Milwaukee M12 ratchet vs DEWALT ATOMIC ratchet: torque, speed, battery
You are choosing between two of the most common 3/8 in. cordless ratchets: Milwaukee's M12 2457-20 and DEWALT's ATOMIC DCF513B. Both are sold as a tool only. Which one fits your batteries and your work, and what does the difference in listed torque mean in practice?
What we compared and why
- Battery platform you already own. Both are sold without a battery or charger. The one that runs on batteries you already own needs no new battery or charger, and that alone often decides it.
- Listed torque. A cordless ratchet runs fasteners down and spins them off; more listed torque means more of the tightening is done before you finish by hand. We compare the makers' own maximum figures in ft-lb.
- Speed. Speed is how fast a loose bolt spins off. We show the figure where the maker or listing gives one.
- Motor. A brushless motor is what a maker names when it is there; we show it only where the maker or listing names it.
Side by side
| Model | Platform | Drive or chuck size | Max torque (as listed) | Speed | Brushless named | Sold as |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee M12 3/8 in. ratchet (2457-20) | Milwaukee M12* | 3/8" | 35 ft-lb | 250 RPM | Not stated in listing | Tool only |
| DEWALT ATOMIC 20V MAX 3/8 in. ratchet (DCF513B) | DEWALT 20V MAX* | 3/8" | 70 ft-lb | Not stated in listing | Yes | Tool only |
Table values are read from each product's current Amazon listing at the time of this page's build and normalised to one unit by us. "Not stated in listing" means the listing does not give the figure; "Listing gives two values" means the listing states it two different ways, so we show neither. Values marked * come from the maker's own spec page, linked under Sources.
We earn a commission if you buy through the Amazon links on this page, at no extra cost to you. Commissions never decide which products are listed or how they are described.
Milwaukee M12 3/8 in. ratchet (2457-20)
Who it fits: You already own Milwaukee M12 batteries, or plan to, and want a compact ratchet; Milwaukee lists up to 35 ft-lb and 250 RPM.
Skip it if: You want the motor to do more of the tightening before you finish by hand: the DCF513B lists twice the torque.
DEWALT ATOMIC 20V MAX 3/8 in. ratchet (DCF513B)
Who it fits: You already own DEWALT 20V MAX batteries and want the higher listed torque of the two, 70 ft-lb, from a motor DEWALT names as brushless.
Skip it if: Your only batteries are Milwaukee M12: buying into a second platform for one ratchet rarely makes sense.
The short answer
Pick the one that runs on the batteries you already own. Both ratchets are 3/8 in. drive and both are sold as a tool only, so the battery platform is the main practical difference between them for most buyers. If you own neither platform, the DCF513B lists twice the torque of the 2457-20 (70 ft-lb against 35 ft-lb), and that is the figure that separates them on the job. This comparison is research-based, built from the current listings and the two makers' spec pages; we have not used either tool.
Battery platform first
Milwaukee M12. Milwaukee states that all M12 batteries are compatible with M12 tools and chargers, and that M18 batteries go with M18 tools. The 2457-20 is an M12 tool, so it runs on the smaller M12 packs, not on M18 ones. If your drill and impact driver are M18, this ratchet would mean a second battery system.
DEWALT 20V MAX. The DCF513B is a DEWALT 20V MAX tool, sold without a battery or charger. If you own a DEWALT 20V MAX drill or impact driver, that is the battery family it is built for.
If you own batteries for both, read on: the tools themselves differ.
Torque: what twice as much means
A cordless ratchet is not a breaker bar and not a torque wrench. Its job is to spin a loosened bolt off and to run a nut down until it seats, after which you finish by hand. The listed torque tells you how far into that last stage the motor carries you before it stalls.
At 35 ft-lb, the Milwaukee covers running fasteners on and off and light seating. At 70 ft-lb, the DEWALT seats more fasteners fully on the motor and has more margin on a bolt that is snug but not seized. Neither figure is meant for breaking loose a rusted bolt; for that, use a breaker bar or an impact wrench, and see our page on impact wrenches for lug nuts. For a fastener with a specified tightening value, use a torque wrench.
If you work in newton-metres from a service manual, 35 ft-lb is about 47 N·m and 70 ft-lb about 95 N·m; our torque units page has the conversion.
Speed and motor
Milwaukee lists 250 RPM for the 2457-20. DEWALT's product page for the DCF513B gives its torque but not its speed, so the speed cell shows what the listing states. For loose bolts, speed decides how long you hold the trigger; on most short fasteners the difference is small.
DEWALT names the DCF513B's motor as brushless on its spec page. Milwaukee's 2457-20 page does not name a brushless motor, so that cell shows what the listing states.
Size and access
DEWALT sells the DCF513B in its ATOMIC COMPACT SERIES. We do not have head height and length figures from both makers measured the same way, so we do not compare size here. If you work in a very tight engine bay, check each maker's dimensions before you buy; the battery hangs off the back of the tool, so the pack you fit also changes the length you need behind the fastener.
Which one if...
- You already own M12 batteries: the 2457-20. Its 35 ft-lb covers spinning fasteners on and off.
- You already own DEWALT 20V MAX batteries: the DCF513B, with the higher listed torque of the two.
- You own both platforms: the DCF513B if you want the motor to seat more fasteners, the 2457-20 if running fasteners on and off is most of your work.
- You own neither: you will need a battery and charger either way, so the platform matters more than the tool; look at which platform has the other tools you will want next on our platform comparison.
What this page does not tell you
We do not measure head height, length, weight or real-world stall torque, and the two makers may not measure maximum torque the same way. We do not rank the two tools. For DEWALT's speed figure and either tool's exact dimensions, the makers' spec pages and manuals are the reference.