Milwaukee M12 12-Volt Lithium-Ion Cordless Auger Snake (2571-20)
Quick Takes
Compact
Lightweight - weighs only 10 Lbs.
Fixed Drum shield to protect user and fixtures
Unique flat-based design
Optimized to clear 1-1/4"-2-1/2" Sinks, bathtubs, and showers
Utilizes 25 ft. long, 1/4" or 5/16" inner core cables
Slide action cable lock - Locks and releases cable in one quick movement
5-year Tool Warranty, 2-year cable Warranty
Real Talk
The Milwaukee M12 12-Volt Lithium-Ion Cordless Auger Snake (2571-20 and 2571-21) is the smallest and lightest cordless Drain Snake currently on the market. Milwaukee has once again brought to market a great option for people of all plumbing skill levels. The compact size, and portability (can be purchased as a kit with an included 5-gallon bucket to contain any messes) allow for easy transportation in and out of the work area. The uniquely designed flat tool bottom will keep the unit standing upright even while the drum turns and you are feeding cable out.
Many of you know that I am a Commercial Building Engineer, and with that comes a wide variety of tasks to handle. One of the most common of those being slow-draining sinks, and clogged toilets. This cordless drain snake instantly became my go to tool. When I get a service ticket for a plumbing issue, I have gotten to the point that I take this M12 Drain Snake with me on the first trip, along with my plunger and wrenches, because I know now that if the plunger can’t remedy the issue then the M12 Drain Snake will tackle almost any other issue for me.
With the convenience of cordless battery power comes the additional benefit of being a part of Milwaukee’s ever growing M12 12-Volt line up of tools. If you’re not already invested into them, this tool will make a great starting point. If you choose to buy the kit option for this tool it includes (1) 1.5 Ah battery, which has had enough juice for me to snake multiple drains without the need to recharge.
The enclosed drum on this Drain Snake is another great feature which often gets overlooked. Compared to similar corded Drain Snake models on the market, the advantage favors Milwaukee. Often times, with the cheaper “homeowner grade” drain snakes when you engage the motor to turn the drum, the outer housing of the cable drum turns with the cable, increasing the risk of both operator injury and damage to fixtures/cabinetry/flooring. Personally, one of the last things I want to deal with is having a shirt sleeve or glove caught up in the drum of the Drain Snake, with the snake fed down the drain. The fixed position of the external drum cover on the M12 Drain Snake eliminates these risks, both to the operator as well as the surroundings. Not only does this stationary drum cover prevent operator injury but it also allows you to rest the tool on your arm or leg depending on the positioning you find yourself in, this doesn’t sound like it would make too significant of a difference, but once you find yourself wedged between a wall and some large shelving working to clear a drain line, you’ll quickly come to appreciate the ability to hold the tool between your knees while the drum is turning.
Along with the enclosed drum, the tool’s flat bottom design really frees up the user to work more efficiently. With the tool resting upright on the floor you’re left with the ability to trigger the machine with one hand while feeding the cable with the other, once again allowing for quicker tackling of the job. It should be noted, that while I find the tool’s flat bottom useful in theory, the practicality of this feature was something of a swing-and-miss. My issue with the flat bottom is that it leads the tool to angle downward, often away from the pipe you’re snaking, adding friction and resistance while feeding the snake out (into the drain) and adding the need of a weird downward swoop motion as you’re retracting the snake into the drum. I have found that for me it’s easier to lay the tool on it’s side which causes the drum and cable to angle upwards towards the pipes. I hope that on future versions (perhaps an M12 FUEL Drain Snake) they will take a second look at this flat bottom design.
The slide action cable lock simplifies operations further saving you time while feeding the snake inward through tight spots. No longer will you need to stop the action and tighten a thumb screw in order to feed the cable with the snake. Simply slide the cable lock sleeve inward towards the drum, and you’re locked on and can use the drum to feed the cable down the pipe, release the spring loaded sleeve and you’ll be unlocked again and ready to feed more cable.
Removing the cable drum to clean and lubricate, or change, the cable is also straightforward and easy. Simply remove four bolts to pull the drum off, the opening is large enough to easily pour water over the cable and spray a rust inhibitor of your choosing on the cable.
This machine shouldn’t be the go to tool for clogs of all sizes, it’s going to come up a little short of larger lines and mains below ground mainly because the cable diameter is just too small to tackle these issues, but for the sizes it’s designed for (1-1/4” - 2-1/2”) this tool excels. It saves you from the two alternatives, either hand cranking with a small snake or lugging in the larger machines, running out extension cords and taking twice as long on the job simply due to setup and breakdown times.
Additional Features
Multiple cable diameters available with the option to purchase cables with interchangeable tips
Enclosed drum prevents drips after the job is finished
Drum diameter fits inside standard 5-gallon bucket, making transport and mess containment easy
Simple 4-bolt design to remove drum cover and clean, lubricate or change out cables
Pricing
As of writing this, you can pick up the tool as a kit with a charger, (1) 1.5 Ah battery and a 5-gallon bucket included for $199.99.
What’s Missing
Nothing is really missing per se, however there are two main things I hope they will do differently if they ever revamp this tool:
1. Take a second look at the flat base and redesign it to angle the tool upward rather than downward, as well as clear an XC battery.
2. Rather than including a standard 5-gallon bucket, design a bucket similar to that which comes with the M18 version, that has a closeable lid, a heavier duty handle and most importantly to me, molded "stops" on the inside which will suspend the snake an inch or two from the bottom of the bucket so that you’re not resting the entire tool weight on the end of the cable (especially since this tool doesn’t Auto-feed the cable out, and if it gets wedged all the way into the drum it’s a huge slowdown on the jobsite).
Final Takeaways
The Milwaukee M12 12-Volt Lithium-Ion Cordless Auger Snake (2571-20 and 2571-21 kit) is an excellent tool to free the occasional user from the cheap hand crank snakes of yesteryear and to avoid draping extension cords across your work area. The efficiency of the motor allows several drain clearings off a single charge of the included 1.5 Ah battery, and the time saved from the reduced set up and tear down on site will easily recoup the user the cost of the tool itself. I for one am glad to have this added to my arsenal and hope to use it for years to come.
