Time has come to look at battery ratchets. DeWalt is out, not real happy with their product support of older models, battery related and whole other rant there.

Pretty much settled on the M12 Milwaukee. I do like their product support, just ordered and replaced the blade holder on my Sawzall I bought 20 plus years ago, actually an improved design over the original. I have three or four of their tools, the only battery tool is their inflator, that has impressed me.

So the question, the M12 is a brush type motor, the Fuel is a brushless. Both deliver 35 ft/lbs torque. Batteries interchange between the regular and the Fuse models. As I’m just a hobbyist, I’m thinking the standard one is going to do everything I need and there is nothing to gain by going to the Fuel.

There are some lower priced options like Harbor Freight but nothing irks me more than a product that fails is a product that fails and cannot be repaired due to non availability of parts.

So, opinions on the Milwaukee?

You won't be disappointed. I don't use M12 Milwaukee units, only M18 battery models. I have one in M18 and when I bought it I thought it was the only one they had, turns out they make a larger more powerful and professional model 3/8 drive 90 degree impact ratchet (not impact wrench) in M18 that's the cats meow if you actually need that level of quality.

If you spring for Milwaukee you won't regret it, which may not be the case of you stray from the light.

Most of my battery tools are Milwaukee, and couldn't be happier.

I’m not a dyi guy. I do small jobs but the bar is low before I start to hire a contractor.

I have an M18, Bosch and Makita. They all basically do the job. The Makita is a bit more compact which is nice.

The M18 is robust but I believe it is owned by a chicom company. As such, I’ve been favoring the Makita line.

Buy one of the high torque models. (Can’t help you with a part number as mine is several years old, and I use it in professional auto repair on a daily basis) The “high speed” ones weren’t great last time I tried.

I have the standard version ratchet you are referring to and it has been great.
It gets used quite a bit but even after purchase I see no need for the fuel version for my uses.

You’ll want to add the M12 Hex screw driver to the stable as well. I use it constantly.

I have mostly Milwaukee and after a few years have no complaints. But, consider Home Depot Rigid since they offer lifetime warranty if you register the products. The things of theirs I have purchased seem equivalent to Milwaukee.

I have one that uses pass through sockets.
Comes with a 1/4 & 3/8 drive, I picked up a 1/2" drive for it as well.
The pass through sockets are great for clamps with a long bolt.

Thanks to all here for the answers. I ordered the tool without battery and two batteries from Amazon last night. I already have a charger for my M18 inflator that also charges M12 batteries so I’m set there.

I am soured on DeWalt. I bought a 18v drill just before I retired to replace my 9.6v that I let the smoke out of the motor one day. One of the batteries failed, DeWalt only makes 20v now but they do make an adapter to use the 20v in the 18v tool. Add that to a new battery and a new charger, I’ve exceeded what I paid for the tool. I’ve had mixed luck with generic batteries so I’d rather stay with OEM’s. Milwaukee seems to have continuity in their product line together with service parts so I’ll go with them.

I have a 1/4 and 3/8 love them both immense time savers! I wish I had bought them years ago.

Happy with all my Milwaukee tools.

I bought a Milwaukee 1/4" drive one last fall, using one particular awful job (working up inside a dashboard) as the excuse. It mostly worked out for that job.

What really disappointed me though was it's lack of power. It's great for spinning things off and on, but I still have to swing in like a regular ratchet to break things loose or sock them down. The whole point of wanting it/buying it was for when there was no room to swing a ratchet or wrench.

Milwaukee is (by my web search) owned by Techtronic Industries which is based in Hong Kong. They were purchased in 2005.
As a subsidiary of TTI, Milwaukee is headquartered in Brookfield, Wisconsin. Milwaukee is self managed but has to abide by the wishes and philosophy of IIT. Milwaukee has plants in the US, Mexico, Germany and Vietnam.
TTI also owns AEG, Ryobi, Hoover and Dirt Devil - as well as other companies.

I have a number of Milwaukee tools, both corded and battery. Some I am certain made before TTI became the owner. All of them are well made, durable tools that I use often.

I have their 3/8” 12v power ratchet. Most of the time I have broken the nut or bolt loose and use the power to spin on or off the nut. As a driver the literature mentioned that it does 35 foot pounds of torque. It will easily tighten 1/4” and 5/16” bolts without further need of tightening.

They are good tools. When it gets made in china, that’s when I stop buying it.

I'll make an addendum, I changed a timing belt yesterday and used the Milwaukee 1/4 for about 95% of the bolts. Working on the front of the engine with the radiator removed, there was lots of room. Being able to quickly spin out and back in all those bolts probably saved me an hour or more.

Of course if I didn't have lots of room to use extensions and make room to swing it, it wouldn't have worked. So yes, it's a great additional tool. Far from perfect, but a nice club to have in your golf bag.

I personally prefer my electric ratchets to have a button for my trigger finger rather than a lever or paddle for my middle, ring and little fingers.

I might also note that my Milwaukee electric impact gun didn't hold up - sprag clutches breaking after ~6 months - under my daily hard use and abuse. Even the batteries broke. One I know was dropped while still in the tool and landing bottom-down, but that doesn't explain the other one. Such a mishap was evidently not accounted for in the design. An Aircat air gun was still going fine until my retirement after 8 years of such use. Also, electric guns, for the same torque as an air, are very heavy and unbalanced.

The M12 3/8 ratchet is one of my favorite and most used tools. I used them semi-professionally and I don't want to exist without it.

I have a bunch of Milwaukee tools and it all started with the 3/8 inch M12 Ratchet. Like the first so much I bought another for my home shop and that led to 4 different torque wrenches, saws, drills, weed whackers, chain saws, and other power tools I can't remember off the top of my head.

Tip, do NOT run the M12 batteries down to the point the tool stops working. These batteries are easy to "brick", especially the 3 AH compact batteries. Check the battery indicator when you pick the tool up and keep an eye on that if you are using the tool a lot. I will also note that the M12 vacuum and the tire inflator are a good way to brick the batteries. Because you can get so involved in what you are doing you can run those batteries flat. Tip, for giant off road tires a real Air Compressor is the wisest choice.