Cordless Tools Reviews

Wow! I love this hammer drill and sawzall combo set. The hammer drill is machined perfectly and the power that the drill delivers is just fantastic. I usually believe in buying all American made products, but I will gladly grant an exception. Milwaukee has taken the best of all worlds and put them together. The hammer drill is made in Germany, the batteries are made in Japan, and the sawzall in the US. Put these components together and you've created some of the best tools available. The only downside is that the sawzall drains the battery pack fairly quickly, but the battery does charge in about an hour. So, I think I'll get another battery. Quality, you do get what you pay for... Good job Milwaukee

The power is more than adequate - the high speed being just perfect and the low speed providing enough torque to undo all but the most stubborn of screws and bolts.

The clutch is extremely handy because it prevents overtightening and breaking off screw heads.

About my only complaint would be that battery management isn't what I'd like. Not quite enough battery life on a charge - and batteries seem to wear out (as in become unuseable and won't take a charge) relatively quickly. However that is just my personal view - Perhaps my expectations are unreasonable. Conside that my experience is that the B&D Versapak battery system isn't as long lasting as this.

I do not recomend this as an all-day tool for someone who works on an assembly line, for example. But certainly it is a more than excellent device. Beautifully designed and built with real metal gears inside.

Great tool for driving,screws. You can tell this unit has lots of torque. Be careful,when first using it you can drive screws too far and split 2x4's. Wish it was made in U.S.A. but it is a power house.

I've only had this charger for a few weeks, but I'm very pleased with the way it works. I'm a licensed contractor and have several Milwaukee tools with batteries. Last year I began to notice a problem with one of my 18 volt drills and took it to a service center nearby. They replaced the battery for free, but more importantly told me the single chargers that came with the tools were only capable of a "quick charge." The multi-bay charger also does the quick charge, but then goes into a trickle charge mode of up to 4 hours. The key to bringing the battery up to its full, like new, charge is this last step. That, along with the added advantage of being able to charge three batteries of different voltages at the same time sealed the deal for me. As already noted... I've been very happy with how it works.

For 15 years I used a cordless screwdriver originally made by AEG and nearly identical to this Panasonic. The nicest feature for me is the compact design that fits into tight spaces other cordless driver will not. I use mine mainly for computer assembly. Swivel the handle to a pistol grip and the Panasonic is even more compact as well as comfortable.

Battery life is adequate. Because the Panasonic is nice and compact, the battery discharges somewhat sooner than other drivers with large hunk of battery. I recommend an extra battery if you plan to use it for work.

The forward/reverse switch is actuated with your right thumb. At first use it feels strange but it turns out they know what they're doing. The switch allows instantaneous forward to reverse switching. I think once you get used to it you will come to appreciate it. If you are left-handed it can still be actuated with your left index finger.

I think the Milwaukee 6547-22 2.4-Volt 2-Speed Cordless Screwdriver is nearly identical and even better than the Panasonic for not much more money.

Jim - P.C.C. (Pro. Computer Consultants)

For 15 years I used a cordless screwdriver originally made by AEG and nearly identical to this Panasonic. The nicest feature for me is the compact design that fits into tight spaces other cordless driver will not. I use mine mainly for computer assembly. Swivel the handle to a pistol grip and the Panasonic is even more compact as well as comfortable.

Battery life is adequate. Because the Panasonic is nice and compact, the battery discharges somewhat sooner than other drivers with large hunk of battery. I recommend an extra battery if you plan to use it for work.

The forward/reverse switch is actuated with your right thumb. At first use it feels strange but it turns out they know what they're doing. The switch allows instantaneous forward to reverse switching. I think once you get used to it you will come to appreciate it. If you are left-handed it can still be actuated with your left index finger.

I think the Milwaukee 6547-22 2.4-Volt 2-Speed Cordless Screwdriver is nearly identical and even better than the Panasonic for not much more money.

Jim - P.C.C. (Pro. Computer Consultants)

I've had the Panasonic 9.6 cordless drill for almost 20 years now and it never gave me a bit of trouble. One of the best features of this drill was the 15 minute charge battery. While I only got 1 battery for this drill, I never found I needed more because with the 15 minute dead to full charge battery and charger, it was easy to "fill in" for the short time needed to get my battery recharged again. Over the years, however, the single battery held a charge for less and less time, until finally I could drill about 10 holes, or screw in 5 screws and it was dead. With new Panasonic drills costing around $200, I thought I would try a new battery. Well, it arrived, I recharged it for the usual 15 minutes, and my 20 year old drill works like it was brand new again. Not a bad price for a "like new" drill.

Both my batteries had been recalled by Panasonic and I needed a battery quick to keep the cordless drill operational while they sent me the replacements. Amazon had the best price I could find and shipped promptly.

We love the Panasonic Metal Saw. We cut conduit all day. After a few months, it was time for a new blade. Cuts like buttah!