Milwaukee batteries are actually quite versatile.While you might think they can only run power tools, you can actually do a whole lot more with them.Here are six genuinely odd (yet super useful) things that you can definitely power with Milwaukee batteries—and one that you probably shouldn't do.
Your laptop or Steam Deck can run off a drill battery The TOP-OFF's little USB-C port surprised me Close You might not realize it, but Milwaukee actually sells a TOP-OFF inverter for its M18 line of batteries that's quite powerful.From a single M18 battery, you'll get 175W of AC power, 45W USB-C PD power, and around 12W of USB-A power—all usable at the same time.This is extremely useful in so many areas.
For instance, you could use the USB-C Power Delivery port to charge a Steam Deck, as the Steam Deck's stock charger is also 45W.Or, you could use the AC adapter to charge your MacBook or other laptop—so long as the power draw stayed under 175W to not trip the internal circuitry.Why use an M18 battery to charge a Steam Deck or laptop? Well, you probably already have several, they're fairly compact, and you can turn one into a portable battery to power whatever you want to plug into it.
It sounds like a no-brainer to me.A soldering iron that lives in your tool bag It's built for tiny electronics, not just splicing wire While Milwaukee already has the M12 soldering iron, it's actually not all that versatile.The M12 soldering iron has a fixed temperature and you can't make it hotter or colder.
750°F is what it hits, and it gets there in just 18 seconds from room temperature.That's pretty amazing, but if you need more or less heat, the M12 soldering iron just won't do it for you.However, there are a ton of USB-C-powered soldering irons, like the TS101 or Pinecil V2 which offer an impressive amount of options.
These soldering irons are typically pretty cheap, so you can just keep one in your bag so it's always ready when you need it.There is a wide range of tips available, adjustable temperature, and even open-source firmware if you want to mod your soldering iron.Just plug it into the M18 TOP-OFF's USB-C port and you're off to the races.
Milwaukee M18 TOP-OFF Charger Brand Milwaukee Milwaukee's M18 TOP-OFF charging adapter is designed to hook up to your M18 battery and give you two USB-C outputs—one at 15W, and one at 100W.The 100W side also allows you to recharge the M18 battery over USB-C. $119 at Acme Tools $119 at Home Depot Expand Collapse A Raspberry Pi can go wherever a drill battery can Perfect for projects nowhere near an outlet While some Raspberry Pi projects are in a fixed location with access to AC power, not every project is that way.Sometimes you want to build something like a bird-feeder camera, weather station, or just power your Pi somewhere that you don't have access to a wall outlet.
With either the M12 or M18 TOP-OFF adapter, you can easily power any Raspberry Pi project where a drill battery fits.The M12 TOP-OFF adapter only outputs 15W, so you'll use that one for smaller projects that are run by a Pi Zero 2 W or Pi 4.However, with the M18 TOP-OFF providing both USB-C and AC power, it can even run the Pi 5 if you need something with more oomph to it.
So, whatever project you have coming up with your Raspberry Pi, Milwaukee can help power it without plugging into the wall.Starlink Mini on a jobsite battery is wild Internet anywhere, as long as you packed spares Have you ever needed internet when camping, but didn't want to have to bring a full generator or power station? Well, you can actually power a Starlink Mini using an M18 battery and the TOP-OFF adapter.This time around, you'll have to use the AC plug as the Starlink Mini really wants 65W minimum for power, and the 45W USB-C PD that the TOP-OFF provides just isn't enough.
However, the system really only draws 25-40W on average, which means that a 5Ah battery would last around two hours, and a 12Ah battery around five to six hours.Starlink Mini Kit Brand Starlink Range 1,200 sq.ft Wi-Fi Bands 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Ethernet Ports One Ethernet LAN port MU-MIMO Dual Band 3 x 3 MU-MIMO Security WPA2 Starlink Mini is a compact, portable kit that can easily fit in a backpack, designed to provide high-speed, low-latency internet on the go.It includes a built-in WiFi router, lower power consumption, DC power input, and max download speeds over 100 Mbps.
$249 at Starlink $250 at Best Buy Expand Collapse Backyard movie night, powered by Milwaukee A projector is easier to run than I expected Close I don't know about you, but as the temperature starts to drop and leaves begin to fall, I want to be outside more than ever.Once daylight savings time ends, and it gets dark early, there's no better use of that early darkness than watching a movie outside under the stars.A M18 battery, again with the TOP-OFF adapter, can easily power a small portable projector and even a few speakers to let you watch your favorite movies in the great outdoors.
Some portable projectors can be powered over USB-C, and others need AC power, but the TOP-OFF adapter provides both.Christmas lights without a single extension cord Just don't expect the inflatables to last all night Sometimes you want to put Christmas lights where there simply is no easy way to get power.Sure, you could run a few hundred feet of extension cords, but that's rarely advisable.
Using the AC port on the M18 TOP-OFF, you can actually power LED lights for quite some time.Depending on how many you string together, you'd be very likely to get several hours of runtime out of the lights.Most inflatables also draw less than 175W, so you could use a M18 battery to power those, too.
Just don't expect to get several hours out of a battery when running inflatables.Regardless of what type of Christmas or other holiday decoration you'll be running on a M18 battery, just remember those batteries aren't waterproof.You'll want to keep it up off of wet ground and covered to prevent shorting out.
Power Wheels with an M18 pack is a whole thing This is where you probably shouldn't (but also really should) Now, for the part of this article that I've been waiting for—Power Wheels.I don't have kids yet, but if I did, I would absolutely be doing this mod.Most Power Wheels are run on 12V batteries.
However, you can actually replace that 12V power source with an 18V power source with few downside.The upgrade delivers much more speed than you get from stock power sources.However, it does put more strain on the motors, gearboxes, and wiring.
I definitely don't recommend doing this for younger kids, as I've seen people do this mod and it can add a lot of power to the system, which could even let it pop a wheelie.To do the upgrade right, you'll need a battery adapter, some wires, and fuses.This isn't an upgrade to take lightly, but it could add a ton of fun to Power Wheels for your kids who can handle it.
I'll never look at my drill batteries the same way again What once were used just to run drills, power tool batteries can now run almost anything you can think of—within reason.From a Starlink Mini to Power Wheels, Milwaukee's compact batteries can power way more than I thought they ever could.Here's to all the crazy things that you (or I) find to do with these drill batteries that we have lying around our houses.
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