New Milwaukee M12 Cordless Pin Nailer (2021 ETA Update)

In the first Milwaukee Pipeline broadcast, Milwaukee Tool announced they are launching a new cordless 23-gauge pin nailer on the M12 platform. This long awaited addition to their line of battery powered nailers is expected to ship early 2021.

Update 3/1/21: Milwaukee has provided a March 2021 launch ETA, and so the new cordless pin nailer should start shipping soon.

Like their other cordless nailers, this new Milwaukee cordless pin nailer is powered by a nitrogen air spring mechanism. Some of the stated benefits of this mechanism are virtually zero ramp-up time and consistently sinking of 1/2″ to 1-3/8″ long pin nails in both hard and soft woods.

Rather than pressing an actuated tip into the work surface, the pin nailer uses a dual trigger configuration. To fire a pin, you first depress the safety trigger then pull the main trigger.

The non-marring tip has markings on both the front (see above) and sides (see below) to help you accurately locate the placement of the pin.

Above you can see the tool free drive depth adjustment knob, which is pretty standard on most nailers.

The M12 pin nailer also has a dry-fire lockout feature which prevents it from firing if there is no pin in the magazine. If the nailer misfires or jams, you can access the stuck pin by just removing the three screws holding the faceplate to the nailer.

Here you can see that Milwaukee has thoughtfully provided on-board storage for the Allen key needed to remove the faceplate.

The Milwaukee M12 pin nailer can drive up to 750 pin nails per charge, presumably on the 1.5Ah battery included with the kit version.

Based on Milwaukee’s numbering system and their photos, it looks like you’ll be able to buy the pin nailer as a bare tool or as a kit with a 1.5Ah M12 battery, M12 charger, and soft carrying case.

Milwaukee M12 23-Gauge Pin Nailer Specs

• 23 gauge pin nails
• Nail Length: 1/2″ to 1-3/8″
• LED Work Light
• Reversible Belt Clip
• Battery Fuel Gauge
• Secondary Work Contact Tip
• Magazine Reload Indicator
• Tool-Free Depth Adjustment
• Weighs 3.3 lbs (without battery)

ETA: March 2021
Price: $199 for the bare tool (2540-20) and $249 for the kit (2540-21)

Buy Now: Bare Tool via Tool Nut
Buy Now: Bare Tool via Acme Tools
Buy Now: Kit via Tool Nut
Buy Now: Kit via Acme Tools
Buy Now: Kit via Ohio Power Tool

Note: Acme Tools and Tool Nut are both reporting a mid-April 2021 ETA. As Tool Nut reminds customers on the page, demand is likely to be high, resulting in backorder conditions until supply catches up. Preorders are fulfilled in the order they are received.

Buy Now: Bare Tool via Home Depot
Buy Now: Kit via Home Depot

Home Depot’s links are down at the moment, and are included for when they go live again.

Discussion

There are a few other cordless 23-gauge pin nailers on the market. Makita, Ryobi, and Metabo HPT (formerly Hitachi) all have 20V pin nailers, but as far as I know, only Makita has a 12V version.

The decision to go with a 12V battery form factory is a huge advantage for a product like this pin nailer. The weight savings and smaller size of the M12 platform brings the tool closer in line to pneumatic pin nailers, which are both light and diminutive. The big question is still this: does a 12V tool have enough power to sink up to 1-3/8″ pins into hardwood?

We really won’t know the answer to that question until Milwaukee tool releases the product and more people get their hands on it.

According to the Home Depot listings, both the bare tool and kit come with two non-marring tips. It’s a small thing, but having lost or damaged the non-marring tips on other nailers, I’m glad to see an extra included. It would also be nice to have onboard storage for when you inevitably have to take it off so you don’t lose it.