The Milwaukee addiction thread! :)

[Odd-job]

somewhat disappointed no addicts have posted about the M18 dual battery vacuum yet. 10% off Acme. Still trying to figure out if its a replacement for a full size vacuum.

Milwaukee M18 FUEL Vacuum 9 Gallon 36V Wet/Dry Bare Tool 0920-20 from MILWAUKEE - Acme Tools

Milwaukee M18 FUEL Vacuum 9 Gallon 36V Wet/Dry Bare Tool - 0920-20 from MILWAUKEE

www.acmetools.com

 

[Rusty67]

Well, I have to justify it to myself. My girlfriend doesn't get to dictate my budget... yet.

 

[pbon]

Tool barn had $50 off $250+ but it ended at noon. Maybe wait for similar — Black Friday?

 

[Firefighter1406]

Well, I have to justify it to myself. My girlfriend doesn't get to dictate my budget... yet.

Yet…

 

[Rusty67]

So funny story about why my girlfriend knows not to give me **** about my tool purchases, especially red ones. Last year it snowed when I was living up in the PNW and she woke me up at like 6 something AM (way too early for me) because the power was out and hence, no internet and she was stumbling around with her cell phone in a panic. I went into the garage and grabbed all my M18 lighting and had the whole house (it was a small house) light up like day light. I was like, well I hate everything about this, but ok. So we dragged my BBQ tent (yes I had a BBQ tend because it is AWLAYS wet up there and how can you smoke a brisket for 12 hours with a soggy smoker?) over to the other side of the yard after I shoveled the snow out of the way. Then I wheeled my generator our under the tent and proceeded to finish wiring the transfer panel to the outside back feed receptacle I'd put in but never finished. I missed some work that morning but I had the fridge, HVAC and internet back up and running in a few hours while the rest of the neighborhood was walking around their houses with their dumb cell phones trying to figure out which way was up. The power came back on around 3-4pm but she was able to work all day and didn't have to take time off. All of her coworkers that lived in the area had to take PTO days because they were too snowed in to drive to the office and their internet was down.

When everything was over and I finished cleaning up, I looked at her and said, the next time you think about asking me why I bought a tool or how much it cost, I want you to remember how today went. She said, fair enough. I've never heard a single complaint about a tool purchase since that day.

Now if I get married and we have a kid or two, I full expect that to change. I'm still kinda sorta young but I ain't completely stupid.

 

[mikeinri]

Well, you hit the nail on the head. Critical word is girlfriend... not wife...

"I do." The last decision a man ever has (gets) to make...

Mike

 

[dchawk81]

Well, you hit the nail on the head. Critical word is girlfriend... not wife...

"I do." The last decision a man ever has (gets) to make...

Mike

And even that one is usually under duress.

 

[mikeinri]

But, it can be oddly liberating! (They really hate when you say that...)

Mike

 

[javyLSU]

So funny story about why my girlfriend knows not to give me **** about my tool purchases, especially red ones. Last year it snowed when I was living up in the PNW and she woke me up at like 6 something AM (way too early for me) because the power was out and hence, no internet and she was stumbling around with her cell phone in a panic. I went into the garage and grabbed all my M18 lighting and had the whole house (it was a small house) light up like day light. I was like, well I hate everything about this, but ok. So we dragged my BBQ tent (yes I had a BBQ tend because it is AWLAYS wet up there and how can you smoke a brisket for 12 hours with a soggy smoker?) over to the other side of the yard after I shoveled the snow out of the way. Then I wheeled my generator our under the tent and proceeded to finish wiring the transfer panel to the outside back feed receptacle I'd put in but never finished. I missed some work that morning but I had the fridge, HVAC and internet back up and running in a few hours while the rest of the neighborhood was walking around their houses with their dumb cell phones trying to figure out which way was up. The power came back on around 3-4pm but she was able to work all day and didn't have to take time off. All of her coworkers that lived in the area had to take PTO days because they were too snowed in to drive to the office and their internet was down.

When everything was over and I finished cleaning up, I looked at her and said, the next time you think about asking me why I bought a tool or how much it cost, I want you to remember how today went. She said, fair enough. I've never heard a single complaint about a tool purchase since that day.

Now if I get married and we have a kid or two, I full expect that to change. I'm still kinda sorta young but I ain't completely stupid.

LOL, my wife never, ever asks me about any tool purchases, because she never has to call anyone other than me to fix or do anything around the house. She knows I don't pay full price for anything, and also knows how much money we're saving by having me do maintenance and repairs, so I get zero questions. To the contrary, when the power goes out and all of her stuff still works, I've gotten comments like "you have the coolest stuff..."

 

[Rusty67]

Funny, that is the same thing all my friends do when something breaks. I get a phone call with a "hey man, got a few minutes this weekend? On the plus side, my friend switched from yellow to red after I brought over some of my cool toys to help him fix stuff.

 

[Odd-job]

I think I might need outsource things for a year to quantify to my wife that my tool buying isn't out of hand. Although I think she has more issues with the amount space some of the stuff takes up.

 

[dchawk81]

I think I might need outsource things for a year to quantify to my wife that my tool buying isn't out of hand. Although I think she has more issues with the amount space some of the stuff takes up.

Knowing my luck, that would be the year nothing needs fixed.

 

[Rusty67]

Maybe you can make a punch card, like those loyalty cards on food trucks or coffee shops. Every 11th thing that needs to be fixed you hand your wife the phone, the card and tell her this one is on you. I'm sure that will go over well.

 

[mepstein]

Well, you hit the nail on the head. Critical word is girlfriend... not wife...

"I do." The last decision a man ever has (gets) to make...

Mike

I guess I found the right one (33 years ago) because while she asks about some of my purchases, she's never really complained about them. Case in point, I ordered a maxjax. She asked what its for. I explained I wont have to craw under the car held up by jack stands. She said cool, that should make working on the cars a lot easier and safer. Life is so much easier when you find someone that supports you. I do the same for her.

 

[Odd-job]

Trying to keep score ended a long long time ago in a galaxy far away.

I think I need to explain to her that there are much worse forms of addiction, like mistresses, gambling, booze, and drugs. So this isn't that bad afterall.

 

[mikeinri]

I'm lucky too. My FIL was a carpenter, so my wife grew up with a house (and garage and shed, etc.) full of tools, and totally understands their value.

Like others, we could definitely stand to improve our storage and organization, but that's not limited to tools, unfortunately.

Mike

 

[mrvm]

Black No Days Off Hooded Sweatshirt on another Packout.

non heated but wind and rain resistant.

 

[javyLSU]

Anybody have any first hand experience with them? Are they worth it or are you better off just picking up a two pack of the 6ah batteries on sale? The price seems steep

I picked up both the 2.5 and 5.0, and so far used them on my Fuel stubby 3/8 impact and the Fuel right angle impact. The stubby feels stronger with the HO 2.5, but I typically run a CP 3.0 battery on it to reduce size and weight. The 2.5 feels as strong as an XC 4.0 or 6.

The right angle impact, however, feels like a completely different tool with a HO battery (again, I run a CP battery on this tool for the same reasons as the stubby). Not only does it remove fasteners faster, there is an audible difference in RPM between the two batteries. I would be fascinated to see what kind of improvement @Torque Test Channel would measure with a HO battery on this tool.

For me, the star of the HO lineup is the 2.5. If you’re already running an XC 4.0 or 6.0, I don’t think you’ll see that much of a performance increase, but for those of us that want the most power from the smallest, lightest tool, the HO 2.5 is a fantastic battery.

 

[Earp69]

I picked up both the 2.5 and 5.0, and so far used them on my Fuel stubby 3/8 impact and the Fuel right angle impact. The stubby feels stronger with the HO 2.5, but I typically run a CP 3.0 battery on it to reduce size and weight. The 2.5 feels as strong as an XC 4.0 or 6.

The right angle impact, however, feels like a completely different tool with a HO battery (again, I run a CP battery on this tool for the same reasons as the stubby). Not only does it remove fasteners faster, there is an audible difference in RPM between the two batteries. I would be fascinated to see what kind of improvement @Torque Test Channel would measure with a HO battery on this tool.

For me, the star of the HO lineup is the 2.5. If you’re already running an XC 4.0 or 6.0, I don’t think you’ll see that much of a performance increase, but for those of us that want the most power from the smallest, lightest tool, the HO 2.5 is a fantastic battery.

Thanks for the reply, I may wait for deals to come out if they do.

 

[mepstein]

Today I actually used my 16” m18 chainsaw to fell a dead tree. I used up one 6 amp battery to bring it down and another 6 amp and 4 - 5 amp batteries to cut it up. So with that kind of battery usage, it’s obviously not an all day tool but for my needs it worked well.

 

[dchawk81]

Today I actually used my 16” m18 chainsaw to fell a dead tree. I used up one 6 amp battery to bring it down and another 6 amp and 4 - 5 amp batteries to cut it up. So with that kind of battery usage, it’s obviously not an all day tool but for my needs it worked well.

TBH I'd just have a gasser for that.

 

[mikeinri]

Wow, that's a lot of batteries used for one tree.

Mike

 

[Rusty67]

I did a 35-40' dead tree in my front yard a few months back, was able to fell it with a 12.0 and then tossed my 9.0 in and immediately hit overheat protection on the 9.0. Switched to my 6.0 and was able to finish the job. The 12.0 was at 75% when I started though. I think the 8.0 might be the sweet spot for the chain saw. On a fully charged 12.0, you get an ok amount of cuts. Anything bigger than that size tree though, go to a gasser (which I don't own). I was cutting up an ash tree, maybe a tougher wood eats the batteries faster though?

 

[BroncoAZ]

Today I actually used my 16” m18 chainsaw to fell a dead tree. I used up one 6 amp battery to bring it down and another 6 amp and 4 - 5 amp batteries to cut it up. So with that kind of battery usage, it’s obviously not an all day tool but for my needs it worked well.

That is different than my experience. Last October after the nor’easter I used a single 8.0 battery to clear a couple driveways of fallen trees and remove/cut up a 40’ 10” diameter tree that fell on the dozer in one of our yards. Maybe mine was softer wood. The saw was brand new so the chain was fresh.

 

[mikeinri]

Sharp vs dull chain, and hard vs soft wood certainly would explain the difference in cutting efficiency, even on a gas saw.

Mike

 

[mepstein]

This was a dead cherry tree. About 22” in diameter. Brand new saw.
I’m not at all unhappy about the battery usage. I sort of figured it would drain batteries quickly. It’s running at 100%. It did cut quickly and easily. Quieter than a gasser and not as high pitched sound. Sort of like a an electric meat carving knife on steroids. I bought other m18 tools with a free battery just so I could stock up for this kind of need. 12 amps would be great but I haven’t seen them less than $250 each.
My neighbor has a wood stove so our informal agreement is I can use his big chainsaw anytime, without asking and he gets the wood. I wanted something of my own and my limited use makes the electric saw ideal. I can go from storage to running in seconds with a fresh battery and topping off the bar oil.
I have about 20 large trees around the house that I want cut down. I’ll call my tree guy, he will bring his crew. A lot of them are close to the house and will have to be roped down in pieces. It will cost me a lot of money but they are pros and I’m not.

 

[mikeinri]

You make great points. The vast majority of people don't need a gas chainsaw. Plug-in electric ones work well for occasional use as well.

Mike

 

[javyLSU]

This was a dead cherry tree. About 22” in diameter...

Cutting up a 22" diameter tree with a saw with a 16" bar is pretty impressive to me.

...I’m not at all unhappy about the battery usage...

Considering the batteries it went through quickly were 5.0s, it's not surprising - the 5.0 is clearly not the optimal power source for this tool. The fact that it even did work on a tree of that diameter on those batteries should be viewed as a positive, IMO. Saws in general are some the most current-hungry tools, and this is why I've collected a few 12.0 and 8.0 batteries.

 

[1320]

Its my opinion that 21700 cells were one of the best things that ever happened to cordless power tools.

I have a handful of M18 XC8.0 HO batteries and almost never run out of battery power. I have friends that have a non Fuel grinder and decade old XC4.0 batteries and can't understand how I like my Milwaukee grinder because their experience with theirs is awful.

I haven't used my M18 chainsaw for any big job yet, but I use my M12 hatchet all the time and typically get hundreds and hundreds of cuts with a XC6.0 M12 battery. I'd say it uses more bar oil than battery power - I feel like I'm always refilling the oil and hardly ever changing the battery.

 

[mepstein]

Cutting up a 22" diameter tree with a saw with a 16" bar is pretty impressive to me.

Considering the batteries it went through quickly were 5.0s, it's not surprising - the 5.0 is clearly not the optimal power source for this tool. The fact that it even did work on a tree of that diameter on those batteries should be viewed as a positive, IMO. Saws in general are some the most current-hungry tools, and this is why I've collected a few 12.0 and 8.0 batteries.

I will get some bigger batteries eventually but using what I had was ok. I could have done it with one battery and just taken breaks to recharge every couple cuts. It’s my property so there was no rush.
I had a tree fall across my driveway a couple years ago. My wife needed to go to work. She’s a nurse and would have walked the 12 miles before calling out. I borrowed my neighbors saw and all was good but I wanted something that would take care of my needs

 

[Earp69]

Didn't know if anybody else saw this, assuming it'll be a bit till this fellar is released which *****. But it'll be worth the wait.

 

[dchawk81]

Didn't know if anybody else saw this, assuming it'll be a bit till this fellar is released which *****. But it'll be worth the wait.

I bought a generic stubby one of those on Amazon with 2 batteries for like 50 bucks.

 

[Earp69]

I bought a generic stubby one of those on Amazon with 2 batteries for like 50 bucks.

This ones hi speed, and I'm wanting the long reach so it's worth the wait for me.

 

[dchawk81]

This ones hi speed, and I'm wanting the long reach so it's worth the wait for me.

Gotcha. The generic one is definitely not high speed. Or long reach.

Kinda neat for the price but not a life changer for sure. Same with an air ratchet.

Same company has an electric screwdriver for 26 bucks so I got one of those too. I figure it's handy when you'd otherwise spend half an hour removing an excessively long outlet screw or something.

 

[javyLSU]

Didn't know if anybody else saw this, assuming it'll be a bit till this fellar is released which *****. But it'll be worth the wait.

$249 for a bare tool is more than I paid for my Snap-on 3/8” long neck earlier this year.

 

[Earp69]

$249 for a bare tool is more than I paid for my Snap-on 3/8” long neck earlier this year.

Are they hi speed? Doesn't make much sense for me to have two differant platforms

 

[javyLSU]

Are they hi speed? Doesn't make much sense for me to have two differant platforms

275 RPM. High speed enough for when I want to use a long neck ratchet. I’ve also noticed from using my Milwaukee high speed ratchets that they become significantly less “high speed” when under any kind of load, much more so than my Snap-on ratchets.

 

[mepstein]

So a follow up on my chainsaw post - it looks like all the batteries shut off with 2 bars of charge left. I’m thinking I just got them too hot and the thermal protection shut them off. They felt warm (not hot) to the touch. So next time, I’ll switch them out sooner and see if extends the run time.

 

[dchawk81]

So a follow up on my chainsaw post - it looks like all the batteries shut off with 2 bars of charge left. I’m thinking I just got them too hot and the thermal protection shut them off. They felt warm (not hot) to the touch. So next time, I’ll switch them out sooner and see if extends the run time.

Yeah I'd say it's heat with a shut off erring on the side of not too late.

 

[mepstein]

Yeah I'd say it's heat with a shut off erring on the side of not too late.

I’m not unhappy. It’s just good to know the work around. It’s still exactly what I want for my residential use.