The Milwaukee M18 Brushless Threaded Rod Cutter (2872-20) is a dedicated solution for cutting the most common threaded rod sizes on the job site. This includes coarse thread rod from 1/4 in., 3/8 in. and 1/2 in. mild steel to 1/4 in. and 3/8 in. stainless steel. The cordless threaded rod cutter is powered by the Milwaukee POWERSTATE Brushless Motor and delivers 400 plus cuts while powered by an M18 REDLITHIUM 2.0Ah Battery. The 4-sided cutting dies allow users to cut all sizes of threaded rod on 1 tool by simply rotating the dies. The all thread cutter has the clearest line of sight and delivers clean, burr-free cuts allowing nuts to be threaded on by hand without having to file down the ends. The rod cutter features optimized blade geometry and cut speed to prevent chips and sparks while cutting. The tool features auto jaw opening allowing fast, repetitive cuts while a reverse button helps prevent unintended cuts. The tool’s centered grip provides the best balance for 1-handed overhead trims, while the flat horizontal design provides users with a stable surface for benchtop cuts.
- Safer cutting, no chips or sparks
- Cuts 1/4 in., 3/8 in. and 1/2 in. mild steel, 1/4 in. and 3/8 in. stainless steel, coarse thread
- Milwaukee POWERSTATE brushless motor provides more power, more run-time and longer life
- Flat horizontal position for benchtop use
- Front-facing cut surface provides clearest line of sight
- 1-1/2 in. trim length delivers accurate cuts every time
- Auto jaw opening for fast, repetitive cuts
- 4-sided rotatable cutting dies allow you to cut 3-different sizes of threaded rod with the same tool
- Reverse button for unintended cuts
- LED light illuminates cut area
- Easy die changes using Allen key stored on tool
- Delivers 400 plus cuts per charge on a M18 2.0 Ah battery
- Includes: threaded rod cutter, (48-44-2872) upper and lower cutting dies, Allen key
Ally Marquardt (verified owner) –
Works great, quick, efficient. It is heavier than I expected, but that translates to heavy duty.
Alene Lakin (verified owner) –
I have to cut a lot of threaded rod and I was tired of doing it manually using a hack saw or angle grinder and THEN having to deburr the edges so that a nut can screw onto it. I came across this Milwaukee M18 cordless threaded rod cutter and let me tell you, this makes cutting rod FUN! Not only can it cut threaded rod in mere seconds, but it also cleanly cuts the rod so that a nut effortlessly screws onto it! Pure genius! This saves me so much time and I no longer dread cutting rod. Changing out the die is a piece of cake, thanks to the onboard 5mm hex wrench. Just make sure you have the same diameter die setting for BOTH the fixed jaw AND the movable jaw. In the event you are not straight on your cut and it jams, there is a reverse button you can use to release it. I have yet to jam it, since I have my work pieces secured. The on-board light makes it super easy to view where your cut will be taking place. In the video below, I had no problem seeing the black line I made showing where the cut needed to take place. Granted, this is a specialized tool, but I am sure glad a tool like this exists! Check out the video of this tool in action cutting ½” mild steel, 13 thread . The case is robust and does a great job keeping the battery, charger, and tool in place during transit. Between the two case latches, there is a center hole for a padlock, which I use, which is pretty handy. Off to cut some more rod.
Heaven Nikolaus (verified owner) –
This M18 18 volt cordless brushless threaded rod cutter kit with battery, charger and case is a great tool for a person that works in basements or crawl spaces for making hangers for wiring, plumbing. You can cut very easily in between rafters and in tight spaces. You can get about 40 cuts in one battery charge. The cut is burr free so you don’t have to mess around trying to get the nut on, it goes right on. It cuts three different sizes of rods. It has a front facing cut surface, that provides the clearest line of cut of sight. It also lays horizontal for bench top use, LED light and a self contained allen wrench in the handle.
Rollin Berge (verified owner) –
This saves time trimming threaded rod overhead. Also it saves me from throwing grinder sparks on my customers inventory. Great product.
Vicenta Gottlieb (verified owner) –
Device makes cutting threaded rod a snap..Very fast…. no other tool needed to make fast and accurate cuts..
Annamarie Streich (verified owner) –
This is a great addition to my Milwaukee collection of tools. This rod cutter works great , it cuts the rod flush and nut ready. I have cut all three sizes of rod with it and all three are three are the same, Great. It is great to pre cut your threaded rod or it is light enough to take up in the ceiling and cut the extra rod off of your hangers.
Carroll Gerlach (verified owner) –
A great tool that is missing just a couple things. Ergonomically speaking, this unit is heavy overall, very off balanced as it is VERY top heavy. The handle is extremely fat. I’m a big guy and my hands feel small holding this unit. Cutting 1/4” & 3/8” zinc rod, no problem. 1/2” is a real struggle and you will see the unit timeout every time cutting 1/2”. As far a burr-free; you can thread nuts on Cut-ends with force. Regardless, this is a time saving tool and despite the cons, I do recommend.
Jason Schimmel (verified owner) –
This is my go to tool for cutting all thread on the ground or in the air . For burr free cutting this is a must . Easy to use and dependable.
Alexanne Toy (verified owner) –
this is a great tool and the quality and feel is excellent. When I saw quality I mean the feeling of a solid tool you have in your hand that you can confidently get the work done correctly. My only gripe about this rod cutter is I am a smaller guy and I felt this was a little heavy. Having said that I was still able to make clean rod cut in less than a few seconds. A hex wrench is included when you need to switch between the dies. This rod cutter is a real time saver and does the job right!
Delia Goodwin (verified owner) –
This is a sturdy, high quality time saver. Cuts threaded rod in the most common sizes. 1/4-20, 3/8-16, and 1/2-13. The replaceable cutting die is easily turned to change the size rod you are cutting. Most of these will probably be used on the most common 3/8 size. That’s why the die has two sets of 3/8 cutting sides. So you can wear one out and rotate the die before needing to replace. The only tool you need to rotate or change the dies is a hex wrench that comes with the tool and is stored on the tool. This makes nut ready cuts so you no longer need to cut the rod with a saw or grinder and then polish the edges to get a nut started. Just insert the rod, hold it straight and press a button. Ready to go. In the unlikely situation that the cutting head gets stuck, there is a reverse button you push. when the light comes on, just hit the trigger and the cutting head returns to open. There is even an LED light that helps to see the work piece. You can cut overhead after installation, or lay the tool on a flat surface for cutting. Tip-Hold your rod straight during the cut for 1/2″ to get a better nut ready cut. Typical Milwaukee high quality. Highly recommend.
Odell Cormier (verified owner) –
Its large grip makes it a little hard to grip in hard to reach areas.
Marilou Roberts (verified owner) –
The rod cutter works fine it makes life a whole lot easier
Newton Fay (verified owner) –
This tool is perfect for cutting threaded rod from 1/4” to 1/2” with no problem. Easy to use. Make sure you have the right size cutter blade in place, place the rod in between the cutter blades and press the trigger. I did not have threaded rod so I used a 3/8” pin. I did not have other blades to see how easy it is to switch them out. I do wish that the tool came with the wrench to remove the blades. I do have one issue that the tool alone is very heavy, add the 18-volt battery it is like holding a cinder block.
Kevon Walter (verified owner) –
Very impressed with this tool. I like the portability of it to use at practicably any location under various configurations. A great use was for hanging trapeze supports for conduit and pipe supports. Easily set the elevation with the threaded rod and cut as required. No burrs, no wasted time – very professional job. Additionally this can be operated on a bench for multiple cuts and fabricating threaded rod for specific purposes and lengths. Great tool!
Merlin Conn (verified owner) –
Have not used it to much in the time I have had it. It is awkward and top heavy making it a chore to hold it. It cut clean, manual cutter still faster. No quick changing 1/2 to 3/8 or vise versa. It is perfect for cutting rod that is up in the air already. Wait for a promotion or sale
Stevie McClure (verified owner) –
Easy to use, and works great. Occasionally there is a burr that gets left behind that needs cleaned up, but overall it works great.
Larue Pollich (verified owner) –
I used my Milwaukee Threaded Rod Cutoff tool today for the first time. This tool is a specialty tool for cutting off ¼ inch, 3/8 inch and ½ inch coarse threaded rod. The idea is, that if you are installing several threaded rod hangers and don’t want to dress the ends of the rod after cutting it to length this tool will eliminate the need to dress the ends. If cutting the threaded rod with a hacksaw for example, the rod may not allow a nut to be screwed on the end of the rod due to thread damage.My technique has always been to thread a nut on the all thread rod, then cut the all thread to length with a hacksaw and then remove the nut and let it the nut clean up the damaged thread.It is easy to understand how much time the Milwaukee cut off tool will save on the job by not going through this tedious process of dressing the damaged thread. However, during my trials with this tool, 4 out of 5 times “only one half” of the threaded rod would accept a nut without some additional work. After chatting with a Milwaukee Tech, I learned that it is important that the “bottom die” of the cutoff tool needs to be pressed firmly against the threaded rod. When I did this, both halves of the threaded rod would accept a nut. With this tool, a learning curve and a little practice will be required, but what a time saver this tool will be in the long run.When changing the dies from 3/8 inch rod to ½ inch rod I noticed when using the supplied allen wrench one leg of the wrench hit the handle of the tool. If the supplied allen wrench had one shorter leg this would not happen. This is more of nuisance then anything else. The provided wrench will tighten the dies. The great thing is the allen wrench is stored in the handle of the tool so changing the dies in the field is no problem.I like the tool and it will be a real time saver with future projects.
Glenna Roob (verified owner) –
A well balanced, but heavy (almost ten pounds with a 5.0Ah battery) tool, it quickly and cleanly cuts through threaded rod and leaves a clean-cut end that permits threading on or off a nut. As noted, with a 5 Ah battery the total weight was 9 lbs., 6 oz which, if used overhead could be tiring. If on is more or less level with the cut point, the balance of the tool and the comfort handgrip will (especially if you use one hand to support and one to operate) make it much less bothersome at that orientation. The tool has molded “benchtop supports” which permit the tool to be used on a flat surface without it rolling about. Dies are provided with cutting jaws for ¼” -20, 3/8”-16 and ½”-13 though one is limited to 3/8” rod when using stainless. Should one attempt to shear ½ “ stainless, the tool will stop the cut, flash the work light four times and permit you to open the jaws with the reversing button to remove the stock from the jaws. The dies have two 3/8” cutting faces (as these will probably be the most used). Using a brushless motor, the only real maintenance needed is to keep the jaws clean of debris and dirt, and the tool comes with a five-year warranty. When used on the appropriate size and material, the process is self-completing as the jaws will retract to the open position after completing the cut. The geometry of the tool does not permit getting closer than 1 ½ inch to an object (ceiling, equipment, strut etc.) and one will (as thoughtfully pointed out in the owner’s manual) have to support the cut end to prevent it from falling. If precutting lengths of rod to size on the bench the molded supports will permit the tool to sit level. The cutting jaws (dies) are secured with a hex socket head screw and an appropriate hex key is supplied and contained in a slot on the base of the tool. The retention of the hex key is not sufficient to keep it from working its way out of the slot so an elastic band may be useful to avoid losing the hex key. The socket head screws which retain the jaws are not captive, so one must take care not to lose the hardware, if changing the jaw size (or replacing the jaws) while on-site. There is a rectangular opening in the bottom of the handle (just in front of the battery) which could be used for a lanyard, but it is at the location of the “split” in the case, calling its durability into question if called upon to decelerate the tool to zero if dropped. All in all, this could be a real time saver if you have to cut a lot of all-thread, especially trimming pencil rods for hanging equipment, negating the need to clean up the thread. If the hex key retention was more effective, the jaw screws retained types and an integral ring for a retaining lanyard provided it would have rated a fifth star.
Nicolas Kshlerin (verified owner) –
A great tool for quickly cutting threaded rod when we need it to mount our PLC panels underground! Very quick and precise cutting, has easily halved the time it took me before to prep my rod mounts. Just be careful when cutting that you keep the thread parallel to the cutting head, as any deviation will cause a hassle when trying to thread nuts on. Overall a great help on the job!
Keira Terry (verified owner) –
This is a great tool.. I always thought it was a pain in the butt to cut threaded rod, you need a hacksaw, vise, file to smooth threads after you cut it. Even when you have a lot of rod to cut using a grinder with a cutting disc can be not only dangerous from the amount of sparks you send flying but a rotary tool can cause any other number of damages and dangers, This new tool is like a bolt cutter on steroids it cuts a few different size rods 1/4″, 3/8″, 1/2″ Mild Steel; 1/4″, 3/8″ Stainless Steel. It works like a charm, you just lay the rod in, make sure the threads are fit into the die, Press the button an snap,, Its done cleanly enough that no filing is required to get a nut back on after, See video below, (i filmed it in slow speed so you could see it work better) if you cut a lot of threaded rod, this is the tool for you. It cuts cleaner safer and faster. well worth the money, And to change the dies all you do is unscrew it with the allen wrench, turn it to the correct size and tighten the screws takes less than 2 minutes,,