Milwaukee Tools

So I’ve only worn them for a day, so I guess this is initial so far. I’ll update if anything changes. I guess to start, I wanted something with all these features (Bluetooth, active noise canceling tech, with audio pass through, NPH rating)
I have a few Peltor comtacs, including TEPs, and some other high end ear pros for work but still wanted the music for around the shop and to keep my work stuff with my work stuff.

So far, the ear buds when using the foam inserts is pretty solid. The silicon inserts are really comfortable but there is a little noise pass through which makes sense as that’s how they rated it. I wore them for about 6 hours, they are comfortable to me, and didn’t fall out or anything.

The active hearing, which by far is my favorite feature, is not as good as Peltor Comtacs or anything like that. It’s still harder to hear my wife’s soft ass voice in the distance even the audio maxed out. That said, I’m partially deaf. Like for real. I got blown up in Afghanistan around 2012, with a brain injury that related to my hearing so, disclaimer: it could very well just be that.

I watched a review on it, and someone said the audio for the Bluetooth wasn’t that loud. I thought it was loud. Like it was louder than a table saw indoors. It played pandora about as loud as I’d have music on in the shop. Sounded good to me quality wise. Again, considering.

Theres a 5 minute learning curve on the buttons. It’s pretty intuitive if you’re use to these type of ear buds. Left side turns on active hearing, right side pauses, play's, answers calls etc.

Noise cancellation, it works. I’m not set up to test the actual decibel reduction, but it takes a loud noises and reduces it. If you have it off then it’s like having foam ear protection. It took about an hour or so to charge the whole thing. The case is big as shit, so I put it in one of the packout boxes with the organizers. You could put it in your pocket but it would be like carrying a Motorola back in 2002.

 

New addition to the fleet. I hadn’t done any caulking since I sold a Ryobi with my old miscellaneous tool bundle. Started caulking shed and realized this manual hand caulking gun was a no go. Caulking house, shed and garage. So this is an almost essential tool. Review up coming.

 

my replacement came thursday. i've been busy.

both the 1st, and the replacement '2nd' units, the glass tubes around the UV led's were all broken. terrible setup with no shock prevention. i would really prefer to pay $60-100 for a quality setup that won't break instead of the $40 for something that needs work...

i took matters into my own hands with the 2nd, as i don't see a way that getting a 3rd replacement would have a different result.
of note, the 1st one, on the led bulb, 1 of the strips did not work. the 2nd, all the strips worked.

turns out the top half twists off for easy bulb access(really a very nice design, as AvE would say, the molding work is exceptional), and the bulb is just a household UV bulb adapted to 18-21v input, looks like using a commercial cfl-type bulb construction, just with led strips in the glass tubes. i haven't located the source for replacement bulbs yet, but still digging.

i broke out the rest of the glass, added an o-ring to the top to hold the led boards together in a cone, then siliconed the tops to hold the strips together, and the bottom holes where the glass tubes used to insert.

 

i've tried all the different bits via standard channels.

the milwaukee are some of the best--even if they suck. dewalt were just as good when they were titanium-coated, but then dewalt and milwaukee flip-flopped on using titanium coating and black oxide, and milwaukee work better now. black oxide just sucks. the spyder bits cut better, but still seem to dull at close to the same rate despite costing a little more. rigid's cryo-treated bits are significantly more brittle, ryobi bits are dull out of the box, and anything at menards seem to be downright soft metal.

lately, i've been using 'black and gold jobber' fastenal bits at work, they seem to last similarly as the milwaukee, but they don't cost me anything to use...

biggest help for longer bit life is to do at least 2-steps, and always use cutting fluid. start with 1/8", then go up to the intended size. helps significantly with wear, and means larger bits aren't fighting the material as much trying to punch the tip through while also cutting.

 

Mine arrived with all 3 glass tubes intact but loose parts rattle inside when you shake it. It initially didn't work with a 5.0 batt, then I found it sometimes works depending on when it was last smacked like a CRT monitor.

When working, it pops something every couple minutes and sounds as authoritative as an old school one.

Given the high voltage part seems legit when it does work, I'm thinking it might be worth trying to fix.

 

I’ve been wondering where my bug zapper is. I accidentally used the old debit card at checkout

 

I need to delete my gift cards; it's set as default for purchases and I've forgotten on 2 different orders already

 

given my knack of finding unique items, at my last job my boss asked me a number of times to find and order things off Amazon for work. no big deal, i had a work credit card. the problem is that amazon doesn't have an easy to access one-time-payment system. so the company card got added to my account. my main card i use is a mastercard, and the company card is also a mastercard.

due to the way they're listed under the payment screen, i accidentally ended up using the company mastercard for personal purchases for a full year before accounting caught it. that wasn't so fun to have to pay back...

 

If you haven't figured out a work around, on Amazon you can change the name on the card to its intended useage, thats how I keep my three cards separate.

 

Has anyone tried both m12 and m18 air compressors??

I got the m12 and while it’s great, it does take some time to top off 35” tires… Wondering if the m18 compressor is worth the purchase.

 

I had that cobalt set at work. They were pretty nice, but in an industrial environment they barely held up better than the titanium coated ones. Especially the 7/32 I use as a pre-drill for the self threading 1/4-20 screws.

McMaster Carr has some that hold up to the abuse pretty good. Forget which ones they are.

 

Well, to be fair...in an industrial environment Milwaukee wouldn't be on the list of bits to buy from

With the exception of portable tools, cause they offer a great variety for tradesmen, a lot of us use these tools as hobbyists

At least I do, just a hobbyist here

I intentionally tried to break this one drilling through all the ghost ornaments I made



This specific bit has drilled through a lot of rivets and spring steel, as well as that steel rod last week, and it wouldn't penetrate all the way through mild steel

Just grabbed the other same size bit and ran through them like a hot knife through butter



But really, the old bit with all the force I put on it would not snap even when it was bending

 

Meanwhile all the Milwaukee 18v stuff at work puts up with the serious abuse we put it through. I've dropped the impacts and grinders off platforms and they still worked. One of the reasons I went with Milwaukee for my home stuff.

 

My impact has been through rain, mud, and more in many offroad environments so yeah definitely taken a beating

All my angle grinders too; my Milwaukee and Metabo both have shared their beatings in the industrial environment

Use both at home still

McMaster Carr for these goodies (pic my friend sent)

 

I used a Milwaukee impact as a hammer the other day...

 

I mean, impact so you're not wrong

 

I did it in front of the boss too. All I got was a "really dude!?"

 

that's why they make the back side of it flat!