Remember the good old days when a battery and packaging looked legit it meant you got the real thing… Nowadays the packaging and battery shells can be matched with 99.9% accuracy, and buying off sites you think you can trust like Amazon, eBay, Facebook, or any other unauthorized reseller could mean you are very likely paying way too much for a knock-off worth less than $10. Due to their wild popularity and strong name, this is unfortunately especially true on one of the biggest battery platforms the world of power tools has to offer–Milwaukee.

Why Care if it is Counterfeit?

If you’re thinking, “Why worry about a knock-off if the price is good?” consider these points:

First, a knock-off Gucci Bag will still carry your stuff, or Fake Rolex Watch will still tell time, it’s the look people want. While those don’t typically burn down your house, a fake lithium-ion battery used in a high-demanding tool unfortunately might. With the labor being quick and cheap, safety standards are not usually being followed, making it a dangerous option to have any kind of counterfeit battery. With these cut corners, not only can they catch on fire and damage anything around them in extreme cases, but they’re also much more likely to damage your tools.

Second, you can almost guarantee the cells inside are not what they claim on the outside and/or that they may be reconditioned. Again, the goal of counterfeiting is to maximize profits: print 5.0, 6.0, or 8.0Ah on the side, swap those cells for common 4.0Ah cells, and boom more profits for counterfeiters.

Another common trick we see from counterfeiters is to use reconditioned cells sourced from disassembling hundreds of other M18 batteries. Each cell is tested, and the few that appear brand new are assembled into counterfeit batteries, but these cells could be years old and could have undergone hundreds of cycles. The goal is to make them last just a few dozen more times, long enough to surpass the return period of the marketplace where they’re sold.

Finally, if you have a counterfeit battery, you more than likely won’t get a warranty. If the product breaks or fails, you won’t be able to get it repaired or replaced by the manufacturer. This is where we come in! We’re not trying to promote any scare tactics here–we just want to make everyone aware of the dangers of artificial batteries and where our hands get tied in the mess of it all. At Ohio Power Tool, we process warranties for thousands of Milwaukee M12, M18, and MX batteries each year from our local customers. Milwaukee honors these warranties for up to 2-3 years from the date of purchase, providing an exchange for a new battery. This new battery will also come with a fresh warranty based on its date code. But, if you come in with a counterfeit battery, which is unfortunately sure to fail you or cause issues within a short period of time, there’s nothing we or Milwaukee can do to help.

So, how much are you really “saving” with a Counterfeit Battery? Since you are likely getting a 3.0Ah or 4.0Ah battery, possibly reconditioned, poorly made, with no warranty anyway, you are paying too much! Unfortunately the “you get what you pay for” saying is true when it comes to circumstances like this. BUT, Milwaukee recognizes that there is value in doing what they can to get reliable and affordable batteries in their customers’ hands.

Milwaukee Dealers Are Not Allowed to Sell on Amazon

Something you might not know is that there are ZERO authorized Milwaukee Tool Dealers on Amazon, and Milwaukee itself does not sell to Amazon directly. This is unlike relationships of other tool brands like DeWalt, Makita, Bosch, and others which all sell directly to Amazon and have a short list of Authorized Dealers who are also allowed to Sell on Amazon. That means ANYTHING Milwaukee branded that you see on sites like this is coming from a reseller. This allows Milwaukee to have more control over how their items are being sold to ensure that their promise of quality is being met with every purchase. They also often run promotions to combat these “deals” on fake items. You can check out all of our current certified Milwaukee battery price drops here.

Again EVERY DEALER on Amazon selling Milwaukee Tools is not an Authorized Milwaukee Dealer. In fact, if anyone is found to be selling Milwaukee Tools on the site, Milwaukee will simply stop selling to you, which we have seen happen several times over the years. This goes back to legal disputes from Milwaukee Tool and Amazon many years ago and has not been resolved, nor do we see that changing ever.

At Ohio Power Tool, we do sell thousands of products on Amazon. We partner with other large brands to be on their short list of authorized Amazon resellers, but ZERO of those products are Milwaukee Tools. If we could sell Milwaukee on Amazon, we would! But we can’t. Hopefully, that tells you something about how seriously Milwaukee is about Resellers on Amazon.

How to Spot a Fake Milwaukee Battery

So now that we have Amazon out of the way, you may be wondering… How do I spot a dupe? A few years back, identifying them was easy if you knew what to look for. These days, it’s nearly impossible to tell just from the packaging or battery housing. You could use a load tester to check, but most people don’t just have one of those lying around.

As a certified Milwaukee Warranty Service Center, we have factory battery testers for M18 and MX batteries to verify their authenticity before filing a warranty claim here at Ohio Power Tool. While you’re more than welcome to do so, if you’re planning to buy off eBay then come in just to test it, it might be better to buy one here instead and just ensure you get a legit battery in the first place. Saves you a trip!

The best way to guarantee a genuine Milwaukee M12, M18, or MX battery is to purchase from an Authorized Retailer like us or check the “where to buy” section on the Milwaukee Tool website for other options. You can also take a look at Project Farm below for more counterfeit battery techniques.

In the past, we lived in a world where generic batteries from manufacturers like Rayovac would make reliable replacements for NiCd power tool batteries at 40% less. You could trust their 4.0Ah rating and know they underwent UL testing. Nowadays, the “generic” batteries you find on marketplaces aren’t safe, nor do they contain the advertised Ah cells. We’ve seen some that are even completely 3D printed! It’s just a money grab, selling cheaply assembled products at the highest price they can get, and Milwaukee isn’t the only one getting hit. You can check out our DeWalt blog on how they’re combatting counterfeits here: DeWalt 20V Counterfeit Killers (DCB200).

If you have any questions or are ever looking to get the best price on the real deal, don’t hesitate to reach out at cs@ohiopowertool.com or 614-481-2111 with any questions, comments, or concerns, and be sure to follow us on all your favorite social media channels to stay in the know on all the latest announcements, deals, news, and more!