The Milwaukee M18 Super Charger is worth buying if you run long cutting sessions on large batteries, because it gets drained packs back into your tools much sooner than a standard charger. If you mostly do short jobs with small packs, the extra speed matters less. It also helps to read Milwaukee M18 FUEL Compact Router: What It Handles and Its Limits.
The model number is 48-59-1815, a dual bay charger that can charge up to 2 batteries at once [1]. Milwaukee rates it at up to 6X faster charging to 80% [2]. For you, that means less time standing around waiting on a pack between rounds of demo or pipe cutting with a Hackzall or reciprocating saw.
Below you’ll see how fast it really charges, which batteries and jobs benefit, whether the price makes sense for a home shop, and when your current charger is enough.
How fast does it charge an M18 battery?
A Milwaukee M18 REDLITHIUM FORGE XC6.0 battery reaches 80% in about 15 minutes on the Super Charger. [1] That is short enough for a pack to recover while you set up your next cut, sweep up or grab a drink. Related reading: Milwaukee M18 FUEL Cordless Angle Grinders: What to Know.
Why the claim stops at 80%
Milwaukee’s speed figure counts charging to 80%, not to a full charge. [2]
What 15 minutes looks like between cuts
Picture yourself cutting out old plumbing or trimming studs for a remodel. You drain a 6.0 pack and swap in a second one. By the time you’ve measured, marked and made a few cuts with the fresh pack, the first one is close to ready again.
With two packs in rotation, a quick recharge like this lets you keep cutting with few breaks. A slower charger leaves you waiting on a pack before you can start the next cut. The 15-minute figure applies to the FORGE XC6.0 specifically, so expect other pack sizes and types to take a different amount of time. [1]
Which batteries and sessions benefit most?
Big batteries get the most out of the Super Charger, because they take the longest to refill on a standard charger. If you run a large pack like an M18 REDLITHIUM FORGE XC6.0 in a saw all afternoon, faster charging turns a long wait into a short break. With small packs, the time you save is minor.
Large packs and heavy cutting
The speed advantage scales with pack size. A 6.0 Ah pack holds a lot of energy, so cutting its charge time back changes how your day flows. The charger also works with every M18 battery, so your existing packs fit it. [1]
Hackzall and reciprocating saw sessions are a good example. Cutting through pipe, framing or tree limbs drains a pack quickly, and on a long demo job you can empty two packs before lunch. With two bays, you can set both drained packs on the charger together. Its CHARGE ADAPT system sends more power to one bay so that pack is ready sooner than it would be on a charger that splits power evenly. [1] You go back to cutting with one battery while the second keeps charging.
Small packs and short jobs
Compact packs already recharge fairly quickly on a standard charger, so the faster speed buys you only a few minutes. If you trim a couple of boards or cut one shelf bracket and then put the tools away, the battery has all night to recharge. In that situation, extra charging speed adds little.
Is the price worth it for a home shop?
At the sale price, the Super Charger costs about what you might spend on extra battery capacity, so the real choice is between faster charging and more packs. One retailer lists it at $249.00, down from $436.00, with free shipping [1].
Faster charger or a spare pack?
Think about how your sessions run before you spend the money. A spare battery plus your current standard charger gives you a second pack to swap in while the first one charges slowly. The Super Charger gets your existing packs back to work sooner, and it can charge up to 2 batteries at once [1].
Here are two common setups:
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You own two large packs and cut for most of a Saturday. The Super Charger keeps both packs cycling, so you may not need a third battery.
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You own one small pack and do short jobs. A spare pack on your standard charger covers you, and you skip the charger cost.
The charger works with all M18 batteries, so it keeps its value as you add packs later [1]. A spare pack, by contrast, adds runtime even when you are away from an outlet.
Sale prices change often, so check the current price before you buy.
Should you buy it or stick with your charger?
Buy the Super Charger if you run your saws and Hackzall for hours and own large packs. Its speed advantage shows up when big batteries drain fast and you need them back between cuts, and the CHARGE ADAPT system gets one pack back sooner instead of splitting power evenly. [1]
If your projects are a few shelf cuts or a Saturday of pruning, your current charger and a spare pack will keep up. Your next step is to match the charger to your batteries: it works with all M18 batteries, and its active cooling only kicks in with COOL-CYCLE capable packs, so pair it with those if speed is the reason you’re buying. [1]
