The Milwaukee addiction thread! :)

[48548]

I will post when the tool burns up.... i don't care. I will be honest but there is a bulge for the air... i can provide better pics but not sure anyone here cares. I have nothing to lose. Like I said I have a free fordem I have had for years and I don't use tools everyday, but want to be honest. If my tool breaks I should send it to ave to dissect or hell maybe I should just give the tool away now for someone to trash on purpose with the boot on and report the data.

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[darkzero]

If i were to mod that M18. I would have installed a male surface mounted standard plug... that could use a regular extension cord. It makes better sense than carrying two fans or special cords or wall warts.

Depends on your use. I believe someone here modded theirs to be just like that, like all the newer fans that can plug directly into an extension cord. He stated that he changed it later because he didn't like it for some reason, not sure why. I though about modding mine like that too.

I choose the plug socket that I used cause it's for a very common cord. I have lots of them laying around as they are commonly used for laptop ac adapters, other ac adapters, & chargers. I have no worry of loosing it since it's a very common cord & I'll have another one somewhere if I do.

I don't work on jobsites or whatever on a regular basis. I probably won't even use it plugged in often. I really don't even have a need for the fan, again I got it for Christmas.

If I were to take mine somewhere, chances are I won't have an extension cord to use with the fan. And if there is one it will be needed for some other tool so I'd have to bring a cord with me anyway. The cord I chose is much more compact than an extension cord that I can just toss in my tool bag. I tend to travel light, I try to only bring what I need to go work on something. That stupid wallwart I won't carry with me no matter what.

For example, I just tossed out 2 old broken blood pressure monitors. Don't know why but I tend to keep the ac adapters for stuff I toss out. I repurpose them every so often. The 2 ac adapters had this very same cord. 2 more cords added to the collection.

 

[darkzero]

I will post when the tool burns up.... i don't care. I will be honest but there is a bulge for the air... i can provide better pics but not sure anyone here cares. I have nothing to lose. Like I said I have a free fordem I have had for years and I don't use tools everyday, but want to be honest. If my tool breaks I should send it to ave to dissect or hell maybe I should just give the tool away now for someone to trash on purpose with the boot on and report the data.

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Geez, calm down. No one was attacking you, at least I wasn't, no need to get defensive or whatever.

We're just commenting on the product & wondering why they made it the way they did. Yes, please do post pics, I'm still curious even though I already have a MW boot.

Again I wasn't attacking you nor was I judging your purchase. I'm sure you had your reasons, maybe cause you just liked the red color, maybe you wanted to save some money, i don't know. I don't even know you but if I were to judge you seems like price wasn't an issue cause I believe you were the one who recently spent the money on that expensive MW collet.

 

[DerekV]

I hear ya on being aware. I think I should be ok though. I used kapton tape where I thought would be a good idea as well as the plastic insulator sheet that was originally inside the wallwart. It's only for personal use & will probably never get used on a jobsite.

I saw that in your pics, looks good. My comment about safety was more of a PSA for those who may forget that this has potential to be a little more zappy/house-burny than their car’s aftermarket stereo [emoji16]

What didn't you like about your plug prongs sticking out on yours? Sounds like it would be convenient to use an extension cord?

The socket end of the extension cord (and I tried several) never stayed tightly all the way on the prongs...I didn’t like the prongs being exposed like that. Note: these were salvaged from the 18v transformer. I also didn’t like how they popped out the back, easy to bump into stuff. Lastly, I didn’t like having to grab an extension cord whenever I wanted to plug it in. Having the cord hardwired into the back always has the “extension cord” ready to go.

 

[DerekV]

Agree... mods are interesting.

As far as my comments on the cord... think about it... even with his mods... a special cord is needed if you are battery-less ... with my fan... any extension cord.

I don't carry TWO fans around ... one with a cord ... one without. It just makes sense to have an intelligent choice in a tool that allows for the most versatility.

If i were to mod that M18. I would have installed a male surface mounted standard plug... that could use a regular extension cord. It makes better sense than carrying two fans or special cords or wall warts.

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=6207340&postcount=6461

[emoji16]

 

[darkzero]

I saw that in your pics, looks good. My comment about safety was more of a PSA for those who may forget that this has potential to be a little more zappy/house-burny than their car’s aftermarket stereo [emoji16]



The socket end of the extension cord (and I tried several) never stayed tightly all the way on the prongs...I didn’t like the prongs being exposed like that. Note: these were salvaged from the 18v transformer. I also didn’t like how they popped out the back, easy to bump into stuff. Lastly, I didn’t like having to grab an extension cord whenever I wanted to plug it in. Having the cord hardwired into the back always has the “extension cord” ready to go.

Ah I see. I just searched this thread & found your pics. You did a pretty good job on that, looked pretty good! Yeah that would be pretty annoying with the plug loose. Good point on the prongs sticking out the back, I never thought about that. I guess that's why the other brands put the prongs inside the battery compartment. Would have to remove the battery to plug in an extension cord but just a minor inconvenience. At least with ours we don't have to worry about that.

Yeah that's part of the reason why I went with the cord type I did, didn't want to have to bring an extension cord with me when needed. All my extension cords are way bulkier than the cord I used & the type of cord I used I have lots of spares.

 

[darkzero]

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=6207340&postcount=6461

[emoji16]

Dammit, you post the link right after I spent the time looking for your post!

 

[darkzero]

Here's my fan cord compared to the shortest spare extension cord I own. Works for me.

 

[48548]

Geez, calm down. No one was attacking you, at least I wasn't, no need to get defensive or whatever.

We're just commenting on the product & wondering why they made it the way they did. Yes, please do post pics, I'm still curious even though I already have a MW boot.

Again I wasn't attacking you nor was I judging your purchase. I'm sure you had your reasons, maybe cause you just liked the red color, maybe you wanted to save some money, i don't know. I don't even know you but if I were to judge you seems like price wasn't an issue cause I believe you were the one who recently spent the money on that expensive MW collet.

Thanks. It is all good... It has a bulge for air and not quite tight on the bottom to vent the air....

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[Shaners256]

Thanks. It is all good... It has a bulge for air and not quite tight on the bottom to vent the air....

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Can you cut slits in the boot with an exacto knife? If you do feel like the tool is shutting off quicker than you would like under load, remember to take that boot off and try it again after the tool has cooled down.

 

[Rusty67]

Agree... mods are interesting.

As far as my comments on the cord... think about it... even with his mods... a special cord is needed if you are battery-less ... with my fan... any extension cord.

I don't carry TWO fans around ... one with a cord ... one without. It just makes sense to have an intelligent choice in a tool that allows for the most versatility.

If i were to mod that M18. I would have installed a male surface mounted standard plug... that could use a regular extension cord. It makes better sense than carrying two fans or special cords or wall warts.

The plug socket he used doesn't require a special cord at all, it is a very commonly available chord. I agree it isn't as convenient as an extension cord but it isn't a special cord at all.

 

[Dan8906]

My ridgid drill finally took a **** so I’m replaced it with these.

 

[PelicanPines]

The plug socket he used doesn't require a special cord at all, it is a very commonly available chord. I agree it isn't as convenient as an extension cord but it isn't a special cord at all.

I own a lot of cords... anything other than a normal extension cord is special. I looked in several boxes because his cord did look familiar but could not find an exact match...

My point was... to do such excellent work in that mod... I would have went for a regular plug... instead of one I might not always have handy.

 

[darkzero]

Thanks. It is all good... It has a bulge for air and not quite tight on the bottom to vent the air....

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Snip...

Thanks for the pics.

 

[bjt0055]

I have been following this thread and I will say all my Milwaukee purchases have pleased me. I am highly sceptical of new tools, it took me along time to finally buy gearwrench! I have quite a few m18 items in the garage so I figured I would try the yard tools.

A few weeks ago I picked up the chainsaw and for what it is it's a great saw. Today I got the fuel leaf blower and that works as good as my gas blowers and is far superior to my battery Ryobi.

So far Milwaukee hasn't left me down on the m18 line I hope it continues.

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[M635_Guy]

Thanks. It is all good... It has a bulge for air and not quite tight on the bottom to vent the air....

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Dude...

I'd just send that back. Bad fit and not designed to let the tool vent as designed. There's no reason to risk/sacrifice your tool for that thing. I'm a fan of covers, but... damn...

 

[Fix Until Broke]

I think it's time for a new M18 Drill...My first M18 purchase was a 2602 at least 5 years ago, probably longer. Was drilling a 2" hole saw through some 1/8" steel and it started smoking. Figured that it was too hot, so ran it unloaded for a bit and after 2-3 seconds there was more smoke and glowing red through the vent holes in the back. Brushes are still good so must be something in the armature...

Looks like there are two options in this "class" of drill...

2704 ~7/8" longer, Has light by the trigger (good), different looking chuck and side handle

2804 Newer(?), but is it any better? Shorter (good), light by the battery (bad).

Looking for a high power, long lasting drill. Any reasons to go with one vs the other that I'm missing?

I'll probably buy a M12 (2503?) for small, compact, lighter duty work (pilot holes and such)

A new armature for the 2602 was $21 so I went the cheap route and did that vs buying a new tool(s) that I didn't really need. Put it all back together today and it works great!

See, I'm not addicted, really, I'm not, I promise, seriously, no joke - I'm in control....

 

[Fix Until Broke]

So, I need to cut a basement floor ~50 linear feet, probably 3-4" thick. I really don't want a gas powered cutoff saw due to being inside and all that.

Is the M18 9" cutoff saw up to the job?

Or would the MX 14" cutoff saw be the better choice?

M18 is ~$900, comes with a 12AH battery and rapid charger. Paired with my 9AH battery should be able to keep working while one battery charges and I break out the cement?
MX is ~$2000 and I have nothing in the MX platform to date. Only one battery and 90 minute re-charge time. Should get about 12 feet of cut per battery (estimated)

Both saws come with diamond blades so that's a wash

Thoughts, Other options?

 

[nitroracer20]

Another option is just rent an electric racine saw - but this is GJ....ENCOURAGEMENT!

 

[Fix Until Broke]

Racine saw?

 

[techieman33]

So, I need to cut a basement floor ~50 linear feet, probably 3-4" thick. I really don't want a gas powered cutoff saw due to being inside and all that.

Is the M18 9" cutoff saw up to the job?

Or would the MX 14" cutoff saw be the better choice?

M18 is ~$900, comes with a 12AH battery and rapid charger. Paired with my 9AH battery should be able to keep working while one battery charges and I break out the cement?
MX is ~$2000 and I have nothing in the MX platform to date. Only one battery and 90 minute re-charge time. Should get about 12 feet of cut per battery (estimated)

Both saws come with diamond blades so that's a wash

Thoughts, Other options?

Unless you really want to buy one I would look into rentals. I've seen a couple people post on reddit about getting MX tools as rentals. The smaller M18 model may be available as well. And if not there are corded electric versions out there as well.

 

[Rusty67]

If you were going to be trying to cycle batteries and non-stop cut, I'd be worried about killing your batteries going with the M18s. You might want to buy 1 or 2 more larger batteries so that when you charge them up they get a reasonable amount of time to cool off before you non-stop chooch them out. Might get a little better chooch for your chauch AKA better batter life that way. It would still be cheaper than the MX that way.

If you have no other use for the saw, renting one might be the way to go.

 

[Fix Until Broke]

Don't need to non-stop cut. This job will be done a couple hours at a time at night after work and weekends. No particular rush/deadline. This is what makes renting less attractive as the cutting would need to be done in a day/weekend for it to make economic sense over purchasing.

I've done similar (small) jobs with my corded Milwaukee circular saw, a diamond blade and my son spraying the blade down with water. I didn't figure that it would live through 50 more feet vs the ~6 feet it's already done.

It seems that once I buy a tool, even if I only have one intended use for it, I find many other uses/projects for them.

 

[Rusty67]

Well now, if you aren't going to go at it all in one run, buying it makes a lot of sense to me. I'd be interested to know what you end up going with and how well it ends up working out for you. Unfortunately I can't give you any input on which of the two would be best.

 

[pbon]

A 14” saw cuts about 4.5” deep as I recall. I rented one and was cutting just a little over 3 feet. I had to buy diamond but saws all blades to finish the cut since my slab was a little thicker than the saw would cut.

For one time use, rent, borrow, buy electric. If you do this work in the field regularly look at the expensive battery saw.

 

[Ign]

Added a few new tools to the collection.

Nice! I just ordered the metal cutting circular for $323. I've had the corded variant for a decade but I want the portability of cordless. I actually hardly ever use it 'cause blades are $ and easy to trash but it has its place

 

[48548]

Nice! I just ordered the metal cutting circular for $323. I've had the corded variant for a decade but I want the portability of cordless. I actually hardly ever use it 'cause blades are $ and easy to trash but it has its place

How much are the blades?

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[Ign]

How much are the blades?

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If you want the actual Milwaukee they're $40. Thing is the 8" size is kinda oddball. I assume 7-1/4" would fit, never researched the arbor hole.

There are now 8" knock-offs on the market -- well actually here's a Concord 8-1/4". I'm assuming that extra 1/8" on a side won't prevent fitment, but I haven't tried. Also no idea if they're worth a damn
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LFCLV3W/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Personally as a metalworker I only use any of these carbide tipped "dry cut" technologies as a last resort. They're just too expensive to use as your primary cutting method - a single chipped tooth sends things downhill in a hurry. But for ripping plate, certain grating types and roofing/propanel, sometimes there's just no substitute - esp in the field where my big plasma simply isn't available (plasma only good for flat plate of course)

 

[vertguy]

Looking for feedback on the Edger attachment. Plenty of good reviews on HD, but not seen much in here about them.

Our old gas unit finally died and since it is not a high use tool, looking at some other options that be would be easy to store. I would need to upgrade my current Fuel trimmer to the quik-lok style and HD has a decent package deal on new trimmer with edger ($348 with a HO 8.0 battery).

 

[pp1]

If you want the actual Milwaukee they're $40. Thing is the 8" size is kinda oddball. I assume 7-1/4" would fit, never researched the arbor hole.

There are now 8" knock-offs on the market -- well actually here's a Concord 8-1/4". I'm assuming that extra 1/8" on a side won't prevent fitment, but I haven't tried. Also no idea if they're worth a damn
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LFCLV3W/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Personally as a metalworker I only use any of these carbide tipped "dry cut" technologies as a last resort. They're just too expensive to use as your primary cutting method - a single chipped tooth sends things downhill in a hurry. But for ripping plate, certain grating types and roofing/propanel, sometimes there's just no substitute - esp in the field where my big plasma simply isn't available (plasma only good for flat plate of course)

New to metal working. What do you recommend for cutting metal? Interested in the cold cut chop saw but like you said it is expensive!!

 

[Tallpilot]

Looking for feedback on the Edger attachment. Plenty of good reviews on HD, but not seen much in here about them.

Our old gas unit finally died and since it is not a high use tool, looking at some other options that be would be easy to store. I would need to upgrade my current Fuel trimmer to the quik-lok style and HD has a decent package deal on new trimmer with edger ($348 with a HO 8.0 battery).

I'm glad I waited on the trimmer. It is irritating that they didn't start with the Quick-Lok system. I ordered them both (June 9) but only the edger has arrived. I will give some impressions once the trimmer and power unit arrive. Hopefully some other people can chime in.

I have way too much Milwaukee stuff to invest in anything else, so hopefully the yard work tools are decent.

 

[Rusty67]

I have the edger and pole saw. I didn't get the quick loc trimmer since I had the older hedge trimmer. I really like the hedge trimmer a lot. The edger works well enough but I need more time on it to be certain. Jury is still out on the pole saw, I only had to use it one time.

 

[polexican23]

Rang up for $20 even. Ran back and grabbed 2 more.

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[schobbs]

Rang up for $20 even. Ran back and grabbed 2 more.

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Nice catch! Those are still $119 in all of the stores near me.


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[az45]

Rang up for $20 even. Ran back and grabbed 2 more.

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I picked those up at on sale, they're great. Nice find

 

[wkndwarrior29]

Looking for a nice case to store my new M18 deep cut band saw and spare blades.
Does anyone know the part number? I can't seem to find it individually from the more expensive kits.
or any cheap alternatives?
or does anyone have one they want to unload reasonably?

I'm not into the packout line yet / not sure if I'd want to go that route.

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[Ign]

New to metal working. What do you recommend for cutting metal? Interested in the cold cut chop saw but like you said it is expensive!!

Well I shouldn't get too far into the weeds in the Milwaukee thread but I use a 7x12 bandsaw for probably 90% of my cutting. These aren't exactly cheap for a beginner but you can get a decent 5x6 for less. Blades are cheap and last forever. Noise level VERY low compared to a hot saw (aka "dry cut").

The remaining 10% I cut with my plasma for long rips or complex stuff or circle cutter.... small cuts I use a grinder w cutoff wheel

Truly though every shop is different - what works for the nature of what I build may not work as well for the next guy.

I keep a Milwaukee (see there's my content) 14" abrasive around for hardened material. Note even the dry cut stuff can't handle hardened - you'll strip all the teeth off in short order

 

[48548]

Thanks guys from homedepot....

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[pwschuh]

Fixed my neighbor's sagging driveway gate while they are away on vacation. Got to use my M18 Fuel drill, M18 Planer, and M18 Saber saw all on one job!

 

[mc4life27]

Don't need to non-stop cut. This job will be done a couple hours at a time at night after work and weekends. No particular rush/deadline. This is what makes renting less attractive as the cutting would need to be done in a day/weekend for it to make economic sense over purchasing.

I've done similar (small) jobs with my corded Milwaukee circular saw, a diamond blade and my son spraying the blade down with water. I didn't figure that it would live through 50 more feet vs the ~6 feet it's already done.

It seems that once I buy a tool, even if I only have one intended use for it, I find many other uses/projects for them.

why do you just go rent a 14 gas saw line out your cuts and just cut everything in one day. then return the saw. and the break out the pieces over however long your working on the project. its not like once you cut the concrete its going to just come right out. hell depending on your cuts it wont even move i bet. like we have had to do footing where we cut on a big 3 feet wide and say like 10-15 feet long in a l shape. one day we mark it and cut it then for the most part the saw will never be used again in the trench. then we take the jack hammer and start at one side and brake it out piece by piece. there has been times were we do the cut and then dont even touch braking it out for month later down the road.