Milwaukeeย Tool has some pretty advanced battery technology and offers this inย two sizes: the Milwaukee M18 Compact vs XC Batteriesย (eXtra Capacity).ย But is there a difference? It turns out there is. Both of the M18 lithium-ion battery packsย offer increased run-time with up to 40% less weight than typical 18Vย NiCd batteries. Both contain Milwaukeeโs Digital Power Managementย System, which helps to ensure that optimal battery life and run-timeย are achieved while protecting the battery and tool during toughย jobsite applications. Letโs face it, weโve all abused tools, so whenย Milwaukee added overload protection intoย the battery toย prevent the tool from frying the motor or overloading the battery byย drawing too much current when being abused (*cough, mixing thin-set,ย *cough) we knew we had reached a new era of โsmartโย batteries.
Editorโs Note: Check out our articles on Milwaukee battery warranty periods as well as Milwaukee RedLithium battery technology.
Milwaukee M18 Compact vs XC Batteries
Toย illustrate just how far weโve come, realize that each M18 lithium-ionย battery comes with a temperature management system to keep theย battery in an ideal temperature range and individual cell voltageย monitoring to help ensure optimal charging and discharging. Itโsย features like these that help assure consumers that these newย batteries are much more than dummy cells that have a one-year shelfย life. In fact, M18 batteries are built with discharge protection,ย solving one of the main problems with both NiCd and NiMH andย preventing cell damage from over-discharging the battery.
Each M18ย battery, including both the Compact and XC models, comes with anย integrated battery fuel gauge. Itโs a small membrane button thatย activates up to 4 LED lights on the front of the battery, telling theย user the remaining run-time for the battery pack. If an old NiCd wereย a trusty compass, these lithium-ion batteries would be the equivalentย of a GPS.
Smart M18 Compact Batteries?
Withย all this technology, itโs no wonder we call these batteries โsmart.โย Rather thanย use a completely universal shoe connection for all lithium-ionย batteries, consumers will note that the Compact battery actually hasย an additional raised molded detent (whereas the XC only has one).ย This physically prevents the Compact battery from being inserted intoย incompatible tools.
What this means is that you canโt insert aย Compact battery into the M18 SawZall, for example. This is done toย protect users from damaging the tools by overworking the motors toย compensate for lack of power, plus it ensures a better userย experience (can you imagine trying to power a power-hungry cordlessย tool with half the capacity?).
This physical battery barrier, alongย with the 5 electrical connection points (unusual for a DC-poweredย device), uses electronics and sensors so that a hybrid-battery tool,ย like the hammer drill, can know which battery is in and adjust theย torque accordingly.
Full Compatibility with Milwaukee M18 Tools
Perย Milwaukee, the M18 Compact battery (48-11-1815) works only on theย following tools (expect this list to grow as the company adds moreย tools):
- 2601ย โ Cordless Drill/Driver
- 2602ย โ Cordless Hammer Drill/Driver
- 2632ย โ Cordless ProPEX Expansion Tool
- 2650ย โ Cordless 1/4โณ Hex Compact Impact Driver
- 2651ย โ Cordless 3/8โณ Compact Impact Wrench
- 2652ย โ Cordless 1/2โณ Compact Impact Wrench
- 2625ย โ Hackzall Cordless One-handed Reciprocating Saw
- 2790ย โ Jobsite Radio
- 0880ย โ Cordless Wet/Dry Vacuum
- 2735ย โ LED Worklight
- 2710ย โ AC/DC Wall and Vehicle Charger
- 49-24-0171ย โ Cordless Worklight
- 48-59-1801ย โ Lithium-ion Battery Charger
Everyย tool, however, can utilize the XC (48-11-1828) battery and gainย additional run-time (and sometimes additional torque, as is the caseย with Milwaukeeโs line of hammer-drills). In short, the differencesย are important, but the overall execution and concept is way cool,ย demonstrating that Milwaukee Tool has some very intelligent tools &ย batteries.
