Customer Reviews for Milwaukee M12 12V Lithium-Ion Cordless Rotary Tool (Tool-Only)

Was used a few times a year. Just before warranty was over it would not turn on. The only way to turn it on is to pull the battery out and plug it back in while its in the on position, the speed adjustment won't work. Was taking my sweet time for warranty claim and once I look at the receipt. 5 years and 1 month has gone by. Thousands of Dollars spent on Milwaukee tools and this has to be their bigger junk. Tool look brand new.

This has more power than any other battery powered rotary tool that I have used. It is plenty powerful for everything I need it to do.

I finally broke down and purchased this little bandsaw after owning its full size older brother for 2+ years. I thought it’s size and lightweight features would be great for cutting smaller EMT (1/2” to 1”), liquidtight flexible metal conduit and threaded rod. I was wrong… The bandsaw with a full battery charge and a new 18 TPI blade bound up on the first sealtite I cut. Subsequent cuts weren’t any better. I will be returning this unit and sticking with the ‘ol trusty full size bandsaw.

I am disappointed with the Cordless Rotary Tool. This is surprising because most of my Milwaukee products are excellent. Unfortunately, I have experienced two Milwaukee product failures this year after only a few uses. Anyways, On the third use, it froze and made a high-pitched noise. I discovered the front bearing had seized and melted part of the plastic case. I suggest considering alternatives.

A light weight, absolutely portable tool! The power and flexibility are great- highly recommended Milwaukee tool!

This is the 2nd one that stopped working and it’s only been since June 2022,

I have been a Dremel brand user for about 30 years, in that time span I’ve only worn out (2) tools. So longevity wise they have been great. I am a Milwaukee tool fan for the most part so I thought I would give the M12 a chance, my personal favorite is the Fuel M18 line. Trying out my new Milwaukee rotary tool was eye opening quality Proformance, very smooth operation and less noise. A very nice upgrade!

I really wanted to like this one. Unfortunately, the front arbor/shaft has excessive vibration and at least 1/32 movement side to side. I removed the plastic nut securing the plastic housing to inspect the front bearing. I was attempting to inspect the front bearing. I was somewhat surprised to find out that I can’t see a bearing. The arbor is riding on the plastic housing itself. And the housing is worn causing a lot of play in the shaft. This is causing a LOT OF VIBRATION. And I’ve only used this tool for a short time. I’ve probably only charged the battery twice. This tool is a huge disappointment. I I’ve got two corded Dremel tools and 2 Hitachi 12v cordless rotary tools. All of them have front ball bearings on the front shaft. I can’t believe Milwaukee cut corners on their rotary tools by eliminating the front bearings. This is pure junk in my opinion. It’s unfortunate because the tool is great otherwise. It’s got tremendous power and great battery life.

Great little powerhouse. Battery longer than Dremel. I have a good collection of Milwaukee M12 and N18. M12 tools are plenty powerful for homeowners. Battery life could be better but I guess when I use it for hours without recharge I am just pushing the limits

I've always wanted a Dremel and never realized Milwaukee had one labeled as a rotary tool. It has done everything I've always wanted to do with ease. Love how quiet it is compared to ones I've borrowed in the past

This one spindle will move about 1/32 of an inch. Cannot use over no 2 speed. Any speed over 2 it will vibrate bad. Last one lasted 8 yrs. The old one speed control failed. The shaft on old one is still tight. Use for cutting off metal stock. Sharping saw blades. Sanding tobacco pipes. Misc use around the shop.

I have a dremel, I thought I'd upgrade it for the milwaukee version , the milwaukee top plastic screw became loose every time I turned it on , it vibrated so much the battery fell out !! Very dangerous to use , unless I purchased a fake / faulty one ?

M12 12-Volt Lithium-Ion Cordless Rotary Tool is a real work horse. It has more power than most corded tools. You can use your M12 batteries that you use for your other tools. Delivers 5,000-32,000 RPM and it will cut or grind anything you need it to. I really like that it will auto shut off if the tool jams when cutting something and gets in a bind. I use this every week as it seems I find more and more uses for it since it is cordless. Best rotary tool out there.

Easy to use a lot of accessories good speed choice.

Simply better tha dremel , a lot of force and to much confort without the cable

Works well and completed my project with no issue thanks to this tool

After owning a corded Dremel for so long I can't remember it finally bit the dust. I wanted something with that longevity for sure but with the added convenience of cordless. The choices were somewhat large when I did my research however since I own some Milwaukee tools already and own the 2amp battery that this tool needs it was an easy decision. What I like is the fact that this unit has a removable battery whereas some other units have the battery built in so at some point those units are likely tossed to the trash. The Rotary Tool I found has very little vibration unlike how my old Dremel used to vibrate. This tool is smooth, has the nice dial to control speeds, is very well built and runs very long on a battery charge! Very GOOD! Also it takes all my previous Dremel attachments so no loss there!

The battey life is great. The power is better than the competition. I have no complaints

This thing is great when it works. I'm on my 3rd warranty replacement now (about 1 year and 6 months since the original), and the new one went for about 3 minutes before it died. I haven't even gone through 2 of the supplied cutting discs that came with the original tool. At least they have a good warranty, but I will be buying a corded Dremel because I'm tired of breaking out the hack saw and files every time I'm working on something and this breaks. It has always been something to do with the power switch or the speed controller. Milwaukee needs to trash this and make something that can withstand the force of being picked up and turned on.

This cordless rotary tool replaced a corded rotary tool that is really popular on the market. I am always looking to move away from corded tools so I was very excited to get this tool. It delivers 5000-32000 RPMs which is controlled by a speed dial on the tool. This thing is extremely compact making for easy use in tight spaces and it weights only 1.3 lbs. with a 1/8” collet, finding accessories for this tool is easy. Because they sell so many different tips for this tool, it becomes a very versatile tool for small job applications. Even at high RPMs, you still have excellent control of the tool at all times. I have a huge set of different tips that I bought that gives me the ability to use this tool in so many different ways. Grinding, polishing, sanding, cutting, the list goes on and on. Great tool to shave down the nails on my dog. Included with the tool is the wrench for tightening the collet. It’s a good tool to have on the job site for that spot you are working on where most tools just do not fit. The tool is so small it takes up very little space in your box. Overall well designed tool!!

Needed a rotary tool to enlarged some holes for a project and this little Milwaukee handled it with no problem. I initially purchased another brand which is probably the best known name for rotary tools and it died on me 5 minutes in on its first use. I thought it had just overheated but even after letting it sit overnight it still didn’t work. Since I have tons of Milwaukee 12v batteries, I figured it was smart to go with the Milwaukee. So far I’m very happy with it.

A rotary tool is a very helpful tool and doesn't get credit. I think often more times than not you believe you won't necessarily need one. I was on the fence about the purchase but I don't regret it. I use this little bugger almost every day for something. It is light and very portable and packs a punch don't be mistaken. THIS AIN’T NO CORDED DREMEL PEOPLE COM’ ON.

I am an industrial maintenance mechanic and this little tool saved me. I used it to cut and form a new key to mount a motor onto a gearbox the original key was lost. Definitely worth the money.

Excellent saw for compact spaces and small material.

I Am a professional Locksmith and I have bought two of these, the first to replace a corded dremel that last less than 6 months on the job. I use them to grind and cut metal. My first one is still running after over two years of regular and hard service. So I bought a second one so I don’t have to switch the cutting bit out for a cutting wheel. I can leave them setup for efficiency. I highly recommend this product.

I love this tool. Lots of power and great battery life. No more dragging a corded tool to the project, or a project to the corded tool.

First I have to admit that I strongly prefer all tools by Milwaukee. Their attention to quality is unsurpassed. I have numerous M12 and M18 powered Milwaukee tools and I use them for everything from roofing to changing tires This particular rotary tool is used predominantly to grind down and smooth my dogs' toenails. It is so convenient to have a cordless rotary with the power to do the job. I have, in years past, tried other cordless rotaries and they won't maintain their rpm and they heat up to the point they're uncomfortable to hold. This little Milwaukee stays constant and strong through all 4 dogs, doesn't heat up and is quieter than my old Dremel brand plug in model. The M12 battery lasts for hours doing any job I ask of it. I highly recommend Milwaukee brand tools for any project or big job you might take on. They're lifespan and power has proven to be so much better than any other brand of tools I've tried.

I have a corded rotary tool that i really like but was tired of the cord. I got this for the projects I have that are difficult to get to with a cord and don’t need a lot of power. I was surprised to find that this thing has plenty of power and way break out the corded one only on rare occassions now. I would definitely recommend this tool.

I use a rotary tool all the time as an oilfield electrician this tool saves me tons of time at work and works just as good as my plug in model. I would recommend this to anyone! It's awesome.

Came exactly as described. Works great for what I need it to do. Battery on the 6.0 is great