Power Tool Accessories Reviews

If this were a tiny bit bigger height wise, it would make a very accurate edge for meeting 45's on outside corners of custom cabinets or furniture. The trick is to clamp another piece of stock behind the stile for a bering guide. As it is listed, I can't tell if this particular 22.5 is tall enough.

I have an ever growing collection of Freud bit's, blades and tools and as always, this one is awesome. I am making all my trim in my house out of black ash and I'm using this bit for the edges. It is the first chamfer bit that i've used that didn't burn at all on end grain.

I would like to know if this item can be purchased with a 1/4" shank. I could use one right away if this is availble. Please e-mail me at Bloudinhhi@aol.com. Thanks

Be aware that the picture above of a Magnum Style drill motor with the Quick-Lok power cord is NOT correct. The Model 0232-20 0-2800RPM does not come with a Quick-Lok cord although the Model 0224-1 0-1200RPM has the Quick-Lok power cord. What's up with that?

I'm still going to purchase the Model 0232-20 because I need a high RPM drill but I'm also going to try to fit a Quick-Lok power cord to it. All the Magnum series drill motors seem to have the same plastic handle design so it might work.

This drill is put together well. You can tell this by looking at the seams. Most of the Milwaukee tools I've used are like this, especially the ones made in Germany. They are also usually very heavy. This particular drill is front-heavy and isn't as balanced as its Makita or Dewalt counterparts (in terms of price). Another gripe is the design of the trigger. It's not as comfortable, because the Makita and especially the Dewalt have a tapered curve near the top of the trigger that protects your finger from the body case's edge.
Now the good stuff. Power, power, and more power. This power is made audibly clear by the loud screech that comes from the motor. I personally enjoy this. For the price, this is the most powerful drill you can buy. For me, that's the most important quality in terms of quality. Throw in a good warranty and you're good to go.

The best. Have one, can't kill it. Works first time every time. I guess the warranty is good to have but, I've never had to use it for any of my Milwaukee tools (3 drills and sawsall). They weigh a little more than some other tools but they are bullettproof.

great for mixing mud, grout and thin set. I've got three and havn't burned one yet.

I;ve had this tool for about five years now. It is almost never used to drill holes. Myself, and fellow contractor friends, have relegated this tool exclusively for use in High-Torque applications like mixing drywall mud, grout, floor leveler, thinset mortar, even small batches of concrete. I've never had mine act up and none of my buddies have ever seen one burn out. If you're looking for something to run self-feed (forstner) bits through studs & top plates, this isn't the tool to use. Wth a bit installed, it will not fit in between 16" OC stud/joist spaces. A Milwaukee Hole-Hawg or Super Hawg will be much more suited for that application. But if you've got a need to mix cements, grouts, or muds though, this the tool to use.

I picked up one of these at a pawnshop (not quite the same model, mine has variable speed) and am very impressed. I thought the Milwaukee Magnum hole shooter was powerful - this is TWICE as powerful, literally! Electronic speed control would be nice but oh well, you can't have everything. Almost, though!

What an awesome review! Actually I was looking for a tool that did something else, however I ALMOST bought your saw just because you gave such a great description of what this could do. I had no idea of the complexity and techniques to cut pipe --- clear, practical advice. Thanks!!

You've probably seen one of these Milwaukee portable band saws around on various job sites for years. The 6232-6 is Milwaukee's kit number for the 6230 variable-speed, deep-cut band saw with a blow molded plastic storage case.
I bought the 6230 band saw for the same reasons that everbody else does, to cut steel strut, pipe and conduit. Although it doesn't cut nearly as fast as a chop saw, this tool does have certain advantages over and above even the best chop saws. The most obvious being that you can bring this tool to the work as opposed to bringing the work to the tool. It also doesn't require dedicated space and the ampere draw is much lower for generator-powered job sites.
It has the capacity to handle up to 4" heavy-wall rigid conduit or black iron pipe and it's heck of a lot faster than a hacksaw or pipe cutter. It also makes a much cleaner, straighter cut. The variable-speed switch makes it easier to start a cut and to control the saw throughout the entire cut than with the older style two-speed models, especially when cutting thin wall material like EMT or softer materials like brass.
The 44-7/8" X �" X .020 blade runs at up to 350 FPM, and good quality bi-metal blades are relatively inexpensive at a little under six dollars apiece. They do last a fairly long time when cutting mild steel, but for cutting thicker material, stainless steel or hardened tool steel, it makes sense to spend a little extra and get a true cobalt blade such as the Morse cobalt varied-pitch 10-14 TPI or else you'll be replacing bi-metal blades every few minutes. The saw comes with one 14 TPI bi-metal blade installed. I wouldn't recommend buying regular carbon steel blades because they don't last very long at all and the better bi-metal blades are usually only a few cents more in price anyway.
A good dark cutting oil will help keep blades alive when cutting steel, but you probably don't want to use a wax based stick lubricant on the edges of the blade if you can avoid it because the build up can cause the tools rubber edged drive wheel to loose it's grip, letting the blade slip off right in the middle of a cut. This usually causes the blade to become kinked, requiring it to be discarded. You won't find any reference to this in the owners manual, but it has happened to me a few times over the years.
Blade changes are fast and easy, just release the tensioning lever, remove the old blade, feed the new blade through the guide and rollers, then move the tensioning lever back to the lock position. There is also a storage space for a few spare blades in the tools plastic storage case. I'm not sure why, but for some reason Milwaukee hasn't added the quick-lock cord to their portable band saws.
Overall, the 6230 is very well made and has always proven to be very durable. If you have a need to cut various metal materials in the field frequently, I would say that this tool pretty much recommends itself.

My experience with portable band saws started with an earlier version of the Milwaukee 6230 (the 6230 and the 6232-6 are the same model) and it was the two speed model. That two speed model worked very well in cutting Uni-Strut and rigid conduit. My only problem with the saw was that it had two speeds, low and high. The low speed was ok, but you could not "ease" into the cut or switch into high while cutting.

When my electrical job was done I sold that saw and used an abrasive chop saw for a long time for cutting conduit and Uni-Strut. While at a job site I saw a guy with a Milwaukee 6230 Deep Cut Band Saw. It was a variable speed saw and what appeared to be a slightly larger capacity cut. I tried it and it would start at a crawl and go to full speed (and any speed in between) by pulling the trigger. I was hooked! I had to get one.

The chop saw was fine except that it was loud, threw sparks everywhere and the cut often left a large sharp burr that had to be filed or ground down. The portable band saw could do everything I needed to do and then some. It was also quiet, did not pull a lot of power (current out of an electrical outlet) when cutting, did not leave a large burr after cutting, and it sliced through Uni-Strut, conduit, re-bar, all thread rod, and anything else metal, like a hot knife through butter.

The Milwaukee 6230 quickly became my favorite cut off tool. The name plate on the tool says 6230. The kit I bought was called the 6232-6 and the saw came with a 14 TPI (teeth per inch) bi-metal blade and a plastic carry case. The cutting capacity for round stock is 4-3/4" and square stock of 4-3/4" x 4-3/4". It operates on 120 volts AC only and has a range of 0-350 feet per minute (no load speed) on the blade and the motor draws 6 amps. This saw uses a 44-7/8" x 0.020" x �" blade.

Blades: A discussion about them is in order. In general you should try to have 6 to 12 teeth in contact with the material when using a bi-metal blade and cutting metal. More teeth per inch is required for thin, hard or if the finish is important. Blades with more teeth per inch are required when cutting soft or thick material. These are rules of thumb and you'll have to experiment a little to see what works best in your job.

A variable pitch blade has teeth that vary from (let's use a 14-18 TPI blade) 14 teeth per inch to 18 teeth per inch. The varying tooth sizes and gullet depth changes over a predetermined distance and then repeats. Teeth are set left and right with a single straight tooth called a "raker" tooth used to help maintain a straight cut. The design of the variable tooth pitch cuts down (no pun intended) on the "harmonic" frequency of the cut. In other words, the variable tooth blade design does not vibrate or chatter as much (or at all) while cutting when compared to a fixed pitch blade. Since a variable tooth blade has teeth at 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 TPI, it can handle a larger range of material thicknesses without having to change blades.

Milwaukee makes several fine blades and the one I use the most is a variable tooth blade 14-18 TPI bi-metal blade. This blade will handle just about any sort of sawing job around whether it may be a solid or hollow stock, or a combination material such as bonded electrical conduit with a plastic outer jacket and a steel/copper spiral wound tube in the middle.

Using the saw is a breeze. Align the blade where you want to make your cut, taking care to put the saw rest against the work and then squeeze the trigger. As the cuts progresses you can increase the saw speed. Changing blades is about a one minute job. You unplug the saw, flip the tension handle, remove the old blade, install the new blade with the teeth pointed to the back of the saw, guide the blade into the grooves and then flip the tension lever back. It's as easy as that.

While this saw is meant to be used free hand, it's not a scroll saw to cut out intricate patterns. It's also not nearly powerful enough to cut through some of the heavy wall materials but... it does have a place at your home or the jobsite. If you are cutting �" and smaller re-bar, Uni-strut, conduit, copper or steel tubing or shapes, and the like, this is the saw. I have only made a few cuts on 3" solid steel and it cut through it pretty quickly all things considered. Would I want to do that all day long? No. You'll need a bigger saw. But this is the saw I'll reach for when I need to made overhead cuts as it is light enough to do that. I did not weight the saw but I'll guess it weighs around 15 pounds.

The speed control is a small knob located on the trigger of the saw. Turning it will make the saw run from the slowest speed to the maximum speed of that setting. This saw does not have a "lock-on" switch. It would be handy for the longer cuts but it is not much of an issue for me.

Also, Milwaukee makes a stand for this saw with a clamp to make precise cuts and it works very well.

Warranty. Milwaukee is offering a 5 year warranty on the saw so ownership costs should be very low.

What would I change? I wish Milwaukee would go back to the "Quick Loc" cord they have used on their many other corded tools such as their Sawzall or Right Angle Drills. My cord has become damaged and you have to take the handle apart to change out the cord. Again a minor gripe on my part.

Would I buy another 6230 again? Yes!

The worm drive saw is geared (no pun intended) to a very specific customer, the pro. I've used several different worm drives, including Black & Decker (now DeWalt), Skil, and of course Milwaukee. This model, while a very good model, has a few flaws. I've never used one that didn't leak a little around the spindle lock button. This is ok as long as you remember to check the oil level, but that doesn't happen often enough in the real world. The start-up torque is excessive, compared to other models. And the shoe does not run parallel to the blade, making it difficult to use an edge guide for straight rips. With proper care, it is a very good saw. The 15 amp motor gives you more than enough power to cut through almost anything. But I would not buy this one again, I'd go with the Skil HD77M.

Just pick this bad boy up and you know you've got something heavy duty. Even the cord is huge! Easily twice as thick as any other saw I've used. At fifteen amps we are maxed out on power input. All this beef comes at a price. It's pretty heavy. But some times the extra weight comes in handy , like when you are cutting off rafter tails from above.Or stand a 2x12 on edge and cut down through it. The saw just walks itself across the board. The tough fiberglass reinforced nylon body really takes the abuse . The warranty is like no other. LIFETIME baby! If you run over it, you pay for the repair. If it ever fails due to parts or workmanship , Milwaukee pays. No body stands behind their power tools like that. No body. Now to be fair I have to say that warranty aside ,I prefer the Skil mag 77. First, it's a few pounds lighter. The worm gear is a little smoother. At 13 amps it is rated at less power. BUT! In toolpigs tool test The skil Whooped everything else in time trial ripping in 2x douglas fir by a couple of seconds.(Tools tested; This Milwaukee ,Skil mag 77 13A , Dewalts 378g hypoid framing saw 15A, Porter Cable 843 blade left framers saw 15A, Makita 5277B hypoid saw 14A We used brand new Marathon blades in all saws. At the time we were sure that the Milwaukee would take top honors. We were disappointed. Time after time the skil came out on top. Even after changing blades around and changing operators. What's a second or two ? We just had to know. Still this is a mean saw. If you need something that is over built this is your saw. You will never wear this tool out. Sure you might drop it off a roof or smash it with a fork lift but you're not going to wear it out.

WHEN YOU SEE A TOOL THAT'S RED AND GRAY YOU AUTOMATICALLY KNOW IT'S THE BEST, IT'S A MILWAUKEE. THE MILWAUKEE TOOL WILL REGULARLY HAVE MORE POWER, BE MORE EVENLY BALANCED WHICH MAKES THE JOB EASIER, AND LAST LONGER THAN OTHER COMPARABLE TOOLS MADE BY OTHER COMPANIES. THE THING I LIKE THE MOST ABOUT THE MILWAUKEE WORM DRIVE CIRCULAR SAW, COMPARED TO OTHER BRAND NAMES, IS THAT IT DOESN'T JERK WHEN YOU FIRST START CUTTING. IT HAS GREAT BALANCE AND MECHANICAL ENGINEERING. IT MAKES A SMOOTHER, MORE EVEN STARTING CUT. THE MILWALKEE WORM DRIVE CIRCULAR SAW IS ALSO MORE DEPENDABLE. WE AVERAGE BUILDING 12 - 14 HOUSES A YEAR. WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT BUYING A NEW SAW EVERY TWO OR THREE HOUSES WITH THIS ONE. BUYING DEPENDABILITY SEEMS A LITTLE HIGHER AT FIRST BUT REALLY ADDS UP TO BIG SAVINGS OVER THE YEAR. I'VE WORKED IN CONSTRUCTION FROM AGE 17 TO 57. IN THESE 40 YEARS I'VE FOUND MOST UNION AND NON UNION WORKERS USE THE RED AND GRAY BECAUSE THEY KNOW IT'S THE BEST.

Once again, Milwaukee delivers a quality tool. This gun is a vast improvement over their older, less balanced screw guns. It fits the hand well, is not overly heavy, and runs screws into either wood or metal studs without hesitation. The only complaint I have about this one versus the older models is the trigger lock. It's now a recessed button, which is very awkward to operate with one hand. But even the DeWalt's isn't that convenient, so this is my screw gun of choice. Plus, it has a 5 year limited warranty, which none of the competition can touch.

This is a plain, bare bones screw gun for drywall installation.

It has a soft start feature that helps the motor last longer since some people rather pull the trigger for every screw they shoot.
People who do tons of drywall just lock the trigger and keep driving one screw after the other.

It's designed to shoot screws in all day. Nothing fancy, no clutch, just a depth stop.

I actually use my clutched cordless drill for most drilling and general screwing. I only break this out for drywall. It has the advantage of being lighter weight with pretty decent balance.

If you're going to screw into something that's maybe questionable in strength might benefit from a clutched drill or a clutched screw gun or just going slow with this. These screw guns are really fast and since they're foremost intent is screwing into wood or steel studs having that type of adjustability really isn't required.

This is about the least expensive, no frills way to go for a screwgun and a brand that's been making these for a very long time. It's a good dedicated drywall screw gun.

For decks I might use a clutched gun or just one of the slower rpm screw guns that are geared for more torque to drive longer, fatter screws.

The Milwaukee drywall screwdriver is a priceless tool if you've got a job bigger than 1 sheet. The depth settings are convienient and have good granularity of adjustment. You may have to try a couple of brands of bits however. I've found that the bits with ridges on the blade faces work best. They allow you to be slightly off 90 degress (perp. to the wall surface) without camming out. The rubber finger grips on the top of the Milwaukee make it comfortable to handle. It's well balanced and powerful. It takes a few practice screws to get the hang of it but it's by all means worth the (money). You'll use it every chance you get!

Somewhere on the Amazon website I read that this guide would fit the 890... It will once I drill and tap a couple of new holes... Caveat Emptor!

Am really pleased with edge guide. Have already used it to rout flutes in 40 pieces. Guide was simple to use. Very satisfied with product.

I purchased this to use with a Porter-Cable 7539 Router, it fits perfectly, and should fit any of the listed routers perfectly as well. I had used a friend's craftsman router with the stock edge guide for it, it worked ok, but after using this one there's no comparison. This edge guide is incredibly light weight and considering how long is it is doesn't unbalance the router at all. (Admittedly I'm using a really heavy router). It's also very accurate and is easily adjustable. Even the micro adjuster works really well.

I bought this vac with high expectations. Unfortunately, it did not live up to them. I have brand new thick carpet. If you turn the unit on and just let it sit in one place for a few seconds, the beater bar bogs down and trips a ratcheting sound that resembles the noise of a cat getting sucked in tail first. I can repeat the problem over and over with ease. Initially, I thought it was a defective unit. But I have come to believe it just can't handle the thick pile. It works fine on every other floor.

After sending it back, I had opportunity to visit a Dyson dealer who also sells other brands. We threw salt, sand, rice and coins onto a big patch of his ceramic tile and store carpet and ground them in with our boots. Then I took the Dyson (DC 14 and DC 15 Ball), an Electrolux Commercial, Kirby G5, Oreck XL21, Eureka Sanitaire, and Riccar Radiance, and put them through their paces in a side by side test. The salesman didn't have to do much selling since the vacs had a chance to speak for themselves. While all the vacs got the stuff off the carpet, all but the Riccar took multiple passes (four on average). I also noticed that almost all of the vacs (except the Riccar) were strong on the right side but weak on the left. Both Dyson products beater bar seemed extremely underpowered on heavier carpet (we tried them on two weights of carpet) as did the Oreck. When we moved to the tile floor, the Dyson took the sand and salt off of the tile but left it in the cracks of the grout. Unacceptable to me.

In all honesty, when I finished the test, the Dyson products felt like plastic toys compared to some of the other products. They did a mediocre job but were incapable of dealing with the heavy carpet. Just pushing them through it was a labor, wearing my wife out after one large living room's worth of vacuuming. The Riccar, on the other hand, almost crept forward on its own. The Dysons would probably have faired much better on lower pile carpet. Had I not done the side by side test I would never have known how they all compared

I will buy a Riccar Radiance, the hands down winner in my tests. It is a little more expensive than the Dyson but far less than the Kirby. And it was the clear winner on the floor. The salesman didn't have to say anything at all. The Vacs did all the talking.

Bought this vacuum since my earlier Hoover vacuum just stopped working (in less than a year). So thought might as well invest in a good vacuum. Thus got the Dyson. So far it has been excellent. It removes lot of dust and is less noisy compared to the old Hoover.

OK. So I just got it and only used it to vac my upstairs (without moving furniture... just a quick test) and it took me barely 10-minutes for about 1200 sq ft of hard floor. It cleans great! It's extremely quiet, which makes me think it might be broken since Consumer Reports (and some reviewers of the DC 14 all-floors) said it was noisy. But after using a Hoover canister for the past 20-years, this thing is fantastic. Don't let anybody tell you that it doesn't do hard flooring. I highly recommend this vaccuum. I'll give a futhher review after a few weeks of use (and when I've had a chance to use all the tools). Consumer reports also gave it a lower rating for ease of use, but I put it together and got it going easily without reading the manual (don't tell Dyson!).
p.s., the cat was scared, but nowhere nearly as freightened as he is with the LOUD Hoover.

...it doesn't come with everything pictured. You'll need at least one tip for the iron itself (as the previous reviewer mentioned, they slide on and off) and a stand and sponge. Both are easily found on the site.

That aside, it's a very fast and useful iron and very good for beginners.

I picked up this iron at a swap around ten years ago, and since then it's been the first iron I grab for anything short of soldering tinplate. The Antex irons are better and easier to use than just about anything else you might try, and that's because they're very different from the typical iron most of us learned on in a number of significant ways.

First, they use a slide-on tip. Slips on, slips off, requires no tightening or adjustment ever. Second, because they heat the tip from the inside, not via a clamp or screw connection, they're much more efficient than the usual iron- they say an 18watt iron is the equivalent of the typical 30 watt iron, and if anything, that's an underestimate.

Third, they heat super fast- usually in 45 seconds or less. You don't need to leave you iron plugged in all afternoon and worry about it burning up while you're busy working on some other aspect of a project. I keep mine plugged into a switched power strip. When I'm ready to solder, I switch it on, and when I'm finshed I switch it off.

And last, they're incredibly light. This is truely a featherweight tool. If you're doing any sort of electronics work at all, I'd strongly recommend an Antex iron. In 40 yers of electronics work I haven't found anything better.

I just purchased the Delta 23-735 10" industrial grinder after looking at other options such as Baldor or Dayton. While the quality of the grinder is not in the same class as either of the aforementioned units, neither is the price. A 10" Baldor or similar with the pedestal would run at least $200 more.

The grinder arrived in two boxes, each adequately packaged to prevent damage. With the heaviest box weighing in at 115 pounds, some damage to the packaging was expected, and sure enough found. The grinder was undamaged.

Assembly of the unit was straightforward, and all parts required were included with the exception of an Allen wrench for tightening the pedestal post to the base. While these were factory installed, they were not tight enough to prevent the post from turning in the base once the grinder had been installed. Also, the holes in the flanged post base were not centered, and in order to mount the flanged post base on the square baseplate, some minor filing of one of the bolt heads was required.

Upon initial startup, the grinder exhibited some vibration. Close examination seems to indicated a small imbalance due to non-symetrical grinding wheels, but facing of the wheels should cure this. Power of the unit is adequate, and motor noise is much lower than expected. Coast down time after the grinder is switched of is quite long. The heft of the unit does a nice job of minimizing vibration.

The flexible lamp does not include a light bulb, but does seem to be constructed fairly well.

All in all, the unit appears to be solidly made, and should be more than adequate for most users looking for a heavy duty 10" grinder.

Excellent professional grade grinder

I've had the Delta 23-735 10" industrial grinder for a couple of years as of this writing. If you already own a grinder, consider retrofitting your old machine with wire or buffing wheels. Overheating metal parts was a serious issue on my previous 3450-RPM grinder, but is less so on this 1725 RPM machine - that alone made this a worthwhile investment. The 23-735 is big and heavy; 125 pounds; 15 1/4" wheel center to center; and 11" tall at the motor housing. All that cast iron in the motor frame and tool supports keeps vibration well within the acceptable range, and gives the tool a look of quality and heft. The toggle switch is protected, so it's unlikely you'll accidentally turn it on, a good safety feature. I prefer a can of water for a quenching tray as it's quicker to fill and empty, but the built-in water tray is amply sized. The fitted lamp is nice, but the goose-neck section should be a few inches longer. At the rear of each wheel's housing is a 2.5" dust port. I usually keep a rubber-banded sock on each port; but attach a vacuum on dusty jobs.

Since I'm tall, the grinder is mounted on a 39" high bench. I used the very sturdy 33" high cast iron pedestal that comes with the grinder for another shop tool. I only use the Delta grinder a few times a week, so buying a Baldor 10" grinder (triple the cost), couldn't be justified. The Baldor was also much too wide for the available space.

The Sears Craftsman 10" professional grinder (model #21160) costs about the same as this unit from Amazon.com, but it doesn't include that nifty pedestal. (I'd give no credence to Sear's claim of 1 HP versus Delta's stated 3/4 HP, since the machines are virtually identical. Delta's is plenty powerful, and they probably make the Sears machine anyway.)

In summary, if you use a grinder for hours every day or need the wheels to be really far apart, get the Baldor. For everyone else, the Delta is a professional grade grinding machine.