# Milwaukee failure number six



## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

The button fell out of my non contact sensor and got lost. Add that to the Fuel drill, M12 driver, two Hackzalls and a Subscanner all requiring repair within the first year.

Milwaukee sent me a PM to resolve my issues. They haven't responded.


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## daveEM (Nov 18, 2012)

Might I suggest KMS Tools...
14520 111 Ave NW, Edmonton

or Lee Valley...
18439 104 Ave

There you can pick up the Festool line of cordless tools.

You and the Milwaukee line are not compatible.


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## Big John (May 23, 2010)

Holy smokes. That'd be enough to make me swear off Milwaukee. I was pissed when a gently-used Dewalt gave up the ghost after a couple of years. Nuts to having stuff fail within 12 months.

Be honest, how hard are you on these things?


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

daveEM said:


> Might I suggest KMS Tools...
> 14520 111 Ave NW, Edmonton
> 
> or Lee Valley...
> ...


I think you're right, Dave. It's a compatibility issue. Milwaukee is like dating an ugly woman  .


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## drspec (Sep 29, 2012)

The only problem I have ever had with Milwaukee was their crappy V18 line. I had 4 batteries that crapped out within a year. And their multi screwdrivers. 

And I own a LOT of m12 tools along with a demo hammer drill and a corded hammer drill.


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

Big John said:


> Holy smokes. That'd be enough to make me swear off Milwaukee. I was pissed when a gently-used Dewalt gave up the ghost after a couple of years. Nuts to having stuff fail within 12 months.
> 
> Be honest, how hard are you on these things?


I work them but I don't abuse them. The chuck on the Fuel drill turned to mush after I drilled a 4" hole in a wood ceiling. Maybe I worked it too hard and it overheated. The Hackzalls and the driver were switch failures. The Subscanner quit sensing 3 1/2" depth. I rarely use it. The voltage sensor, it's only twenty bucks, but it just p!ssed me off. I had a Klein for back up.


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## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)

Stop dogging your tools. I've been using Milwaukee for 10 years and have only taken two items to be repaired. And ine of them was my fault working in an underground vault when it flooded and became submerged.


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

mcclary's electrical said:


> Stop dogging your tools. I've been using Milwaukee for 10 years and have only taken two items to be repaired. And ine of them was my fault working in an underground vault when it flooded and became submerged.


How does dogging my tools explain switch and electronic failures?


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## gold (Feb 15, 2008)

I've been proudly using Milwaukee since I was a kid, in fact I have a right angle drill that's been in my family getting used often for 24 years. the last few years tho I'm constantly having to make repairs triggers and brushes mostly but the m18 chucks like to jam up every few days just like the v series did. the power plus is still going strong from 10 years ago but sadly it's over for me with Milwaukee, they just aren't the powerhouse of quality they once were.


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## FastFokker (Sep 18, 2012)

lol what the hell man!

I haven't had milwaukee long enough to really say anything, but only problem to date was an inspection camera that didn't work right out of the box. Bought from JC Cayer.

If I were you, I would sell ALL my milwaukee gear and switch brands. Makita was really good, I had great success with their cordless tools.


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## Cow (Jan 16, 2008)

99cents said:


> I work them but *I don't abuse them*. The chuck on the Fuel drill turned to mush after *I drilled a 4" hole* in a wood ceiling.


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## Techne (Feb 9, 2013)

99cents said:


> I work them but I don't abuse them. The chuck on the Fuel drill turned to mush after I drilled a 4" hole in a wood ceiling. Maybe I worked it too hard and it overheated.


Recently had the pleasure of working with an apprentice who thought it was standard practice to drag and toss _his_ (thankfully) M18 Fuel impact driver across a 220' sand crawl. 

Damned Milwaukee didn't work so well later in that job. "What a crappy tool", he said. "Never have any luck with Milwaukee. Time to switch brands."


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## TOOL_5150 (Aug 27, 2007)

I must just be really lucky with my dewalt cordless tools. The only time I had a drill die is when I was using a flexbit in a ceiling, and tore my drill in half. This is after being thrown across the room a few times in its past, so the threads were already somewhat compromised.


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

Cow said:


>


So how come the carpenter's Dewalt went through it like butter?


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## FastFokker (Sep 18, 2012)

99cents said:


> So how come the carpenter's Dewalt went through it like butter?


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## ponyboy (Nov 18, 2012)

But but Milwaukee has the m12 line!! They're so cute!!!


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## svh19044 (Jul 1, 2008)

I have posted about my cheap Milwaukee tester breaks in the past. I continually bring them to Depot and exchange for a new one after the button comes off. It works out fine, since my Fluke one kept dying as well (not sure what caused the failures, but it would simply stop working...and no, it wasn't battery related). So I like the Milwaukee tester better anyway do to the light and the better sensitivity, making it a worthwhile trade. It would be nice if they fixed the button though.



99cents said:


> So how come the carpenter's Dewalt went through it like butter?


I'm still willing to call BS on all of your "breakages". Since you haven't provided pictures of any Milwaukee tools, here is what made me junk Dewalt...well this and I was tired of replacing batteries. This was the SECOND TIME that one of their drills broke like this. The first was with a 5" hole saw in plywood, somewhat understandable. The second was with a 1.x" paddle bit. :laughing:


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## Next72969 (Dec 9, 2012)

Last week i had the chuck snap off a dewalt 20v impact gun screwing eyehooks into a deck. Never seen a drill fall apart like that. Personally i use milwaukee and dont have any issues.


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## 3D Electric (Mar 24, 2013)

I personally use Milwaukee. Had Dewalt for the first two years but got tired of getting the batteries and the chuck replaced. Switched to Milwaukee and haven't looked back! I love my new 18v fuel and use the hell out of the m12 impact and hammer drill. I replaced my original v18 set about 2 months ago and I am still impressed with the quality of my tools. Its the same as anything, as long as you take care of it, it will last for you. Sure a Mercedes is a nice vehicle, but if you never change the oil it's gonna crap out on you eventually.


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## Lone Crapshooter (Nov 8, 2008)

My tools for the most part are 20+ years old ALL have cords and I have a mixturer of Industrial Black and Decker Milwaukee and Porter Cable. The only problem I am having is dry rotted cords.
Wile you all are changing your dead batteries out I will have the hole drilled or the hole cut or the screw tightened.
Battery tools you can keep em.


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

svh19044 said:


> I have posted about my cheap Milwaukee tester breaks in the past. I continually bring them to Depot and exchange for a new one after the button comes off. It works out fine, since my Fluke one kept dying as well (not sure what caused the failures, but it would simply stop working...and no, it wasn't battery related). So I like the Milwaukee tester better anyway do to the light and the better sensitivity, making it a worthwhile trade. It would be nice if they fixed the button though.
> 
> 
> 
> I'm still willing to call BS on all of your "breakages". Since you haven't provided pictures of any Milwaukee tools, here is what made me junk Dewalt...well this and I was tired of replacing batteries. This was the SECOND TIME that one of their drills broke like this. The first was with a 5" hole saw in plywood, somewhat understandable. The second was with a 1.x" paddle bit. :laughing:


I said nothing about breakage, I said they failed. A picture isn't going to prove a faulty chuck, switch or electronic components.


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## wendon (Sep 27, 2010)

TOOL_5150 said:


> I must just be really lucky with my dewalt cordless tools. The only time I had a drill die is when I was using a flexbit in a ceiling, and tore my drill in half. This is after being thrown across the room a few times in its past, so the threads were already somewhat compromised.


Either your drill is on steroids or you are as thin as a whisper!!!!:laughing::whistling2:
When you all sell your Milwaukee's and buy Rigid or DeFault, let me know so I can buy them for pennies on the dollar!! I don't treat mine very nice sometimes though............


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## wendon (Sep 27, 2010)

Lone Crapshooter said:


> My tools for the most part are 20+ years old ALL have cords and I have a mixturer of Industrial Black and Decker Milwaukee and Porter Cable. The only problem I am having is dry rotted cords.
> Wile you all are changing your dead batteries out I will have the hole drilled or the hole cut or the screw tightened.
> Battery tools you can keep em.


Where you working? In the laboratory? What do you do when there's no power?


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## Lone Crapshooter (Nov 8, 2008)

No power no problem , generators


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

99cents said:


> The button fell out of my non contact sensor and got lost. Add that to the Fuel drill, M12 driver, two Hackzalls and a Subscanner all requiring repair within the first year.
> 
> Milwaukee sent me a PM to resolve my issues. They haven't responded.


Hopefully they read this thread.


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## Linhawk (Apr 13, 2012)

I run M18 drills and an M12 impact daily without complaints. I had an M12 hackzall fail but they replaced it with a new one.


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## papaotis (Jun 8, 2013)

so many of guys shop HD and no one but me talks about rigid?:001_huh:


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## FastFokker (Sep 18, 2012)

Worked with a 10+ year apprentice who lives a trailer park, he loved Rigid, wouldn't shut up about them. Really turned me off the brand.

BUT, that said... it's probably the best value around. I still wont buy it.


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## drumnut08 (Sep 23, 2012)

papaotis said:


> so many of guys shop HD and no one but me talks about rigid?:001_huh:


They're nice . Basically slightly cheaper Milwaukee . The same mother company owns ryobi , rigid and Milwaukee . Notice the similarities between rigid and Milwaukee .


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## Shock-Therapy (Oct 4, 2013)

drumnut08 said:


> They're nice . Basically slightly cheaper Milwaukee . The same mother company owns ryobi , rigid and Milwaukee . Notice the similarities between rigid and Milwaukee .


No $#!T?


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## Shock-Therapy (Oct 4, 2013)

FastFokker said:


>


This happens a lot around here doesnt it....:laughing:


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## Shock-Therapy (Oct 4, 2013)

Ive seen this exact situation with a dewalt 18 before.


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## chewy (May 9, 2010)

Shock-Therapy said:


> Ive seen this exact situation with a dewalt 18 before.


So have I.


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## chewy (May 9, 2010)

drumnut08 said:


> They're nice . Basically slightly cheaper Milwaukee . The same mother company owns ryobi , rigid and Milwaukee . Notice the similarities between rigid and Milwaukee .


Theyre branded as AEG (used to be an amazing german brand) over here.


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## chewy (May 9, 2010)

I have had great luck with Milwaukee M18 line, that being said I know when to run out an extension lead. Smoked my 3 year old high torque drill on a rimu joist and was going to be $426 to replace it, bought an 1100w mixing drill with an 3/4" chuck for $99 with a 1 year warranty that was made in China for the Russian market. The guy told me the matinence guys on the docks use them but have to weld the 50mm augers into the chucks.


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## aftershockews (Dec 22, 2012)

Shock-Therapy said:


> Ive seen this exact situation with a dewalt 18 before.


Not quite like that but I had the casing on one of mine break.


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## robnj772 (Jan 15, 2008)

drumnut08 said:


> They're nice . Basically slightly cheaper Milwaukee . The same mother company owns ryobi , rigid and Milwaukee . Notice the similarities between rigid and Milwaukee .


Bull****

Ryobi is owned by Home Depot 

And no I don't notice any similarities between rigid and Milwaukee other then that they are tools


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## Hippie (May 12, 2011)

TOOL_5150 said:


> I must just be really lucky with my dewalt cordless tools. The only time I had a drill die is when I was using a flexbit in a ceiling, and tore my drill in half. This is after being thrown across the room a few times in its past, so the threads were already somewhat compromised.


Funny a flew bit was what killed my dewalt.. got bound up on a nail or something and instead of the auger snapping off like usually happens something in the chuck broke and from then on running it in reverse made it open up no matter how tight you made it


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## EBFD6 (Aug 17, 2008)

robnj772 said:


> Bull****
> 
> Ryobi is owned by Home Depot
> 
> And no I don't notice any similarities between rigid and Milwaukee other then that they are tools


TTI (Techtronic Industries) manufactures Ryobi and Milwaukee Tools.

From their website:

We believe powerful brands are performance- trusted. End users trust the products to perform; to work. Brand names like Milwaukee®, AEG®, Ryobi®, Stiletto®, Homelite®, Hoover®, Dirt Devil ®,Vax, are destination brands possessing the equity and the power to draw end users into retailers in multiple markets.



http://www.ttigroup.com/


Ridgid is owned by Emerson 

http://www.emerson.com/en-US/Pages/Default.aspx


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## captkirk (Nov 21, 2007)

Ive had a lot of luck with Makita...


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## captkirk (Nov 21, 2007)

Auger bits will kill most drills.... 
The best drill hands down was the old millwaukee 18 volt nicad.... the battery would go allll day long and it would drill through wood like it was mad at it.....amazing tool, built in germany and I was really sorry to see it go.....


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

robnj772 said:


> Bull****
> 
> Ryobi is owned by Home Depot
> 
> And no I don't notice any similarities between rigid and Milwaukee other then that they are tools


Ahhh no. Ryobi is Home Depot's house brand but they don't own them, just like their Husky tool line is made by Stanley, Danaher, etc.


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## Going_Commando (Oct 1, 2011)

Lone Crapshooter said:


> My tools for the most part are 20+ years old ALL have cords and I have a mixturer of Industrial Black and Decker Milwaukee and Porter Cable. The only problem I am having is dry rotted cords.
> Wile you all are changing your dead batteries out I will have the hole drilled or the hole cut or the screw tightened.
> Battery tools you can keep em.


Cordless tools save so much labor its not even funny. If I am only drilling a few holes through studs or in an attic/crawlspace I slap the 3/4" or 7/8" auger bit right into the m18 fuel or my old Rigid 18v and go to town while you are still running cords. I used a corded sawzall yesterday for the first time in 3 years. The only corded drill I use is the hammer drill when I am doing a bunch of holes. If I am only doing a few, or for 1/4" masonry anchors, out comes the m18 fuel and it gets flicked to hammer mode. The batteries in the fuel line last a ridiculously long time, and I can work all day without changing batteries. For drilling out a bunch of studs and whatnot, then out comes the Rigid hole hawg or the Milwaukee right angle drill. 

Does that mean you are also one of those guys that doesn't use an impact driver? I don't think I have ever seen one of those with a cord on it. If so, you really are in the stone age. :laughing:


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## 347sparky (May 14, 2012)

I had the planetary gears in my DeWalt 18v crap out when using a 1-1/8" unibit. The drill was 4-5 years old and seen that type of work almost everyday. My previous DeWalt lasted about 4 years too.


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## drspec (Sep 29, 2012)

EBFD6 said:


> TTI (Techtronic Industries) manufactures Ryobi and Milwaukee Tools.
> 
> From their website:
> 
> ...


 
at one point TTI had the contract for the Ridgid line and also the Craftsman line

go back an few years and you will notice the similarities between Ryobi and Craftsman


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## wendon (Sep 27, 2010)

I've got three M18 drill and have never had one fail. The oldest one doesn't shut off immediately after you release the trigger, probably something in the switch. As for using them hard, we routinely run auger bits and hole saws with them. I ran a 4½" hole saw on mine yesterday. I did smoke a Panasonic I had with an auger bit.


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## electric ninja (Feb 29, 2012)

I have the M18 line as well as the M12 line. I prefer them over Dewalt but, within the past 6 months I have had an 18v sawzall die on me (which Milwaukee wouldn't repair), a M12 hackzall die on me (which Milwaukee did repair) and an 18v red lithium battery die on me (which Milwaukee didn't replace). I had Dewalt for many years with the only issue being that I couldn't get my batteries to charge in the back of my service truck due to the heat. All things considered, I would probably go back to Dewalt or Bosch.


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## svh19044 (Jul 1, 2008)

electric ninja said:


> I have the M18 line as well as the M12 line. I prefer them over Dewalt but, within the past 6 months I have had an 18v sawzall die on me (which Milwaukee wouldn't repair), a M12 hackzall die on me (which Milwaukee did repair) and an 18v red lithium battery die on me (which Milwaukee didn't replace). I had Dewalt for many years with the only issue being that I couldn't get my batteries to charge in the back of my service truck due to the heat. All things considered, I would probably go back to Dewalt or Bosch.


Why didn't they repair the sawzall?


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## electric ninja (Feb 29, 2012)

svh19044 said:


> Why didn't they repair the sawzall?


They said it had water damage. The funny thing about that was that sawzall had never been exposed to water. While my M12 hackzall which I had been doing parking lot lighting with and I am sure got exposed to water got repaired.


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## kyler_dorsey (Jul 4, 2013)

The company I work for uses NOTHIN but Milwaukee for all of their power tools and I've burned up 3 drills in the past 4 years since I've been here. My personal Dewalt on the other hand has been through hell and back and still works perfectly fine. The only down fall is the fact that it weighs a ton lol.


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## chewy (May 9, 2010)

kyler_dorsey said:


> The company I work for uses NOTHIN but Milwaukee for all of their power tools and I've burned up 3 drills in the past 4 years since I've been here. My personal Dewalt on the other hand has been through hell and back and still works perfectly fine. The only down fall is the fact that it weighs a ton lol.


Treat the company tools like you treat your own then see how long they last.


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## kyler_dorsey (Jul 4, 2013)

Wasn't dogging them out. They were just ancient. They just recently started upgrading to the Fuels. A lot of the guys were having problems with the drills. It didn't help that when a drill burned up they wouldn't send it off to get it fixed, they would try to fix it themselves with a little handyman that works at our shop.


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