With only a few manufacturers offering cordless rotary tools, the Milwaukee 2460-21 M12 Cordless Lithium-Ion Rotary Tool is a welcome addition, especially if you have other M12 tools and batteries. The specifications of this new rotary tool are right in line, if not better than, some of the other offerings on the market. Combine this with the well-proven M12 RedLithium batteries, and you will have a tool that can be used for your weekend hobbies as well as on the job site. The Milwaukee Rotary Tool comes with a standard 1/8″ collet, which will make it easy to use with the plethora of bits and blades that are widely available.
Milwaukee 2460-21 M12 Cordless Rotary Tool Features
The Milwaukee 2460-21 M12 Cordless Lithium-Ion Rotary Tool kit comes packaged in a zippered nylon carry case that has elastic and hook and loop holders inside to keep the tool, charger, and single battery strapped down when not in use. When we first opened the kit, we were a little bummed that it only came with one battery, but, as we found out later in our testing, the single RedLithium battery proved to provide more than adequate use time with the tool. We also suspect that current M12 owners are sure to have extra batteries and will be among the first in line to get one of these tools.
The overall length of the tool is 9.5 inches, and it weighs just a little over 1 pound. The body of the tool is made of red fiberglass-infused plastic with a black rubber overmold, and the battery fits into the back end of the tool. Just like all the other M12 and other Milwaukee cordless tools, it comes with the built-in battery level gauge, which is something that we have come to expect from these guys and the more pro-level manufacturers. The speed control comes via a wheel that controls the RPMs from 5,000 to 32,000.
The separate on/off sliding toggle switch is also a nice feature so that you don’t have to change the tool’s speed to turn it on or off. The 1/8″ collet is a standard size, so you can count on being able to find a myriad of accessories for it at almost any hardware store or big box retailer. Once again, Milwaukee has its own branded accessories, but they don’t force you to use them, opting for a more universal appeal.
Testing and Use
While the rotary tool market has primarily been focused on the hobbyist, we are pretty sure that Milwaukee is trying to bring the 2460-21 M12 Cordless Lithium-Ion Rotary Tool to the tradesman. We would suspect that maintenance contractors, electricians, plumbers, and remodelers could use this tool if they had it in their collection. We have seen many situations where you need to de-burr something or use a tool like this for cutting, grinding, sanding, or polishing.
While we didn’t use this tool out in the field, we did find something that is more along the lines of hobby work for this particular review. I was working on a little project where I was fabricating some new grips for a handgun. For these grips, I chose a black linen phenolic laminate material.
This material is made up of many layers of linen fabric embedded with a phenolic resin. What is cool about this material is that it is very durable, makes for a very attractive pattern when shaped, and can provide excellent grip when left raw from rough sanding. Aside from cutting the shape out with a Rockwell Bladerunner saw, I used the Milwaukee rotary tool to do all the rough shaping of the grips. In working on the project, I found that I was able to hold my workpiece with one hand and, with the other hand, have plenty of control over the tool.
The variable speed control proved to be a real asset. When we cranked it all the way up, it was causing the material to melt and burn. Once we turned the speed down to about 10,000 RPM, we were able to achieve the perfect carving action that we were looking for with the carbide bit we had. Bit changes were a cinch, and battery life proved more than adequate. Actuall,y we were surprised at the amount of run-time we got off of one charge.
Conclusion
The Milwaukee 2460-21 M12 Cordless Lithium-Ion Rotary Tool kit is a great option if you are looking for a new rotary tool. If you are already invested in the M12 line, then this is the logical choice for you. We liked the power, ease of use, and price. For our Value rating, we gave this rotary tool a 9/10 because it offers real-world job site durability at a hobby shop tool price.
For our Performance rating, we also gave the tool a 9/10 because, during our testing, it always worked the way we expected, never stalled out when we forced it, and came with the Milwaukee quality we have come to expect.
