Hey everyone! I'm looking to know if there are any Milwaukee M12 tools that actually work better with the 3.0 battery compared to the 5.0. I was thinking about stocking up on 5.0 batteries with the recent hack, but I'm uncertain if I should grab some 3.0 batteries too. Are there specific tools that benefit more from using the 3.0, or do they all just perform better with the 5.0?
3 Answers
Honestly, the 5.0 is the go-to around here. They tend to outperform the 3.0 in every scenario I’ve seen, except for the price difference. In the worst cases, they perform the same on things like lights, but for anything more demanding, you’ll want the 5.0. No one I know has given a thumbs up for the 3.0 unless it's just for backup.
If we’re talking about the M12 line, the only exception where a 3.0 might be suitable is with the soldering iron, where the smaller battery helps keep it lightweight for precision work. Otherwise, it’s usually better to stick with the 5.0 unless you need something compact for tight spaces.
In general, you’re not going to see any performance gains with the 3.0 over the 5.0 batteries on M12 tools. The 5.0 is superior with better amp hours and discharge rates. However, for less demanding tools like lights, the 3.0 could be just fine. If you're looking to collect more batteries, having some 3.0s could be handy.