Milwaukee are known for their innovative cordless range, be it hand drills or heated jackets they always find a way to push the industry forward. But what about those situations where accessibility is tight or an M12/M18 battery would be way too heavy for the purpose.
You may have heard about Milwaukee’s High output batteries or their MX Fuel range from our previous articles, however, Milwaukee has another lesser-known battery system. Redlithium is Milwaukee’s small and compact USB battery range.
Milwaukee’s Redlithium USB range is built with portability in mind. The tools use small rechargeable batteries that are easy to store away in your pocket or in a pouch, saving you from lugging around a massive tool box. The USB powered tools are built for those tools just too compact for a traditional 18V battery.
With the release of Milwaukee’s 2023 Heavy Duty News (As seen on Milwaukee’s website), you’ll be excited to know that Milwaukee is releasing 3 more tools to its USB range in 2023.
The 3 new tools are a new Headlamp, A rechargeable Neck Light and a rechargeable flashlight (as seen in the image)
With the release of Milwaukee’s new products, I figured this would be the best time to go over Milwaukee’s Redlithium range and explore what you can expect from it.
What is Redlithium USB?
Milwaukee’s Redlithium USB Range is, as the name implies Milwaukee’s range of USB chargeable tools. Generally paired along with Milwaukee’s 4V USB chargeable batteries, the USB range features a number of lights, lasers, torches and spirit levels with more tools being added frequently.
The advantage of Redlithium USB is its compact and lightweight design. Whilst on the job you may find yourself needing a light, rather than getting an M12 or M18 site light you can pop a battery into the Milwaukee headlamp and get to work.
This and many other niche applications are where Milwaukee’s Redlithium USB system excels. The batteries are small enough to carry multiple in your pockets which makes the tools even more versatile for those inaccessible jobs.
How long does A Milwaukee Redlithium USB Battery Last?
On average you can expect around 1000 cycles from a Redlithium battery. That means you can expect to fully charge the battery from 0% 1000 times.
If you’re wondering about performance from one tool to another it can vary but on average you can expect around 8 hours of battery from a full charge.
Again this does depend on the tool as some users have reported 2-5 hour use times on heavier battery-draining tasks. However, the option to carry multiple batteries on your person allows you to circumvent charging times between jobs. This really does eliminate the need for disposable batteries on site
How long does Milwaukee Redlithium Take to charge?
This depends on your battery size and charging speed however if charging a 4V 3ah Redlithium battery you can expect a full charge in around 2 hours using a micro-USB charger with the battery housed in a tool.
Milwaukee has also created a standalone charger for their Milwaukee Redlithium batteries however I couldn’t find them in the UK – perhaps the charger will be released at a later date! For the time being, we will just have to charge our batteries in the tools.
What tools use Redlithium USB Technology
Milwaukee’s Redlithium USB is expanding year after year and has some amazing tools that are the best in class to sink your teeth into, especially the lights and lamps. Below we have created a list of tools to look out for using Milwaukee’s Redlithium technology.
Milwaukee’s USB Rechargeable 400 Neck Light
Probably the most anticipated release in the Milwaukee Redlithium USB lineup. You may have even come across a neck light in a gadget shop in your time.
The thing is, they’re not all that good and feel more gimmicky than anything. There doesn’t seem to be a premium option for mechanics that need light in very specific areas whilst also retaining the use of both arms.
This is where Milwaukee’s Neck light plans to take over the market. With a 400 Lumen light which is 2x higher than any other neck light on the market, it has a 130° swivel for direct light to where you need it. Using the Redlithium USB technology Milwaukee’s neck light boasts up to 8 hours of run time.
It charges via USB C so you can plug it in wherever you need to. We’re excited to get a hold of this one here at ITS when it makes its UK debut!
Milwaukee Redlithium USB Spirit Levels
Digital Spirit levels are much more reliable and easy to use than the old traditional spirit levels. They are designed to make taking measurements quick and incredibly accurate.
Milwaukee’s Redlithium USB digital spirit levels are designed with a clear display allowing you to see data including angle, distance etc with ease.
There are 4 levels in the set varying in size from 1800mm to a smaller torpedo level. The Spirit levels display the current incline and can be changed to show angle, percentage or mm/m. The menus are easy to read and intuitive to use.
The levels are IP65 rated so they’re durable enough to use on-site and not be worried about the tool breaking.
With everything in this article, the Redlithium USB spirit levels use Redlithium batteries and are USB Charged via USB
Milwaukee Redlithium USB Lasers
Lasers are essential to the trade, and one issue that we are faced with when using them for work is swapping the battery every time they run out of charge. Now, this doesn’t happen every day but when it does it’s always at the very second you need it.
With Milwaukee’s Redlithium USB lasers not only can you charge your tool whilst in use, but the batteries also last 8 hours so as long as you’re charged before going out it’ll last the whole day.
You might think that not running on M12 or M18 batteries would lower the power of the lasers but they hold their own with the Cross line laser reaching 30 meters or 50 with a detector.
The lasers also come with a green light which is up to 4x more visible than red light. This Laser is also a great way to try a Milwaukee tool without having to invest in a battery system like M12 or M18.
Milwaukee Redlithium Hard Hat Headlamps
This headlamp is designed to clip onto your Milwaukee Bolt hard hat for hands-free light when moving around.
The USB-charged light lasts up to 25 hours on a single charge and is one of the most efficient headlamps on the market.
This is the type of application that Milwaukee’s Redlithium USB batteries really shine at, not only do they provide a great run time but due to the waterproof nature of the headlamp casing paired with its high durability it can really take a beating.
Milwaukee Trueview’s lighting system ensures accurate colours, perfect for looking at finishes and colour palettes on the job. The USB C rechargeable battery keeps you working for longer while eliminating the need to spend money on traditional disposable batteries.
And there you have it, hopefully, this article has taught you about Redlithium USB and introduced you to some of Milwaukee’s new and exciting tools, if you’d like to see more new tools from Milwaukee, click below.