After months of use, varied from thawing frozen AC coils to straightening PEX-a kinks on radiant tubing installs I think its time to set the record straight on cordless heat guns. Of, the only cordless heat gun, Milwaukee’s M18 #2688-20.
Its legit.
First let me say its not a complete replacement for a corded, multiple temperature heat gun. The M18 is a single temp (listed at 875F on acmetoosl.com) but that is enough for typical tasks like heat shrink for wiring, simple thawing of small diameter piping and even PEX repair.
The 2688 Heat Gun has a well designed hook for carrying or storage. The hook fits well onto a belt or pants pocket but wont hang on a ladder rung or anything larger than about an inch in thickness.
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Available accessories kit (49-80-0300) includes four different heat gun nozzles for a variety of specialty tasks. Each nozzle is fully compatible with any of Milwaukee’s heat guns. The deflector nozzle directs hot air to specific points, which is most useful when you want to strip a window of sealants without cracking the glass under heat. Air reduction nozzles further refine the blast of hot air to a small, circular point for spot melting. A hook nozzle moves the air flow in a circular pattern, which seals shrink wrap around cables or other similarly-shaped pieces instantly. The air spreader nozzle increases the width of the air blast and is useful for a variety of heat gun applications, including drying paint, putty, concrete filler and other construction materials.
The 2688 is not a full power heat gun and likely never will be, battery tech has come a long way but there are certain limits that we may always be up against with tools like this. Its a very useful tool and has earned a spot in my daily PACKOUT case for sure.
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