Anyone else have issues with Milwaukee tools?

[DFB]

Just warranted out my M18 2763 Fuel impact wrench and my M18 2780 Fuel grinder The wrench did nothing when you depressed the trigger. Wouldn't run at all. They replaced the circuit board my warranty invoice says. The grinder would start momentarily then just quit. It is en route back to me from servicing right now should be here by mid week. Will see what that invoice says the problem was.

Both were just over 4 years old, both were bought within a few weeks time of of each other, both as bare tools too.

Both failed within weeks of each other.

All my Red Lithium batteries up to now have been flawless both M12 and M18

A few chargers have a been a little funky at different times but nothing that didn't correct itself

 

[Deception]

ive got a corded sawzall, cordless impact 450ft lb, 3/8 ratchet, drill, and now a m12 jigsaw.. never had a problem with any of them for home/ home shop use.

 

[Lisamelting]

The company I work for just did a complete building renovation in order to expand. The crew doing the work consisted of over 50 guys including plumbers, electricians, riggers, demo crew as well as factory techs installing new equipment. I saw 2 guys using DeWalt, 1 with Makita, the rest all had Milwaukee. There wouldn't be 90% of a crew using Milwaukee if there were reliability issues.

 

[ReggieR]

The company I work for just did a complete building renovation in order to expand. The crew doing the work consisted of over 50 guys including plumbers, electricians, riggers, demo crew as well as factory techs installing new equipment. I saw 2 guys using DeWalt, 1 with Makita, the rest all had Milwaukee. There wouldn't be 90% of a crew using Milwaukee if there were reliability issues.

Yep. And the same amount had Windows 10 on their computers. It means one thing. Humans are herding animals.
MCGA
中国排名第一

 

[Mr_B]

The main plus with milwaukee is the long warranty, without that I think been a lot of burned feeling buyers thus different feelings on the brand .

 

[winlinmac]

The only issue thus far is the extraordinary pricing---I mean eventually they get heavily discounted when displayed on the clearance shelves

Too bad can't be had at that low price from the start

 

[winlinmac]

Should have gone with the 3/8" Brushless ratchet, supposedly more versatile and slightly slimmer profile for those tight spots

I own: m12 1/4" fuel hex impact driver, m12 fuel 1/4" ratchet, m18 1/4" fuel hex impact driver, m18 1/2" fuel mid torque impact, m12 90* drill, m18 1/2" compact brushless drill/driver. I am an auto technician and I use them often, some on a daily basis. No problems so far. My original 3/8" non-fuel cordless ratchet did take a dump on me right out of the 5 year warranty period, but I figured I got my use out of it. Threw it away and bought a new fuel 1/4" ratchet.

I did however own a Mac Tools 1/2" brushless impact. Starting after a few months of use, the impact would just stop working in the middle of using it and I'd have to reset the trigger to make it go again. According to Mac, you have to take the battery out and wipe in between the battery contacts with an index card to clean the contacts. Mac thinks this is normal, I see it as a poor design flaw. I sold the impact and bought a Milwaukee. Been using the Milwaukee for several months now with no issues. I know how it is to have trouble with a tool, it *****. Hope you get your Milwaukee stuff straightened out.

 

[Tallpilot]

Yep. And the same amount had Windows 10 on their computers. It means one thing. Humans are herding animals.
MCGA
中国排名第一

The issue with this argument is it suggests there are many comparable OS choices with few compromises. The other choices pare down to OS X or a Linux flavor. The eco system for those two is far less extensive so those who use them are often faced with an inability to use a piece of software.

 

[dkroth]

Can someone share the links/contacts for Milwaukee warranty support?

I've got a ratchet with failed detent. REALLY annoying that sockets won't stay on.






.

 

[Rabid Badger]

Milwaukee used to be a quality tool brand. Now it's a label put on tools with powerful motors and ****** tolerances with an insane marketing budget.

There's a recent thread about a Milwaukee saw with a crooked blade mount. It's a known issue. It has been for years and hasn't been corrected.

There's another recent thread in here about a Milwaukee drill with an improperly mounted chuck and a slew of other posters state that they've had the same issue. It's been common with Milwaukee drills for YEARS and has yet to be corrected. Then someone actually recommends that the OP go and buy a new Rohm chuck that cost almost as much as the bare tool and mount it because Milwaukee probably won't be able to fix it but it's worth keeping because Milwaukee tools are just that good.

Milwaukee has marketed their way into a snowball effect. A ton of people bought their poorly built tools based on brand reputation and marketing. Now they've invested hundreds or maybe thousands of dollars in that platform. It's human nature to deny that you've been fooled, so those people insist that Milwaukee tools are fantastic, never mind that half the time they can't drill a hole straight. People read those posts, go out and buy Milwaukee tools and the cycle begins again.

 

[LB-1911]

Can someone share the links/contacts for Milwaukee warranty support?

I've got a ratchet with failed detent. REALLY annoying that sockets won't stay on..

Start Here - https://www.milwaukeetool.com/Support/Warranty
Support / Service Centers / eService Tool Repair

 

[CGT80]

Yep. And the same amount had Windows 10 on their computers. It means one thing. Humans are herding animals.
MCGA
中国排名第一

Most guys choose what brand tools they use.............windows forces a downgrade to 10, unless you are smart enough to stop it.


I use milwaukee tools and got a ton of pro use out of the V28 set and love the M12 stuff.


Windows 10 on the other hand blows and I run 8.1 and blocked 10 from installing. The CNC plasma runs on XP, which was a good operating system but not nearly as good as 8.1 with taskbar tweaker and classic start menu.

 

[WittHay]

Milwaukee used to be a quality tool brand. Now it's a label put on tools with powerful motors and ****** tolerances with an insane marketing budget.

Milwaukee has marketed their way into a snowball effect. A ton of people bought their poorly built tools based on brand reputation and marketing. Now they've invested hundreds or maybe thousands of dollars in that platform. It's human nature to deny that you've been fooled, so those people insist that Milwaukee tools are fantastic, never mind that half the time they can't drill a hole straight. People read those posts, go out and buy Milwaukee tools and the cycle begins again.

Very true when a competitor releases a new tool, there might be a few reviews, Milwaukee about 20 Youtube videos

When I bought Milwaukee Fuel, didnt think much of it just another Chinese tool that should do the job. Didnt think there was such a fan club and marketing effort for power tools

The reality is "Hi, we are Techtronic Industries Co. Ltd a Hong Kong company with $6.1 billion in sales. Our Milwaukee and Ryobi tools are proudly made in Dungguan, China by over 11,000 hard working Chinese people. We hope you good ole Americans keep buying our tools. Our president Horst Pudwill and our shareholders look forward to another record year of sales and profits"

 

[winlinmac]

How many shares should we each own?

The recent mid-torque I picked on clearance sounded a little clunky whenever removing fasteners. I probably would have never paid full price for it, but for less than $50 it was a lukewarm deal. They could lower their prices if they want to, but they have a large market to cater to, which keeps their prices set a consistent level playing field

Very true when a competitor releases a new tool, there might be a few reviews, Milwaukee about 20 Youtube videos

When I bought Milwaukee Fuel, didnt think much of it just another Chinese tool that should do the job. Didnt think there was such a fan club and marketing effort for power tools

The reality is "Hi, we are Techtronic Industries Co. Ltd a Hong Kong company with $6.1 billion in sales. Our Milwaukee and Ryobi tools are proudly made in Dungguan, China by over 11,000 hard working Chinese people. We hope you good ole Americans keep buying our tools. Our president Horst Pudwill and our shareholders look forward to another record year of sales and profits"

 

[WittHay]

How many shares should we each own?

The recent mid-torque I picked on clearance sounded a little clunky whenever removing fasteners. I probably would have never paid full price for it, but for less than $50 it was a lukewarm deal. They could lower their prices if they want to, but they have a large market to cater to, which keeps their prices set a consistent level playing field

Cant be too hard on TTI/Milwaukee, like Stanley and Snap-on they are all really big global companys. Regarding big impacts I dont think there is much difference between a Fuel and a DeWalt/Mac. They are both bound to have issues used daily in a shop setting

The Makita big impact is made in Japan and seem to be more popular with the construction trades. Along the lines of Hilti. These 2 brands along with IR probably would probably last longer

 

[77thor]

We recently got their cordless (M18) cut out tool...
it lasted 2 days on the job before the motor burned out.

 

[Sugarfryz]

Most of my Milwaukee tools are fine, not exceptional, they just work fine. But they don’t see the use my 1/2 impact does. I’m not even going to warranty it, I’m just gonna stick with my ir air gun, wait for my electric tools to die.

 

[iWrench]

Should have gone with the 3/8" Brushless ratchet, supposedly more versatile and slightly slimmer profile for those tight spots

Agreed. I'll be picking up the 3/8" version sometime this week.

 

[Rabid Badger]

Cant be too hard on TTI/Milwaukee, like Stanley and Snap-on they are all really big global companys.

I don't see why being big is an excuse for putting out a poor product. Especially when other companies make a good product for more or less the same price.

Also, though I'm not a DeWalt fanboy, I don't see multiple threads where someone says they're having trouble with a DeWalt tool and several other people report having the same problem.

 

[winlinmac]

I think there tends to be more problems when one company mass produces something of greater quantity than the other. I would imagine Milwaukee at this point manufacturing more than Dewalt, just based on popularity. Its very similar in other market spectrum such as in the electronics sector. Its no surprise that cheap stuff can be good too because they are just not all that familiar and popular.

I don't see why being big is an excuse for putting out a poor product. Especially when other companies make a good product for more or less the same price.

Also, though I'm not a DeWalt fanboy, I don't see multiple threads where someone says they're having trouble with a DeWalt tool and several other people report having the same problem.

 

[WittHay]

Most of my Milwaukee tools are fine, not exceptional, they just work fine. But they don’t see the use my 1/2 impact does. I’m not even going to warranty it, I’m just gonna stick with my ir air gun, wait for my electric tools to die.

Milwaukee bashing aside, I think you should warranty it again and request a replacement used impact if they dont want to give you a new one. 6 times in for warranty in 2 years is ridiculous. Maybe dont use the replacement in the shop but keep it for home use

The place where i buy has their own repair centre and loaner tools plus a extra year free warranty. Another authorized repair centre is a couple miles away. Cant imagine taking a tool back 6 times to these local places. I think 3 times for warranty for a tool is max or something else has to be arranged.

 

[MikeF2316]

Milwaukee used to be a quality tool brand. Now it's a label put on tools with powerful motors and ****** tolerances with an insane marketing budget.

There's a recent thread about a Milwaukee saw with a crooked blade mount. It's a known issue. It has been for years and hasn't been corrected.

There's another recent thread in here about a Milwaukee drill with an improperly mounted chuck and a slew of other posters state that they've had the same issue. It's been common with Milwaukee drills for YEARS and has yet to be corrected. Then someone actually recommends that the OP go and buy a new Rohm chuck that cost almost as much as the bare tool and mount it because Milwaukee probably won't be able to fix it but it's worth keeping because Milwaukee tools are just that good.

Milwaukee has marketed their way into a snowball effect. A ton of people bought their poorly built tools based on brand reputation and marketing. Now they've invested hundreds or maybe thousands of dollars in that platform. It's human nature to deny that you've been fooled, so those people insist that Milwaukee tools are fantastic, never mind that half the time they can't drill a hole straight. People read those posts, go out and buy Milwaukee tools and the cycle begins again.

There are a couple of people on here complaining about wobbly chucks on Milwaukee drills. There are hundreds, if not thousands with drills not complaining. Personally I have 3 Milwaukee drills (2 cordless) and all have chucks that run true. And I'm sure most, if not all that have these drills who aren't complaining also have chucks that don't wobble.

When you make large quantities of anything, some of them are going to be bad. And quality control will miss some of the bad ones. And threads will be started on forums.

Although I have to admit I really feel sorry for the OP. 6 warranties in 2-3 years is way too much.

 

[VinceG]

SHHHH you can't say anything bad about Milwaukee. It get the people in a uproar.

 

[Stooge]

This one doesn't count, just a coincidence seeing this thread now! i think my only Milwaukee tool, a cheap 5" sander that never got much use, let its smoke out yesterday after a few minutes of cleaning off some paint, (my 5" air sander needs a new adhesive backing plate). I hadn't touched it in a year or 2, and actually thought I had given it away to my neighbor last year. Took it apart, didn't see anything obvious, but mostly wanted to make sure it wasn't going to set the trash on fire. Now Im Milwaukee-less

2018-09-24_09-14-53 by Dan Haas, on Flickr

 

[Dingleburry]

Milwaukee 18 drills last 1-2 years in the shop. M18 recip saw lasted about a year, actually twisted the main drive shaft on the motor rotor in 2.

 

[Sugarfryz]

The thing that really bothers me is twice now, with two separate issues, the tool was given back to me and within a week was doing the same thing.

First one it would stall as seen in the first video
Second the anvil doesn’t turn but the motors running.

So this will be the second time I sent this impact in and it wasn’t repaired properly. Sixth time overall it’s going in. Honestly I think it’s a dud

 

[blarf]

The thing that really bothers me is twice now, with two separate issues, the tool was given back to me and within a week was doing the same thing.

First one it would stall as seen in the first video
Second the anvil doesn’t turn but the motors running.

So this will be the second time I sent this impact in and it wasn’t repaired properly. Sixth time overall it’s going in. Honestly I think it’s a dud

Sounds like the tools are a bit hit or miss but the repair service is a solid miss?

 

[dnschmidt]

I'm absolutely certain that anybody could launch a similar thread about ANY CORDLESS TOOL BRAND and have the same, my tool **** the bed, posts in it that this one has. Portable electric tools, particularly battery operated ones, are disposables. That's why I have at least two of everything and normally three or four. If one dies fire up the other one is my view. With respect to routers I've got 30 of them since I hate changing bits. If one dies, and that happens once in a while, I toss it's *** out and grab another to take its place. Four DeWalt 625's and four Hitachi TR12's, four Hitachi M12V's with a lot of Bosch, Makita and Porter-Cable 690's thrown in for good measure with a couple of the big Milwaukee 3HP fixed base models.

 

[ChrisLS8]

I'm absolutely certain that anybody could launch a similar thread about ANY CORDLESS TOOL BRAND and have the same, my tool **** the bed, posts in it that this one has. Portable electric tools, particularly battery operated ones, are disposables. That's why I have at least two of everything and normally three or four. If one dies fire up the other one is my view. With respect to routers I've got 30 of them since I hate changing bits. If one dies, and that happens once in a while, I toss it's *** out and grab another to take its place. Four DeWalt 625's and four Hitachi TR12's, four Hitachi M12V's with a lot of Bosch, Makita and Porter-Cable 690's thrown in for good measure with a couple of the big Milwaukee 3HP fixed base models.

Yes solid idea, who doesn't want or need 30 routers

 

[Rabid Badger]

I'm absolutely certain that anybody could launch a similar thread about ANY CORDLESS TOOL BRAND and have the same, my tool **** the bed, posts in it that this one has.

And yet there have been three such threads about Milwaukee lately and zero threads about the other pro-level brands. After a while it stops being a coincidence.

That's why I have at least two of everything and normally three or four. If one dies fire up the other one is my view. With respect to routers I've got 30 of them since I hate changing bits.

And the people that don't want to spend the money to have 1-29 spares on hand? Maybe (just maybe) they would be better served buying something other than Ryo...I mean TT...I mean Milwaukee.

 

[blarf]

And yet there have been three such threads about Milwaukee lately and zero threads about the other pro-level brands. After a while it stops being a coincidence.

I'm about as far from a pro as you're going to get, but I've got a variety of Milwaukee tools (M18 - impact, shop vac, M12 - tire inflator, rotary tool, ratchet) . So far the only one that seems sketchy is the M12 ratchet -- it wobbles a bit more than I'd expect. I don't like that the Milwaukee stuff is Chinesium, but these days even Hilti is hecho in China. What it sounds like to me is that the bad Milwaukee tools that make it to users just aren't getting fixed properly.

Meanwhile in non-power land, I'm gonna go brave Grainger to see if they'll warranty a peeling SK wrench that's spent most of its life living in a drawer. Everyone seems to fawn over SK, but they've consistently underwhelmed me. Hell, SK doesn't have an up-to-date list of dealers on their site. If Advance/CarQuest still carries SK it's not reflected in the list, and their list of Grainger stores is a few years out of date.

 

[Rabid Badger]

Meanwhile in non-power land, I'm gonna go brave Grainger to see if they'll warranty a peeling SK wrench that's spent most of its life living in a drawer. Everyone seems to fawn over SK, but they've consistently underwhelmed me. Hell, SK doesn't have an up-to-date list of dealers on their site. If Advance/CarQuest still carries SK it's not reflected in the list, and their list of Grainger stores is a few years out of date.

SK is usually pretty good about warranty issues when you contact them directly.