Milwaukee Reviews

It's sooo smooth. When you get yours out of the box, plug it in and gun it up for the first time, you WILL grin. I think it's impossible not too. So smooth. And there's this high-pitched whine of the gears. Know why? They're all metal - not plastic. One other reviewer pointed out that the 8 amp version is over-powered. He's right. This baby only burns 5.5 amps but you better hold on! I only wrote this review to add my kudos, however redundant. You can stop shopping around, you found THE ONE! It's so smooth!

I was getting no where with a 1" spade bit in my cordless drill, and I needed to drill a lot of holes to run the wiring in my basement. So I tried a self-boring bit, and my cordless drill quickly started smoking. That's when I went and got this drill. It blasts through studs effortlessly with a 1-1/8" self-boring bit. This thing saved me hours of tedious drilling.

I have 7 1/2 in drills, including a Milwaukee 299, a Dewalt, and a Haitachi. This sets the standard. It is so smooth, it is a joy to use.

easy to use, blade changing is simple, heavy duty for most all home jobs, great ergonomics , excellent tool for the price.

This saw is the one tool everyone needs to have...it's the tool that seems like it can cut anything that needs to be cut, except maybe for mouldings. So much power, light-weight, blade changes are way easier than they used to be, and it's an American-made Milwaukee so you know it'll last. Enough said.

I had used recip saws over the years, but never enough to really justify purchasing one, or so I thought. That all changed when I got the 10-amp Sawzall listed here. I've found this saw to be useful for all sorts of home improvement cutting chores.

This tool is very smooth, quite a bit less vibration than I have experienced with other recip saws. All the Milwaukee blades I have tried are high quality and work well. Ten amps is more than enough power for what I need, and this models seems to be a nice compromise in weight/power.

I avoided the big box stores after hearing stories of 'price-leader' models, and went to a tool dealer to get a reconditioned version. My 'remanufactured' Sawzall appeared to have never been used. No breakage, no complaints in the two years I've owned it.

I'm not a brand snob - at least when it comes to deciding between the larger, reputable name brands, and have had good luck with Makita drills and saws in particular. But honestly it never occurred to me to buy anything other than a real Sawzall. Like the original Skilsaw, they're just that good.

First of all I want to say that I am a around the house handy man and not a pro but I know quality when I see it and I have had a very decent amount of experience with power tools.

I am guilty of owning a Craftsmen 3/8 inch, 1/3 horse power, 3 amp, corded drill "I got it because it was on sale for close to half price,I paid $20 for it.
When ever I tried to use it as a screwdriver with its so called variable speed trigger,it would almost always rotate to fast which would result in it stripping the screw heads.

Most times when I tried to use it for tightening nuts or drilling metal it would stall,so to make a long story short it was under powered and the variable speed control was almost uncontrollable !! Oh well you live and you learn !!!

So it was time for me to get a "high quality drill".
I now wanted a drill that would have plenty of power and have a "very controllable" variable control trigger and most of all I wanted this drill to be able to last me the rest of my life and I wanted it to be the best darn drill money could buy and at a reasonable price,now is that asking for to much ?

So I went on the net and started reading a ton of reviews,I read up on cordless drills first but I was turned off by their overall price along with the "over priced batteries they use",and lets also remember their not the most powerful drills you can buy,they simply cannot supply you with the torque a corded drill can,and when you push a cordless drill it puts a tremendous strain on the battery and in return the same battery that might have held its charge for hours using it for light duty will now lose it's charge in a matter of minutes when you use it for heavy duty use.

I have heard of some of the best batteries losing their charge within 3 minutes after using the cordless drill to do a really tough job.

I still think cordless would be nice for light duty jobs as a second drill if you can afford one!

So after reading mega reviews on the net, I was still having a little trouble trying to narrow it down to one drill,but the Milwaukee 0300-20 and the "Milwaukee 0302-20 a keyless version of the 0300-20" caught my eye with it's 8 amp motor and with the claim that it has the best power-to-weight ratio in its class.
All I could think was yum yum,MASSIVE POWER and TORQUE galore, and lets not forget that it's made by Milwaukee!!!!

Now I'm thinking I've got to have this drill no matter what, so I called a local tool store and asked if they had the 0300-20 and they said yes,so out of curiosity I asked them if they felt that the 0300-20 was the best in it's class and to my surprise he burst my bubble and told me no, and he said that the
Milwaukee 0234-6 Was The Best In It's Class !!!

Man I was so surprised at what he had said,and the man that I talked to was the owner of that shop, so I'm thinking to myself he must not know what he's talking about,I knew a little something about the 0234-6, I knew that it had a 5.5 amp motor and that it was a very old model, and I also knew that the 0300-20 was a much newer model with an "8 amp motor" and they cost around the same,so I'm thinking to myself "Duh" that sounds like a no brainer to me...old vs new, 5.5 amps vs 8 amps,come on, give me a break!

I was also thinking to myself do the math Mr. Tool shop owner! So I got off of the phone with him and called another local tool shop and talked to the boss who's name was Mike and asked him the same set of questions and low and behold he gave me pretty much the same answer which was the 0234-6 is a much better drill then the 0300-20,then Mike went on and told me that the 0234-6 is the best drill on earth bar none !!!

He said that he has had his 0234-6 for 15 years and he used it as a pro and in 15 years it never failed him once,and it never needed any repairs !

Now I'm thinking I must be in the Twilight Zone and I'm also thinking does Mike not know that the 0300-20 has 8 amps and the 0234-6 only has 5.5 amps and the 0300-20 is a much newer model.

I need to also tell you that some people think the 0300-20 and the 0302-20 are just like the 0234-6 but only with more power......WRONG !!!!

I even called Milwaukee tools and talked to a rep and he told me the 0300-20 was just an updated and more powerful version of the 0234-6...."I found out later that the rep Was WRONG"!!!

After thinking for awhile I decided to get the 0300-20 over the Keyless 0302-20 for these reasons...

Keyed vs. Keyless Chucks
Keyed chucks are tightened and loosened with a small hand tool, achieving a tighter and more secure lock on the drill bit than keyless chucks. They also provide greater torque for when you need extra power. On the other hand, keyless chucks require you to manually turn the chuck, making for quick and easy bit changes.
* Keyed chucks are especially advantageous when removing screws
* For those who may be prone to losing a key, a keyless chuck would be a sound selection !

So today I went to Lowes and had already decided in my mind that I was going to buy the more powerful 0300-20, which is supposed to be "the so called newer version of the 0234-6".

When I got to Lowes, their they both where side by side the 0234-6 and the all powerful 8 amp 0300-20,but wait just a minute the 0300-20 does not have the same rock solid sturdy side handle that is screwed into the metal frame of the 0234-6, so when I held the 0300-20 in my hands and put a lot of pressure on the side handle it flexed and I said to myself "Oh No" I don't like this handle and most of all I hate the way that it is attached to the drill,it is attached by a metal band instead of being screwed into the metal frame,like they did with the 0234-6!I think the handle on the 0300-20 is attached in a very cheap,tackie and not very strong manner!!!

So the side handle on the 0300-20 was almost a deal breaker for me,I could not break the handle ,but I sure did make it flex more then I think it should have!

Now on the other hand I tried to make the 0234-6 side handle flex or bend, no such luck it was rock steady , and the entire 0234-6 is built like a tank and I'm not kidding.

Next I tried out the trigger on the 0300-20 and the action of the trigger was not smooth at all, it was very choppy at best,let me tell you their is no way on earth for you to use a drill as a screwdriver if you don't have smooth trigger action.

Plus the trigger was a short one or two finger trigger,unlike the long and Luxurious trigger on the 0234-6!!!

I will go one step further and say I feel that it is potentially dangerous to try and use a super powerful drill when its side handle is not very steady and when its variable speed control trigger is choppy.

You cannot control the speed with a choppy trigger...so that was the deal breaker for me, a bad handle and a choppy trigger !!!!

Next I tried the trigger action on the 0234-6 and it was super smooth, I was truly impressed with the 0234-6 and very disappointed with the 0300-20.

At this point it was obvious to me that Milwaukee Cut Some Corners When They Made The 0300-20 and the 0302-20,and here's 3 prime examples !!!!!

1.The poorly attached handle

2.The short and "choppy action" trigger

3.Plus,It does not have the Removable brush cartridge,like the 0234-6 has!!!!

How else do you think Milwaukee could sell an 8 amp drill for the same price of a 5.5 amp !!!!
Do the math please,and think about which one you want quality or
quantity!!!!

Well I chose quality over quantity so needless to say I took the 0234-6 home with me.
When I tried it out, I was so thrilled and shocked by the super high quality of this work of art !!! The speed control when using the trigger was superb ,you can use this drill as a super screwdriver any day of the week, I could get it to spin at the slowest speed imaginable,and when I pulled the trigger in all the way this high quality drill spun with such smoothness and power that I found myself laughing out loud and thinking to myself this drill is a master piece.

Speaking of power, the 0234-6 has a whole ton of power and I can't ever imagine it stalling on me or anyone else for that matter"Just read all the write ups on it"!!!

Don't be fooled by the other drills that have 8 and 9 amps, to many of the high amp monsters have a short life span and none of them not a single one of them can hang with the 0234-6 as far as quality and durability is concerned.

So as far as the 0300-20 vs 0234-6 goes
their really is no challenge here, the 0234-6 is the King of all drills and the 0300-20 and the 0302-20 are no competition what so ever, the poor trigger action and the bad handle on these 2 super high powered drills should make them some hard to control monsters,and lets not forget that they don't have the removable brush cartridge,like the 0234-6 has!!!!


Before I did my homework I was impressed with the larger number of amps the 0300-20 has, "8 amps sounded so much better then 5.5 amps, but now I know a lot better!!!

Be smart and consider the overall picture when buying anything!!

Quality is far more important then pure power alone, and let the truth be known, you could hurt yourself badly with a very powerful tool if you don't have complete control over it and use it with extreme caution.

Since the 0300-20 and the 0302-20 have such a poor side handle and a choppy moving trigger,in short that means you could never have full control over the 0300-20 and the 0302-20 and don't you ever try to use it as a screwdriver,I read a write up that claimed that they could not get the 0300-20 to rotate under 300 RPM no matter how hard they tried.... well with it's choppy/non smooth trigger action what else could you expect, and with all that power they have,you better watch out.

I am a very strong and large 300 pound "body builder" and I simply don't trust the 0300-20 and the 0302-20,and I hate the fact that Milwaukee Cut Some Corners When They Made The 0300-20 and the 0302-20!!!!

Now on the other hand, when speaking about the 0234-6,I simply and truly love this drill so much, that I don't even want to get a scratch on it! I might buy a second 0234-6 for use and put this 0234-6 in a picture frame or in my trophy case,because it is truly a mechanical work of art....a real master piece and oh man....what a prize!!!!

This is a very powerful and smooth heavy-duty drill. The trigger is responsive to the touch so that you can control the speed with you finger pressure easily. I have not found anything this drill cannot do. Don't get the cheap drills. This is THE drill.

I bought this drill about 6 months ago, and have been using it to mix 60 lb. bags of thin-set mortar for tile floors. I have abused this drill and it has performed every time. I really should have bought a lower rpm drill for the mortar, but already have it. I will be easing up on the abuse now, as I'm sure that I was being unreasonable to this drill and I'm not determined to break it, but I am still very impressed!

What I Like

1) Ergonomics are excellent. Adjustable t-handle, probably the most solid construction of all the drills.

2) Lots of power for its size.

3) VERY HEAVY DUTY CHUCK. Not keyless, but we're talking strength here, not quick-changing screwdriver bits.

4) This is important, FIVE YEAR WARRANTY!!!!!!

5) I might be wrong, and please, if anyone else out there knows differently please say so, but I believe that Milwaukee has more domestic content than anyone else out there right now, and I'll reward quality made here in the USA.

What I wish were different

1) Didn't come with a case. No big deal though, I'd still buy another.

Summary

It's GREAT! I wish I knew about the 5 year warranty before buying some of the other tools I currently own!!

If you can deal with a cord, you can't do better than this drill. It's very impressive. Amazon is selling them a little high, so check around. I got mine on ebay for $80 brand new.

POWER is the word! I was on a ladder drilling with a 4" hole saw overhead. You can see where this is leading. Use to wimpy 18 volt guns I was 1 handing it when hole saw hooked up and stopped! My new magnum however kept on turning. I hung on for 1 turn and got clobbered on the following 2! I love my drill! It broke my wrist and I still say it's the best! It's the Top-Fueler's of screw guns.

The 302's long fault is that it needs a cord.
I have had this drill for 3 years and I don't use it much.
I use my cordless drills including my powerful Dewalt 988.
Today I used a 3 in holesaw to drill thru a 2 by 4,once I used the Dewalt,It struggled but drilled the hole. Then I used the
Milwalkee 302,it drilled It with ease and didn't even slow down.
I was very impressed.I will use the Milwaukee for the really heavy drilling from now on.I will use the cordless drills for
light to fairly heavy use (about 95% of the time). Why put unneeded strain on a good cordless drill?
If you are looking to buy a strong corded drill,look at Milwaukee first.

I had this kit for less than 1 month and cannot tell you how many times I have used it..I just built some shelves for my mom and it was a breeze having the cordless conveinence but furthormore the circular saw does not stop..I ripped down some boards with no problem and it has plenty of power. I did look at dewalt circular saw and the milwaukee is built 10 TIMES BETTER..
Dewalts cordless drills seem fine but I think milwaukee is built with tough standards..Buy this combo you will not be dissapointed...I know this was the best purchase I made!!! Hope this helps...

I tried an entry-level Ryobi quad-pack (at the Orange store) with circular saw, sawzall, 1/2 drill, and flashlight. Not all that bad for $199.00, but I needed a hammerdrill and wanted longer battery life as well as more precision tools. I bought the Dewalt saw and hammer/drill and found it was physically impossible to make one-handed 45's with the saw. Very clumsy "safety" switch, probably ends up being somewhat dangerous considering what you have to do to be able to finally pull the trigger switch.

I then discovered Milwakee's saw/hammerdrill combo on Amazon, all I cold find was the higher item count sets at the Orange store. I am extremely happy with my choice. Some of my oldest tools are Milwakee and I have no reason to get new as they are tough and capable ene though 25 years old (sawzall and 1/2" angle drill, both have lot of miles on them).

One thing no one has mentioned is the brake on the saw. Let go of the switch and it stops instantly, something my wormdrive and other circulars don't do. When it comes to safety, that is right up there as far as effective. A coasting cirluar can do a lot of damage, if it gets away from you. Safety switches and blade gaurds are questionable in the final analysis, but without them, the lawyers would be driving bigger cars, I suppose.

Another reason I bought this saw was, aside from the incredible conveinece, is it is light and well balanced and at 60, I'm just not as strong as I used to be. This saw is light comparatively speaking.

I am a homeowner and hobby woodworker. I purchased this set of cordless tools after using a friend's DeWalt set. Milwaukee sends DeWalt to the back of the line in quality, ruggedness, power, you name the category. You want to see a friend cringe with envy, pull this set out while he is using his DeWalt. I chose this set from shopping in the local stores and using Amazon's reviews. Thanks everyone who posted five stars, you all were right. This is one of my first reviews on anything, I usually don't take the time, but I just had to tell the world about this set of Milwaukee tools. Simply, these tools ROCK!

This drill is wonderful for a 14.4V. Well designed and functions as well as every Milwaukee tool I own. Five year warranty is very nice as well. All my tools are Milwaukee and I'll continue to keep it that way.

Item was delayed in coming, but it was perfect when it arrived. In the little time I have had it, it works wonderfully. Great drill if you want a really good one.

I can't say enough good things about this drill - it really is above and beyond everything I've expereinced (Mikita, Bosch, Dewalt, PC, etc.) and is a significant improvement on their previous design. I was sold on a Bosch (also my previous drill) and was tempted by the Mikita, then I saw the Miwaukee and was saved. You will not regret this purchase for a second.

Everything about this drill screams performance and ease of use: the ballance is perfect plus the battery can be turned around; the one handed chuck is amazing - no more slipping bits when drilling through steel; the charger is very fast; the clutch, speed and reverse switches are very positive; the low speed (0-400 rpm) is ideal for driving screws, yet the high speed (0-2,000 rpm) setting really screams; the belt clip is very unique and the case even has a locking compartment for keeping bits secure; the case has real steel clasps and the handle is made up of both case halves so you can't dump the contents if you pick it up and it's not locked. I also love that the grade of plastic on the drill is super durable and doesn't show scuffs. The little rubber inserts keep it from sliding on inclined surfaces.

I've recently been working on boats in addition to the usuall house stuff and have had to drive many #14 x 2" wood screws into kiln dried white oak. The wood so tough that I had to over ride the clutch by switching to "drill" yet there is no shortage of torque to do the job - you just have to be careful that it doesn't snap your wrist off. ;-)

Milwaukee has truly created a monster.

I was laughed at when I pulled it out at work the first time, now nobody wants to use their own handsaws. Im very happy with this product. So is the crew

This is a terrific little saw. With the blades that Milwaukee makes for this saw, you can saw wood, metal, pvc and almost anything. This little saw is really very comfortable in the hand and easy to work with. Buy one and keep it in your tool box so it's always available when you need to saw something. It's definitely worth the money.

"Outstanding Milwaukee Quality"
Versatility and Convenience in a compact package.

I'M AN ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR AND USE THE HOLE HAWG ALMOST EVERY DAY...THE ONLY OTHER ONE I'VE USED ALOT IS THE MAKITA AND THO IT'S A GOOD TOOL, THE MILWAKEE JUST SEEMS TO BE TOUGHER. I DEFINATELY RECOMEND IT TO ANYONE THAT HAS TO DO SOME SERIOUS HOLE DRILLING, ESPECIALLY BIG HOLES...BUT PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT YOUR DOING, IT'LL HURT YOU IF YOUR CARELESS.....

This drill puts others to shame. Drilling through the toughest material, this one has enough torque to get the job done, and still more to spare. The limit to what you can get done with this tool is determined not by the torque that the drill puts out, but by your own strength--when the bit binds on you, the drill will literally wrench itself out of your hands. The warning that the Amazon review gives is apt; new users should be careful with this behemoth because it has more power than you might think. Screw on the secondary, perpendicular handle to keep a hold on this monster as it bores through wood, concrete, asphalt, metal--the tool can handle it all. But can you handle the tool?

In addition to being an outstanding tool for electrical and plumbing, mine survied 3" of water. I let it dry out, cleaned up the outside and it runs like new still. The self-feed bits pull it through the heaviest 2" solid, dry, and well aged oak -- without burning the wood. And its not just for pros. Anyone who has to do electrical, plumbing, or has to drill through studs or heavy wood, will benefit from this tool.

Just like any thing "Milwaukee" it is top quality,and I wasn't disappointed,it is very compact,and is everything that was advertised.

Purchased it with Milwaukee's cordless screwdriver just in case. Well, I needed it for a task within a week after receiving it. I would not have been able to do the task with the cordless otherwise. Get it. You'll be glad you did.

If you have an electric screwdriver, you gotta have one of these. Compact, rugged, smooth. Has a indexed handle that can mount in a variety of positions to offset the torque. Sooner or later you're going to have a use for this on a Sunday night, when all the stores are closed, so get one now, you wont regret it! Identical as one produced by AEG, now owned by Milwalkee.

Read all the reviews here and decided to give it a try. The saw I previously used was a 20 years old SKIL saw. Let me tell you,this saw doesn't hold a handle to the old SKIL. It sounds like any other cheap saw from Harbor Freight (kind of rocks instead of bearings feeling). Besides, a pretty strong vibration would come and go while you are cutting. I don't know what I'm going to choose next, one thing I know for sure, I'm not going to keep this saw. The hight adjustment leaver got jammed and it took all my strength to loosen it. Bottom line, it would be a good $30 saw, not a $130 one.

well. The saw is powerful, and fairly lightweight. Not jumpy either, very smooth. The case is clown-shoes big and the adjustable handle is a bit stiff, but overall a worthwhile investment and a good deal at that. (this review is for "left blade" consumers only. I cannot speak for the other side.)
And I am over the age of 13. Really.

Good strong saw, 2 things bother me though, 1 made in mexico, 2 the saw slides around in the case and seems to be a circular saw / router case, not a standard saw case with slots to hold extra blades or small parts.