New tool releases from Milwaukee

Here’s a few minor releases from Milwaukee that’s not exactly the forefront of what you might see

I actually bought a few things….

The new plumber’s level is awesome!!

The Empire level I bought as well to compare, it will play second fiddle to the Milwaukee though…..

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Love the enormous vial, the strong magnets and the compact but sturdy design. I had the previous level which I wholly disliked, but kept using it just because i kept putting off getting a new one.

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Then there’s the 12″ (also have a 6″ model available) measure wheel.

I’ve never had a measure wheel, although I’ve used one at work.

This one has a major issue which is unacceptable for me, it will be getting exchanged shortly

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The number roll doesn’t turn sometimes, you can watch the clip below of it being problematic. I haven’t ever had the one at work mess up like this.

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I love the kickstand design they used on this, but the the zero point indicator?? Seriously? Quite useless IMO…

It has a little flap of rubber to keep the dirt scraped off the wheel, ok that’s cool I guess

Folds up nicely and really, I like the way it rides along the ground, it feels like it’s heavier and doesn’t bump around so much.

Honestly, I was expecting more, but in reality, the faulty number wheel is the weakest link, so you know what they say about the weakest link…..

As you can see, the indicator pointer will get hung up on stuff, and it’s pretty cheesy, I could snap it off by setting it down wrong the first time.

Only thing I need now to really like this is a properly functioning number dial.

It has a sweet handle mounted dial reset and wheel brake! If I need to measure overall length of something and have to pick it up and set it down, I like that a lot!

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Oh, and it is pretty sturdy!!

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Also decided to give the new tape measures a try, 2 for 1 deal at HD…

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Smaller hook on the end, can stand the tape up when measure out a board and you lock the tape and let it set, the hook isn’t “tighter than a frog’s a$$” anymore, as someone put it LOL!! It actually sits on my belt so much better without me having to pry the clip out with a pair of pliers (that’s what I had to do on the previous version) you would never have it come off your belt, but you could never get it to go on either!!!

Another thing worth mentioning is my new crawlspace light, the M18 spotlight.

I put it on spotlight mode when i’m about to enter a crawlspace and can shine it to the farthest corners of the crawlspace to see the spot i need to go to, then on my way there, and when I get to the spot i need to investigate, I switch it to flood mode and get to work.

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Also it brings back memories from grade school when the star field screensaver was all the rage LOL!!!!

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The other new torpedo level:

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On this level, the magnets are in the V-groove of the level, on my new plumbers torpedo level, the magnets are on the flat. 

This is to place this level on a piece of pipe to hold it there easier, iron pipe, or conduit.

Take the following with a grain of salt, take away from it what you will….

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KnarlyCarl wrote:

15 minutes ago, KnarlyCarl said:

The other new torpedo level:

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On this level, the magnets are in the V-groove of the level, on my new plumbers torpedo level, the magnets are on the flat. 

This is to place this level on a piece of pipe to hold it there easier, iron pipe, or conduit.

 

Take the following with a grain of salt, take away from it what you will….

 

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I like the looks of this one….I’m waiting on the weed wacker……..

How do the levels compare to Stabila?

Bremon wrote:

6 minutes ago, Bremon said:

How do the levels compare to Stabila?

I have no idea, I can’t find a graduated level that is all rectangular, the closest I found was THIS which isn’t available, but I don’t want those round parts preventing easy access in my toolvest I would carry the level in.

I imagine the the 10″ level listed above, I would need to have a use for them to buy them to compare, as it is, i have no need for the 10″ level anyways… 

Can’t speak for the Milwaukee rolling measure, but my Stanley does the same thing. Seems to be when I don’t press the clear/reset button all the way. Disappointing to see this on Milwaukee. 

Daniel Julian wrote:

19 minutes ago, Daniel Julian said:

Can’t speak for the Milwaukee rolling measure, but my Stanley does the same thing. Seems to be when I don’t press the clear/reset button all the way. Disappointing to see this on Milwaukee. 

Huh. If that’s the case, I’ll just stick to my 300′ tape roll….

I really like the design of empire levels. the blue vial looks cool to me

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I know @Stercorarius is just soooo excited about this one?

why so many different radio’s, why not spend the money on research and developing for cordless routers or table saws, or or or or

Agreed, comp, I guess it’s big enough seller, I don’t use one but maybe once a week. More people like me and they would have to look at developing something else haha

I use a jobsite radio 12 hours a day 5-6 days a week. I’m excited for this release lol. 

Bremon wrote:

1 minute ago, Bremon said:

I use a jobsite radio 12 hours a day 5-6 days a week. I’m excited for this release lol. 

I have one on in my shop 24/7 (plugged in)  but it is only for background sound don’t need it to be a discotech

KnarlyCarl wrote:

49 minutes ago, KnarlyCarl said:

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I know @Stercorarius is just soooo excited about this one?

I’m definitely in the “excited to get this” group on this one. I love how compact the M12 speaker is, but the sound could definitely be better. 

khariV wrote:

2 hours ago, khariV said:

I’m definitely in the “excited to get this” group on this one. I love how compact the M12 speaker is, but the sound could definitely be better. 

Agreed, this will replace my M12 for sure. 

comp56 wrote:

3 hours ago, comp56 said:

I have one on in my shop 24/7 (plugged in)  but it is only for background sound don’t need it to be a discotech

I need the discotech lol. If it can’t go loud then odds are I can’t hear talk radio over what I’m doing 75 feet away worth a crap. The shop is full of compressors, CNC, electric and pneumatic pumps, etc. How can I pass the day without quality programming like Edmonton AM or Alberta @ Noon 😛

I dislike it already because they use Bose and Beats as the benchmark to compare it against. Both overpriced, overhyped, and underwhelming in my opinion.

I’m thinking about this for a shop / job site radio.  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016V8XF74/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=tooinact-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B016V8XF74&linkId=070fbbf94c2ec37dafee54d54de996c8

The battery has 100hrs of life, so does it really have to run off my cordless batteries? I have all Milwaukee and their 40 watt radio is 200.00 This is 80 watts for the same price. 

Stercorarius wrote:

8 minutes ago, Stercorarius said:

I dislike it already because they use Bose and Beats as the benchmark to compare it against. Both overpriced, overhyped, and underwhelming in my opinion.

Agreed on Bose and Beats but they’re popular so it makes sense to compare against them. I’m excited for it and the level, I’m glad I haven’t invested in a Milwaukee radio yet, just using a cheap bluetooth speaker. Some of the speaker tech is insane, I’ll have to post a picture of some of the premium sound speakers in Sharp and Panasonic TVs.

SetBuilder wrote:

8 minutes ago, SetBuilder said:

I’m thinking about this for a shop / job site radio.  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016V8XF74/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=tooinact-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B016V8XF74&linkId=070fbbf94c2ec37dafee54d54de996c8

 

The battery has 100hrs of life, so does it really have to run off my cordless batteries? I have all Milwaukee and their 40 watt radio is 200.00 This is 80 watts for the same price. 

I’ve fixed one under warranty. The sound is decent and battery lasts a while, it uses the same batteries in APS UPS (battery backups). It’s not exactly electronically robust, get the longest warranty you can. I have pictures of the boards somewhere, let me see if I can find them.

SetBuilder wrote:

22 minutes ago, SetBuilder said:

I’m thinking about this for a shop / job site radio.  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016V8XF74/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=tooinact-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B016V8XF74&linkId=070fbbf94c2ec37dafee54d54de996c8

 

The battery has 100hrs of life, so does it really have to run off my cordless batteries? I have all Milwaukee and their 40 watt radio is 200.00 This is 80 watts for the same price. 

Here are the pics(I thought I had better pics:

Main board, notice the fit isn’t very good. This board had to be replaced because the bluetooth wasn’t working:

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Cheap components, this had to be replaced because the battery wouldn’t charge.

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It mostly tore down:

No picture of the power supply but it’s in the top right of this photo covered by a black piece of plastic. It had a couple of bodges on it but it worked.

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This is the replacement battery(I believe), in talking to their service department this was a common failure. This unit needed this replaced as well.

https://www.amazon.com/APC-Back-UPS-650-12V-Battery/dp/B00A82MU6W

I’ve worked on one of these and three of the five major parts had to be replaced AND the power switch didn’t work. BUY THE EXTENDED WARRANTY!!!

I kinda like the idea of a sound bar for the jobsite though the M18 bluetooth isn’t exactly portable

Preorder the Speaker from Toolnut or HD and get it mid January

KnarlyCarl wrote:

36 minutes ago, KnarlyCarl said:

Preorder the Speaker from Toolnut or HD and get it mid January

Knarly do you know the price off hand? 

 Just saw it on Tool nuts website for $149.00. 

KnarlyCarl wrote:

1 hour ago, KnarlyCarl said:

Preorder the Speaker from Toolnut or HD and get it mid January

Preorder!!! Hahaha, now that’s funny (because it’s worked out so well for the Flexvolt crowd). 

BMack37 wrote:

23 hours ago, BMack37 said:

 

Here are the pics(I thought I had better pics:

Main board, notice the fit isn’t very good. This board had to be replaced because the bluetooth wasn’t working:

[External image (i.imgur.com), not copied]

 

Cheap components, this had to be replaced because the battery wouldn’t charge.

[External image (i.imgur.com), not copied]

 

It mostly tore down:

No picture of the power supply but it’s in the top right of this photo covered by a black piece of plastic. It had a couple of bodges on it but it worked.

[External image (i.imgur.com), not copied]

 

This is the replacement battery(I believe), in talking to their service department this was a common failure. This unit needed this replaced as well.

https://www.amazon.com/APC-Back-UPS-650-12V-Battery/dp/B00A82MU6W

 

I’ve worked on one of these and three of the five major parts had to be replaced AND the power switch didn’t work. BUY THE EXTENDED WARRANTY!!!

Thanks for the heads up

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Milwaukee sent me a replacement, it works perfectly, whatever glitch was going on with my first one, this one just sounds better, the gears inside are smooth.  You can’t hear it in this video, but that’s what I noticed right away in person

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New light coming soon for electric companies with utility buckets

But why wouldn’t the buckets already have lights built into them…?

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There are many ways to solve that problem that don’t involve buying a light that’s so narrow in its utility. 

Bremon wrote:

5 hours ago, Bremon said:

There are many ways to solve that problem that don’t involve buying a light that’s so narrow in its utility. 

Probably, but like many specialty tools, if you work in a bucket all the time at night, a dedicated light that does exactly what you need it to do without having to jury rig something is probably worth the the $900. 

Could be true. In other “new tool” news, my 2731 from the 9.0 kit has a similar loose shoe to @KnarlyCarl had on his before he fixed it. Not a deal breaker but it’s a pretty poor look for Milwaukee. I’ll be interested to check some FlexVolt shoes out in store because I feel Milwaukee quality is dropping lately. My rotozip better not disappoint; it’s a significant price hike compared to the yellow version. 

Bremon wrote:

5 hours ago, Bremon said:

There are many ways to solve that problem that don’t involve buying a light that’s so narrow in its utility. 

I dont know, I can see this being useful in a new commercial build hanging on a scissor lift while in a dark corner, i’ve been there myself wishing there was more light, but then again, that is a hefty price tag

KnarlyCarl wrote:

Just now, KnarlyCarl said:

I dont know, I can see this being useful in a new commercial build hanging on a scissor lift while in a dark corner, i’ve been there myself wishing there was more light, but then again, that is a hefty price tag

Actually I’ve worked out of various lifts at various times enough to know that it’s probably more useful than I give it credit for. 

Bremon wrote:

Just now, Bremon said:

Could be true. In other “new tool” news, my 2731 from the 9.0 kit has a similar loose shoe to @KnarlyCarl had on his before he fixed it. Not a deal breaker but it’s a pretty poor look for Milwaukee. I’ll be interested to check some FlexVolt shoes out in store because I feel Milwaukee quality is dropping lately. My rotozip better not disappoint; it’s a significant price hike compared to the yellow version. 

I almost wonder if the saw they shipped with the 9.0 kit wasn’t on the same production as the bare tool or earlier releases, because i have been in touch with other guys about it, and they say the base is solid.

A guy at work bought the same deal and had it a little loose, he took the outer guard off and bent the bracket that the pin runs through to make it tighter on the swivel…  hard to describe in writing..

I, on the other had, took a drift and beat the pin so it would act like a rivet, making it real tight against the bracket. Disappointing, to say the least…

Sort of a piss off for sure. I’d suspect the different packaging could play a part, seems packaged sort of haggardly compared to the way the bare tool was packaged. Different line or extra shift type scenario makes sense too. 

At that price I’d buy two rocket lights and stand one in the bucket with me.

jeffmcmillan wrote:

7 hours ago, jeffmcmillan said:

At that price I’d buy two rocket lights and stand one in the bucket with me.

Haha I noticed the light heads are the same as on my m18 searchlight. Two of them for under $200 total and make your own mount lol…. 

Bremon wrote:

14 hours ago, Bremon said:

 I feel Milwaukee quality is dropping lately.

Is milwaukee turning into the dewalt of a few years back?

Jronman wrote:

5 hours ago, Jronman said:

Is milwaukee turning into the dewalt of a few years back?

I hope not. That would be such a shame. I’m very happy with my Milwaukee stuff, just a couple small things that bother me, this loose shoe being the most egregious. 

Jronman wrote:

Is milwaukee turning into the dewalt of a few years back?

T drill for manifolds

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Coptool:

“Designed to withstand the environments in which most linemen work on a daily basis, the Bucket Light is IP56 Ingress Protected against dust and water to withstand severe weather conditions. It also features a sealed battery compartment for use in heavy rain and storms. It is certified for use in high voltage environments up to 69 KV and has a chemical and impact resistant lens that can take falls up to 6 feet.”

This product is totally for utility companies. Even big electrical companies would struggle needing one

Southwire branded crimping tool

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Launching this month:

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Anyone know what the differences is between the southwire and milwaukee branded crimpers?  The look pretty much the same to me.

jeffmcmillan wrote:

On 12/5/2016 at 0:28 AM, jeffmcmillan said:

Anyone know what the differences is between the southwire and milwaukee branded crimpers?  The look pretty much the same to me.

No idea, wouldn’t be surprised if they were the same thing.

100′ and 300′ open tape:

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100′ closedn reel tape:

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KnarlyCarl wrote:

On December 4, 2016 at 0:17 AM, KnarlyCarl said:

T drill for manifolds

 

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Love the T-Drill 

I’ll probably get the new Milwaukee speaker. Wish it had a rafter hook though….