Customer Reviews for Milwaukee M18 18-Volt Lithium-Ion HIGH OUTPUT CP 3.0 Ah Battery Pack

I got a chance to check out the new high output Milwaukee M18 compact 3 a/h batteries. I got the 2 battery pack kit, model 48-11-1837; no charger is included in this kit, just the two batteries. The batteries came with a minimal charge on them; you’ll need to plan on charging them up before starting on your project. There’s a ‘battery gauge’ on the front of each battery (see photo below) that gives a reasonable estimate of power remaining. Fit and finish is excellent and there’s a rubberized bottom on each battery so if you unintentionally set a tool down on a coffee table or piano or some such you are less likely to mar the surface. Milwaukee claims that the new compact high output will deliver 50% more power than previous versions. I can’t do a direct comparison because I have no other 3 amp hour Milwaukee batteries. I can attest, however, that these new cells are light (see photo below) compared to 5 a/h XC Milwaukee batteries and work well in my hammer drill and Milwaukee bit driver. There are a number of web videos showing that the new 3 a/h cells are right up there in performance with the 5 a/h XC batteries. Pro trades will, of course, have their own take on the new setup. As a typical DIY’er, though, I’ve traditionally had 5 a/h batteries in my drill and driver, ready to grab when needed. I’ve pulled the 5 a/h batteries out in favor of the new, lighter 3 a/h high power units, I like them that much. Battery technology keeps advancing, and these new Milwaukee 3 a/h batteries seem to work as advertised. The batteries come with a 2 year warranty from Milwaukee and, of course, the 90 day return policy from Home Depot. HTH Regards, Jim

Milwaukee quality shines again. Fantastically high output, cooler running power in a compact power pack. Only weighs just under 1lb 6oz and is lighter than my other batteries. Yes, it fits all M18 Milwaukee tools. I throughly love all my Milwaukee tools and I am accumulating a bunch. Photo compares this CP3.0 the XC5.0 and the HD12.0. Running performance is the same only more compact and lighter. Keep’um comin’ Milwaukee.

If you are looking at these you already know the Milwaukee battery driven tools are well made tools. These are a nice addition especially for things you typically hold in one hand like the impact driver or drill. And that is exactly what I got them for. Like the rest of the M18 line they charge very fast and hold a charge well. The very low profile is nice and the lower weight is very nice when you are going to be using the tool for an extended time since that can be tiring. And less fatigue means better tool control. Seems when I get tired that is when I hose things up every time. One thing I did run into is that these are just slightly wider than some of the other M18 batteries I have. As a result I had to bend the belt hanger slightly outward on the impact driver and drill to make these fit. But that was a simple task and worth it to make them work. You could remove the belt hanger but I find it handy to this worked for me.

I was super excited to hear they were coming out with a compact 3.0 battery and that as soon as they were available I ordered a 2 pack. Power is great. Works as expected for anything from Milwaukee. The only issue I have is that for the battery to fit any of my drills/impact you can’t have the belt clip on the tool. This battery is too wide to fit on the tool if the clip is on there. Im sure its not an issue for some because the belt clip can be removed. But I use the belt clip and I bought these batteries with my drills/impacts in mind. The attached pic is me attempting to put the battery in my 2753-20 impact driver. Might have to relegate the batteries fo flashlight use only which is very disappointing

Milwaukee keeps hitting home runs with the Fuel cordless, and this battery just did a grand slam. Fits perfectly on my Gen3 hammer drill and Impact set. Charges fast with the stock charger and the look is well designed as if it was designed before the Gen3 set was released. I have 2 of the 2804-20 hammer drills and you can definitely feel the difference between this CP3.0 and the XC 3.0 when driving in a 4" lag bolt. Great battery!

This convenient “two-pack” of Milwaukee M18 18 volt Red Lithium 3.0 Ah batteries for my Milwaukee tools is a great way to be sure I have enough power to work through any home project without interruption to charge the battery pack. I found that right out of the packaging, the battery packs charge up from one bar on the display to a full charge of four bars in less than a half hour. Having these two battery packs that charge so quickly allows me to get projects done without any down time or delay for charging because I will always have a spare battery. Another benefit of this size of batteries is that they are not that bulky and they are not that heavy, so holding the tool with this battery pack is less likely to tire out your arms. I highly recommend getting this “two-pack” of batteries so you can get as much done around the house as quickly as possible!

Great battery for my circular saw, sawzall and hacksaw. Only disadvantaged is they are too big to fit in the drill and impact, the battery is wider and hits the belt hook...

Lots of power

It has helped me a lot because it makes my tools work longer and with greater performance

Battery has performed well in M18 chainsaw and wet/dry vac. Only 'problem' I've had is when using on cooler/cold days (below 50 degrees or so... so not sub-arctic or anything...) the battery has drained much faster. Apples to apples comparison as I was cutting same material, same location, and straight off charger at full charge a month or so back during Fall - 70 to 75 degrees. Battery has been through less than 5 charge/recharge cycles, so that shouldn't have impacted anything. I would have thought the constant demand/use of chainsaw would minimize any cold weather drops in performance, but I suppose not. I'm not sure how they balance not overheating while minimizing cold weather performance, props to Milwaukee's R&D for developing technology to get this much performance out of an 18 volt to begin with. Hopefully I didn't get a defective one... as I didn't find any reports of the cold weather drop in performance/longevity before purchasing. I'll give it a couple more shots and consider reaching out to Milwaukee to ask if this drop in performance during cold weather is normal.

I compared this new XC 6.0Ah High Output battery to one of my trusty XC 5.0 batteries. The XC6.0 at 2 lbs 6 oz weighs 13 ounces more than the XC 5.0. The XC 6.0 is 1" longer and 1/2" taller than the XC 5.0. I tested both in my 2630-20 6.5" circular saw. I was able to complete cuts in 2" x 10" material 50% faster with the XC 6.0 than with the XC 5.0, using the same amount of forward pressure on the saw with each. You'll have to decide for yourself what a 50% productivity increase is worth when sawing or grinding or doing other high power requirement jobs, but for me it's a no-brainer. I didn't compare how long the battery lasted. The XC 6.0 is rated at 108 watt-hours vs 90 for the XC 5.0, so as well as having 50% more power it should last longer on the job too. An instruction sheet was included with general M18 battery instructions, but there was no specific information about the XC 6.0 battery.

The only real con with this 2 pack of batteries is how to break into the darn packaging. It is packed with heavy gauge plastic that is form welded all the way around the batteries, not even room to get scissors in - forcing you to use a razor knife to release the batteries. I can understand making stuff theft resistant, however, I was not fond taking a razor knife around my new set of batteries. Once out, they first had to be charged - which I expected - one bar on the power level meter. About an hour later one was ready to go to work. They are everything you would expect from Milwaukee lithium! Long on power and short on charging time!

This is a 2-pack of Milwaukee’s 6.0Ah high-output batteries. These make a great alternative to a single 12.0Ah battery if you’re looking for a lighter weight battery (two of these are the same price as one 12.0Ah battery and both batteries are designated as High-Output by Milwaukee). HO batteries use the newer 21700 Li cells and have more power and run cooler than non HO batteries, which use the older 18650 Li cells. I tested the batteries in several of my M18 tools, including a 2902 hammer drill, 2720 Sawzall, and 2730 circular saw. In every case the tools performed extremely well, meaning they exhibited a lot of power under load, and because of the battery’s weight, the tools were easier to handle than they were with the 12.0Ah battery installed. I also compared a “regular” 5.0Ah battery and the 6.0Ah HO battery using my Milwaukee 2902-20 hammer drill and a 1” auger bit (see Photos). I noted the temperature of each battery (using an IR thermometer) before and after drilling 20 holes in a pressure treated 4x6. While not a completely scientific comparison, I did note that the temperate after drilling was three degrees cooler with the 6.0 battery (72 versus 75 degrees, starting temperature for both was 60 degrees). When done, the 5.0 battery only lit 3 LEDs in its fuel gauge and the 6.0 battery still had 4 LEDs. I can’t draw too much of a conclusion from the temperatures (I think I would need to make many more holes to really compare them), but the runtime would be very impressive for the HO battery. So, if you’re using Milwaukee’s high-demand power tools, you may want to look into the 6.0Ah batteries for easier handling than the 12.0Ah battery (of course, for the stationary tools, like the miter and table saws, the 12.0 would be just fine).

M18 18-Volt Lithium-Ion High Output Battery Pack 6.0Ah (2-Pack) - a Home Depot Seeds Program Review I’m pretty well invested in Milwaukee battery tools. I recently got a 7-tool set of their M18 Brushless tools and I’m certainly impressed enough with them that I may look into others as well. The kit came with two M18 Red Lithium XC5.0 batteries. They would probably be enough for most use but some of the tools use a bit more power and run batteries out faster. I figured I would get a couple more so I went with a little larger battery – the M18 Red Lithium High Output XC6.0 batteries. According to the Milwaukee website, the “M18™ REDLITHIUM™ HIGH OUTPUT™ XC6.0 Battery Pack provides 50% more power and runs 50% cooler vs M18™ REDLITHIUM™ XC battery packs”. They don’t specify how they came up with those stats so I can’t really say how much of is true or just hype. I can say the XC6.0 battery fits all of Milwaukee’s extensive M18 line of tools – and that ‘s a good thing! All of their batteries have power left indicators. This is a very good thing. I hate starting a job with a low battery then have to stop to get a fresh one. These batteries also hold full – or nearly full – power until they die. If you’re used to using NiCad batteries in your tools, you’ll find this very nice. Without hard data from Milwaukee, and since I have a pair of XC5.0 batteries as well as these XC6.0, I thought I would perform a very “unscientific” comparison and test of the two. Weight: XC5.0 25.71 oz, XC6.0 38.17 oz. This may not seem like a whole lot but it may be significant if you’re wielding the tools for hours on end. Time to charge from completely dead to completely full: XC5.0 70 min, XC6.0 75 minutes. This is using Milwaukee’s M18/M12 Multi-Voltage Charger. Milwaukee has rapid chargers available but I don’t know how much faster they would be. Power: The XC5.0 batteries can run all of the tools in my kit. I’m not sure how long some of the larger ones like the SAWZALL or the circular saw would run but I have used them some with no loss of charge as indicated by the power indicator lights. In my test of drilling holes, the was a slight loss of power near the end of it’s charge. This was barely noticeable and I could only tell when I replaced it with a fresh battery. The XC6.0 had plenty of power to drive the tools in my kit as well. I was trying to be cognizant of power loss at the end of it’s charge and found no discernible loss of power until it die. Life: I drilled half inch holes into a 4x4 using the M18 ½ inch Hammer Drill Driver. I started with the batteries completely charged and drilled holes until the battery died. The XC5.0 drilled 103 holes. The XC6.0 drilled 114 holes. It wasn’t the increased life I was expecting but this was a single trial. Heat: The XC5.0 may have been a little warmer after use than the XC6.0 but nothing significant to me. The drill itself was heating up more than the battery though. As I said, my testing was pretty unscientific and serve only to give a reasonable comparison but YMMV. Neither of these batteries would be suitable for the large M18 tools like the table saw , chainsaw or similar but for the smaller tools like drills, impact wrench and circular saw, they’re a good size and weight. While I really didn’t find a huge difference between the two batteries, if you’re going to need extra batteries than I would suggest getting the XC6.0 over the XC5.0 for the extra capacity and run time. Also, if you’re inclined to believe manufacturer marketing literature, there are other advantages as well. The pretty substantial cost difference between the two would have to be figured in.

*A powerful pair of batteries.* The batteries in this 2 pack are of the latest generation from Milwaukee. These 6.0ah packs, as well as the newly introduced 12ah are especially different from previous models in that the individual cells have received an upgrade. Whereas previous models ran on 18650 cells these now use 21700. This is a significant upgrade for both power and run-time in addition to better thermal management. Design and form factor wise these batteries share many similarities with previous generations with the main difference being in size. Lengthwise these measure in at a little over 5 ¼ inches and height of the cell housing comes in at approx. 2 ¼. Weight comes in at just about 2.4 pounds. I've included some images for a size comparison with the batteries I already owned for a better idea of the differences. In general these will be longer than older models and will usually be taller. Performance wise this pair proved to be a bit more powerful than my other batteries when I got down to using them, the real issue in gauging power increases where due to the limited m18 tools I had to test. I mainly used the new brushless jigsaw for power tests and did notice a feel for increase in power over the 4 and 5ah I previously had. It wasn’t much, but it was there. I also used a brushless drill yet found little noticeable difference there. The tool I used the most to test the capability of these batteries was with the brushless backpack vacuum. While these did put out less power than the 9.0ah it came with it wasnt by much and was still plenty capable. Output here was much higher when compared to any other size I tested. I also used the vacuum to test run-time as any of my other tools, regardless of the battery I’m using, takes an extremely long time to kill one. For the vac I got around 20 minutes on high with each of these. This is very good as the higher 9.0ah has been getting me about 27 minutes. I was impressed with run-time yet truth be told I have never not been impressed with the run time of an m18. Heat output was also noticeably lower both when charging and during extended uses. Whereas older models get warm/hot to the touch, these do not. I would definitely recommend these batteries with the caveat that it depends on the tools you have to use them with. If all you've got is a drill and impact driver then you aren't really going to see much gains here outside of run-time. You'll also have a much larger battery to lug around. Where I think these would shine the most is with tools such as the sawzall, the new brushless circ saw or an angle grinder where the output gains would undoubtedly be most noticeable. Value-wise it is going to depend on you and your usual workload weather these are going to be worth the premium. Just remember that this pair of batteries are a technological advancement and with that always comes a higher buy-in. I wasn’t disappointed with this set and I don’t think you would be either.

The quality of tool batteries has improved dramatically over the years. And, Milwaukee continues to be at the forefront of this progress. I received this battery as part of a promotion with the idea that "more is better". And, it often is, especially if you have a tool that really draws battery capacity: cordless porta-band saw, cordless SDS rotary hammer, cordless circular saw. I have none of these tools so the additional weight of this battery (about 1/3 more) over the XC5.0 is probably not worth it. As I expand my tool inventory this battery will become more useful. As for right now it works well in my impact driver and hammer/drill, but is a bit of over-kill, especially given that I already own four M18 XC5.0 batteries.

This 6 Amp Hour battery is the perfect mate to my 4.0 and 12.0 amp hour batteries. I can interchange any of them for my sander or my Milwaukee table saw. I left my 4.0 battery in the sander and when I went ti use it, I had no power. I used the 12.0 from the table saw but it was really too large. This 6.0 will be a great back up for the sander or saw. The weight of the battery means I don't have to press down on the sander but just steer it along the wood. A great backup.

FINALLY! No more running out of juice! I only own 2 M18 tools so far (blower, and reciprocating saw). These batteries allowed me to get the job done in a single setting. This is the fall season and I used my blower all morning to gather the leaves in huge piles. The on-board fuel gauge is an awesome feature to see how much juice I have left. Working here in the Northeast, temps can hit close to zero degrees and even below zero, and these batteries can handle extreme weather conditions. To minimize exposure to cold, I bring the batteries inside when I can, so they are not exposed to winter temps unnecessarily. The batteries have 50% more power than the regular XC battery packs. No more battery packs getting hot under constant heavy loads. With these battery packs, there is no excuse now to NOT get the job done. I will be converting more of my tools to the M18 lineup. Batteries carry a 3-year warranty.

Another winner from Milwaukee; this battery has a good blend of power and performance. Runs cooler too! The attractive and informative packaging poses the first problem … How do I free the battery from the wrapper? Careful cutting with a sharp pair of scissors is how. By cutting very close to the battery while being mindful of not cutting the battery itself (potentially very dangerous) it was possible to get to a place where I could rip the remaining plastic off and get the battery out. Only one power bar was lit so a full charge was necessary. Almost immediately two bars showed and within the hour (about 57 minutes) all four power bars were lit and the battery was ready for use. I could not say how long the battery will last in total but after two hours of fairly heavy use it still had two power bars lit. I would estimate that two of these batteries would last a regular working day in the field under average temperature and humidity conditions.

I saw a review that stated similar symptoms with their fuel weed eater so I haven't tried it with mine and I won't. Used with my fuel skil saw (2731) and it cut half of the 1x12 I was working with and now will not operate at all. Milwaukee needs to address this. Otherwise the battery is good for the new tools it was released with and the battery just looks sharp.

The new High Output High Demand 12 Amp Hr battery lives up to Milwaukee's claims of 50% more power while running 50% cooler than previous gen XC batteries. I tested it along with Milwaukee's new 7 Tool Combo kit over the course of a week doing various tasks including driving, grinding, lighting, etc... and it still barely takes a charge. An excellent choice for extended use and to cut down on the number of batteries you lug around if you're traveling to different work sites on a daily basis. In terms of charging time, or more precisely, rate, it appears to be comparable to the XC’s when adjusted for capacities but I haven’t tested this extensively enough to make a definitive remark. The only eyebrow raiser is the price, but considering all power tool batteries are pricey, its still a good, if not great, value considering how much use you'll get out of it between charges, and its being backed by Milwaukee's typical battery warranty.

This is one Monster Battery!!! Along with stupendously long life goes weight also. This battery weighs in at 3 lbs 8 oz all by itself compared to 1 lb 9 oz for my M18 XC5.0 . Well, yah gotta sacrifice something for more power. Using this battery on my High Torque Impact wrench greatly reduces the twist in the wrist because of the weight AND it builds up the strength of my wrist and arm muscles at the same time. Saves running to the gym. It also fits the same charger. And it fits my Milwaukee Drain Cleaning Snake Auger. A real time saver if I have one of those really tough clean outs or a number to do in the same day.

This Milwaukee M18 18-Volt Lithium-Ion High Output (HO) Battery Pack 12.0Ah is a powerhouse! Providing at least 33% more run-time than the M18 9.0Ah RedLithium's I have, it only weights 6 ounces more and has just an extra 3\8" in height. The recharge times seem to be no longer than the smaller XD 9.0Ah packs, but it certainly delivers longer run times! Although this industry-leading cordless power tool 12.0Ah M18 pack can run all of the Milwaukee 18V cordless tools, it should really shine on current draw capacity and longer run times of their bigger portable tools, providing the power of their heavy-duty corded tools!

Even though Milwaukee came out with some new high powered toys, due to the additional weight. I find the 12.0ah batteries better suited for stationary items, like the miter saws, table saws, and lighting products. Products that you won't notice the weight since you will not have it in your hand for an extended period of time. The 12ah battery was excellent with my dual power light, the 2131-20. On high I got a runtime of almost 10hrs. More than enough for a full day's job on a jobsite with no power and you have to work in dark areas. Charge time out of the box, the charge time with a rapid charger was a little under 2 hours, about 100 minutes. With the normal charger, MILWAUKEE-48-59-1812, the charge time was a little under 4hours . Approximately 3.5 hours 210 minutes. This does offer a greater run time so you may need even need the rapid charger, since depending on your needs and usage it may last you the entire day. There are some products, like the two original rocket lights that won't fit the 12ah batteries, I believe Milwaukee will service those for free, I have not sent my request in but I will soon so I will find out

This is the latest and greatest (as of July 2018) of the Red Lithium batteries from Milwaukee (see Photo 1). It’s a huge 12.0Ah battery pack (see Photos 2 and 3) that weighs 3.3 pounds (as compared to 1.6 lbs for the 5.0Ah battery). If you have tools such as the Milwaukee table saw or miter saw, it’s the battery to have because of its high-amp output. I tried the 12.0 Ah battery with the 2720-20 Sawzall and the 2780-20 angle grinder. I wanted to see if I can feel an increase in performance as compared to the 5.0Ah battery that came with the tools. After quite a few cuts, I have to say that I could not sense any difference in power between the two batteries. Oh well, I’ll have to be content with the incredible run-time the battery offers. Also of note, after using the battery in the tools mentioned above, as well as the 6 1/2” circular saw, I was surprised that the tools didn’t feel more awkward because of the added weight. I wouldn’t hesitate using this large battery in any of my Milwaukee tools.

This Milwaukee M18 lithium battery fits all my Milwaukee tools, including a portable light (see picture), reciprocating saw (see picture), drill (see picture), and leaf blower (see picture). This battery is the largest that Milwaukee offers, with 12 Amperes of power, so it will last a long time when using it with most any Milwaukee M18 battery-powered tool. It charges in the Milwaukee M18 charger (see picture). The battery has a charge level indicator which has a series of four LEDs so you will always be able to tell how much power is remaining. My battery went from a one LED level charge to a full four LED charge in about 2-3 hours. If you want to have the longest possible run time with a Milwaukee tool, this is the battery to get so you don’t have any down time in your project or yard work. I highly recommend it because it really lasts!

This 12.0 battery is an absolute monster. Been using this will the Milwaukee Super Sawzall, and you can put a dent in the battery life of this beast. It sends the power needed to the saw when called for, so you can never bog it down, and it literally just keeps running, and running and running. That being said, this is not the battery you want for a drill or impact, but with the high output tools like the new table saw, super sawzall, and miter saws, this is definitely the battery you want to have in your bag. Unless you try it for yourself, you just wont understand how awesome this new 12.0 battery really is.

These were a great deal at Home Depot. I primarily only use Milwaukee tools so I like having extra batteries available when I'm out on jobs.

This battery has been used over 4 years anf works brand new.

Using it in their chainsaw and it consistently overheats vs the xc6.0 which I've been able to use a lot more consistently