Milwaukee Tool has a four bay charger for its M18 and M12 batteries: the M18 and M12 Four Bay Simultaneous Super Charger with PACKOUT compatibility, model 48-59-1818. Milwaukee describes it as a charger for crews that cycle several batteries through a shift. The company lists it at $499 on its US site, and its Canadian site shows $499.00 without naming a currency.

What Milwaukee says it does

Milwaukee gives two charge times. One M18 REDLITHIUM FORGE XC8.0 or FORGE HD12.0 battery reaches 80% in 35 minutes, and four M18 FORGE HD12.0 batteries reach 100% in 90 minutes. The release also says four packs charge “up to 10X faster”, but it gives no baseline, so read that line as a marketing claim, not a measured comparison.

Specs from Milwaukee’s product page:

  • Four bays: two M18 only bays and two hybrid bays that take either an M18 or an M12 battery
  • Super Charge Rate of 38 Amps
  • Compatible with all M18 and M12 batteries
  • CHARGE ADAPT adaptive charge distribution across the bays in use
  • COOL-CYCLE active cooling, which works only with M18 batteries that are COOL-CYCLE capable
  • REDLINK Intelligence that monitors cell voltage, temperature and charge status
  • Onboard LED state of charge indicator, a built in carrying handle and PACKOUT mounting
  • 5 year warranty

The product page also says one unit can run on a 15 A circuit, or two units on a 20 A circuit. That matters on a job site where outlets are shared.

Crew framing a wall with the four bay charger on the floor
Photo: Milwaukee Tool

Price and availability

The US site lists $499. The Canadian press release page shows $499.00 and links to Milwaukee’s distributor finder, but it states no currency, stock level or ship date. Power Tools Insider, which tracks Milwaukee’s Pipeline 2026 launches and updated its list on October 24, 2026, places the charger in its “available now” group at $499. Neither Milwaukee page names a retailer, so check Canadian and US dealers for stock and local pricing.

Four batteries charging on the four bay charger at a work site
Photo: Milwaukee Tool

What it means for readers

The real change is how many packs can be in rotation at once. A crew that carries several large packs can refill four of them with one unit, in about 90 minutes for HD12.0 packs according to Milwaukee, instead of lining up separate chargers and using more outlets.

Read the COOL-CYCLE note carefully. The cooling depends on the battery as well as the charger, so older M18 packs will charge but without that active cooling. The charge times Milwaukee quotes are for FORGE XC8.0 and HD12.0 packs, so smaller packs should not be expected to match them.

Who it suits

  • Professional crews: the strongest case, since the quoted times are for large FORGE packs and the unit mounts on PACKOUT. Check the circuit rating of your trailer or site first.
  • Serious DIYers: $499 is a lot if you own two batteries. It makes sense mainly if you run many packs on long projects.
  • Owners of both M12 and M18 tools: the hybrid bays take either size, which saves a second charger.
  • First time buyers: start with a standard charger and the battery size your tools need, since the benefit grows with the number of packs.
  • Fleet buyers: compare the 5 year warranty and the shared circuit figures with your current chargers.