5 Milwaukee Gadgets That Are Super Useful, Even If You Don't Use Power Tools

You may recognize the name Milwaukee as a brand that makes some excellent and very useful power tools. Drills, handsaws, ratchets, rotary hammers, you name it. If you're doing some DIY work around your home or crafting pretty much anything, the Milwaukee section at your local hardware store is a good place to start your hunt for the gear you'll need. 

Make no mistake about it, however — this company is no one-trick pony. Milwaukee actually offers a wide variety of gear that's useful even if you're not into the power tool scene. Maybe you don't really care about a chainsaw, but want something more tech-forward? A majority of the cheap tools PC owners actually rely on or have in their collection are anything but maximum power-focused — think anti-static wrist straps, handheld vacuums, or simple cable ties.

Believe it or not, Milwaukee does offer a lot of super useful gadgets outside of its normal categories, and they're usually more rugged than the types of tech accessories you'd get from an electronics-focused brand. This article will focus solely on those non-tool Milwaukee gadgets, along with some clever ways you might use them in your home or in the real world.

Was jamming out to fantastic tunes with a Milwaukee gadget on your list of expectations? The M12 Bluetooth Jobsite Speaker is a rough and tough portable speaker with a 3.5-inch woofer and high-frequency tweeter. But probably the most interesting functionality is that it's designed specifically for Milwaukee's expansive series of Packout-capable tools. Packout is a specialized mount configuration that allows you to orient, connect, or secure the speaker in various positions, like attaching it to toolboxes and other equipment you're using while you're in the middle of a project.

Don't worry, though, even if you have no interest in pairing it with Milwaukee's heavy-duty tool lineup, it works fine on its own. With Bluetooth 5.3, the speaker supports connectivity up to 200 feet away, and the rechargeable battery will last for up to 10 hours of continuous playback on a single charge. It's impact resistant and carries an IP64 rating for dust and water resistance, and it even has built-in equalizer settings so you can customize bass and treble. You can also plug your USB devices into the speaker for an extra power boost. All combined, those features put this one on par with some of the best Bluetooth speaker brands out there, and it's certainly one of the most rugged options.

Milwaukee actually has a huge selection of heated jackets, overcoats, and hoodies. For this pick, the M12 Heated Full-Zip Hoodie is a top choice, especially since it looks nothing like a heated, hardware-laden piece of apparel. You'd expect it to be bulky or awkward with heating elements inside, but that's not the case. In fact, you'd be hard-pressed to spot the difference between this hoodie and a standard one.

In cold temperatures, the M12 Heated Hoodie offers three different heat settings. The heating element is in the chest area, and it comes with a small power supply in the form of Milwaukee's M12 rechargeable battery. There are also heated jackets, vests, and other options if you're not too fond of the hoodie design. The hoodie is available in a decent selection of colors too, such as bright red, black, blue, gray, and even camouflage. That surprisingly adds quite a bit of personalization to the mix, so really, you could get a few different colors to match your outfits if you wanted. Staying warm when it's freezing out may be well worth the cost.

You're supposed to check the air in your vehicle's tires at least once per month, more often in extreme hot or cold weather. That's easy enough to do with a small pressure gauge, but what about when you need to fill those tires? If you don't have a device handy, you'll have to go searching for an air pump at a local gas station, and free air is tough to find these days. The Milwaukee M18 Cordless Tire Inflator is a portable device that can help you with that at home, or if you stow it in the trunk, pretty much anywhere.

It's optimized for light truck tires, passenger vehicles, and other medium-duty rides, so it would work perfectly for most cars, vans, SUVs, or whatever you drive. It can deliver a maximum of 150 PSI, which is much higher than most passenger vehicles need, and it has built-in hose and nozzle storage. You select the PSI level you want and it automatically shuts off when it reaches that limit. It works with Milwaukee's M18 rechargeable batteries, as well. It's also worth noting there is an M12 Compact Tire Inflator, which is a better choice if you already have Milwaukee's M12 rechargeable batteries rather than the M18 models.

You can never have enough light when you're in a workshop, office, or any kind of indoor or covered workspace, garages included. Whether you're doing some woodwork, working on a vehicle, or making 3D prints, extra light can make things a lot easier. That's why Milwaukee's RedLithium USB Stick Light is a truly marvelous gadget. On cue, it delivers 550 lumens of brightness with four output modes for various configurations in tight spaces. This means you can shine light from the front, back, or in a dual-lens setup. It's compact, slim, and lightweight, and you charge it via USB-C.

On its highest setting with a RedLithium USB 3.0 battery, it can last for up to two hours of continuous use. It has a magnetic base and a hook which you can use to mount it nearby or stick it to metal pins, pipes, fixtures, or shelves. The key takeaway here is that you can use it anywhere you need light — whether that's building a custom PC, vacuuming and cleaning out dark closets, or working at night in your yard. It's not just for hands-on projects, either, it's simply a great source of portable light. During a power outage in your area, it would also come in handy and might save a few candles.

Most phones and tablets don't come with power adapters anymore, only a USB cable for charging. That means you have to find your own, reliable AC adapters. Milwaukee actually offers one. It's a 120-watt-capable USB-C two-port adapter that supports fast-charging for various devices. It's really meant for Milwaukee's high-capacity M18 rechargeable batteries which work with most of its tools and gadgets, but it would also be a suitable power adapter for your other gear.

One of the ports is a 100-watt USB-C PD port, while the second is a 20-watt USB-C for simultaneous and standard charging. The ports on the adapter are labeled though, so you won't be fiddling around with it trying to figure out which is which. A PD-enabled charger is what you need for fast charging on most newer smartphones and tablets, and it's the standard of choice for handhelds like the Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch. It offers a high rate of power delivery so you can use the devices while they charge without draining them, or simply charge them faster overall. Bear in mind that you'll still need to check that your USB cable supports fast charging as well.