Cordless drill - Metabo vs Milwaukee

[Slkay944]

I have the opportunity to get a killer deal on either Milwaukee 18v fuel or Metabo cordless tools. I have older Metabo, Bosch, Festool and Makita cordless tools and can honestly saw all them served me well. I am doing work for an Industrial Supply house, and they are going to give me some tools for partial payment.

I know Milwaukee has more cordless tools available.

Any other thoughts on why I would want one over the other?

 

[dnschmidt]

Can't lose either way. The only problem with Metabo is the price and availability of batteries. Milwaukee you can find anywhere and most of the time at a deal. Metabo's claim to fame is their grinders. If you need a grinder they make the best.

 

[rice rocket]

Heh, lucky for you, I've owned both (the Milwaukee Fuel for the past year, and just recently a Metabo brushless).

The Metabo is built much nicer as you would expect, made in Germany, about a pound lighter for the same power. It has an electronic clutch, so instead of clicking and clacking when you reach the torque limit, the drill just stops. Metabo has multiple drill offerings, that range from 500 in-lbs to 1000. I have the BS18 LTX BL which puts out 797 in-lbs, and it's 4 lbs on the dot. The impulse function is nice for removing stripped fasteners or drilling on tile, I haven't used it yet though.

The quick release chucks are very nice to have, you can swap between the 1/4" hex bit holder (which is built around the Wera Rapidaptor) and the Jacobs chuck in seconds, allowing you to pilot drill and drive with one tool. A right angle chuck is also available, and they make a 3x torque multiplier chuck as well, but it's near impossible to find in the US.

The only gripe I have with the Metabo is that the soft start motor makes it harder to accurately pulse w/ the trigger.

The Milwaukee is really nice as well, I'd say best of what you can find in a big box store. The chuck is kinda ****, but you'd only realize if you're drilling big things. The balance is good, weight could be lighter. The ability to run it on the smaller 2.0Ah batteries is nice, although it makes the balance not so great.

In the end, the Milwaukee is a great tool, the Metabo is a premium tool, and you pay for the difference. I don't think anyone would look at the two and think the Milwaukee is the better tool.

The Milwaukee does 90% of what the Metabo does for much less money, but if you're using it all day or you appreciate the small differences in details, you'll love the Metabo.

 

[Mohawk Dave]

Agree with Rice Rocket, well put. But if you are going to expand, you have to go with Milwaukee. (Unless this place will constantly be giving up Metabo to you for cheap).

I have all Milwaukee. I would love Metabo cordless, but it is $$$, and the Milw. line has so many more tools.

 

[rice rocket]

Also, in regards to tool variety, Milwaukee offers more tools overall, but if you're a metalworker, you'll appreciate the few tools Metabo has that I doubt you'll ever see as a Milwaukee. Things like the cordless band file, cordless die grinder, burnishers, fillet weld grinders, tube belt sanders, etc. are Metabo exclusives. The Metabo jigsaw is much nicer than the Milwaukee as well.

That said, you'll give up things like the cordless bandsaw, cordless hole hawg, specialty PEX tools, and the 1100 ft-lb impact if you're doing automotive work. The Milwaukee Fuel circ saw is definitely more powerful than the equivalent Metabo. The sawzall is unmatched as well, though the Metabo is pretty good.

Beware that not all Metabo tools are made in Germany, the non-core tools like the sawzall and circ saw are made in China and aren't up to the quality of their drills, grinders, etc., but then again all the Milwaukee tools are made in China...

The Metabo work light is twice as bright as the M18 one.

Milwaukee makes a much more powerful 1-1/8" SDS (the Metabo is equivalent to their 1" Fuel model).

The Milwaukee warranty is first rate, 5 years, free shipping both ways, the Metabo is 3 years and I'm not sure what the deal is w/ shipping, I haven't needed to test it.

 

[Monte]

what tools do you need ?

 

[TomB19]

The Metabo jigsaw is much nicer than the Milwaukee as well.

That wouldn't be hard. The Milwaukee jigsaw not very good, IMO.

Mine and the two I've seen in stores mount the blade at an angle so they don't cut straight. No work light *****, too. Other than that, it's fine. It would be a decent enough tool if the collet was OK.

 

[Slkay944]

I am looking to get a drill and reciprocating saw. Maybe a cordless impact later, or with metabo they have a removable chuck version of their drill.

 

[Monte]

in case of a drill/driver Metabo seems to have better options with their removeable chuck versions and 5.2AH batteries and the choice of brushless (low weight, shorter, higher speed, 90 NM) and brushed (110 NM !). They now also offer a nice compact brushless impact with 400 NM ! The high end drills and the 400NM impact from Metabo are made in Germany...
Milwaukee has better options when it comes to sawzalls.

Here a comparison pic (borrowed from rice rocket ) of the 18 volt Metabo with 400 newtonmeters and a 12 volt Milwaukee:

 

[SuperSheep]

Hell yeah Monte, just placed my order for the Metabo SSW 18 LTX 400. I'm afraid that it may make all my other impact seem useless....

BTW, know what is the difference between the red color 5.2amp battery versus the black one like yours pictured above?

 

[Monte]

Hell yeah Monte, just placed my order for the Metabo SSW 18 LTX 400. I'm afraid that it may make all my other impact seem useless....

BTW, know what is the difference between the red color 5.2amp battery versus the black one like yours pictured above?

it seems the red ones are the older ones... maybe just a design change...? ..but i will ask Metabo

 

[FMC1959]

what tools do you need ?

Great question, this should the fist thing anyone asks when there are these "which cordless should I choose" threads. I think all the major players have great products and will keep getting better over the coming years.

If anyone just got a drill/impact driver for Christmas as a gift, where they did not choose the brand, I think all the majors make good products and you will be satisfied with what got.

Increasingly more important in my mind, is what to you need to get now, and what will you probably be getting in the next 24 months. From there you can see what they have and make some choices.

If you are an auto tech and needs multiple sized impact wrenches among other tools, IR is definitely a brand to look at. If you are a general contractor/home renovator, then IR would be the last place to look.

 

[Monte]

btw. the new german made Metabo Multitool MT 18 LTX

 

[carpe]

Do you happen to know if Metabo includes the weight of the side handle to the specified weights? For example for the BS 18 LTX which has such handle as standard.

 

[rice rocket]

The BS 18 LTX brushless was 1761g with battery on my scale, magnetic hex chuck only (no Jacobs or locking hex chuck). I dont have to drill in front of me but you can probably guesstimate on the accessories.

 

[Rorke]

Heh, lucky for you, I've owned both (the Milwaukee Fuel for the past year, and just recently a Metabo brushless).

The Metabo is built much nicer as you would expect, made in Germany, about a pound lighter for the same power. It has an electronic clutch, so instead of clicking and clacking when you reach the torque limit, the drill just stops. Metabo has multiple drill offerings, that range from 500 in-lbs to 1000. I have the BS18 LTX BL which puts out 797 in-lbs, and it's 4 lbs on the dot. The impulse function is nice for removing stripped fasteners or drilling on tile, I haven't used it yet though.

The quick release chucks are very nice to have, you can swap between the 1/4" hex bit holder (which is built around the Wera Rapidaptor) and the Jacobs chuck in seconds, allowing you to pilot drill and drive with one tool. A right angle chuck is also available, and they make a 3x torque multiplier chuck as well, but it's near impossible to find in the US.

The only gripe I have with the Metabo is that the soft start motor makes it harder to accurately pulse w/ the trigger.

The Milwaukee is really nice as well, I'd say best of what you can find in a big box store. The chuck is kinda ****, but you'd only realize if you're drilling big things. The balance is good, weight could be lighter. The ability to run it on the smaller 2.0Ah batteries is nice, although it makes the balance not so great.

In the end, the Milwaukee is a great tool, the Metabo is a premium tool, and you pay for the difference. I don't think anyone would look at the two and think the Milwaukee is the better tool.

The Milwaukee does 90% of what the Metabo does for much less money, but if you're using it all day or you appreciate the small differences in details, you'll love the Metabo.

To reply to the "I don't think anyone would look at the two and think the Milwaukee is the better tool" : https://www.reddit.com/r/Tools/comments/gllue0

 

[Snapped-off]

To reply to the "I don't think anyone would look at the two and think the Milwaukee is the better tool" : https://www.reddit.com/r/Tools/comments/gllue0

Metabo HPT is not the Metabo that was initially in question here 7 years ago.

 

[dnschmidt]

Hikoki Power Tool is not Metabo. Why Hitachi didn't just call it Hikoki, which is does in the rest of the world and called it Metabo HPT in America is one of the dumbest things ever done in the power tool market. It cheapened both of the names. Metabo was in the league with Festool and Hikoki made several really good tools. Now they are both considered mid-range. The genuine Metabo is the ****. Metabo HPT I consider to be on a par with DeWalt.

 

[Rorke]

Metabo HPT is not the Metabo that was initially in question here 7 years ago.

Oh alright... Also nice name haha

 

[losvre]

btw. the new german made Metabo Multitool MT 18 LTX

Hey Monte, I hope you are well.
It has been a long time since you posted this one but I am always following the forum. I have got this one from Hornbach Netherlands and it says MADE in CHINA. Is it possible that there are two manufacturing lines or the newest one are made in China?

 

[dclark2171]

Hikoki Power Tool is not Metabo. Why Hitachi didn't just call it Hikoki, which is does in the rest of the world and called it Metabo HPT in America is one of the dumbest things ever done in the power tool market. It cheapened both of the names. Metabo was in the league with Festool and Hikoki made several really good tools. Now they are both considered mid-range. The genuine Metabo is the ****. Metabo HPT I consider to be on a par with DeWalt.

I agree. I love my Hikoki and HPT tools. I imagine, there will be some combination of the two lines or at least battery crossover at some point. The REAL Metabo are super world class tools.

 

[Monte]

Hey Monte, I hope you are well.
It has been a long time since you posted this one but I am always following the forum. I have got this one from Hornbach Netherlands and it says MADE in CHINA. Is it possible that there are two manufacturing lines or the newest one are made in China?

Maybe they later changed the coo or you have the newer tool ?
9 years is a long time....

 

[HenryAZ]

I have this Metabo cordless drill/driver. In fact, I liked it so much, I bought a second one. At the time, the description on their web site touted the fact they were actually German made, and mine are. The web site no longer mentions that, so I do not know the current COO. The 5.2Ah batter holds a charge forever.

 

[dclark2171]

I need a new CORDED drill and I may look at a German Metabo

 

[HenryAZ]

I have the Metabo (German) BEV 1300-2 1/2" drill. Again, unsure if it is still German made, but it is a beast of a drill. One nice feature is the ability to preset maximum speeds. Using the 6 position RPM dial and the 2 position switch (fast/slow), you can preset the maximum speed from 180rpm to 3100rpm, with a total of 12 speed selections.

 

[Monte]

the coo should be on the sticker