Better drill for hard use? Milwaukee M18 "2904" or ...?

[5030]

Keep in mind that DeWalt and Milwaukee are made in the same factory in China and are owned by the same company which I believe is domestic but the tools are made offshore.

My issue with DeWalt has always been the batteries (I also have one) and the high replacement cost of the batteries coupled with the short working life. Rechargeable batteries all basically have the same (guts) inside power cells so I think it comes down to the quality of the cells themselves.

With DeWalt, the motors tend to fail for me but mine are brushed and the newer ones are brushless (just like the new Bauer's are). I do know the HF Bauer 20 volt cordless tools run longer on a charge and seem to run better which may be my imagination, not sure.

One thing I don't worry about with my cordless tools and that is the packs overheating and catching on fire (like the EV cars are doing, seem to be shorting out and catching on fire). The Bauer chargers which are pretty cheap, have 100% shutoff when the pack is fully charged so I'm not worried about them catching on fire from a forced over charge and setting my shop on fire. I can leave them in the charger for a protracted amount of time, and I do.

Li-Ion batteries are very touchy when forced to charge past a certain percentage and overheat and/or combust.

Like I said previously, cordless tools for me are about convenience but not about power delivered per charge.

In my humble opinion, Li-Ion battery technology needs to catch up to real world use and then the instances of them catching on fire will be minimal at best.

Like everything else today that involves technology, they (manufacturers) put stuff on the market without doing the necessary homework and exploring ALL possibilities of failure.

 

[5030]

Interestingly, all the battery packs share the same cell technology so the difference must be in the quality of the cells themselves. The old adage applies..... get 'em cheap and stack 'em deep....

 

[Soloz2]

I’ve been very happy with my M18 and M12 tools. That said, for heavy use a corded tool will typically be better assuming there’s an outlet nearby.

 

[5030]

for heavy use a corded tool will typically be better assuming there’s an outlet nearby.

That is the downfall just like air tools are. Gotta be near the power source. I sort of remedy that here at the farm by carrying a 2000 watt Inverter generator in the bed of the side by side as well as a 20 foot HD extension cord. Most of my heavy fabrication is right in front of the shop or inside it so air power isn't an issue at all and with a rotary screw compressor I have an abundance of CFM to work with, plus it's dry air as the screw compressor has a built in condensate dryer. I have an Echo 110 volt pole trimmer I use a lot and it has way more balls than any battery powered trimmer could hope to have. Runs all day with nothing but a refill of bar oil and possibly a new loop if the loop gets dull.

 

[woody]

I switched over to Milwaukee several years ago and just bought my Dad a combo set for fathers day because his old 19.2 craftsmen batteries have bit the dust. Several years ago I was looking for something better and the power plant I was working at bought some Milwaukee tools for us to use during an outage because the shop had been using them for years and they were holding up great. After that outage and seeing first hand how some of the guys treated the tools and they all still worked I switched over and have been satisfied. I will say be aware there are different models so stick with the Fuel branded ones.

 

[5030]

TTC (Torque Test Channel) on you tube usually provides some informative information as to where the tools are made and who owns the companies. Like I said, Milwaukee, DeWalt and I believe Ridgid are all made in the same offshore factory. Makita and Ryobi have their own factories over there. I do know that Makita owned Tanaka (chain saws and gas powered tools) but has since liquidated them and there are 2 very distinct Makita lines. The ones made in Japan and the ones made in China and the prices reflect that.

'World Class Manufacturing' has blurred the exact location of where tools (and lots of other stuff) is produced today.

Kind of like Mahindra tractors, could be made in India but could also be assembled here, Their Roxor vehicle is a prime example. It's produced from parts made everywhere, including India, but final assembly here in Michigan (Farmington Hills) to be exact. All comes in, in overseas containers. I believe Mahindra does that to beat the import tax.

Kubota does the same to a lesser extent. The large tractors are shipped in containers from offshore but the final assembly is done in Georgia. They come in minus wheels and tires and some other parts and are put together here.

 

[chim]

Since I have both the Milwaukee M18 and DeWalt 20V Max, I can comment on the comparison. These live side by side and they don't fight each other. I'm not Project Farm, so I have opinions rather than charts made by using diagnostic equipment.

There really isn't much difference between them. I haven't noticed a difference in battery life. Both drill holes in steel. One point for the Milwaukee is that the speed control can be varied more smoothly. That's something 90% of the people wouldn't notice because they tend to mash the trigger all the way during normal use. Instead of taking advantage of the VS trigger, they jump on and off of it. [Rant over / Pet peeve] As mentioned somewhere else recently, I've been using my 1/4" impacts with a pop-in chuck more than the drill/drivers the last couple years.

The hammerdrill feature is OK for Harry Homeowner installing fasteners in block walls. Not much else. Any serious fastening requires a rotary hammer. For anyone not familiar with the difference, a hammerdrill makes an irritating loud bee sound and isn't great at drilling concrete. A rotary hammer sounds more like a jackhammer and eats into concrete almost as though it is wood. The DeWalt 20V rotary hammer works quite well.

For bunches of bigger holes in concrete the old corded Bosch comes out of retirement. That happens very infrequently.

If something needs some serious turning, like a drywall paddle mixer or large holesaw, the 1970 vintage B&D corded angle drill is the choice. Depending upon the situation, the mag drill or 3/4" drill press help out as well.

 

[finn1]

Dewalt or Bosch. I have probably a half dozen or more Milwaukee M18 and M12 tools and find them disappointing compared to their Dewalt counterparts

 

[LittleBill21]

One point for the Milwaukee is that the speed control can be varied more smoothly. That's something 90% of the people wouldn't notice because they tend to mash the trigger all the way during normal use. Instead of taking advantage of the VS trigger, they jump on and off of it. [Rant over / Pet peeve]

Oh does this drive me insane, I see people do it all the time, I'm like wtf are you doing, after they blow out the screw.

 

[chim]

One thing I failed to bring up with regard to batteries is the significance of DeWalt going from 18V to 20V. We had an opportunity to speak with some engineers from DeWalt and the combination of going from NiCad to LIon batteries and bringing out the brushless line of tools was really a big deal. Anyone going from the old 18V to the new 20V was impressed with the performace. The LIon batteries will hold a charge for a long time. One of the problems with the 18's is that a NiCad battery that was charged and stored for a while was discharged when you went for it.

Both the 18V and 20V provide the same open terminal voltage, but the DeWalt guys said they wanted to differentiate between the NiCad and LIon batteries. Of course, using 20V in lieu of 18V made them sound beefier - wink wink, nod nod.

At one time we thought the 18V platform was THE killer stuff. That was because back then it was pretty good. I was working construction when B&D had battery drills that wouldn't drive a screw into a 2x4. Around '89 or so I remember seeing the first B&D Kodiak, which I think was a 12V. It was so much better than the old (6v?) that it replaced. Since then there has been a whole lot of improvements by different manufacturers.