Milwaukee Tool has added the M12 FUEL 16 Gauge Scroll Shear, model 2487-20, to its sub-compact cordless range, according to its 2026 press release. The release lists the tool at $299 and a replacement blade set at $39.
The shear is built for sheet metal work where a straight cut is not enough. Milwaukee says it makes tight radial turns without leaving chips or shavings behind, which matters in a finished room or a repair shop.
What Milwaukee says it cuts
The company’s release gives these capacities:
- 26-gauge spiral duct seams
- 16-gauge mild steel
- 16-gauge aluminum
- 18-gauge stainless steel
Other figures from the release: 2,300 to 3,600 strokes per minute, a cutting speed of up to 17 feet per minute, a cut radius of 1/2 inch, a length of 10.2 inches and a tool only weight of 2.8 lbs. It has an LED work light and a lock-on switch.
Milwaukee’s product page adds a five-mode variable speed dial and an Auto-Load mode, which starts slowly and ramps up once the blades are in the metal. The blades have four usable sides, so they are meant to be rotated as each side dulls.
Price, what is in the box and availability
The release lists the bare tool at $299 and the replacement blade set, model 48-44-2771, at $39. That set holds 2 shear blades, 2 screws, a feeler gauge and 2 hex keys. The release does not name a currency, and a US retailer listing shows the shear as a bare tool in US dollars. Canadian pricing, Canadian retailers and a ship date were not stated in the pages we read, so check Milwaukee’s Canadian site before planning a purchase.
The product page lists the tool, two blades, two hex keys and the feeler gauge in the box. A battery and charger are not listed, so buyers need an M12 pack. Milwaukee describes the shear as part of its M12 system and credits the POWERSTATE brushless motor.
Aviation Pros published the announcement for repair shop readers and repeated the same capacities. Neither it nor the release gives independent test data. The claim that performance is comparable to corded competitors is Milwaukee’s own.
Who it suits
Sheet metal and HVAC installers get the clearest fit. The spiral duct seam rating and the overhead duct photos on Milwaukee’s page point at that work. Check how often you will cut 16-gauge stock, and budget for spare blade sets.
Repair and fabrication shops can use the radial cuts to trim panels without cleanup. The listed limit is 16-gauge mild steel or aluminum and 18-gauge stainless steel, so thicker stainless is outside the claim.
Anyone already on the M12 system saves money because only the bare tool is needed. Any M12 pack will fit, but check runtime on your own material.
Serious DIYers who cut sheet metal now and then should weigh $299 against the occasional use, since the sources show no cheaper kit.
Crew buyers should note the blade rotation routine, and decide who owns the feeler gauge and hex keys so the blades are set correctly.
