  • Nose Pieces: 3/32”, 1/8”, 5/32” & 3/16”
  • Height/Width: 10.75” / 2.63”
  • Length without mandrel collector: 6.5”
  • Weight (w/ battery): 4.54 lbs

Buy Online

The Milwaukee M12 Rivet Tool is available online at the following tool dealers.

Other Rivet Tool Options

Be sure to also check out the Milwaukee M18 FUEL 1/4″ Blind Rivet Tool w/ ONE-KEY.