Milwaukee Hole Hawg/How to safely use
yojimbo2
| Posted in Tools for Home Building on
I longer use my milwaukee hole hawg. I am six weeks into recovering from a crushed index finger from this drill. Many times I have almost broken my hand, dislocated my elbow, ect.
There must be a technique in using this drill safely, any pointers?
Replies
Don't use it with an auger bit or nut driver. My partner has a DeWalt drill that I refuse to use for these applications because the user will hurt himself. It works great with a spade bit, which we use whenever we are plating over concrete. The hole hawg looks to big for all those jobs, though.
I like to use it for mixing thinset, grout, etc.
Yea, have the apprentice/helper use it...and make sure they've got medical.
No, seriously, the whole trick is to figure out what direction the handle and the auxiliary (pipe) handle are going to move in if the bit stops and the reaction torque spins the body of the drill motor. Knowing that, you:
-- keep any and all body parts out of the space between the drill handle and body and any solid object that the drill will rotate towards if (when) it binds. That includes your head, if you're drilling in close quarters like a crawlspace;
-- position the handle or aux handle against a framing member or other solid object so that the drill won't move if it binds; and,
-- hold the handle so your palm is not between the handle and any stationary object, in the direction it's gonna move if it binds. Then when the bit binds, you can open your hand and let go of the handle, instead of getting pinched. And man, does that happen fast.
I think that the Superhawg has a clutch in the low range. The Makita and DeWalt hole hawgs have a clutch. But I'll chance it with the real hole hawg, cuz I've got one and I don't want to replace it if it works.
Good luck
Cliff
I might add, don't get into a position where the drill binds and the handle comes at you when your on a ladder. Yeah, OK, so I was in a hurry.
A while back someone here on BT suggested having the extension cord tied off to something and not having much slack. That way if the drill starts spinning it unplugs itself.
Never try to drill a 4" hole in a ceiling with a hole saw while standing on a step ladder.
.
.
"After the laws of Physics, everything else is opinion"
-Neil deGrasse Tyson
.
.
.
If Pasta and Antipasta meet is it the end of the Universe???
.
.
.
according to statistical analysis, "for some time now, bears apparently have been going to the bathroom in the woods."
a long time ago....I was drilling a 4 5/8 hole in a 2x6 top plate...hit a nail, and all hell broke loose...let me back up a bit...I had positioned the drill properly, had the sid ehadle properly bucked up next to the nearest stud, and was expecting to hit a nail...
well, I did hit that nail...the bit stopped, and as I started to take my finger off the trigger, the handle kicked the damn stud out of the plate, and pulled me off the ladder...at this point, the drill continued to spin, with me hanging onto it, and, as the cord started to wrap around me, the drill and my finger on the trigger, I was having a hellof a ride...the fifty foot of slack in the extension cord had me so tied up before it finally pulled out of the socket...did I mention that I will no longer tie knots to keep the appliance cord and the extension cord together?
LMAO, That is a classic picture that will keep me laughing all day!
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
It is hard to believe but a 4" hole saw only 1/2 way thru a 2x6 will have a withdrawal resistance greater than the weight of a 23 yo carpenter and a milwaukee Hole Hawg...I shoulda loaded up my pouches with nails 1st.....
.
"After the laws of Physics, everything else is opinion" -Neil deGrasse Tyson
.
.
.
If Pasta and Antipasta meet is it the end of the Universe???
.
.
.
according to statistical analysis, "for some time now, bears apparently have been going to the bathroom in the woods."
Lat time mine bound up, I was drilling down, and the side handle whacked me in the thighs. I noticed nice purple marks there that night in the shower.That was a few months ago. I used it again yesterday for mixing thinset, and fond out that the side handle was bent about 20°
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
A couple of tips,
When I drill through metal, a never use the chuck key to tighten the chuck jaws. I go as tight as I can with my hands, and that's it. When the bit goes through the metal, the jaws slip on the bit rather than wrench the drill. This is assuming a the bit has a smooth shank. Sort of a clutch system.
Also, when I do drill through stuff that has me nervous, I hold on lightly to the drill. If it does start to bind, I let go, and watch it spin. No drill bit is worth more than my fingers, wrist, or head.
Hole hawgs are great, but to practice using them safely, go grab a wolf by the ears.
I meditate, I burn candles, I drink green tea, and still I want to smack someone.
I treat my Hole Hawg like I treat my motorcycle. A healthy dose of caution, fear, and understanding of the consequences is always a part of the experience.
Thinset mixing is no problem.
Drilling smaller holes in lumber can usually be handled safely by proper positioning.
Firm footing and balance is a must. Don't lean into the work. Drill as if you were holding the drill in the air, and be ready to let go. I try to use the Milwaukee self-feeding bits. This allows the drill to do all the pulling.
Be aware of cord position.
One way or another, the drill will catch on something regularly, and you just have to be able to recover when it happens.
On larger holes, I just go maybe one revolution at a time and let go of the trigger. This is not the time to rush.
Finally, I always plan to let go with one hand first if the drill hangs up. It should be the trigger hand. That hand will not get hurt, no matter what happens. The other hand should be ready to do a semi-controlled stop and let go at the opportune moment.
If you have to get on a ladder, such as when cutting a 4" vent hole in siding, use an 18V cordless drill and go at the slowest speed. The clutch setting can make this job quite safe.
Dan,
"...but to practice using them safely, go grab a wolf by the ears."
That's a classic!
Cliff
"Thinset mixing is no problem."
Usually.
My Lovely Assistant decided to use the Milwaukee 1/2" to mix some plaster. OK. Fine.
But she left the chuck key (attached to the cord) in the chuck after she put the paddle on. Ripped the cord right outa the drill before she knew what was up. ;-)
Mike HennessyPittsburgh, PA
When I use mine I, like others mentioned NEVER place a part of my body between the drill body and something that will not move. I keep the aux handle screwed in and place it against a stud, wall, whatever I can when I can.
Lastly, Don't forget to let go. Don't fight it. It's kinda like using a Hurst rescue tool.
Anytime mine goes back in it's nice red box with no fresh blood on it is a successful flight.
Vicious thing, and I have a 3/4" drill that's even meaner.
Joe H
My dad had a beast of a 3/4" drill, that would give free rides to those who weren't ready for it.
I don't know what ever happened to that thing. And I don't care, either.
An old timber-framer's trick is to put a pipe or bar clamp on the beam you are mortising. Then when the drill grabs, the side handle will stop on the clamp bar.
I like extra-long pipe handles, too. 24"-30" give a lot better leverage.
AitchKay
The Super Hole Hawg has a clutch on low speed. Works great.
http://www.milwaukeeconnect.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_27_40028_-1_684308_192164_192137
I'm not sure I know how to explain it, but I dont stand behind it but more to the side of the drill so might right arm is about 80% extended. This allows me more leverage to control the drill yet my arm still has "give" so that my arm doesn't get ripped out of its socket.
The best advice,like others said is to make sure your hand can't get pinched between the handle and studs etc.
I cannot imagine using one all day long.
Thanks for all the feedback. I have been doing variations of what you guys mentioned, but ever since my injury I have been totally spooked.I will share what happened if I may: We were floating a floor using floor leveler. Mixing many bags, and doing it fast. When mixing grout, etc., I never use the key to tighten the chuck, not necessary. Someone used the key to tighten the chuck this time, left the key in after we started to clean up, and then walked away before releasing the mixing paddle. I grabbed the drill, put my hand on the clutch and pulled the trigger. The key crushed my left index finger against the body of the drill. The tip of the finger was trapped, I could not pull it out. I had my friend cut the key off with a zip blade on a grinder. My friend's hands shake, not unlike someone who has Parkinsons. At one point the key became very hot and we had to pour water over it to cool it. The blade in grinder was too small to get through the key, so we had to stop and replace the blade. I remember that it did not really hurt. The pain really kicked in when I got the hospital about 20 minutes later. My finger is mending nicely, but the nail is gone and that area looks hideous.Hopefully this story will help others avoid a similar fate.
I used one on a daily basis, for a while, installing central vac piping - so exclusively with a 2 9/16" self-feed bit. Hit nails all the time, so here's what I learned.
Use a light touch. You really do have to think about exactly what will happen when it wants to go nuts. You absolutely want it to pop out of your hands and smack into something other than you. It's going for a ride and you won't stop that.
I developed kind of an open-handed grip.
I have found the best way to use that beast is to sell it at a yard sale to someone you don't know or better yet someone you don't like. I then used the money to buy the smaller Milwaukee right angle drill. I can still drill with a 4" holesaw and I no longer worry about losing any limbs. I only had mine a few months. Only one tool scares me more than that drill and thats my freud bisquit jointer. The thought of shoving my thumb into that bit makes me cringe everytime I look at that tool. It cuts a nice groove in your thumbnail to.