Milwaukee M18 Battery Compact Leaf Blower Handheld Review

Milwaukee's first-generation battery-powered blower came out at the aforementioned time as their core line of tools designed to supplement a Pro's gas equipment. It was as well one of the first to get an update. The second-generation Milwaukee M18 Fuel blower features (unsurprisingly) more power.

Pros

Improved blowing force over the previous model
Lighter than some of the higher voltage competitors
Inline design
Comfortable grip with generous handle and trigger sizes
Compatible with a deep line of other Milwaukee M18 and M18 Fuel products

Cons

Not as strong every bit the latest battery-powered blowers

Milwaukee M18 Fuel Blower Design

Notwithstanding The Same

Milwaukee starts with the aforementioned inline, rear-intake design. It gives the air column a directly shot through the blower without losing free energy to curves that it has to push through. The variable speed trigger is withal in that location equally well, pushing the same air volume as the original at 450 CFM.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

The Milwaukee M18 Fuel blower is noticeably smaller and more streamlined than its older blood brother. It'due south roughly an inch smaller across each dimension—length, width, and height. Weighing in at iv.ix pounds, information technology's besides lighter by a trivial less than a pound.

Instead of cruise control, we now have a hi/low dual-speed selection and lock-on button. What's curious is that y'all have to release the lock-on button and trigger earlier you lot tin can switch modes. If you lot're cruising forth in depression with the lock-on engaged, you tin't just printing the push and get the highest power. Even with that quirk, it'due south squeamish to have the low-speed option when we're trying to control clean-upward in the shop and loftier for broad-open spaces.

The combination of a larger impeller and narrow tube gives usa an airspeed improvement, moving up to 120 MPH from 100 MPH on the original.

Get A Grip

As an M18 Fuel product, you can apply any M18 battery with the Milwaukee M18 Fuel blower. Originally kitted with a 9.0Ah Loftier Demand battery (and the battery we used in our review), the 2724-21HD kit comes with an 8.0Ah High Output pack. The larger pack helps with keeping the runtime higher and it's pretty well-counterbalanced with it.

We used the blower with smaller batteries and in that location wasn't a ton of practical difference in immigration ability. It was mainly just a reduction in runtime.

The rubber over-molded handle is comfy with almost 5-i/four inches of grip space. The trigger is generously-sized besides. The lock-on button is merely above the trigger on the left side of the handle. Notwithstanding, both right- and left-handers can use it hands.

Milwaukee M18 Fuel Blower Performance

Nosotros used the blower for typical post-mowing cleanup and to control some of the leaves that savage. We take more oak leaves than broad leaves, and those fiddling turkey buzzards are tough for most handheld blowers to move finer. One of our testers also tried using it as a replacement for dusting in his living room, only a fit of sneezing and a dingy look from his wife was plenty to know that's non what it was designed for.

Noise Level

Out at the shop, we found the decibel levels of the Gen 2 Milwaukee M18 Fuel Leaf Blower were in line with Gen I. It delivered 81 decibels at my ear at Broad Open Throttle (WOT) and a scattering less in depression.

ANSI standards state you need to examination from 50 feet away and Information technology registered 67 decibels from that distance. Keep in heed that Gen II is pushing air twenty percent faster for the same amount of dissonance—not too shabby.

Vibration

Milwaukee dialed in the harmonics of the moving parts really well. Nosotros felt next to no vibration at WOT and simply a slight vibration in low. Just we weren't specifically looking for it, none of our testers had reason to give it a 2nd idea.

Bravado Force

That'southward all well and good, just we wanted to come across how this Milwaukee blower compared to the offset version and to the group overall. We use a force meter to tell usa how the CFM and airspeed combine into work. The Gen I blower hitting just 9 Newtons and was 2nd from the bottom of the blowers we've tested. The update picked things up to eleven.ii Newtons—a dainty comeback. The electronics also become the brushless motor to achieve that ability in less than a second.

Note that when we ran this test, Milwaukee'south High Output batteries weren't out yet. Using the 8.0Ah or fifty-fifty 12.0Ah HO packs will likely bump that upwardly close to 12 Newtons.

Either way you lot get, those are effective numbers for immigration difficult surfaces and helping you move broad leaves in the autumn. It'southward quite a bit shy of the all-time battery-powered blowers that are starting to exceed 20 Newtons now.

Milwaukee M18 Fuel Blower Price

On its own, Milwaukee's Gen Ii blower runs $149. With an 8.0Ah High Output bombardment and rapid charger, it's $279. In that location's also a fall cleanup bundle that includes the blower and 18-inch chainsaw every bit bare tools for $458.

The Lesser Line

Milwaukee's upgrade to a 2nd-generation M18 Fuel blower might non seem huge, simply the Newton force change nosotros saw really does brand a departure. While there are stronger battery-powered blowers out at that place, this gets the job washed equally a gas supplement for lawn care crews and homeowners. It's also a dainty upgrade to typically lower-powered jobsite blowers on construction sites.

Characteristic Fix

Ability to clear from xv feet
Full throttle in nether ane second
Up to 4 pounds lighter than high-voltage competitive products
High/Low speed settings
Lock-on button

Milwaukee M18 Fuel Gen II Leaf Blower Specifications

Ability Source: Milwaukee M18 battery
Air Speed: 120 MPH
Air Volume: 450 CFM
Dimensions: 33.8 10 5.87 10 9.7 inches
Warranty: 5 years
Price: $149 bare, $279 kit

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Source: https://www.protoolreviews.com/milwaukee-m18-fuel-blower-review/