Milwaukee tools

[Mickwhitt 4,151]

Hi all.

 

I've had quite a few different brands of power tool over the years, from Makita through Bosch, to DeWalt.

 

But I recently bought a Milwaukee impact driver and I'm sold on this brand.

 

Not only are the power tools pretty damp good, the range of hand tools is huge and the quality is first rate.

 

My tool bag is rapidly turning red, having bought a drill and a hand held bandsaw which is a marvelous tool, just like having a powered hacksaw in your mitts.

 

What do you guys use over state side? 

 

Mick 

[Kenneth R Cluley 480]

Have quite a few Milwaukee, They are "OK" used to be a lot better but what wasn't. Also like my Makitas. That band saw is awesomee, check out the table attachment available to turn into upright saw, pretty handy!

[oliver2-44 8,852]

I have standardized on Dewalt battery rechargeable tools. A few expensive batteries fit everything.  But I'll agree the Milwaukee tools look very sturdy.  For hand tools, wrenches etc. I have  older 1970's to 80's Craftsman tools.  Unfortunately the Craftsman tool of today are junk.  I need to buy a few replacement hand tools, but haven't settled on any of the current brands. 

[WHX?? 46,775]

We have this discussion quite often ... especially when it comes time to get replacement batteries.

Personally I have Milwaukee stuff and I know @Pullstart is a fan too. Not that the other major brands are no good I  just have all the batteries for Milwaukee. 

Some of the cheaper stuff from Horror Fright gets fair reviews either the Hercules or Bauer branded crap. 

[SylvanLakeWH 24,131]

Milwaukee drill, impact, flashlight, saws all. Excellent.

 

Dewalt drill, impact, chainsaw, hedge trimmer, weed whip, pole saw, leaf blower and push lawn mower. Interchangeable batteries. Excellent.

 

Both have given me years of great service. No complaints.

 

Only gas motors I have left are the C105 and my whole house generator.

 

[Pullstart 59,722]

57 minutes ago, SylvanLakeWH said:

Only gas motors I have left are the C105 and my whole house generator.

Yeah you know, the things you have to rely on!  

[squonk 38,929]

I got a bunch of the Milwaukee 12V stuff. Impact,bandsaw,1/4" ratchet drill, screw gun. Great for getting into small spaces. Best tool is the little cut off wheel saw. Also a heated jacket for working in freezers.

[SylvanLakeWH 24,131]

1 hour ago, Pullstart said:

Yeah you know, the things you have to rely on!  

 

Yup. Agree.

 

Running 's gives one a very good idea of advantages and disadvantages of gas vs batteries in vehicles... you are spot on that for long term use gas wins. That's why I still have my C105. And will be keeping it.

 

But, for what I use my 's for? Pulling the train, cruising, plowing snow... Battery any day if the week... quiet... zero maintenance... did I mention quiet...?

 

 

 

 

[JoeM 7,631]

3 hours ago, WHX?? said:

Hercules

looks a lot like the new milwacky stuff but blue. Just wonder if they are manufactured in the same.....nope can't be 

 

I know if I made a living with those tools, milwacky would be my choice. Pretty much been all dewalt and at this stage of the game i will wear out before the tool.

[rjg854 10,737]

Worked construction for 40 years and I've been through a few different brands of cordless tools, but the ones I made a living with is Milwaukee. My opinion it's the best there is out there.

[ClassicTractorProfessor 5,262]

When it comes to power tools Milwaukee is the only option in my mind, some of the others may be good enough for most people’s daily use, but I chose Milwaukee for my needs, they get used and abused daily with no problems at all. I bought a DeWalt impact a couple years ago, stupid thing lasted a month, took it back and replaced it under warranty, the second one only lasted two weeks. That experience ruined me on cordless tools for a long time. Finally tried the M18 and haven’t looked back. The big High Torque impact is a beast, I have yet to come across anything that has came through the door that it wouldn’t break loose, even presses ball joints with little effort, that was a job that even my SnapOn MG725 air impact had trouble with. Next purchase for me in the Milwaukee lineup is going to be a couple of their M12 Ratchets.

 

I’ve heard good things about their hand tools, but never have tried any. I’ve got way more wrenches, sockets, and other hand tools than most people would ever need. Everything from cheap Harbor Freight stuff at home to a fully loaded box of higher end (mostly SnapOn) at work. 

[Racinbob 10,277]

I'll jump in here. I've always been partial to Dewalt. But like all of them they aren't built like they use to be. Fortunately most of mine are older USA built. I have to speak up for Ridgid too. You won't beat their warranty. I purchased a cordless drill with three batteries in 2011. I worked the snot out of it before the batteries were showing signs of weakening last summer. Yup, 11 years of heavy use. I contacted them and just a few days later new batteries were delivered. Soon after that the drill started acting up. Again I  contacted them and was told to take it to Home Depot. I took just the drill there along with the email Ridgid sent me and I walked out with a brand new drill, battery, charger and case. Can't  beat that. 

[jimt1971 236]

I just installed an M18 battery holder to start my 657 since it does not have a charging system right now and it was a pain to charge the 12 volt battery all the time. Now when I finish I just unplug the battery and throw on the charger in the garage.

[SylvanLakeWH 24,131]

16 minutes ago, jimt1971 said:

I just installed an M18 battery holder to start my 657 since it does not have a charging system right now and it was a pain to charge the 12 volt battery all the time. Now when I finish I just unplug the battery and throw on the charger in the garage.

[F. Marra 17 77]

Milwaukee all day. Sometimes Hilti. For employees I buy all Ridgid for the ease of warranty since they treat the tools trucks and equipment like crap.  There is no pride anymore. Very few guys care for the tools.

[wh500special 2,053]

We started using the Milwaukee 18V line in our manufacturing shop about 15 years ago.  In aggregate we probably have 120 tools out there and a ton of interchangeable batteries.  We have complete satisfaction with them.  They are used all day, every day.

 

Most used are the drills - we like the smaller format drill over the big 1/2" drill/hammer drill since they weigh quite a bit less - and the impact drivers.  But we have caulking guns, jig saws, circular saws, band saws, crimpers, riveters, lights, impact wrenches, vacuum cleaners, trim routers, and a  bunch of other stuff.  The guys even have added their own radios and bring them in to make the place sound like competing rock and R&B concerts. There must be some unspoken rule that the more terrible the music the louder it must be played and the Milwaukee radios don't fail that test either.

 

I digress.

 

Our shop guys are not at all conscientious about how they use and treat the tools, nevertheless they hold up well (edit:  "they" being the tools, not the guys).  They are generally repairable too and many of our drills and impact drivers have been rebuilt a time or two.  Usually the trigger switches are the first thing to go but we'd also had failures in gears, arbors, and of course the plastic cases can break when dropped too many times on a concrete floor.  A couple of them have gone up in smoke during abuse.

 

Milwaukee seems to have made a much more eager effort to offer trade-specific tools than the other makers.  And the best we can tell from our hard daily use their stuff really holds up well.  We use the M18 line almost exclusively but do have a couple of 12V tools.  We have the inspection camera and a couple of small drill/drivers that seem better suited to more delicate assembly work.

 

No matter what brand you pick, select something that you like and then stick with it.  That way you maintain compatibility of your batteries.  By chance for my personal use 18 years ago I picked the Bosch 18V system because I got a set on a heck of a markdown.  I've had no complaints, but Bosch has a much more limited variety of tools available than does Milwaukee.  if I had to start over, I'd be buying Milwaukee.

 

About the batteries...

 

With so many tools in constant use we have a ton of batteries out there.  They are incredibly reliable and are long lasting.  in our environment of constant use they still last several years.  We don't track them at all, but some are quite old and are still ticking away.  Milwuakee has changed the appearance of the labels a few times in the last 15 years so it's evident we still have multiple generations in use out there.

 

We have tried buying a variety of aftermarket batteries from Amazon, eBay, and elsewhere.  Every single one of them are junk compared to the genuine Milwaukee battery.  They seemingly start out strong, but must have a bad management system or whatever is inside them because they just don't offer the same run times or lifespan.  Do not waste your money on aftermarket will-fits.  False economy.

 

The original batteries hold up so well it gives me hope over the whole push toward electrification.

 

Hard to go wrong with Milwaukee.

 

Steve

Edited May 31, 2023 by wh500special

[formariz 11,849]

I cannot comment on any cordless power tools from them since I do not own any nor am I a fan, cordless drills in particular. I do own and have owned countless Milwaukee power tools in the past. They were always of the highest quality and dependable. Not cheap, but one gets what one pays for. In the construction business which I have been in all my life, one only had to look at every trade specially carpenters and electricians  to see what brand of tool they depended the most on. They were always Milwaukee.  What turned some away from them was always the cost specially when others not made here started showing up. People are attracted to cheap stuff even though they realize it will not last. That along with the lure of the latest and greatest bombardment of catchy tools just foments the constant buying of tools specially cordless drills that will eventually go into the pile to be substituted by the “better” new version. One will not see that here. No new  gadgety tools. Only one that have been on my hands for at least 25 years or totally worn out ones kept as a source of spare parts. 
   

[Handy Don 10,597]

On 5/31/2023 at 1:11 PM, formariz said:

nly one that have been on my hands for at least 25 years or totally worn out ones kept as a source of spare parts. 

I, too, tend to run things to death. I started on Milwaukee 12v stuff because I caught an amazing sale (and negotiated with the department tool manager at the store) at the same time my 20+ yo, extremely heavily used, craftsman stopped working. I’m nursing along the two craftsman batteries because I still have the 18ga brad nailer that gets regular use.

[jimt1971 236]

Pictures as you asked

[wallfish 15,919]

On 5/31/2023 at 9:29 AM, F. Marra 17 said:

Milwaukee all day. Sometimes Hilti. For employees I buy all Ridgid for the ease of warranty since they treat the tools trucks and equipment like crap.  There is no pride anymore. Very few guys care for the tools.

Ha. That's exactly what I do and same scenario.

One guy used to bring his own DeWalt drill and always treated it like it was a newborn baby. Then all the while has absolutely no problem with leaving company tools out in the rain, dropping them off the ladder, using drills for hammers etc etc or forgetting to pack them up and leaving them there. I had a broken drill just like his model and covertly hid his and took mine out after seeing tools in the rain again. Then proceeded to use it for a hammer and destroyed it right in front of him. "Oh the humanity" of hurting what he thought was his little drill. He couldn't tell it was a different drill because of all the damage to it. His whining got so bad so instead of just telling him right away, I let him sweat it out for a while until he finally found out on his own. He also got about a mm away from being fired over it too. But at least he got the point and now treats company stuff better! I've been kicking around the idea of making them buy and use their own tools just because they have 0 respect for mine. Thing is our work can naturally be hard on tools so adding that extra expense to them probably isn't right ( although many companies do it that way). Maybe instead of cash Christmas bonuses, new tools to use for work from now on. IDK

 

[Mickwhitt 4,151]

Wow I love this thread, glad I asked.

 

I am buying Milwaukee power tools that I don't currently have from other makers, just to avoid duplication. But I'll buy myself new versions of my current dewalt stuff as they expire.

 

Just sent for a tool bag to stash my new stuff in.

 

I can understand the comments of employers about tradesmen abusing their tools. I look after my tools and have seen workmen with a sorry collection of battered and abused tools working on my property. How they manage amazes me.

 

When I worked as a mechanic we bought our own tools and looked after them well. Bigger stuff like air wrenches were provided by the firm but would be neglected by and large.

 

I used to get grief from other spanner jockeys for buying Snap on tools, especially the specialist wrenches or air tools. But they made my work easier and surprisingly attracted the same gob shite Co workers to borrow them if they got a job that needed them. I usually just gave them the Snap on tools dealers card lol. 

 

 

[wh500special 2,053]

We’ve long struggled with how to get employees to take better care of the tools and equipment.  Unless they have skin in the game they tend to not care.  I think it’s human nature. 
 

We currently furnish everything for them and attempt to monitor what they are using and abusing. It’s hard in our case to hold them accountable since most are coming from backgrounds with zero manufacturing experience so they legitimately have to learn the difference between hard usage and abuse.  Training and turnover are both quite intensive in our environment.  Fortunately we’ve been accumulating a much more stable and competent group in the last couple of years. 
 

the obvious solution is to have employees own their own tools.  But that’s not worked in our case of mostly assembly line work since the guys just don’t have that kind of money to invest.  What’s worked the best so far is better supervision and having dedicated tools for each and every task that are immediately returned to their spot on the shadow board after completion of the task.  But it’s a continuous struggle. 
 

Steve

Edited June 4, 2023 by wh500special

[Mickwhitt 4,151]

I've just received my new tool box, the Pack Out system from milwaukee. 

 

It's really robust and strong. Shown with a van parked on it in the ads and I don't doubt they did that for real. 

 

I'll be able to keep all my tools together now and find things with any luck lol. 

[wh500special 2,053]

The Packout System is really nice.  I think the boxes might even be weather-sealed and are very rugged.

 

You may have noticed that the Packout and the competing systems from Dewalt, Bosch, et al all arrived on scene at about the same time.  This corresponds to the patents running their course on the original modular packaging Systainers from Tanos.  It's a great idea to have all the toolboxes have the same footprint so they are easy to stack and sort.  And they clip together so they have stability during transport.

 

The systainers are lighter weight and less durable ABS plastic.  Compared to the rugged Packout, Dewalt boxes, and Sortimo containers they are very flimsy.  Just as I jumped on the wrong bandwagon with my cordless tools, I also migrated all of my things into the Systainers before the rest of the industry followed with their much improved copycats.

 

When it comes to picking winners and losers, I don't have the best record.  And I don't even work for the government.

 

Steve

[Mickwhitt 4,151]

I appear to have become a tad fixated gentlemen. 

Having downsized to move house, sold a load of old tools off, I have now decided to stay put and have reinvested my workshop money.

I know I can trust you to keep a secret from Mrs W and to be honest with me.  

Have I gone a teeny bit over board here?

Edited June 10, 2023 by Mickwhitt