Milwaukee M18 Radio 2890-20

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Yes, Milwaukee already has a lot of radios in their line up, but really what is one more?  Just in case you’re wondering, no it’s not replacing the Bluetooth 2792.  This is an update to the 2790-20.

You have to understand this radio.  This radio is not designed with all the bells and whistles of their 2792.  This radio doesn’t have Bluetooth and it won’t charge your batteries.  This is just your standard tough, rugged, work radio.  Since it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles, the price point is much lower which is only $119.  Now while some people might miss the Bluetooth, there are plenty of guys who just want a radio. Something they can hook their phone up to or listen to some local stations.

The radio is loud and for the most part it doesn’t do a bad job with reception.  The radio has dual speakers hidden behind the metal protection grills and shock absorbing end caps.  You can plug your phone into the 3.5 mm aux jack to jam to your favorite songs on your phone or iPad.  Inside the weather sealed compartment, there is also a USB charging port.  On the back of the radio, you can slide your 5 Ah battery to get up to 12 hours of run time or you can plug the radio into the wall for 24 hours of fun.  The radio also has a customization EQ with 10 presets for your favorite stations.

While this doesn’t have all the bells and whistles, I really love this radio.  It’s a plain, Jane radio that sounds good and just feels tough.  I like the box design and all the protection it has to offer.  It’s just one of the radios you know you can take around and beat the heck out of and it will just keep on playing.

7 COMMENTS

  1. still a rockin on m12 radio with mp3 player and 4amp battery…18 volt one ..looks good with
    bigger room for cell phone,,and charges ,,cool,,think on this one if i should upgrade,agree
    on bluetooth is nice..pluging in is better.Milwaukee strikes again with new radio ..like it,

  2. This doesn’t take m12 batteries though right? Only m18s? I wish Milwaukee made their radios more comparable between their two platforms. Still a nice looking radio though.

  3. I have the previous version on this radio and it is a great radio. I bought a bluetooth adaptor off Amazon for 15$ that plug into the 3.5 mm jack turning the radio in a a bluetooth radio. This looks like a sweet new radio but I like the fact on the old model that the battery is in he sealed compartment on top and it can be powered by m18 or m12. On the other hand this new radio is a lot smaller than the previous one which is nice for storing. And the square shape is also nice for storing

    Just my thoughts!

  4. Brilliant Radio, sounds fantastic, really good bass sound outdoors, use it with a Bluetooth adaptor powered from the USB outlet. Had this as a gift a few years back, and as all my power tools are DeWalt, didn’t have a battery to use off grid. But hey, found a DeWalt to Milwaukee battery adaptor on Amazon this week, and it works perfectly on battery now, sadly ’cause of the thickness of the adaptor a 5Ah battery is just a bit too thick to enable the radio to stand firm, so have to make do with a 2AH. Great bit of kit

  5. Poorly designed as if dropped a little transformer on the power board will break off. It then can’t be run on batteries as “because you have to plug it in to power and can’t just swap the battery out” according to one reviewer. The transformers’s wires were torn out so can’t be soldered back on.

    Absolutely no support from Milwaukee as far as parts or a circuit diagram. A month’s worth of emails from them each with a new reference number and no information.

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