Re: Milwaukee Batteries

[Jim Davis <alarminex@xxxxxxx>]

On Thursday, October 1, 2020 at 9:11:10 PM UTC-4, Bob La Londe wrote:
> On 10/1/2020 10:10 AM, Jim Davis wrote:
>  > On Wednesday, September 30, 2020 at 8:16:53 PM UTC-4, Bob La Londe wro=
te:
>  >> I've got a couple Milwaukee 18V Fuel cordless drills that were long
>  >> serving great lasting tools as a contractor.  One is from the very fi=
rst
>  >> release of the M18 Milwaukee tools, and the other is only a year or 2
>  >> newer.  I did finally have to replace the brushes in one of them, but
>  >> both are going strong... but not at the same time.  Out of the severa=
l
>  >> batteries I had for them only one still takes enough charge to be
>  >> useful.  I can still buy the batteries, but they are still expensive.
>  >>
>  >> Who has the best price on these batteries?
>  >>
>  >> I like the drills, but (I hate to admit this...) I bought a pair of
>  >> Harbor Freight Bauer cordless 20V drills and several batteries for th=
e
>  >> shop.  I could get a drill and battery with a charger for less than t=
he
>  >> lowest AH Milwaukee battery.  They work great for shop use.  I don't
>  >> know if they would hold up bouncing around in a tool box on my truck,
>  >> but in the shop at a year old they still look like brand new and they
>  >> get used all the time.  I also picked up a few other Bauer cordless
>  >> tools and service lights to use the same batteries.
>  >>
>  >> I'm not trying to be a commercial for Bauer drills.  What I want is t=
o
>  >> find the best price for some M18 Fuel Milwaukee batteries.  There are
>  >> times when more than 2 cordless drills would be handy and my wife thr=
ows
>  >> a temper tantrum if I borrow her Makitas from the house.  Also on the
>  >> front assembly bench in the shop (where all 4 drills and their charge=
rs
>  >> live when not in use) it would be really handy to leave each one with=
 a
>  >> different commonly used tool in the chuck.
>  >>
>  >> So far the only places I've found even a hint of a discount is from M=
SC,
>  >> but you have to buy six batteries at once.  There is an after market
>  >> battery substitute, but I read a couple reviews indicating they may n=
ot
>  >> hold up.  Could also be tool dealers posting trash reviews.
>  >> Unfortunately a lot of that happens.
>  >>
>  >> So anyway, who has the best price on the Milwaukee M18 batteries?
>  >>
>  >> I have also considered just going down to Harbor Freight and buying t=
wo
>  >> more Bauer drills.  They hold up fine (so far) for shop use.  The
>  >> Bauer's feel ok in the hand, but not as nice as the Milwaukee.  They
>  >> have plenty of torque, and the larger batteries have decent battery
>  >> life.  The only thing I actually dislike about the Bauer's is the sme=
ll.
>  >>    It doesn't give me a headache or anything, but its noticeable.  Li=
ke
>  >> it has an aromatic mold release they didn't wash off the injection mo=
ld
>  >> parts before assembly.
>  >>
>  >> So again, who has the best price on the Milwaukee M18 batteries?
>  >
>  > I never had need for heavy duty tools like Milwaukee and have used De=
=20
> Walt for years. About a year ago the 20 volt batteries started to get=20
> weak and I almost flipped when I saw the  price. $79,00 (if I remember=20
> right). I didn't buy them but a good thing I didn't. About a week or so=
=20
> later I see an add in a mail flyer from True Value Hardware down in town=
=20
> for a new drill and two batteries for $99.00 with a trade in of old=20
> batteries. So ---- now I have TWO drills and a new set of batteries for=
=20
> close to half the cost of two batteries. If this continues I could wind=
=20
> up with lots of extra drills !
>  >
>=20
> Well, my heavy duty drill is probably the 1" spline drive rotary hammer=
=20
> I bought to drill through several feet of reinforced structural=20
> concrete.  Those M18 Milwaukees are nice, but I only picked them over=20
> DeWalt because I had helped with warranty issues and some non standard=20
> chuck issues with DeWalt when I worked at Tool & Supply.
>=20
> As a contractor I always tried to buy the best tools when I could afford=
=20
> them so I wouldn't be left high and dry when I didn't have the cash to=20
> buy a replacement.

Yeah --- that was then

Now I think that Cargo Freight has prompted the age of throw away tools.=20

I've got a Bosh heavy duty hammer drill With the spline chuck and bits that=
 I spent a lot of money on when I really couldn't afford it many years ago.=
 I don't think I've used it more than 10 / 20 times. I could have bought ha=
lf a dozen cargo freight hammer drills=20
Yeah, I know, the inconvenience of having it break down when you really nee=
d it but ---- for the few times that's going to happen I could have put the=
 money to better use. And now the Bosh sits in it's metal box, I don't even=
 carry it in the van anymore and it's in perfectly good shape and I doubt i=
f I could get parts for it now it's so old.=20

Which reminds me --- back in 1985, Hurricane Gloria hit New York. In antici=
pation I went out and bought a Craftsman chain saw. I didn't have a problem=
 and haven't since, and that brand spankin new shiney chain saw sits down i=
n the basement to this day.
I doubt I could get parts for it any more.