The Milwaukee addiction thread! :)

[Rusty67]

I just busted out my M12 caulking gun. Awesome tool. I have been installing 4x8 1" blue board insulation on concrete. Made it super easy to spread all that adhesive on the board to stick it to the basement walls.

Works perfect. Love it.

I really like mine too but I do seem to have one problem with it. If I have a tube of caulk that I store for use later, after the second time I got to reuse it, I have problems with the gun getting it going. Yes, I clear the old caulk out but you can't get all of it. It doesn't have enough grunt to get the caulk moving. What I do is run the gun and help it along by pushing on the back end of the plunger to increase the chooch-factor so that it can push through the small clog. Once it gets going from there it is good to go until the tube is store again. And if you think I'm not doing a good job clearing the old stuff out, I'd argue that I am. I pulled the tube out and put it into a manual gun and he spice was flowing with little effort. Put it back in the M12 and it worked fine after that. I have tried turning up the speed to see if that would put more jam into the rotating assembly, but it didn't seem to help.

Other than that, I love the little guy.

 

[Shocker]

I really like mine too but I do seem to have one problem with it. If I have a tube of caulk that I store for use later, after the second time I got to reuse it, I have problems with the gun getting it going. Yes, I clear the old caulk out but you can't get all of it. It doesn't have enough grunt to get the caulk moving. What I do is run the gun and help it along by pushing on the back end of the plunger to increase the chooch-factor so that it can push through the small clog. Once it gets going from there it is good to go until the tube is store again. And if you think I'm not doing a good job clearing the old stuff out, I'd argue that I am. I pulled the tube out and put it into a manual gun and he spice was flowing with little effort. Put it back in the M12 and it worked fine after that. I have tried turning up the speed to see if that would put more jam into the rotating assembly, but it didn't seem to help.

Other than that, I love the little guy.

Whoa Rusty! I didn't say nothin' about not clearing the tubes!

So far I have been capping the tubes immediately after use, even if I am using it again in 15 minutes. That seems to cut down on the solidifying of the stuff in the tip.

I guess the biggest thing I worry about is gunk building up on the plunger. One of the Loctite tubes of foam adhesive leaked a bit around the plunger so I had to take time to clean it before it dried. Nothing big but a bit of a pain.

 

[Rusty67]

I didn't mean you specifically, I meant the "royal" you as in everyone. Inevitably, someone would say I didn't clear the caulk well enough lol

 

[Dr.JohnnyFever]

Followup to my followup. I also ordered the 2880 grinder kit that comes with the mid-torque impact and 2 XC6.0 batteries. That should hold me over until Father's Day or whenever the next good sale is.

 

[mobiledynamics]

I really like mine too but I do seem to have one problem with it. If I have a tube of caulk that I store for use later, after the second time I got to reuse it, I have problems with the gun getting it going. Yes, I clear the old caulk out but you can't get all of it. It doesn't have enough grunt to get the caulk moving. What I do is run the gun and help it along by pushing on the back end of the plunger to increase the chooch-factor so that it can push through the small clog. Once it gets going from there it is good to go until the tube is store again. And if you think I'm not doing a good job clearing the old stuff out, I'd argue that I am. I pulled the tube out and put it into a manual gun and he spice was flowing with little effort. Put it back in the M12 and it worked fine after that. I have tried turning up the speed to see if that would put more jam into the rotating assembly, but it didn't seem to help.

Other than that, I love the little guy.

How Long between initial use and storage. I get that sometimes you only need a little bit for XYZ and then you just *cap* and save it for another rainy day.

For most of my tube gun usage - I very rarely keep leftover unless it's just something I plan to use it up the following next day /weekend. It's not worth the hassle and aggregation trying to purge the dried up tip, getting to flow , or having the product resistance where it just blows and get's #### all the old and now you need to spend time cleaning it.

 

[Rusty67]

I've gone anywhere from a day to a few weeks between uses. Never had a problems with my manual gun once I cleared the tube. Mostly I'm just doing caulk for siding before paint or bathroom stuff. I'm not using any major adhesives or bonding agents. I usually grab a spare/used nitrile disposable glove and stick the tip into a finger that isn't busted yet, then I pump the gun to get a good amount of product around the tip. Once I have it surrounding the opening quite a bit, I just leave it to dry. A lot of the time I don't even have to poke into the tube with my manual gun. Just clear the tip off and it starts coming right out fairly quickly after a few pumps.

Admittedly I usually try to purge the tube tip into a rag or something disposable on first use after storage. I learned the hard way that cleanup will be needed if I don't do that first.

 

[mobiledynamics]

I've gone anywhere from a day to a few weeks between uses. I learned the hard way that cleanup will be needed if I don't do that first.

For occasional here and there, I get that sometimes trying to save it I the most logical.

I've done cleanup a few times and it just ain't worth it to me anymore. Spend more time cleaning than just opening new tube.

I dunno if I have the cajones to try it (since it is used for food stuff I consume) but I have a fancy pants chamber vac food sealer.....and it would be quite the experiment to see what would happen if I just vac sealed an open tube and opened it 3 months later....

 

[Rusty67]

Hmm, interesting idea to vac seal it. I have one as well, I use it when I buy stuff from Costco or if there is a great sale on tritip or something. I don't think it will be an issue honestly. I think the viscosity/thickness of the caulk won't be an issue for the sealer. You'd need a fairly long bag. I think the 1/2 width roll would be perfect to try it out with. My vac sealer has a cancel button in case something got out of hand. I'll have to remember this idea the next time I use a tube but don't finish it. I think mine is a food saver brand.

 

[mobiledynamics]

Mine is not a vac type. It's a chamber type . It evacuates all the air out the chamber and then the -heat bar- engages. No *suction-vac* would draw during the process. It was a thought that came to me as I was typing but I dunno if got the ballz to try it . It's pretty neat - it's allowed me to bag lock liquids that one could normally not do with a food -vac-

 

[Rusty67]

Sounds like you got the big boy pants kind of vac sealer. Now the real question we are all dying to know the answer to:
Does it run on M12 or M18 batteries?

 

[mobiledynamics]

Pffft..M28

 

[Odd-job]

Can the case be opened so you can hard-wire in a remote switch? You could install a quick-connect so it doesn't always have to be used.

Mike

one of these days I might do that or bypass the switch.

 

[Odd-job]

not sure if this is old news, but see the new backpack blower https://www.milwaukeetool.com/Products/3009-20

650 CFM for the backpack vs 600 on the dual battery. Seems like I should hold onto my money for now.

 

[mobiledynamics]

it is old new. I got excited when I saw backpack. Then saw the specs.....

 

[mikeinri]

What are you guys looking for in terms of backpack blower performance before you pull that trigger?

Mike

 

[drboom]

Mine is not a vac type. It's a chamber type . It evacuates all the air out the chamber and then the -heat bar- engages. No *suction-vac* would draw during the process. It was a thought that came to me as I was typing but I dunno if got the ballz to try it . It's pretty neat - it's allowed me to bag lock liquids that one could normally not do with a food -vac-

Please try this and let us know. I have a chamber vac and am intrigued by the idea. But, I'm only willing to invest your chamber vac in the test...

 

[Odd-job]

What are you guys looking for in terms of backpack blower performance before you pull that trigger?

Mike

I guess I was secretly hoping for 900ish CFM - something in the range of the higher end Stihl backpack blowers and a noticeable step up from the dual battery M18.

 

[Odd-job]

I must have missed the last Milwaukee NPS, found I missed the M18 fuel fan. @ 18 inches it should move a lot more air than the M18 non fuel fan. Just need to wait for it to go on sale....

 

[darkzero]

I'm glad they decided to put an AC plug on it too & no more AC adapter. Was disappointed when they didn't do that with the M12 fan. But whatever, I still have the old M18 fan & haven't had a need to use it much so this new one is not on my radar.

 

[red61cj5]

My old 4 1/2 inch M18 grinder gave up the smoke the other day, I had some idea of sending it to get fixed, (out of warranty). Looking at the shiny metal serial number plate, its blank. All my other tools have a number on that plate, but this one is blank, not worn off, it was never there, no trace of it. Anyone ever seen this? Can I send it in without a number?

 

[Fix Until Broke]

Yes - had this happen on other tools where the printed number wears off and looks like nothing was ever there. They'll do a "warranty replacement" which is more/less a brand new tool that you pay ~75% of what a new one cost.

 

[Odd-job]

Yes - had this happen on other tools where the printed number wears off and looks like nothing was ever there. They'll do a "warranty replacement" which is more/less a brand new tool that you pay ~75% of what a new one cost.

Curious if the 75% is calculated on the retail price of the tool. With some of the deals that come up from time to time, it sounds like self warranty may be the way to go depending on the tool.

 

[Fix Until Broke]

It was a 2456-20, 1/4 drive, non-Fuel M12 ratchet. Seems they retail for $150, some deals around $120 and it cost me $95.55 out the door, including tax, title and license so it was something like $90.29 for a new tool.

 

[Odd-job]

It was a 2456-20, 1/4 drive, non-Fuel M12 ratchet. Seems they retail for $150, some deals around $120 and it cost me $95.55 out the door, including tax, title and license so it was something like $90.29 for a new tool.

I swear you could get a 3/8 M12 through a package deal for $80ish and then maybe swap the heads.

Here's one on Amazon for $86 - also sympathize saving $5 might not be worth it

https://www.amazon.com/2457-20-Milwaukee-Cordless-Lithium-Ion-344Y584H351707/dp/B01MEDKJB8/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[Rusty67]

I'm just gonna leave this new TTC video right here:

 

[f121]

Has anyone tried the Milwaukee jobsite Bluetooth ear buds yet? Claiming 26db attenuation and a situational awareness mode so you can hear people talking to you.

 

[Rusty67]

I scored on the mower deal and it came in last night. I got it put together, gonna try and mow a small section of my front yard today at lunch and see how it compares to my dying gasser.

 

[fishwatcher]

What’s the GJ take on the M12 Fuel 1.6 gallon shop vacuum? What’s the minimum viable battery size? If I have two CP 2.0 batteries.. will that get me through the clean up of a car interior or two? Thx.

 

[dylanmitchell]

New 3300R power supply 2.5 kWh battery, pure sine wave with shocking performance and price.

A few questions:
What is charge time? Off 120V AC and 12V AC vehicle power.
How many cycles is a 2.5 kWh battery rated for?
Is 2.5 kWh battery replaceable?
Cost to replace 2.5 kWh battery.
How can you install in the box with a cooling fan and charge it from the vehicle alternator/ electrical system to charge while driving to jobsites?

 

[Rusty67]

What’s the GJ take on the M12 Fuel 1.6 gallon shop vacuum? What’s the minimum viable battery size? If I have two CP 2.0 batteries.. will that get me through the clean up of a car interior or two? Thx.

I like mine but I have a bad feeling it killed one of my 6.0 batteries. You might get through 1 car cleanup with 2x2.0 batteries. Depends how dirty the car is.

 

[pbon]

Low amp batteries on high demand tools are disappointing. Maybe you will manage a quick clean with the 2 M12 2ah.

 

[Rusty67]

OK boys, I just took the new mower out for a quick rip on my lunch break. I only used it for like 5 min but so far I don't hate it. No real complaints at all which is great news. I will say that even with no bag on it, this thing cut through some medium thickness and height grass with no issues. I'm excited to try and mow my whole property with it. Maybe this weekend.... Good so far and after using it quickly, I'm optimistic about it.

 

[gjuser23]

Anyone seen the new 3017-20 blower in stock anywhere? Anyone had a chance to try it? The 54dBm volume combined with the 500CFM rated blower is tempting, but I'd like to hear some real world feedback first.

EDIT: Acme Tools has it in stock. Still curious if anyone has it yet and what they think. My use case is just cleaning up the driveway/patio of leaves, sawdust, and welding/grinding dust.

 

[darkzero]

Anyone seen the new 3017-20 blower in stock anywhere? Anyone had a chance to try it? The 54dBm volume combined with the 500CFM rated blower is tempting, but I'd like to hear some real world feedback first.

EDIT: Acme Tools has it in stock. Still curious if anyone has it yet and what they think. My use case is just cleaning up the driveway/patio of leaves, sawdust, and welding/grinding dust.

Most places are showing it as pre-order as of late Feb. So I doubt any typical consumer has tried one already other than at a demo.

Might want to call Acme to see if they actually have them in stock ready ship even though the website shows. I've seen stocking errors on website before.

 

[danski0224]

I've seen stocking errors lies on website before.

Fixed it.

 

[Odd-job]

OK boys, I just took the new mower out for a quick rip on my lunch break. I only used it for like 5 min but so far I don't hate it. No real complaints at all which is great news. I will say that even with no bag on it, this thing cut through some medium thickness and height grass with no issues. I'm excited to try and mow my whole property with it. Maybe this weekend.... Good so far and after using it quickly, I'm optimistic about it.

I'm liking mine as well. Still need to spend some more time with it. Here's some random thoughts/feedback:

• One lever height adjustment is nice for changing height on the fly
• Lots of torque from the electric motor, got my mower stuck with some hay bail twine I didn't see and while it initially stopped it was eventually able power through and unclog itself
• Definitely quieter than gas, the high lift/much setting though is loud enough that stealth mowing at night isn't going to happen unless I move further away from neighbors.
• Not having a pull cord is nice, no bending over and very easy to restart if you have a yard that lacks lawn mowing continuity.
• I don't bother watering my yard and being in northern CA therefore might not run my mower for months at a time, my biggest complaint was my gas mower would never start due to having a ethanol clogged carb. Hopefully this won't be an issue anymore.
• Self propel seems pretty slow, I guess I might appreciate it more with a loaded bag up a hill?
• I really like that I can hang my safety googles off the the large self propel button this being said.

 

[Odd-job]

just realized the M18 mower might use some sort of proprietary blade mounting system. A triangle and circle:



Looks like they didn't make these cross compatible with Ryobi either which seem to use a half circle/crescent and a square:



anyone put a blade adapter on theirs? Like an MTD? Or are we screwed with Milwaukee blades?

Lawn Mower Blade Adapters | GFP US

Browse a selection of lawn mower blade adapters for mulching and high-lift blades to fit every engine. MTD Original Equipment Blade Adapters shipped direct.

www.mtdparts.com

Looks like the special high lift blade is getting bad reviews with no noticeable lift and missing blades of grass....

Turns out I should have bought the stack of Milwaukee mower blades at Home Depot that I saw for $6 each Actually didn't think the mower would fall to the $700 pricepoint either

 

[budo55]

What’s the GJ take on the M12 Fuel 1.6 gallon shop vacuum? What’s the minimum viable battery size? If I have two CP 2.0 batteries.. will that get me through the clean up of a car interior or two? Thx.

Yes they will but will most likely need both. I ended up buying a 4.0 and it's been working pretty well with no battery swaps needed for 2 vehicles....

 

[Shaners256]

just realized the M18 mower might use some sort of proprietary blade mounting system. A triangle and circle:



Looks like they didn't make these cross compatible with Ryobi either which seem to use a half circle/crescent and a square:



anyone put a blade adapter on theirs? Like an MTD? Or are we screwed with Milwaukee blades?

Lawn Mower Blade Adapters | GFP US

Browse a selection of lawn mower blade adapters for mulching and high-lift blades to fit every engine. MTD Original Equipment Blade Adapters shipped direct.

www.mtdparts.com

Looks like the special high lift blade is getting bad reviews with no noticeable lift and missing blades of grass....

Turns out I should have bought the stack of Milwaukee mower blades at Home Depot that I saw for $6 each Actually didn't think the mower would fall to the $700 pricepoint either

Just cut/grind the triangle and circle off of the plastic fan piece if you want to try a different blade. They are only there to ensure the user installs the blade correctly.

 

[Rusty67]

So my MX breaker arrived in the mail, broken. I didn't have time to open the box up and get it all assembled/tested for a while so now its up to me. I called Milwaukee about it but since I bought it off ebay they won't warranty it. I kinda expected that. What I didn't expect is there is no parts diagram or replacement parts for it. The lady I spoke with told me that its because it is a onekey tool and all the onekey stuff has to be fixed by the authorized repair center.

Now I've checked out the tool and I believe I can repair it by putting a dowel pin into the switch that broke off in transport and it will work as long as its the right length. I haven't verified this yet. I need to plop a battery in the breaker and try pressing the switch in live but when I tried it without a battery using an allen key, the switch make the cachunk-a-chunk sound when it moved in and out. I believe the part that broke off in transport is just a piece that sticks out and the rest of the mechanism is fine. I'll find out later this week.

Milwaukee knows this is a weak spot and ships a protective plastic cap on top of the switch. I'm surprised they don't have a spare part available for it, specially since the handle is plastic. If someone lost control of the breaker while it was running and the handle hits wrong, its going to break the handle and PROBABLY break the part of the switch that sticks out at the same time too.

If the switch is bad, challenge accepted. I doubt I would need to replace the whole onekey assembly to make it work like she claims. I've got a soldering iron and I kind of know how to use it. If using a dowel pin to fix it doesn't work, expect to see photos of the inside of an MX breaker next week.