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Milwaukee Tool has long been celebrated by worksite professionals and staunch DIYers for producing some of the most powerful and durable devices available on the consumer market. So much so that the brand is regularly singled out as one of the best in the entire power tool arena.

Indeed, if power and battery life are features you value highly in cordless tools, Milwaukee is a brand that should be on your radar, as its M18 lineup of powered tools and devices has earned a reputation for delivering serious on-the-job punch. Just like many other cordless tool lines with shareable power sources, Milwaukee’s M18 shingle has several models of rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery packs to choose from.

If you’re looking to make the most of those M18 tools, the battery packs bearing the Forge label would seem to be the best way to do so, with Milwaukee claiming that those batteries are designed to deliver not just maximum power to your tool, but also provide longer running times and faster charging times than other M18 power packs. Unfortunately, Forge batteries are priced on par with those desirable capabilities. Still, shoppers looking to buy a new device with a Forge battery should know that Milwaukee offers combo packages that include both the tool and the battery at a more palatable price point. Here are a few you should be aware of.

For the record, yes, Milwaukee’s M18 Forge battery packs are designed to outperform even the brand’s M18 High-Output offerings. When paired with the brushless motors powering many of Milwaukee’s M18 tools, those batteries can boost performance beyond even the most fervent fans’ expectations. As noted, you do pay a premium price for that 12.0 Ah power upgrade, with a single 12 Ah Forge battery selling for upwards of $229 these days.

Still, if you have a shiny new Milwaukee M18 Fuel Circular Saw on your current power tool want list, you can package it with a Forge battery at The Home Depot for $449. That package set comes with an M18 rapid charger that also works with M12 batteries, and even a handy Milwaukee Tool-branded tool bag.

As for the saw, the 7 1/4-inch cutter is, of course, fitted with an 18V brushless motor and also boasts Milwaukee Redlink Plus intelligence to bolster performance and protect against malfunction. It’s also got a Magnesium shoe and guards to increase durability, as well as an integrated dust port and vacuum adaptor. According to Milwaukee, with an M18 Forge battery on board, it can perform approximately 750 cuts on a full charge. Customers seem to back up its overall quality, rating the saw 4.7 stars and largely praising it for being powerful, lightweight, and easy to use, even as some noted concerns about power and toughness.

While lawn care equipment has not, historically, been Milwaukee’s bread and butter, the brand has developed a few impressive cordless devices over the years. If its 4.8-star user rating is any indication, its M18 Fuel 16 in. String Trimmer is just such a device, particularly when it’s paired with a Forge battery. And if you’re looking to add the string trimmer to your current arsenal of lawn care gear, The Home Depot is selling a combo kit that includes the tool, a couple of 8 Ah Forge batteries, and a rapid charger for $519.

In terms of cost, the 2 batteries and charger alone would put you close to that total, so this looks like a pretty good deal on paper, especially given the user rating. The only real knock against this kit is that the 8 Ah battery will reportedly provide only up to 24 minutes of use for the brushless motor powering that string trimmer. Even so, a pair should provide more than enough runtime to handle most trimmer tasks you can throw at the device in your backyard. Users seem to agree, praising the trimmer for its power, performance, variable speeds from its brushless motor, and ease of use.

Many also note that the QUIK-LOK feature — which allows for 13 interchangeable heads to be attached to the power arm — is a major plus. All in, that potentially makes this one of the more versatile offerings in M18’s Forge-compatible lineup.

In the annals of construction history, few power tools have proven quite as game-changing as the reciprocating saw. That is particularly true for the Milwaukee Tool brand, as the Wisconsin-based outfit actually invented that tool back in the 1950s. That cutter hit the market bearing the name of Sawzall. More than seven decades later, it still goes by that name and remains a staple in Milwaukee’s power tool lineup, and over that span, it has received all the modern upgrades you’d expect, including the ability to couple with M18 Forge battery packs.

The M18 Sawzall has been widely embraced by those who’ve purchased it, with more than 1,600 users giving it a 4.8-star rating. That number speaks volumes to the quality of the device itself, which uses a variable 5-speed brushless motor, a QUIK-LOK blade clamp, and on-off orbital action, among other features. Though a couple of users noted durability concerns, the reviews for the device are overwhelmingly positive.

They also claim that the Forge battery is a massive boon to the already popular saw, providing major upgrades in power, run time, and performance. Now for the bad news: this kit includes just the Sawzall and a single 8 Ah Forge battery, so if you don’t have a charger on hand, you’ll need to invest in one. The good news is that The Home Depot is selling the combo pack for just $528, so the price point is still pretty inviting.

Drills and drivers are about as essential as it gets for many a pro job and backyard project. It is such that pretty much every manufacturer in the game features several types of those tools available in their stable of devices. That list obviously includes Milwaukee Tool, which offers standard power drills and drivers, as well as more heavy-duty options like a hammer drill and an impact driver. If you’re looking for those latter two tools in the M18 mold, you should know that The Home Depot is offering a combo pack of both M18 drivers for $678. 

That pack includes more than just a Hammer Drill and an Impact Driver, of course: a pair of 5 Ah battery packs, one multi-voltage charger, and a hard-shell carrying case big enough to hold both drivers. Oh, it comes with one 12 Ah Forge battery as well, making this a pretty comprehensive set of gear. Almost 1,800 users agree, rating the set 4.7 stars and largely praising both the devices and the batteries for their overall quality.

As for the tools themselves, both drill and driver are outfitted with brushless motors. The hammer drill is also just 6.9 inches, making it suitable for use in tight spaces. So too is the impact driver at just 4.47 inches in size. Stature aside, the driver is powerful too, delivering 2,000 in-lbs of torque and up to 3,900 RPM.

Circling back to lawn care, here’s a combo kit for the big ballers out there looking to keep their green scapes in tip-top shape with Milwaukee power. First, we should tell you we weren’t kidding with the “big baller” statement, as this combo pack is selling for $1,649 through The Home Depot. It does, however, include big-ticket M18 items: a 21-inch self-propelled lawn mower, a dual-battery blower, two 12 Ah batteries, two 12 Ah Forge batteries, one rapid charger, and one six-port Packout rapid charger.

The 21-inch mower accounts for roughly half the cost of the set, but when paired with the blower — which can deliver up to 145 MPH and 600 CFM of airflow — it’ll go a long way toward keeping your green spaces looking good. And yes, the M18 Forge batteries are designed to help ensure those devices are powered up when it’s time to touch up those spaces.

We should tell you, however, that users have rated the kit at 4.3-stars. That number is hardly damning, of course, but the primary issue seems to be that Milwaukee may still have some work to do in its lawn mower makeup. More precisely, the mowers may have durability issues, with one user noting they were woefully unimpressed with their plastic components. So that is one of several factors to consider before ponying up for this kit.