If you need a powerful and handy ratchet and don't want to deal with an air hose, then the Milwaukee M12 1/4-inch ratchet is your tool!
Overall Score8.8(out of 10)
The concept of a socket for turning rods, bolts, or fasteners has existed since the middle ages. But the tool weโd recognize as a ratchet today didnโt exist until J.J. Richardson invented it in the 1860s. Since that time heads and sockets have become hexagonal, but the indexed ratchet has remained quite similar to its original design. Pneumatic and battery-powered tools have taken away the manual work of turning, but the need for a tool that tightens and loosens fasteners and bolts is still ubiquitous in the garage. Mr. Richardson could have never imagined theย Milwaukee M12 1/4-Inch Ratchet, but today itโs a natural extension of Milwaukeeโs typicallyย excellent tools and impressive battery technology. I always haveย a lot of car service work to do, and I hoped that the Milwaukee ratchet was up to the task.
Milwaukee M12 1/4-Inch Ratchet First Impressions
The beauty of this tool is in its mobility. Thereโs no cord andโmore typical in a garageโthereโs no air hose to attach. Itโs small and light, so it can certainly fit in the tighter spots so common on newer cars.
The Milwaukeeโs 12-volt motor with 30 ft-lbs of torque would almost certainly up to the tasks I needed it for. Its variable speed psuedo-paddle switch trigger with 250 RPMs also looked like it would makeย my job easier. Thereโs a little concern about accidental trigger engagement, but a lock out switch during transportation and storage prevents it.
Other notable features include the lithium-ion batteryโs on-board fuel gauge and LED work light. The features were very promising, and I was just hoping the ratchet would keep its promises.
Editorโs Note: The Milwaukee M12 1/4-Inch Ratchet is really a simple design based around the idea of a powered ratchet, so you see manyย similarities. Switching between tighten and loosen is the same and it can even be used like a traditional ratchet if you want to feather the last turn. The brilliance of Milwaukeeโs design with the M12 is that they produced a very relevant tool without over-engineering the hand tool it replaces.
Milwaukee M12 1/4-Inch Ratchet Features
12-volt motor delivers up to 30 ft-lbs of torque
Produces 250 RPM, with variable-speed trigger for greater control
RedLithium Battery Technology: Superior pack construction, electronics, and performance deliver more work per charge and more work over pack life than any battery on the market
RedLink Intelligence: Provides optimized performance and overload protection using total system communication between tool, battery and charger
On-board fuel gauge: Helps you monitor the charge precisely for less downtime on the job
Built-in LED light: Illuminates work surfaces in dark locations
Long gone are the days when an automotive mechanicย specializes in just one system. I work mostly on automatic transmissions, but over the last 30 years Iโve learned to take on anything I can to understand the system as a whole. That means that I had the opportunity to use the Milwaukee M12 1/4-Inch Ratchet all over the vehicles I serviced.
The first thing I used itย on was a blower motor underneath the dash. Usually Iโll grab my 1/4-inch air ratchet, but it occurred to me that with the Milwaukee, the customer didnโt have to even drive in the shopโthe battery power allows me to be mobile. It was awesome that I didnโt have to deal with an air hose and I liked it right off the bat.
Among the other tasks I completed with the ratchet was coil removal and replacement, interior panel removal and replacement, and band clamp removal.ย I worked on anย Ecoboost turbo car that has some very tight spaces. There was an 8mm clamp buried deep in the workspace, but with the Milwaukee I was able to reach it easily, spin off the clamp, and tighten it back up when I was done.
Todayโs cars have some delicate parts made from plastic and rubber. If you use a 3/8-inch air ratchet or even a corded tool of some kind, you can easily break a fastener or strip it out. Around those parts, you can use the M12 without power like a traditional ratchet for the last couple turns if youโre worried about over-torquing them.
Should you need all the power the M12 can muster,ย itย will stop, flash, and let you know that it wonโt go any tighter when it gives its full 30 ft-lbs.
This ratchet allowedย me to work faster. It certainly works quickly on its own, but it speeds up the process in other tangible ways. Youโre no longer tethered toย the air hose. You donโtย need to move the hose around, and you donโt begin working only to forget the air isnโt on.
The toolย isย comfortable to hold, and the trigger is in a good position. I havenโt had any problems bumping the trigger and causing false starts. All the controls are in the right place. If youโre used to any sort of pneumatic ratchet where you take away the hose, this has the same feel. Itโs light, so you can work with it for long periods of time.ย The LED worklight is also excellentโsomething my air ratchet doesnโt have.
Battery Life is Worth a Mention
I have to emphasize the remarkable battery life. I have used this everyย day for over three weeks, and I havenโt charged it! In fact, I still have two of the four bars shown on the battery gauge. Itโs really the icing on the cake for this tool.
Pro Tip: Thereโs a finesse or feel when tightening things. Some guys will say, โtight is tight,โ but you can overdo it. Know the specs and limits of the thread and nut or bolt. If itโs one of the delicate parts I mentioned, the Milwaukee can still go past the limits.
Drop TestingโฆJust Kidding
The shop is a rough environment for tools but fortunately I havenโt dropped the ratchet. Iโm sure it would stand up to the test. But itโs been on the ground, in the cart and toolbox with other tools, and itโs held up just fine.
The Bottom Line
For work in the auto shop, I canโt think of anythingย Iโd like to improve on the Milwaukee M12 1/4-Inch Ratchet. The portability, the power, the battery life, the battery gauge, and the worklight make it easily one of my favorite tools. I absolutely recommend this to other professionals. $129 bare tool (2456-20) and $179 for the kit (2456-21) for such a powerful and convenient battery operated tool is money well spent.
Having worked on Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury vehicles for over two decades, Stuart is in a good position to understand the difference between a good tool, and a great tool that will save you time.
