Home Depot is running the Milwaukee free-tool promotion again for the fall gift event. Here is how it works: buy the M18 XC 5.0Ah battery 2-pack starter kit at $199, and pick one M18 bare tool at no extra charge, up to a $249 value.
Model 48-11-1850 lists at $397, so the discount alone is $198. On top of that, the free tool comes at no charge.
The numbers
- Milwaukee M18 XC 5Ah Battery 2-Pack Starter Kit: $199 (was $397)
- Included: two 5.0Ah M18 batteries and a multi-voltage charger that also handles M12 packs
- Free tool: choose one from 14 qualifying M18 tools and accessories
- Top-value pick: M18 FUEL 3/8-inch compact impact wrench, valued at $249
- Runner-up: M18 7-1/4-inch circular saw, valued at $229
- Third: M18 FUEL HACKZALL one-handed recip saw, valued at $199
Why this matters
Batteries are the most expensive part of any cordless platform. Two 5Ah packs and a charger at half price is a fair deal on its own.
A free bare tool is what turns this into the best entry point into M18 this season.
This is not the first time Home Depot has run the promotion. It came back in June with a $249 free-tool ceiling, and Acme Tools ran a near-identical offer in August. That pattern is useful: Milwaukee’s free-tool events tend to repeat, so if you miss this one, another usually follows within a few months.
Compare it with Ryobi’s side of the same event, which puts a battery kit at $99 with a free saw or grinder. Ryobi is the cheaper way onto a platform. Milwaukee is the better long-term platform if you plan to do automotive work, plumbing, or serious jobsite work, and the free compact impact wrench is a strong argument for starting here.
How to shop it
Add the 48-11-1850 kit to your cart at Home Depot, then pick your free tool from the qualifying list before checkout. Eligible picks change between events, so confirm your choice is still on the list when you buy.
Pick the tool you do not own yet, not the one with the highest stated value. A $249 impact wrench you already have is worth nothing to you, while a $199 HACKZALL you actually need is the better deal. For help choosing, see our cordless ratchet wrench roundup and the guide to power tool batteries.
Already deep into M18? Skip this one.
You would be paying for batteries you probably do not need just to unlock a free tool.
Once you have four or five packs in rotation, that math stops working.
What to watch
Home Depot has not posted a firm end date. Free-tool inventory on the more popular picks tends to thin out as the event runs.
Popular picks like the compact impact wrench are usually the first to go.
We could not verify the price directly. Home Depot blocks automated price checks, so the figures here come from BobVila and 731 Woodworks reporting. Confirm at checkout before you commit. For the wider holiday schedule, see our Black Friday tool deal calendar.
Sources: BobVila, Oct. 30, 2026 and 731 Woodworks, Oct. 27, 2026.