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When the sawzall bogs down/jams on the material slightly, which it does often, the battery drains instantly. I once was a Milwaukee fan, not any more. The V18 hammer drill that came with the kit caught on fire after one year as well. The impact and flashlight are the only two I have been satisfied with. I am an electrician who needs tools that will work every day, these were not it.
Haven't tried to get it fixed yet.Very disappointing. Have had the same kit for one year, except mine came with the impact instead of the circular. I made two 8"cuts on a 1/4 " piece of plywood the other day and the battery was dead. Wanted to warn others, so they would not make the same very expensive mistake of a purchase. Almost useless.
The keyless chuck system works well. The charging system works quickly and shuts off when done something my old system did not do. I've owned the Milwaukee combo for about a month and used it on two small projects so far. The fuel gauge on the batteries is helpfull in knowing when to charge. The drill is a little heavier than the 14.4 drill but the extra torque and battery life are worth it. It worked well in cutting through the wood and the nails. The blade depth lock was a little difficult to loosen the first time but worked well since.
It repalces my old 14.4 Nicad combo. The trim saw works especially well compared to the old one. As billed there is no power loss as the battery is depleted.This package should suit my needs for years to come. I have only used the recipricating saw once to cut out a window jamb.
The V series Lith Ions ARE better but if they are so good THEN WHY DID MILWAUKEE CHANGE THE MOUNTS ON THE M SERIES so they don't fit the V series or NiCad tools. If you are not already married to Milwaukee I WOULD STRONGLY SUGGEST you buy DeWalt or Makita. While the Milwaukee tools themselves are very good, the battery systems suck. Shame on Milwaukee for not passing on the benefits of their newest technology to existing customers Read all the problems the NiCads have had, I personally have trashed 7 of them.
The Drill doesn't get used much and is pretty hefty, but it's always the one I get for tougher drilling or using a hole saw. Outlasts dewalt 18v XRPs (brother's set) The tools themselves are what you would expect fron Milwaukee. These batteries now have a new and better cell formula, so I'm told by a Milwaukee rep. Bought this set 10 months ago for me and my help to use for demoing siding, trim, decks, fences, etc. This kit is very durable and powerful for an 18 volt Li set. Batteries slightly outlast the Makitas and well outlast the older Porter-Cable 19.2 volt kit I passed down after 4 1/2 years of use. The light works.Batteries went out at about 180 charges but are under warranty and Milwaukee customer service is very good. Overall the kit is well built.
I have a Makita LXT 601 kit for myself. The Sawzall has a good handle and front grip, the blade clamp never lets go during a cut and the variable speed is right. definately not the lightest or most compact, but a good set for an aggressive builder. Circular saw holds it's adjustments and has a nice baseplate, it's also as powerful, but the lower guard hangs up a bit.
I tried the other battery with only slightly better results. Turns out the batteries I got originally and the first set of replacements were all manufactured during the 42nd week of 2006. Must have been a bad run. I settled on the 4 tool pack (why the flashlight counts as a tool escapes me) knowing these 3 tools would meet most of my needs.A couple days after receiving the tools and charging each battery thoroughly, I put them to use tearing down an existing deck on the back of my house. If these tools don't work great, get with Milwaukee. The service guy determined the batteries were bad and replaced them both. They had me ship the drill, charger, and replacement batteries to them. 6 days later I got the tools back, with 2 new batteries.
They recommended I take the tools to a service center. My theory goes like this.the local tech taught me how to decode the serial number on the bottom of the battery. Bottom line, don't settle for poor performance. After doing much research, I determined that Milwaukee is at the peak of the price/performance curve for Li tools.
These new batteries are incredible. The Sawzall died after about 3 cuts. I ordered this set to replace a DeWalt set that was on its last legs. I finished the job with corded tools, then called customer service. I then charged these batteries and put the drill to work screwing down backerboard for a tile job.same poor performance. The new replacements are 14th week of 2009.
Power and torque like you wouldn't believe.So, what was the issue with 4 DOA batteries. I was immediately disappointed. Next I called Milwaukee in CA. And beware of Li batteries made in the 42nd week of 2006. That made all the difference.
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