Knowing how many of you have been eagerly awaiting its arrival, I thought you might be interested in hearing that the new Milwaukee M18 Fuel cordless air compressor has started to ship (model 2840-20).
It features a 2 gallon air tank, 135 PSI max pressure, 1.2 CFM at 90 PSI airflow, 68 dBA noise level, oil-free pump, and weights 31.2 lbs without a battery.
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If you haven’t already bought into Milwaukee’s M18 cordless power tool system, or only own compact batteries, you will likely want to pick up a modern high capacity battery pack as well, since the air compressor only ships as a bare tool.
Price: $349
Buy Now via Acme Tools – available now
Buy Now via Tool Nut – in stock very soon
Buy Now via CPO
Compared to Milwaukee’s new M18 Fuel cordless air compressor, the existing Dewalt FlexVolt model is lighter, despite having slightly greater air capacity, and less expensive at $299 for the kit.
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Milwaukee’s cordless air compressor is quieter and is designed to be transported on top of a rolling stack of Packout tool boxes (but does not lock or latch to it).
Compare: Dewalt Kit via Acme Tools
We haven’t seen it in person yet, and are unable to answer any usage or performance questions at this time, but I hope to get my hands on one soon.
Raise your hands if you’re buying one at launch. Or are you planning to buy one later in the year?
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John Blair
I love the Packout system and if I had Milwaukee 18v tools, I would have bought this on launch. Quieter and mounts to Packout are the key features for me. Instead I bought a Dewalt Flexvolt one with an extra battery for less than the cost of the Milwaukee bare tool. So I will be using my 3D printer to make an adapter plate to attach the Dewalt on my Packout stack.
PETE
This doesn’t mount to the packout system unfortunately….
Jsimp
There are a few guys on Instagram who make 3D printed aftermarket parts for packout . I would imagine they will start pumping them out as soon as they get their hands on one. There names are Jakeofall and electronsmith on IG
PETE
Electronsmith is Ben from toolguyd.com(here) and he doesn’t sell his 3d printed parts.
Jsimp
Excuse me. Go to electronsmith.com and click on one of his items under Jakeofall store and buy it from there. You see how one would be confused
Big Richard
PETE is right, not Packout compatible/mountable.
Stuart
The compressor is designed to stack in top of Packout (judging by product images) but does not lock or actively latch to Packout tool boxes or accessories.
Carlson Carpentry
I really want one. But as usual with Milwaukee if you are patient 2-4 months, a free battery promotion will pop up. I can at least wait until then.
The Dewalt kits are $270 at Home Depot right now and some even have them marked down to $210 YMMV. But the selling point here is the quiet compressor. That is a big deal these days. I also have no Dewalt batteries and plenty of Milwaukee.
The biggest question though is with the advancement of cordless nailers, especially Milwaukee’s, do you need a compressor this size? The 1-2 gallon are for finish work typically and the advancements in battery nailers make this a hot debate.
Undecided.
Mike
It’s quieter but it takes twice as long to fill it’s smaller tank than the DeWalt that won’t go over well with contractors
andy
With a smaller tank and the same CFM rating, how do you figure?
Mike
The reason it’s quieter it’s they lowered the speed of the pump so it would be quieter, plus someone already tested it and said it was slow as shit filling it’s tank and that it took twice as long as the DeWalt did even though it has a smaller tank, and people complain about the speed of the DeWalt to fill up
Steven
Not sure where you get your info but I have yet to see a head to head test comparing speed of fillup. I find it hard to believe thats the case considering same CFM and smaller tank. This tool has very little reviews/comparisons because its just now hitting the market. I would hold judgement for a real review from a credible source.
Paul
I wouldn’t be so quick to assume how they made it quieter. You’ve got oodles of variables that you can play with. Yes you can modify the speed to change how loud it is, but the same can be said for the piston bore and stroke, the intake length, or if there’s baffles/sound damping in the housing. We won’t know until someone does a tear-down. I’m not sure where you’re getting your information from, but it’s honestly sounding like plain disinformation.
andy
Lower speed bigger pump generally means more air, less noise, and more weight. Look at any larger compressor. Will always have a belt drive reducing the speed to the pump.
andy
As a followup some tests are coming in. Tools in Action timed it at 109 seconds versus 127 for the DeWalt to fill the tank from empty.
Blythe
I think this is targeted at the group of people that have been saying “I already have nice pneumatic nailers so I’m not going to buy your battery ones” or “I like pneumatic tool reliability and lack of weight” or “I need specialty air tools like a 21g nailer” — so this is Milwaukee’s effort to appease them and get them into their system
fred
My 21ga Cadex pneumatic is one of my go-to tools – but as I use it in my shop that is already piped-up for air – I see no reason to buy a cordless small compressor.
BTW – I see that Grex had introduced a cordless (fuel cartridge type) 21ga nail gun:
https://www.nailgundepot.com/grex-gch850-21-gauge-cordless-brad-nailer
Rock
Where are the dewalts for $210? Home depot is showing $299.
Tom
Milwaukee generally makes high quality tools but also takes great pride in their “accelerated” product development cycle. Unfortunately, this means that many concepts are either rushed to market with early adopters serving as the beta test or are significantly delayed when complex projects hit major engineering roadblocks (i.e. the recent framing nailer). Personally, I wait until the product has been on the market for at least 6 months before making a purchase. By then there are enough reviews with substantial hours on the job to make an informed decision. To my knowledge, Milwaukee does not have a lot of experience engineering and manufacturing compressors, so this is one tool I would definitely err on the side of caution with.
fred
That’s sage advice for the purchase of many things – especially where needs are not some matter of urgency. You sentiments echo’s what Alexander Pope was oft quoted as saying:
“Be not the first by whom the new are tried, Nor yet the last to lay the old aside.”
RKA
Completely agree after having been bitten with their gen 1 nailer. The shill reviews were best ignored. It barely qualifies as a door stop.
Dominic
RKA Which nailer is this? I have the Gen 1 15GA and it gets er done big time.
Steven
The Gen1 18ga Brad Nailer had issues, but the new Gen2 is very nice.
Charles F
agree. Returned it. Gen 2 is great though
Woody
Your wrong. I’ve been testing this compressor for 2 years. Any kinks were worked out a long time ago.
Tool guy
I got mine last week and have started working with it
Steven
Already picked one up at the local HD and so far its worked well. Love how quiet it is, had the Dewalt cordless which was fine but didn’t like the cheap plastic frame and it was rather loud. This ones build to me is better, I don’t need the extra 1/2 gallon of air for hobby work doing mostly brads, pins, and narrow crown. My only gripe so far is the price wasn’t competitive but thats what you get with Milwaukee’s tools anyway.
Brian
Shockingly my friend saw it in stock at a local HD yesterday, they never have things that quickly locally. Wish it was more like $250, $350 is not worth it.
Nathan
I don’t so much see the point. I barely see the point of the larger dewalt one. In that is it more inline with the capacity and ability for a corded small compressor.
smaller 1 gallon compressors just don’t make much sense to me. I mean you could just fill a tank outside and cart it in if that is all you are going to do becasue of noise completing trim work or whathave you. I mean you’re cutting the trim outside too if noise is your big concern.
Otherwise for the dollars and usecase I think I would just get a cordless nailer. 18 ga for trim work.
I would be wary buying one unless I could also use it to air up a vehicle tire. with the pressure and rate and small tank size it would take quite some time.
Bob
Very interested to see the side by side comparisons against the DeWalt. How much slower it is to fill that smaller tank and if its enough to keep up with a trim nailer. I still can’t figure out why neither DeWalt or Millwaukee is tough system or pack out compatible respectively. Cadex did it years ago in systainers so it can be done.
And the DB rating. Is it realy 68DB? How far away is that measured? Thats pretty quiet. The funny thing is most guys jobsite radios are louder than the compressor anyways. Not to mention an air nailer each time its fired is louder than that. Same for the chop saw, table saw, sander, circular saw, jig saw, regular hammer banging stuff into place, sub contractors yelling at each other….the list goes on. Maybe team red is marketing to the trim carpenters who work in monasteries 🙂
Bob
OK so I am not sure the Cadex ever made it to market. Their website doesnt show it. I though I saw a write up on Toolguyd? I better drink more water. It was pretty hot today. Maybe I’m dehydrated lol
Rol-Air, Senco and Schneider have compressor in a box options tho. Maybe I’ll play around with a DeWalt 60v compressor and see if I can make it fit into a tough system case. Hard to get motivated tho. Ive got a 30 year old Rol-air and Emglo small compressors that have been used and abused but still going strong. Granted they are corded but Ive yet to do trim work at a house that did not have all the electrical finished.
Corey Moore
Normal conversation is between 50-60db in a public area such as an office or restaurant. And vacuums/blow-dryers are typically cited around 70db. 75db is the benchmark for fire alarm in bedrooms. I’ll ignore that they indicate that 68 is represented halfway between 60 and 70, but where normal conversation is in their graphic can only be interpreted as 69db. 68db isn’t bad, but blatantly misrepresenting info like that probably means it’s actually closer to 70db or more. Likely a great tool, but I can’t stand bs like that.
Steven
Honestly I think the decibels number doesn’t matter (but great for marketing), in person this thing is quiet and very hearing safe. I can stand right next to it and have a conversation without having to raise voices. My guess is the 68 is right at the compressors motor, by the time it reaches your ear I’d guess its actually lower.
Jerry
I do farm maintenance and use a.cordless compressor in that capacity. They are so easily portable and uses batteries already available there is no reason. Not to have one. They do take maybe 2 minutes to air up a tire on a center pivot sprinkler system but one battery will fill 2 or 3 tires, and hauls easily on the back of an ATV or can be carried. Until we got our cordless compressor it was either 2 or 3 trips with an air bubble of load up a truck with a plug in compressor and generator. Far more useful for my purposes than for running a nail gun.
Big Richard
Jerry, try one of the cordless inflators. The DeWalt DCC020IB is even smaller than a cordless compressor (no tank), lighter, easier to set your desired psi, cheaper ($99-$129 for bare tool), and can run off of much cheaper 20v batteries (compared to DeWalt’s 60v compressor).
If filling tires is your only use, the cordless inflators are a better route.
https://www.dewalt.com/products/storage-and-gear/air-compressors/20v-max-cordedcordless-air-inflator/dcc020ib
andy
Quite a few of my contractor colleagues spent more to get quiet compressors (Rolair JC-10, anything from California Air, etc) because it translates to profit. You can have a conversation over the sound of a trim nailer, but not a loud compressor. Having to wait for a compressor to cycle off to talk with the owner, a sub, or just figure something out between carpenters slows down the job.
High&Mighty
Well, you can certainly count me out for one of these or any cordless air compressor. Three hundred fifty bucks for a compressor that can only accommodate one single pneumatic tool. No other air tool can be used with it. Not even a 16ga finish nailer. The only air tool Milwaukee has is a framing nailer which can’t be used with their own air compressor. Who designs an air compressor that can’t even be used with their own air tools? How does that get the green light from management? That’s a first for me. I don’t remember anyone in the history of tools ever doing such a thing. Where is the three hundred fifty dollars worth of advantageous functionality and usable services that this tool possesses? I don’t see it. I don’t see it whatsoever. I can buy a cordless inflator and a cordless brad nailer with batteries for less than what this costs. There’s nothing that this compressor can do that can’t be done without it. So why are they making it if other means of using the same tools that are meant for it can be used without it? There’s nothing groundbreaking here. There’s nothing innovative here. There’s no technological advancement here. It’s undoubtedly f#@king stupid and pointless.
Steven
Not sure where you got your info but it doesn’t only work with one tool, sure it’s optimized for brads and smaller nailers but I’ve personally used these cordless compressors with framing nailers as well, for light work of course. That said I’ve had the Dewalt and just picked up the Milwaukee and already I’ve been using it for building cabinets, no issues.
Big Richard
You don’t have to use a Milwaukee air tool with a Milwaukee air compressor, there’s no proprietary connection that this will only work with Milwaukee air tools. So not sure where you’re getting that. Some people would rather spend $350 on a cordless compressor and use their existing pneumatics, rather than $1000+ on a new cordless brad, new cordless finish, new cordless narrow crown, new cordless pin, etc.
Also there are other uses besides nailers. I have the DeWalt and I use it constantly as a portable air supply for sterile pneumatic valves on lyophilizers, autoclaves, WFI stills, and bioreactors during routine maintenance and repairs. Also, every food and bev/pharma trade show I go to, reps are using cordless compressors at their booths for various pneumatic equipment.
Sorry it doesn’t have a use in your small world, but in the very big real world, it has quite a few uses.
andy
No, he’s right. This one outputs “Milwaukee air” and other tools aren’t compatible with it.
Big Richard
I must’ve missed that in the press release. It’s a shame, be nice to be able to use some of my older Bostitch nailers with it…
Charles F
I’m very excited. Just ordered it. Now if they’d only get the framing nailer out already. And a 16ga gen 2