Milwaukee Reviews

The three stars is just a warning, not a critique of the tool itself.

This might be the right tool if you use a caulk gun for a living, but it's inappropriate if you just want to caulk the trim in your house.

I've used caulk guns for 35 years and now have elbow tendonitis that makes it painful for me to grip and squeeze. After installing about a mile of crown moulding in my old house (using a Paslode finish nailer, before the tendonitis - now THERE'S a useful tool!), I wanted to caulk the gaps at the ceiling. This tool is heavy and a bit fussy for detail work when you're up on a ladder. Much better to let the elbow heal, wrap your forearm with the proper bandage and use a manual caulk gun. Or if it's a big honeydo job that can't wait, pay someone else to do it.

It ain't cheap, but it sure is well built, and it sure lets me do caulking with my injured hand. I am a rightee, and I tore a ligament in my right wrist, which wiped out my grip strength. My left hand is ok, but it lacks the control of my right hand. With this battery powered caulk gun, I can once again caulk for hours. Its only drawback is that it is heavy, and is best controlled with two hands. If you have full strength, you do not need this powerhouse. But if you have lost strength, or need to use really viscous polyurethane caulks, then this baby is a godsend - if you can afford it. For me, it is a godsend, even at 200 bucks.

I have a boat restoration business and do alot of caulking with very thick materials. For years I have used an air driven gun but no more. This far exceeds my expectations. ONly down side is heavier than an air gun, but no hose to worry about dragging in wet caulk on teak decks, battery holds a good charge and comes with a universal (milwaukee) charger. You can also buy a 14 volt battery for a 2nd one at Home Depot, and works with gun and charger.

after going through three IR air shears lasting 5 min each topps this thing is almost indestructable and have chewwed through many feet of metal w/out a hitch!!!!!

We use several of these in an industrial manufacturing plant. They are tough, and do the job, year after year. Hey Vicky, to swivel the head, you simply loosen ONE bolt, swivel or rotate the shear head to the desired position, and retighten.

There are three bolts on the shear head. The bolt to loosen is the one that is closest to where the silver colored shear head attaches to the gray body. The wrench should be in the box. Enjoy!

I picked up this tool when I decided it was time to add some metal roofing to my home. It was an obvious choice for the job, and Milwaukee is one of my key brands. This little wonder will mow through sheet metal like nobody's business. It made short work of custom cutting edge trim and holes for vent piping. I'd still be working on that roof job if I was using hand snips. Milwaukee designed this tool right by building it on a drill body. The ergonomics are great. The head can be made to swivel to any desired position by loosening the set screw on the side of the head with the hex key that comes with the tool. Way to go Milwaukee !!

I am in the trades and have owned the 1/2 inch magnum drills for years without to many problems except the notorious switch problem milwaukee has. The drills have lasted for years and have always had plenty of power and durability. I purchased a replacement drill with the new handle configuration and it just didn't hold up.The drill is now dangerous to use without a handle and it is such a hassle to get a replacement.I'm looking for a new brand.

I bought this drill based on a tool shootout of high amperage 1/2 inch drills in tools of the trade magazine. This drill came out head and shoulders above the offerings from hitatchi, makita, dewalt, portercable and bosch. The highlights of this drill are gobs of torque(It will twist your arm if you are not careful!) solid yet lightweight construction, a long, heavy gauge ruber 3 prong cord, a heavy duty keyed chuck. I picked this drill up at the home depot during a tool trade in promotion(traded in an old single speed metal bodied black and decker 3/8th drill.) I have been so impressed at the capabilities of this drill. It has driven 4 inch long 3/8ths lag screws without a problem. It will stir a paddle bit in drywall mud and drive up to a 2 and 9/16ths self feed bit. This is one incredible tool. I will be replacing the keyed chuck with a keyless though.

I bough tthis drill and it is great. The torque is enough for any job you will run into for a hand drill. It runs 2-1/2" forestner bits without any difficulty. It also offers very smooth easy to control variable speed trigger. The only thing I was disappionted in was that I like having cases for my tools and this one didn't come with one. Milwaukee will sell you one for ($$$) but I would rather make my own than pay that much for a box.

This tool comes with a side handle which can only be attached to the tool housing using an extension rod. This places the handle far from the tool itself apparently for leverage but I find that it increases the size of the tool making it more difficult to work in tight spaces.

I have carried this to the BVI and Sea of Cortez as an electric winch handle and it is great. Picks up the mainsail of a 49 ft sailboat almost to the top of the mast. I also use the winch bit from winch bit.com; it's far superior than any other on line.

I'm using this on a sailboat as an electric winch handle and it works great. You can buy the winch fitting at winchbit.com and save yourself a bunch of money vis-a-vis the electric winch handles sold at boat shows.

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.

I only rate this a four star because milwaukee has upgraded the
drill with the new "lock tor" 18v drill which is by far superior.

I previously owned this model and was extremely happy with it until I got the new one.

the flash light is absolutely superb awesome light excellent rotating head, about 3 hours of bright light on a charge, totally awesome.

you can completely illuminate a pitch black basement with the light.

great combo and will last MANY years.

I am in the process of building a house (mostly by myself) and wanted to purchase a high quality cordless drill for the countless projects I would be doing through the course of the building process. My father is a retired plumber who always sweared by his Milwaukee tools. This was the primary reason for my original choice of Milwaukee products. After months of hard use I have no regrets for the purchase. I have used it as a nut driver when assembling and installing garage doors, a drill for the countless holes needed to install the electrical system and to drive over 1800 screws for the undermount attachment system for my deck just to name a few. In all cases the drills performace was flawless. When doing the deck I was able to do over 500 screws before I needed switch batteries. As a nut driver the position of the switch for forward and reverse was excellent. The ability to change the speed range was also a nice feature.

I would not trade this drill for anything. But, I do have a few suggestions/wishes for design changes/options for the drill in the future:

1. It would be nice if it were possible to purchase the drill with a keyed chuck. I am generally happy with the keyless but there have been times I wished I could have gotten the bit a litter tighter in the chuck.

2. It would be nice if the case has a bit more storage space for things such as nut driver adapters, etc. Maybe they could mold a small compartment into the case or change to a metal case the would allow more storage.

3. The plastic hook on the flashlight is a joke. It hardly supports the weight of the flashlight. I did not hang it by the hook when I used it because I thought it would break or deform in shape to a point that the flashlight fell. A metal hook would be much better.

I have owned this drill for about 6 months now and wouldn't trade it for any other. The reversible battery pack really is nice. With it slid on from the front, the drill is perfectly balanced in your hand. But when you need to get into tight spaces, just flip it around and go to it. One of the first jobs I used mine on was driving stainless steel screws into treated decking. The 18 volt batteries went almost 3 hours before needing a charge! Also, the padded grip was really comfortable, especially with the repeated heavy use. Even drilling through tough oak was no problem for this drill. Overall, I love the keyless chuck for fast bit changes and the multiple clutch settings for sinking screws just right. Working above your head with this drill for an extended amount of time can be tiring since it is heavier than the 14.4 or smaller voltage drills. But why sacrifice power and running time if you don't have to? It's comfort, power, and performance earn this drill 5+ stars. Not only has the Milwaukee name earned this drill a place in my shop, it's also earned my respect.

Ive had this hammer drill for about 7 months now and can say it is the best cordless drill on the market for endurance.

The company claims it has 600in lbs of torque in actuality 600in lbs of torque is not near enough to be compared to a corded drill.

the drill will power a 2-9/16 self feed bit and I did get thru over 20 holes in redwood 2x on one charge but the motor stalls many times trying to keep that bit turning.

The fit and finish of the tool are not milwaukee impressive and the cheap chinese plastic pieces integrated into the tool are unacceptable for a $400.00 tool.

Overall you are paying for the battery which is very impressive but the tool itself is not. Milwaukee says "cut the cord" but they need to add about 200in lbs of torque to make that happen. the drill is larger than 18v units and slightly heavier.

If you dont earn money with your tools and you dont have it to burn I would pass on this one.

I have had this drill for a couple of months now. It has tons of power and runs a LONG time before you need to switch to a fresh battery. It has all metal gears and an awesome chuck that actually holds the drill bits securely. This has been a sore spot with other cordless drills I have used.
I would recommend this drill to any professional tradesman. They also recently extended the warranty on the batteries to 5 years just like the tool itself. Can't beat that!
Milwaukee makes great tools and they scored a winner with this set of cordless tools.

I've used Milwaukee's 18v drill for years (I own two of them) and they've never failed me. By far, the best cordless drill available... until now. When Milwaukee came out with their V28 line, I was intrigued, but I didn't need a new drill. Besides, the 18v drill I had worked fine, I didn't think it was necessary to upgrade (especially for the price). When it came time to buying a hammer drill, I looked again at the V28 hammer-drill and decided to buy one, figuring it would at least allow me to combine two tools into one and save the room in my car. I ended up getting a LOT more then I expected.

First, the belt clip is amazing. I didn't think twice about it when I read the drill's description, since I have a holster that works fine. The holster's now in the garbage as the belt clip is absolutely ingenious. Now I can easy attach the drill to my belt without looking and it's fully secure. With one hand I can push down on the latch and detach the drill for use... a marvelous idea. Best thing about it is I can also use it with my V28 flashlight when I need to.

Another thing I really like about this new drill is the bit holder... I always liked the idea of DeWalt's drill's holding the single bits, but Milwaukee provides a place for two. However, the only downside to this is if you use the drill in the hammer-drill setting, the bits tend to slide out after prolonged use.

Then there's the power... one of my first uses was drilling a 1" hole at an angle through two old 1x10 joists and a 2x4 in order to run a wire. I've done it several times with my old 18v, but I always end up having to reverse back a bit then start again to get a bit of momentum. If I can, I normally leave the job up to a corded drill to make things nice a quick. Not anymore... the V28 ripped right through the wood without the slightest problem. The power difference between the 18v and the V28 is shocking... you'd think you were using a corded drill.

The hammer-drill function was another big plus for me... I used this drill side by side with another corded Milwaukee hammer drill to drill numerous holes into a concrete foundation. The cordless worked just as well as the corded... no difference at all, except I wasn't lugging around a cord.

Lastly, there's the longevity of the charges... usually I'll go through at least one full battery and charge it on the site. Again, not anymore. I rarely need to use the second battery during a single day.

If I could, I'd give it six-stars. This thing is just incredible.

I bought this combo kit 4 years ago and have used it extensively. The first set of batteries lasted 2 years the replacement set again lasted 2 years. If you don't mind buying $150 worth of batteries every two years it's a great set. The saw cuts well but does not have quite as much power as a corded saw. You are somewhat limited in blade selection as well since there are not many 6 1/2 inch blades at the home centers. The hammer drill however is wonderful. I have nothing bad to say about this drill. It just drilled a half inch hole in granite last weekend with just a masonary bit. If I knew about the batteries before I bought this set I would not have bought it. There are many good alternatives with much better batteries.
FYI when I contacted Milwaukee about the battery life they offered to "look at them for warrantablity" I shipped them to Milwaukee at my cost and they told me they were worn out and offered to sell me new ones for twice the price I could buy them at the store. Great customer service.

I'm a home improvement contractor. I bought this combo kit because I needed to replace my 20-year-old half-inch hammer drill. I figured I'd get the combo with the 6 �" saw just so I wouldn't have to break out extensions for jus a couple of cuts. I've had the saw out of the case for more than three week already and I haven't put it down! This thing works great! My partner and I are both using it, so it's in constant operation. I've cut 100 year old nail imbedded oak (didn't see the nails), as well as more traditional spruce-pine-fir.

The drill works great too; not as difficult to handle as I thought an 18 volt would be, and it's the first drill with a chuck that I really holds what I put in it, even in the hammer mode.

This is a great package. The hammer drill has tons of torque and the clutch works well to match the power to the type of project your are doing. The 2.4 amp batteries provide excellent run time. I have drilled oak 4x4's with 2" forestner bits with no lack of power and the chuck grips very tight. The saw is balanced and powerful. I highly recommend this package to anyone who is looking for quality, reliabilty, and a good value.

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!

GOOD DRILL BITS THE DRILL BIT CASE IS GREAT BECAUSE IT STAY OPEN AND IT IS MADE OUT OF METAL

I purchased these as a gift for the home improvement junkie that I share a house with and guess who uses them constantly? ME! They are razor sharp and quite an upgrade from the cheap dull ones we had previously. Don't buy cheap tools! They are dangerous and frustrating. We also have the 14 volt Milwaukee cordless drill and I love that too. Very happy with the bits.

These will be the last drill bits you will need to buy. They are super hard and will go through the toughest heat-treated metal. You will need to be carefull with them; even though they are hard, they will break if you were to drop them onto a concrete floor. But will a little care they should last a lifetime.