RIDGID RP 251 vs Milwaukee M12 & M18 Press Tools: Which to Buy

A press tool is the biggest single purchase most plumbers make after a drain machine, and the RIDGID-versus-Milwaukee question is one of the most common at the supply counter. Both companies make genuinely good tools now — you are not going to buy a bad one. What you can do is buy the wrong one for your work, or walk out having spent extra on a jaw you did not budget for.

Here is the comparison, and the two details that actually decide it. For the wider field of press tools, see our best press tool roundup.

The short answer

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The three tools, side by side

The linked Milwaukee 2473-22 listing is sold by a third-party seller, not Amazon.com.

Milwaukee M12 Force Logic (2473-22) — the pick if you already run M12 batteries

I carry an M12 press tool on my own jobs. The RP 251 and the M18 are both far newer and have less time in the field, and for a tool you will lean on every day, that is not nothing.

It is 3.8 lb, 12V, and it does the work most of us actually do. Two honest cautions:

• The kit is 1/2″ to 1″. Read that again before you buy, because the tool is often described as a 1-1/4″ tool. It will press 1-1/4″ — with the 1-1/4″ M12 jaw, which is a separate purchase. Budget for that jaw if you need 1-1/4″, which on a repipe you often will.
• Milwaukee says the kit jaws are for copper; PEX, black iron and other materials need separate jaws.

One update since this became the default pick: Milwaukee now lists the 2473-20 and 2473-22 as no longer available and replaced by the ONE-KEY 2573 models, with the same three CTS-V jaw part numbers in the kit — the detail is in Milwaukee retires its M12 press tool. Buying new today, the successor to look for is the M12 FORCE LOGIC tool with ONE-KEY and the 1/2″–1″ CTS-V jaw kit (Milwaukee, model 2573-22) — check availability on that listing and on the 2473-22 below, because the two come and go on Amazon independently of each other.

Check the Milwaukee M12 Force Logic on Amazon →
The linked 2473-22 listing is sold by a third-party seller, not Amazon.com.

RIDGID RP 251 — the better kit, and the better service story

The RP 251 is RIDGID’s compact in-line tool and it is the lightest of the three at 3.6 lb — marginally under the M12, and you feel it overhead on a long day more than the 0.2 lb suggests. If your work runs to 1-1/2 or 2 inch copper, compare it with RIDGID’s Standard tool in RIDGID RP 351 vs RP 251.

What it actually presses, from RIDGID’s own specification: up to 1-1/4″ on copper and stainless, up to 1-1/2″ on PEX, and up to 1″ on carbon steel. The linked 78208 kit ships with ProPress rings, jaws and the C1 actuator; PEX and carbon steel need their own jaws, as they do on the M12.

Two features that matter more than the marketing suggests:

• Over 60,000 press cycles with no scheduled maintenance, on a brushless motor, and up to 140 presses per charge. Press tools have historically been calibration-and-service items; a tool that publishes a 60,000-cycle interval is telling you something about ownership cost, not just runtime.
• Bluetooth via the RIDGID Link app, which reports press-cycle count, service interval, battery status and tool locking. Cycle count is the one that matters — it is how you know where you actually are against that service interval instead of guessing, and tool locking is genuinely useful if your tools live on a shared van.

The 360-degree swivel head is not a gimmick either. Pressing a joint tight to a joist bay is where the in-line design earns the money.

Compare like for like: M12 plus the 1-1/4″ jaw gets you to the same copper size, and both tools press PEX and carbon steel only with separate jaws (the Viega tool matrix lists both for PureFlow PEX to 1-1/2 inch and MegaPress to 1 inch). What the RP 251 kit adds in the box is the rings and the C1 actuator.

One thing to check before you click buy: the RP 251 sells as two different kits. The 78208 linked above includes ProPress rings and jaws plus the C1 actuator. There is also a 78148 kit with ProPress jaws only. If you do not need rings and the actuator, the 78148 gets you the same tool without them — read the kit contents on the listing rather than assuming, because the two look nearly identical in search results.

Check the RIDGID RP 251 kit (78208, ProPress rings + jaws + C1 actuator) on Amazon →

Milwaukee M18 Force Logic — only if you go past 1-1/4″

The M18 Standard Press Tool with ONE-KEY covers 1/2″ to 4″, which is the whole reason to consider it. It is new enough that there is not much crowd wisdom to lean on yet.

Buy it if you do commercial work, large-diameter mains, or steel. For a residential-only van it is more tool than the work justifies, and you will carry the extra weight every day for capacity you use twice a year.

Not linked: Milwaukee M18 Force Logic — on 10/3/2026 the Amazon listing was sold by a third-party seller, not by Amazon or the maker. We re-check listings every week.

#ad Buying for a shop? Amazon Business (opens in a new tab) accounts are free to create, with business-only prices and bulk quantity discounts.

If you are about to commit to a press platform, I send an occasional note when these tools change. Your email, nothing more.

The thing that should actually decide it: batteries

Everything above is secondary to one question — what batteries are already in your van?

A one-van shop running Milwaukee for drills, sawzalls and lights should buy the M12 almost regardless of the spec comparison. You already own chargers and spare packs, everything runs off one platform, and a dead battery on a Friday afternoon is a swap instead of a problem. The same logic runs the other way for a RIDGID shop. If that shop only presses 1/2 and 3/4 inch, RIDGID RP 115 vs RP 251 covers RIDGID’s smaller 12V tool, which stops at 3/4 inch.

Buying a press tool on a fourth battery platform just to save money is a false economy. The odd-one-out tool is the one that is always flat.

What actually goes wrong with press tools

• Jaws, not tools. The tool body rarely fails. Jaws wear, and a worn or contaminated jaw makes an incomplete press. Keep the jaw profile clean — copper swarf and flux residue build up in there.
• Skipping the service interval. A press tool that has drifted out of calibration still makes joints that look pressed. That is the dangerous failure mode, and it is exactly why the RP 251’s cycle counter is worth having.
• Bad tube prep, blamed on the tool. Most “the press tool failed” complaints come down to a burr on the tube end nicking the O-ring. Cut square and deburr — a pressed joint will not forgive what a soldered one would.
• A joint that is out of spec, not out of order. Whatever tool you press with, the joint has to meet ASME B16.51, which rates copper press-connect fittings at 200 psi from 32°F to 200°F. A tool that is out of calibration is what quietly puts you outside that.
• The forgotten press. On a big job, mark each joint as you press it. An unpressed joint looks finished and holds fine until the system is charged.

Who should buy which

• Already on Milwaukee batteries, residential: M12, and budget the extra jaw if you press 1-1/4″.
• Starting fresh, residential and light commercial: RP 251 — best kit contents, lightest, best service transparency.
• Commercial, 2″ and up, or steel: M18.
• Not sure press is your method yet: read press vs soldering before spending anything. And once you have the tool, the fittings are the ongoing cost.

Frequently asked questions

Does the Milwaukee M12 press tool do 1-1/4 inch copper?

The tool will, but the 2473-22 kit will not out of the box — it is a 1/2 inch to 1 inch kit. The 1-1/4 inch M12 jaw is a separate purchase, so budget for it if 1-1/4 inch is part of your work. The RIDGID RP 251 kit includes jaws and rings to 1-1/4 inch in the box.

Is the RIDGID RP 251 better than the Milwaukee M12?

As a kit, yes — it is lighter at 3.6 lb versus 3.8 lb, it reaches 1-1/4 inch copper without buying an extra jaw, and its kit adds rings and the C1 actuator. PEX and carbon steel need separate jaws on both tools. As a purchase, the M12 usually wins for anyone already on Milwaukee batteries, and it has far more real-world use behind it.

How often does a press tool need servicing?

RIDGID specifies over 60,000 press cycles with no scheduled maintenance on the RP 251, and its Bluetooth app reports your actual cycle count and service interval. Do not ignore it. A press tool that has drifted out of calibration still produces joints that look correct, which is the failure mode worth worrying about.

Which press tool is best for tight spaces?

The RP 251, narrowly. It is the lightest at 3.6 lb and has a 360 degree swivel head, which is what you want when the joint is tight against a joist bay. The M12 is close behind and also compact — both are far easier overhead than the M18.

Should I buy a press tool on a different battery platform to save money?

No. Whatever batteries are already in your van should carry most of the weight in this decision. The odd-one-out tool on a fourth platform is the one that is always flat when you need it, and the money saved does not cover that.

Sources

• ASME B16.51 — Copper and Copper Alloy Press-Connect Pressure Fittings — the 200 psi / 32–200°F rating a pressed joint must meet.
• Manufacturer specifications read from the current Amazon product listings, August 2026. RP 251 capacities, cycle life, presses per charge and Bluetooth features are from RIDGID’s own published product specification.
• PEX and carbon steel jaw ranges in the table and text above are from the Viega Tool Matrix (TD-TL 0326). Kit contents are from the RIDGID RP 251 catalog sheet and the Milwaukee 2473-22 and 2573-22 product pages.

Written and reviewed by Isaac Daniels, Journeyman Plumber — State of Georgia Licence #JP507711.

For the plumbers reading this

Most of this site is written for homeowners — this page clearly isn’t. If you’re in the trade and want the occasional straight-shooting note when I publish something like this (fittings comparisons, tool guides, code changes), drop your email. No spam, no course funnel, written by a licensed GA journeyman.