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Milwaukee Jobsite Radio

| Posted in Tools for Home Building on October 24, 2002 01:27am

Finally went out and bought this new radio from HD–traded in an old drill and got the 10% discount. Our crew’s old DeWalt radio just sucked, plus the antenna screw had gotten lost so we’ve had to make a makeshift antenna from scrap wire and a hurricane strap. The Milwaukee is very nice–digital tuning, preset stations, bass boost, a cell phone charger outlet, and a little ditty bag on the back (I tote my Discman in it). Only thing that isn’t good is it isn’t a battery charger like the DW. Now, instead of trying to keep a station in tune, we’re fighting over which station to listen to!

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Replies

  1. User avater
    Qtrmeg | Oct 24, 2002 01:34am | #1

    Capt'n, we went thru this a while back when M had a deal going. But tell me, does it pull in stations? And how much?

    I have since bought two radios and they are both going back. I am going to look at this Radio Shack am/fm only thing for like $60, and it would be nice if they had it on sale for the right price of $30.

    This stuff cracks me up, someone has to market a radio the just is a radio.

    1. roucru | Oct 24, 2002 05:20am | #2

      In a remote location in the mountains of WNC you can get good reception in most places (two to three stations).  I expected it to get better reception in valleys and it doesn't. Considered taking it back, but I am glad that I did not. I have been buying the cheap $20.00-$60.00 radios for 20 years and they cannot hold up to the jobsite rigors. Plus if someone accidently unplugs it, when it is reenergized, it remembers the station you were on. I recommened it.

      Lars RousseauTamara

    2. FramerJay | Oct 26, 2002 11:10pm | #7

      Well man, I can tell you the Mil does a much better tuning job than the old DW we have, and the Mil has a stereo/mono feature that lets you get better reception and sound from distant or weak signals. Mil also has a second antenna connector post for a larger antenna. As far as the battery charger feature goes concerning the old DW, until recently our crew didn't have any cordless tools and the DW reception is next to worthless running on the cordless tool battery. And as far as sound quality goes, there's no comparison; the Mil is so powerful that at times we have to turn it down to hear what someone else is yelling at us--from the other side of the house! Also, the thing is durable! It's been raining off and on every day here for the past week and the radio's already been soaking wet more than once--no problems. The only thing I don't like about it is that I'm gonna have to buy a Mil cordless battery and charger if I want to take the radio to the beach or out fishing (don't worry--for $100, it'll be wearing a life vest LOL).

  2. Street18 | Oct 24, 2002 05:57am | #3

    To bad ya took your DW back. I have had a DW for 2 years and wouldn't trade for anything, espaciely when I use 2 or 3 DW cordless drills. That many less chargers laying around.

                                                             Loyal DW fan

                                                                     ernie

  3. jiggs | Oct 24, 2002 10:36am | #4

    CHILD LABOR!  ;)

  4. gordsco | Oct 24, 2002 11:18am | #5

    I scrapped my old car and took out the radio/cassette and speakers. Mounted the whole thing into a plywood box. Awesome radio, it even got me through my Shania Twain year. When some of the younger crews would start blasting  that stuff they listen to out of their boom boxes, I'd have no trouble drowning them out with some good old R&B! Before someone gave me a 12v adapter, I used  the battery from an old truck. Once I left my lights on and used my radio for a boost. The only trouble is, a young fellow I hired dropped a sheet of plywood on it and now the left speaker sounds fuzzy. Should I make him pay for it?

    Sometimes board sometimes knot

    1. Mooney | Oct 24, 2002 02:47pm | #6

      "Should I make him pay for it?"

      Oh no , not that again! LOL!

      Ive been getting some nice radios out of my rentals trash ! yup! You heard right . Karokee [sp?] sets are thrown away when one side of the tape player goes. They have a 12 inch speaker and am fm . So far Ive collected 4 of them. They are basically a box , and pretty durable. I wish for a dw radio though , but Im too old fashioned to be spending money that way .

      Tim Mooney

      Tim Mooney

    2. Nails | Oct 27, 2002 04:21pm | #9

      "should I make him pay for it " Naaw plywood isn't that expensive.

  5. User avater
    JeffBuck | Oct 27, 2002 06:51am | #8

    I thought I was nuts when a few years ago I begged Santa to bring me my DeWalt radio......for like what....$150?

    At least it freed up a plug by having the charger..and I most always have a fresh battery cooking without even remembering to charge one in the first place.....

    But $100 for a freaking radio alone? You guys are nuts!

    Up till I got the DeWalt......I got along with what ever $10 radio radio shack....or the local drug store....had on sale at the time......or just took home what ever junk radio one of the subs would end up leaving on one of the job sites!

    Lotsa decent throw away radios can be had on final dumpster clean up day!

    Jeff

    ..............Al-ways look on......the bright......side of life...........

                       .......whistle.....whistle.......whistle........

    1. roucru | Oct 27, 2002 10:07pm | #10

      Jeff I bought Lars' Milwaukee radio without him knowing. He came in one night giving me the spill on the radio that he had read in one of his mags. The next day I tracked it down at a Lowes (the only place that had it at the time, no oneelse had gotten them in yet). I told him if he didn't like it he could take it back. Yes for the price it may not be worth it to you, but to me if it means the crew will be more productive then I am buying it:-) Hey by the way it can charge your cellphone and you don't have to leave the cell in the van to reboot. Plus I tell you after going through so many I think it was worth it just for durability. But yeah I wouldn't spend $15,000 for tv's like some of the guys and gals here do. Guess it just depends on where you really want to spend your money.Tamara

      1. Justus | Nov 04, 2002 09:13am | #11

        I Love my DeWalt Radio, I wanted one for a while and about a year ago HD had them on sale for $98.00 (there back up to $150.00 by the way) I should have bought two. Aside from the fact that is is plenty tough for the job site, has a battery charger, has an input for a CD or mini disk player and runs off the same batteries it charges,  I've never had a problem with pulling in a station.  When we have a power outage, I've got plenty of battery power, (12 hours easy on a 14.4 volt) There are few tools that I would replace immeaditly if they were broken or stolen, but this is one of them.

         I think the MW Radio look nice, but it seems like there is more stuff to go wrong, it's like the difference between my 79 dodge van, and my 98 boneville. Take a guess which is tougher.

        Justus Koshiol

        Running Pug Construction

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