One of the most anticipated new tools to come out of the Milwaukee NPS this year was the M18 Fuel Cordless Tablesaw, running on Milwaukee’s new 12.0Ah HD batteries. A few weeks ago we got our hands on the saw, and immediately brought it over to AJ Delancey at AD Enterprises. We asked AJ to put the saw to work on the job site so we could get some real world feedback.
Overall AJ was impressed with the table saw, with one of the major factors being portability. I couldn’t agree more as the Milwaukee M18 FUEL Table Saw is so incredibly easy to transport/carry.
What tablesaw do you normally use on the job?
“We usually use the Bosch Table Saw with Gravity Rise Stand, it’s a workhorse. It does a fantastic job.”
Moving from a corded table saw to a cordless model, what have been some of the major differences?
“This thing has a surprising amount of power. Actually, there is no loss in power. I can do everything with this saw that I can with the other one. The only drawback I find is the run time when making long rips on 14′ and 16′ boards, isn’t quite what I thought it would be, but if you got a couple batteries on site, I don’t think it’ll be an issue.”
So you’ve had this saw on the jobsite for a week now – what do you think?
“It’s been great, having this lightweight, portable saw. It’s surprisingly powerful. It’s great to pick this thing up and take it to where the work is, rather than dragging the material right where your saw is. We always keep a table saw on site and becomes the heart of the job site but this is great, we can take it to where we need it and it only takes a minute.”
You’ve been working with the 9AH batteries for quite some time – what are your thoughts on the new 12Ah batteries?
“The 9 runs it fine, the performance definitely drops. The 12 just goes and goes, 100% power up till the every end. It’s definitely a big upgrade.”
Dust is a big part of your job – any thoughts on the M18’s dust collection capabilities?
“Dust collection is another big plus that I find. Dust collection on this is exceptional and it has to do with the canvas, dust shroud around the housing inside and I think that’s something all saw manufacturers are taking note of. I love the Bosch and everything but a lot of times we do indoor, restaurant remodels and we have to hook up the dust collection. When the dust shoot gets clogged up, it just shoots dust everywhere. A lot of portable table saws I find, do that. Without active dust collection, expels almost all the dust out of the dust shoot. There is no build up at all, doesn’t get in your face or your arms.”
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Any thoughts on the blade that came with it? Did you try any other blades?
“It’s an OK blade. I would’ve liked to see one of the new blades on their saw. I ripped 5′ 2×4’s repetitively, over and over and got about 45 cuts on a single charge. Taking off 3/16″ at a time, over and over again. Then I put a 7-1/4″ blade in there to see if I could get more out of it and even with a smaller blade I was still able to cut a 1-1/2″ no problem and got a little more performance out of it and longevity. The biggest thing is depth of cut, the way engineered this, it’ll cut 2-5/8″ which your typical table saw will cut 3-1/8″. It isn’t a huge deal, I use table saws all the time and I don’t fully extend the blade that often, even on a 10″. This will be more than capable on a job site like this.”
What are your thoughts on some of the best applications for this saw?
“Where this thing will really shine, is the exterior trim on this building. We have layers and layers of cedar trim and fascia and all the softer plywood. To be able to move this thing around the building as we go is just invaluable. There is nothing worse than wrestling with cords.”
A huge thank you to AJ and AD Enterprises for letting us on the job site to bring you an Inside Look of the Milwaukee M18 FUEL Table Saw. If you’re interested in ordering one for yourself, visit Ohio Power Tool and get yours today for only $549.
