Milwaukee 48-11-2401 Genuine OEM M12 REDLITHIUM 12 Volt 1.5 Amp Compact Lithium Ion Battery with Overload Protection for Cordless Power Tools

Had I read these reviews before buying a small collection of Milwaukee M12 tools, I might have been steered elsewhere. Some of these customer experiences are bordering on the horrific. Thankfully, their warranty support seems solid and I've not only got 4 authorized service locations within 15 miles, but an official Milwaukee Tool service center less than 25 miles.So I offer this review NOT to contradict those written by other owners that experienced battery problems, but simply to add some data to the mix, and track how well my 6 batteries perform from the outset.For all intents, all six batteries entered service the week of 4/18/2011. All have charged fine out of the box, no blinking light errors on the charger, all showing fully charged on the built-in tool "fuel gauge," and all appearing to give a normal run time.I plan to update this review every few months to track the reliability of these batteries.Five of the batteries are "white labels" (actually black, red & white) on the bottom, including an individually packaged one that I bought from Amazon; the sixth has a "black label" (which came included with the 90° right angle drill/driver kit). I've got an email in to Milwaukee requesting an explanation of the significance in label color, and will update with their answer here if/when I receive it.All five batteries are labeled with something to the effect of "Cells from Korea; final assembly in China." This causes me wonder if Milwaukee had some problems originally with generic battery cells, and has since changed to a reputable brand? If I receive any clarification from the manufacturer, I'll provide it.My main tools are a Ryobi 18v group with a mix of NiCad and Li-Ion batteries. These Milwaukee 12v batteries are significantly smaller and lighter weight than the Ryobi 18v Li-Ion equivalents, but run times of the drivers and saw are similarly (and expectedly) reduced. I certainly prefer carrying a bag of these lighter batteries and smaller tools around for smaller / more routine jobs around our remodel project, but continue to depend on my 18v gear for more intensive tasks and for quick cordless recip saw tasks.Once the remodel is complete, when my 18v gear is remanded to the garage, the small 12v Milwaukee batteries, driver and drill will probably have a permanent home in the kitchen tool drawer.Here's an email reply I received from Milwaukee customer service on 4/26/11 re: the batteries. It doesn't offer much info:"We are constantly improving our battery technology to offer the best performanceand durability. We now offer the "red" Lithium Batteries, which offer more run time, more power,and may be used in temperatures down to zero. Most issues with the M12 battery was due to agood connection between the battery and charger. We did improve the electronics in the originalbattery to add more power, but it was an improvement, not a correction for the previous battery."(Update 5/24 - 1 month) All good; no battery problems to report! Two batteries lived in the sweltering hot attic for two weeks, one in the right angle drill and one in the driver, doing light duty work for electrical outlet and light installation. They maintained their charge (no topping off) despite the drawn-out usage period and hot hot temps. Two more batteries went on a field trip for some light duty Ikea shelving assembly and installation in the mini drill. A fifth battery spent the day yesterday in the recip saw cutting through 2x blocking and 10 gauge nails. Good run times considering the amount of work this little saw accomplishes.(Update 7/20 - 3 months) Still no troubles. In addition to tool duties, the batteries have been cycling through my Milwaukee 2590-20 M12 Jobsite Radio and I consistently receive full 8-hour runtimes (generally 8am to about 5 pm), indicating me to all six cells remain at relatively equal capacities (albeit in a low-discharge application). Still continuing to receive great performance in my driver, drill, and mini-recip saw. Next up, I have Milwaukee's M12 PEX expander tool lying in wait.(Update 6/2013 - 2+ years) All batteries remain in service. Even though at this time the tools are not seeing regular heavy daily use, the batteries are daily being cycled through the jobsite radio on a daily basis. One of the older black/red labeled units is showing shorter run times than the others, which last 8+ hours (depending on whether I'm playing talk or music, maybe also volume dependent?). They're doing fine in the tools where the charges don't get stale, so I can leave a battery in the drill and it can just "be there" for days or even weeks without me being surprised by a dead tool. Looking at replacing my cordless Dremel with a Milwaukee M12 rotary tool just because I've got all these batteries available to plug in as needed; no battery management necessary.

Compact & lightweight but a bit short on on life

Fast shipping, product as described, price is right.

Best battery

not in an original package but works just fine and is genuine Milwaukee

Needed this to replace my jacket heater battery that got taken at the gym. Works like it should, fit where the old one use to be, seem to last a long time. Easy to remove. If you need it, buy it.

As stated, fast delivery.

I got a set of six Milwaukee electric tools when purchased my new 2012 Toyota Tundra. Still own and drive the truck. One of the 12v batteries died about a year ago so I ordered a non-oem battery from Amazon. Saved a little money but it was no bargain. I had not recharged it more than 3 times since I got the clone battery and it stopped accepting a charge. Stick with genuine Milwaukee replacement batteries. All my Milwaukee tools are still running great after 12 years. And so is my truck!