Milwaukee's M12 batteries fit 5 tools you would never expect

Published Aug 21, 2026, 12:00 PM EDT Patrick Campanale has been in the tech space for well over a decade, specializing in PC/gaming news and reviews, as well as maker-focused products to build small businesses. With a start in technology back in 2010 surrounding the Palm/webOS ecosystem, Patrick spent his formative years developing mobile applications as well as blogging for various publications, eventually leading to starting his own website in 2014. After running a technology blog for a few years, he stepped out of that role and into the world of high-end custom PC manufacturing and building, with a focus on YouTube video production and overclocking. Then, six years ago, Patrick joined the 9to5Toys team as an editor/writer/reviewer with over 14,000 articles being published there there, ranging from deals and roundups to in-depth reviews on the latest technology, video games, 3D printers, and more. In his free time, Patrick loves to create projects from wood using various robots and methods, including leveraging the technologies of CNCs and lasers. If Patrick isn't working on a computer or playing video games, he's likely in his 2-car garage workshop creating something unique. In addition to all this, Patrick is also a youth pastor at his local church where he feels God has called him to serve, and he loves every minute of it. Did you know that Milwaukee's M12 tool lineup has a lot more than just drills, drivers, and saws in it? I didn't either. Here are five fun tools that you'd never have expected to be part of Milwaukee's lineup. Stick transfer pump You won't have to use your mouth to start a transfer pump again Credit: Milwaukee For many years, transfer pumps were either done with a hand pump or started by mouth—even when they shouldn't be. Thankfully, Milwaukee has a compact portable stick transfer pump that can save the day. It's powered by a single M12 battery and the design is quite elegant. Simply place the lower end of the stick into standing water that you need to transfer, and either add a hose or point the outlet where you want the water to go. No priming needed. It also has the ability to push water up to 15 feet above the pump itself, which means you can place the pump in a basement and send the water outside, which is a very real use case for something like this. Milwaukee M12 Cordless Water Transfer Pump Special features Up to 15 foot lift Voltage 12V Milwaukee's cordless M12 water transfer pump has a 15-foot lift and can pump water out of almost any area you need it to, all without having to manually prime it or run an extension cord. Soldering iron Sometimes you need to solder where there's no plug Credit: Milwaukee I'm the IT director at my church, and I've had to do quite a few soldering jobs over the past few weeks. For me, this means bringing my soldering station to the church and then either finding an extension cord to use, or just bringing my portable power station with me to plug into. Milwaukee actually has an M12 soldering iron that's battery-powered and can go anywhere it's needed. This is something that would be genuinely useful to me, as I hate having to lug my big power station up to church to solder in the most inconvenient places. While there are no variable temperature settings available on this soldering iron, it does heat up to 750 degrees, reaches operating temperature in just 18 seconds, and also has a built-in LED work light for jobs that might be in the dark. Milwaukee M12 Soldering Iron What's Included (1) M12 Soldering Iron (Tool Only) (2488-20). (1) Chisel Tip, (1) Pointed Tip Battery Life Up to 40 minutes The M12 Soldering Iron delivers fast application speeds by reaching operational temperature in under 18 seconds and maintaining an optimized temperature throughout the most demanding jobs. AIRSNAKE drain-cleaning air gun What clog? Credit: Milwaukee Have you ever had a stubborn clog that just wouldn't clear? Whether in the toilet, shower, or anywhere else, sometimes a standard plunger just isn't up to the task. That's where the AIRSNAKE comes in. Milwaukee's M12 AIRSNAKE is a "drain-cleaning air gun" which is just bizarre to say. Essentially, it builds up air pressure in an onboard air tank and has five different sized attachments to hook up to various toilet or drain sizes. Simply let it air up, make the seal, and pull the trigger. That's all it takes to get the pipe (hopefully) unclogged. Milwaukee M12 AIRSNAKE Drain Cleaning Air Gun What's Included M12 AIRSNAKE drain-cleaning air gun, 10-inch extension, 1–2-inch drain plug with 15-degree offset connector, 2–3-inch drain plug, 3–4-inch drain plug, drain shroud attachment, toilet shroud attachment, M12 REDLITHIUM CP2.0 battery, M12 charger, and carrying case. Voltage 12V The Milwaukee M12 AIRSNAKE is the perfect way to get rid of that stubborn clog that a traditional plunger just can't touch. Cable stapler Running cable has never been easier Credit: Milwaukee If you've ever run cables in an attic or wall, then you know the hassle of trying to hammer in or manually shoot cable staples to hold ROMEX in place. It's just not a fun task. Thankfully, Milwaukee has a M12 cable staple gun that fixes just that. If you don't know what a cable staple is, it's a normal staple that has a plastic covering over the metal staple that allows it to hold down a cable without worrying about penetrating the cable itself and electrifying the staple or causing a short. Normally, these staples are hammered in by hand or shot by a hand-powered staple gun. Milwaukee's cordless cable staple gun takes the hard work out of it and reduces securing a cable to just a trigger pull, which means you're far more likely to properly secure the wires you run. Milwaukee M12 Cordless Cable Stapler Voltage 12V Cordless? Yes Milwaukee's M12 cordless cable stapler is the perfect tool for doing electrical work around your house. Designed to safely staple cables, this tool will make quick work of installing new electrical runs in your home. Pruning shears No more tired hands after a day of yard work Credit: Milwaukee Yard work is hard enough without having to use manual pruning shears, so Milwaukee made a M12-powered pruning shear to help speed up your yard work without adding extra manual labor on your side. Designed to cut through up to 1.25-inch inch branches, and able to go through up to 1,000 0.5-inch cuts on a single charge of a 2Ah battery, this pruner is designed to make quick work of trimming your hedges and shrubs. This pair of shears isn't really meant to cut down large limbs or anything. But, if you need to trim some shrubs or something like that, then it'll work well. Or, even thinner branches coming off of a tree. These pruning shears are up to whatever task you throw at them (that can fit in the jaws). Just make sure to have a backup set of blades on hand for when your blades start to dull. Milwaukee M12 Brushless Pruning Shears Tool Type Shears Cordless? Yes Tackle all your gardening tasks with Milwaukee's M12 battery-powered Pruning Shears from Home Depot. This comes with the tool and an M12 battery pack. Milwaukee's M12 platform might not be as robust as RYOBI's 18V ONE+, but it's just as capable RYOBI might win the medal for having the largest battery platform out there, but Milwaukee's 150+ M12 tools offer more capabilities than RYOBI does at the end of the day. For instance, RYOBI doesn't have a plunger while Milwaukee's M12 lineup does. So, if you need some specialized tools, check out the Milwaukee M12 line—you won't be let down.