6 One-Key Compatible Milwaukee Tools That Can Help Make Your Toolkit Smarter

By News Update On Nov 5, 2024

Milwaukee is known for its powerful, high-quality cordless tools which offer you the freedom to work where you want, regardless of proximity to a power source. However, it’s also a lot easier to misplace a cordless tool, especially on a busy job site or in a messy garage. Fortunately, Milwaukee has developed the One-Key system, a proprietary Bluetooth network that connects your tools and makes them smarter. Unlike the Milwaukee Tick, which is essentially just a tracker tag similar to an AirTag, the Milwaukee One-Key system offers not just tracking abilities but also additional smart features, customization, and software.

The Milwaukee One-Key system is currently available for over 120 different power tools and accessories such as the Milwaukee MX Fuel battery charger — which is a product expensive enough that you’ll definitely want to keep tabs on it. The company is constantly adding new One-Key-enabled products to its lineup, as well. If you’re a fan of the brand, some of the Milwaukee tools you already own may already be equipped with the feature — if you’re not sure, it’s not difficult to check if your Milwaukee tool has One-Key enabled.

If you’re looking to take advantage of the brand’s smart system, here are six One-Key compatible Milwaukee tools that can help make your toolkit smarter. All of the recommended tools in this list have been vetted and boast strong reviews from either customers or professional reviewers. More information on how these tools were evaluated can be found at the end of this list.

M18 Cordless ½-inch Drill/Driver

The Milwaukee M18 Cordless ½-inch Drill/Driver is a versatile piece of equipment and a great Milwaukee tool that will help you build out your on-the-go kit. After thoroughly testing the device, Pro Tool Reviews gave the drill/driver and its hammer driver counterpart a near-perfect 9.8 out of 10 score. While drill/drivers are common power tools to include in your kit, your occupation or DIY projects may benefit more from a hammer drill, which is not included with this product. You may want to instead opt for the Milwaukee M18 Cordless ½-inch Hammer Drill/Driver, which is also One-Key compatible and costs just $10 more.

If you’re content with just a drill/driver, however, you’ll be plenty satisfied with the hammer-less option. It can deliver up to 1,400 in-lbs of torque and features an Autostop control mode and dedicated light that helps prevent over-rotation during bind ups for added safety. It also includes a mechanical clutch and accommodates a diverse range of fasteners, a ½-inch all-metal chuck with carbide teeth, integrated LED light, and all-metal gearcase durable enough for job sites. Despite being so powerful, it’s the most compact drill in its class and is less than seven inches long, which makes it very portable and especially convenient to use in tighter spaces.

The Milwaukee M18 Cordless ½-inch Drill/Driver is available from Home Depot for $239.

M18 Fuel Sawzall Reciprocating Saw

Milwaukee sits at the very top of Read’s list of the best brands for reciprocating saws — which makes sense, given that the company developed the original Sawzall.

In fact, Milwaukee’s M18 Fuel Sawzall Reciprocating Saw isn’t just one of the best recip saws, but one of the best-rated M18 tools on the market. Pro Tool Reviews scored it an 8.5 out of 10 after thoroughly testing the product, finding its cutting speed and vibration control to be especially strong. It can even cut faster than a corded recip saw, despite being battery-powered and much more portable. Its high-quality brushless motor helps provide these cuts while reducing overheating to extend the life of the tool. The sawzall also allows you to toggle between four different performance profiles that you can customize and save to the tool’s memory.

The tool also includes a universal keyless blade clamp that is concealed as well as compatible with all kinds of recip saw blades. It also is equipped with a keyless adjustable shoe so that you can quickly and easily change the position of the shoe and better protect the blades. A hang hook is built into the device so that you can easily hang it for storage or easy access and an attached LED light will help you see what you’re doing in darker work spaces. If the M18 recip saw does have any drawbacks, it’s that it doesn’t provide orbital action and it’s a little heavier than competitor saws in its class.

The M18 Fuel Sawzall Reciprocating Saw is currently discounted on Amazon for $199.99. It’s also available from Home Depot for $229.

M18 Rocket Dual Power Tower Light

In addition to various power tools, you can also use Milwaukee’s One-Key system for the M18 Rocket Dual Power Tower Light, which is one of several Milwaukee products that will come in handy during a power outage. It’s a very highly-rated tool, with a 4.8 out of 5 overall user score, based on over 1,700 reviews from Home Depot customers and with 91% of these customers recommending the product.

The M18 Rocket Dual Power Tower Light runs cordlessly on M18 batteries but can also be plugged in for continuous use when you need it. It can also use an additional battery for extended cordless life and outputs 5,400 lumens. The tower can be set up in seconds and sports reinforced, impact-resistant legs for added durability so you don’t have to babysit it on rougher job sites. With One-Key, you can not only track the tool but lock and disable it remotely, as well set the light remotely from 100 feet away.

While many customers find it ideal for a range of applications, some reviews have bemoaned the lack of additional brightness settings or the ability to charge batteries while it’s using AC power. It’s also not quite as handy as other Milwaukee light sources, such as the Milwaukee Magnetic Flood Light, though the Tower Light provides far more illumination than the latter.

Originally priced at $229, the Milwaukee M18 Rocket Dual Power Tower Light is currently available from Home Depot for $179.

M18 Fuel Braking Grinder with Paddle Switch

Milwaukee’s M18 Fuel Braking Grinder with Paddle Switch is one of many Milwaukee power tools that are great for metal work. After thoroughly testing the product, Mechanical Hub gave the tool a very positive review and noted that, unlike its competitors, it doesn’t quickly cause hand fatigue which allows you to use it for extended periods. Some customer reviews have noted that the tool is a little bulky, however.

The grinder can deliver up to 8,500 rpm, which is enough for even heavy duty grinding and cutting tasks. Milwaukee also equips the tool with its proprietary RapidStop brake, which allows it to quickly brake for improved user safety. Its anti-vibration side handle also enhances safety while at the same time increasing comfort during use, while an electronic clutch adds kickback protection.

The tool also sports a 5/8-inch-11-inch spindle to use with common grinding accessories. You can perform accessory changes quickly and easily without the need for a tool, and the grinder also allows for tool-free guard installations and adjustments. The paddle-switch design allows for both improved comfort as well as making it simpler to control during use. Depending on your personal preference, you may instead want to go with Milwaukee’s M18 Fuel Braking Grinder with Slide Switch, which is more or less the same tool outside of the switch mechanism.

The Milwaukee M18 Fuel 5-inch Braking Grinder with Paddle Switch retails for $219 at Home Depot, while the M18 Fuel 4.5-inch model costs $249.

M18 Fuel 1-⅛-inch SDS Plus Rotary Hammer

Even if you own a hammer drill, the time may come when you need to add a rotary hammer to your tool collection, as hammer drills and rotary hammers don’t perform the same functions. For instance, rotary hammers are great for demolishing or chiseling down chunks of concrete during remodels or inserting rebar anchors.

The Milwaukee M18 Fuel 1-⅛-inch SDS Plus Rotary Hammer is a great cordless rotary hammer that is also One-Key compatible. After testing an older-generation version of the rotary hammer, Pro Tool Reviews gave it an excellent 9.5 out of 10 score, highly recommending the product and saying that it “dominates all the major performance metrics.” The newer version of the model already has a 4.8 out of 5 overall user rating based on nearly 100 Home Depot customer reviews.

The tool is faster and harder hitting than even corded rotary hammers and can create up to 50 ⅝ x 3-inch holes per charge when powered by an M18 High Output XC6.0 battery. With the same power source, it can deliver half as many ¾-inch x 4-inch holes and up to 20 ⅞-inch x 4-inch holes. It functions in three different modes: hammer only, rotary only, and rotary hammer mode. It can deliver up to 3.6 ft-lbs of impact energy as well as 800 rpm and 4,600 bpm.

The hammer is designed with an ergonomic two-handed grip and is equipped with an anti-vibration system for maximum comfort and prolonged use. One downside to Milwaukee’s rotary hammer is that it’s heavier than many of its competitors. However, you can’t expect the same stellar performance from those lighter options.

The Milwaukee M18 Fuel 1-⅛-inch SDS Plus Rotary Hammer is available from Home Depot for $449.

M18 Fuel 8-¼-inch Table Saw

Milwaukee equips several of its saws with One-Key technology, including the M18 Fuel 18V 12-inch Dual Bevel Sliding Compound Miter Saw and the excellent Milwaukee M18 Fuel 8-¼-inch Table Saw. This tool was the first cordless table saw available to customers and, despite being battery-powered, it generates as much power as a corded 15-amp saw and can handle up to 600 lft per charge with an M18 High Output HD12.0 battery. With a 24.5-inch rip capacity for 4×8 sheets of plywood or oriented strand boards, it also has the same rip capacity for full-sized sheet goods as corded saws.

The saw is durably built for rough-and-tumble job sites and sports an all-metal frame. It uses a rack and pinion fence system for square cuts and easy adjustments, and includes on-board storage for a guard, riving knife, push stick, fence, and miter gauge. No tool is necessary for the guard and riving knife changes, and blade changes conveniently just need a single wrench.

In its hands-on review of the product, Tool Box Buzz gave the M18 Fuel 8-¼-inch Table Saw a generally favorable review and said that it was “very impressed” with its “nice unique features.” However, the publication did note that being battery-only is a limitation for the tool, and that an AC adapter would go a long way toward making it a more useful primary table saw.

Home Depot sells the Milwaukee M18 Fuel 8-¼-inch Table Saw for $449.

How these One-Key Milwaukee tools were selected

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In order to ensure that the recommended tools in this list are reliable and work as advertised, a wide range of reviews from those who’ve actually operated them were consulted. This includes professional reviews from reputable publications that specialize in hardware reviews, including Pro Tool Reviews, Tool Box Buzz, and Mechanical Hub, who thoroughly tested the recommended tools as well as many competitors in their respective classes.

Additionally, the recommended One-Key tools on this list that hadn’t been reviewed by these publications have strong overall user reviews from Home Depot, which sells many Milwaukee products and has a large customer base. A large base of user reviews is important because the more people who rate a tool, the more reliable the customer score is, as any fake or outlier reviews made in bad faith (whether positively or negatively) will have much less of an impact on the overall score.

With over 120 Milwaukee tools equipped with One-Key technology, an effort was also made to include a diverse range of options in this list rather than focus on a single specialty or two, such as plumbing or woodworking. Relatively more affordable tools were also included in this list as people are more likely to add them to their toolkit, though there are several other high-quality Milwaukee products that cost thousands of dollars and are also conveniently compatible with One-Key, such as crimpers, expanding tools, and pipeline inspection systems.