Did anybody else see the new Lithium Ion tools <!—-> <!—-><!—->Milwaukee<!—-><!—-> showed at the Builder’s Show in <!—-><!—->Orlando <!—-><!—-> a week ago? The new Sawzall and circ saw have the power of corded tools. The 28 volt battery weighed less than an 18volt battery. Can’t wait to get my hand on them. I am tired of changing batteries all the time.
http://www.woodworkersjournal.com/ezine/toolpreview.cfm<!—-><!—->
Replies
wow! Sign me up (uh, what are the costs like?).
I recently bought the Milwaukee 18-v. kit.
Now you tell me its gonna be obsolete.
I just can't keep up anymore.
But it is sure fun trying.
I just called my Dad/Boss and told him not to buy any cordless tools until these come out and we find out the prices that they are going for.
"Visit our new microsite V28Power.com on March 1 to learn how everything you thought about cordless tools has changed."
I just went there and read the release, WOW pretty exciting info. Plus it sounds like there are going to be other uses for that tech. And a 5 year warrentee? hmmmm sounds like the bar just got raised sustantially.
http://www.milwaukeetool.com/us/en/news.nsf/vwPressReleases/9DB0DC0BF951F32586256F89005E62F0?OpenDocument
Milwaukee Electric Tool - News & Events - Press Release - Milwaukee's Revolutionary New V28â„¢ Power Tool Line Delivers Quantum Leap In Cordless Tool Performance - 01/16/2005
I was just wishing for a cordless band saw.....
Too bad I just bought my Milwaukee cordless combo and two extra batteries........
The attached chart is a few years old but will give an idea of the Li-ion advantages. Lithium polymer is even better, but not yet available commercially that I know of. Commercial Li-ion cells in quantity are about $1-$2 per watt -hour OEM, plus usually large markups form there, cells are 4 V (4.1 absolute max or 'gone'). Cycle life of Li-ion is even better than NiMH, but life goes to zero if ever overcharged.
Hey Junkhound,
Milwaukee says it has a computer chip in the battery that prevents it from being overcharged. And they are throwing in a two year warranty on the Li-ion battery packs. Worth a look
Li-Ion batteries need that chip and as far as I know, they all have it. A two year warranty is pretty good, though. As I said before, my friend who works there will be getting rid of his corded circular saw as soon as he gets his new 28V model. I saw the 2x12 leaning against the building. Sixty-six 2-1/2" holes drilled by one battery with one charge.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
you think Milwaukee will be taking trade-ins ?
I've got a 3 mo. old 18-v. combo kit
just my luck to buy something and have it almost instantly obsolete
You could try. I doubt it but there's always someone wanting used tools. I just got an 18V hammer drill setup and is really as much power as I need. If I need more, I usually have AC nearby.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
still it looks like it will be bulky and a pain ith the neck to use (for cordless drill) Im skeptical but maybe this stuff will be nice to use.
______________________________________________
--> measure once / scribble several lines / spend some time figuring out wich scribble / cut the wrong line / get mad
Skye-I tried it at the builder's show with a 2 inch self feeding screw bit and it chewed though the wood, lots of torque Even though it was 28 volts it was actually lighter than my 18 v blue drill.
thanks for the report.was it bulky?EDIT: err.. subjective question, but was it noticably bulkey?______________________________________________--> measure once / scribble several lines / spend some time figuring out wich scribble / cut the wrong line / get mad
Edited 1/27/2005 3:08 am ET by skyecore
The good thing is that will be the front end of the tools but in the same light they should be able to use that tech on the smaller stuff. So pretty soon the cordless stuff will be repoting to bill Gates how much time were putting in on the job site.
"So pretty soon the cordless stuff will be repoting to bill Gates how much time were putting in on the job site."--Posted by ClayAllways a plus!!______________________________________________
--> measure once / scribble several lines / spend some time figuring out wich scribble / cut the wrong line / get mad
Gates called to tell me I wasn't using spell check.
repoting
see, its beneficial to have big brother watching us! otherwise we would be staring into the lighted box without spelling correctly!______________________________________________
--> measure once / scribble several lines / spend some time figuring out wich scribble / cut the wrong line / get mad
Dolby isn't Japanese! It's supposed to remove tape hiss, right? I can't wait to hear Quadrophenia on one of the new quad machines!The Li-Ion batteries won't be cheap, but they won't be able to be overcharged, either. They have a chip in them that limits/monitors current in/out. They'll have a four bar green LED display(called a Fuel Gauge) and once the last LED goes out, the power is gone. Until it goes out, however, the tool is supposed to deliver rated power. I have a friend in engineering at Milwaukee Tool and I was at their main building last night. There are two 2x12's standing up against the outside wall and I counted 66 holes, at least 2-1/4" dia. They were testing one of the drills and they did 66 holes without stopping, on one charge. He also said he tried the 28V circular saw. He won't be needing the corded one after he gets his new one. I just got the 18V hammer drill. 5 year warranty is a good thing.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
"I have a friend in engineering at Milwaukee Tool and I was at their main building last night."
There is only one way to.....droool.... describe how I'm feeling right now, I don't want to know what you had to do to get access to the main building, but I'm sure there's not another guy in this forum who wouldn't have done the same given the opportunity.
I'm looking forward to seeing the lithium Ion series. After the initial fervor of the batterytool revolution (my first 9.6v. long stick Makita was an excellent screwdriver..and still is) I was impressed by the portability and moved on to 12v and eventually 14.4 but after looking back at the numerous replacement battery purchases, over 20 years, I decided enough was enough about 3 years ago and returned to corded drills. I've still got my collection of glorified Ni-Cad screwdrivers and will keep them untill their batteries die. Maybe the Lithium ion series will change my mind but I will probably wait for the 3rd series of Li-on in a couple of years to see if they live up to all the hoopla.
Be Constructive
Gord
St.Margaret's Bay NS
I was doing car audio and when I got my first battery powered piece, it was the Milwaukee cordless screwdriver. 2.4V of arm crankin' power! They call it the Drildo. I then went to the 7.2V Makita with the stick batteries since they're not too big and don't strip the screws out in a car. That was 1988 and I still have them- 2) drill-drivers and a 7.2V right angle. Not great for heavy stuff. I have replaced one gear and one charger is dead. Other than that, I added the keyless chuck on one of them and replaced batteries. Can't ask for much more than that when they've all been knocked off of ladders onto concrete. Now that I have the 18V hammer drill, I think I should be set for awhile. I need the hammer, higher torque and both halves of my 12V Ryobi case are cracked. I think I'll replace the case and switch, then ship it to my brother. He doesn't have any kind of cordless drill and won't use it as much as I do.Access? I live in the Milwaukee area and I know someone who works there. That's pretty much how I did that. (What do I get for saying that my dad retired from Harley Davidson?)
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
Access? I live in the Milwaukee area and I know someone who works there. That's pretty much how I did that.
Highfive,
Male or female? Engineer perhaps?
The company I work for is six blocks up the road from Milwaukee Tool, We do prototyping, as well as build product testing/quality assurance tools for them.....As well as for Harley Davidson where your dad worked which is half the distance away.
WSJ
Edited 2/6/2005 7:52 am ET by WorkshopJon
Great, just when I think I have found the Holy Grail with Panasonic, I HAVE to stock up on Milwalkee. Next someone will post about the high -pressure finish guns, where you can have a 2 1/2 " nailer the size of a micro-pinner. Being a tool junkie has it's downsides.At least my drills are old enough these lithium ion tools will be on the market several months when my batteries give up, about 2-3 years for me with heavy use.
By the way, we were finishing out a large house for a client from Wisconsin a few years ago. Near the end of the job, he came around with some friends from out of town . After a minute of small talk, he introduced his freind as the former pres or ceo of Milwalkee tool. After a minute of embarassment for not have ANY red tools on the job, we had a great discussion about how they had changed to meet industry needs like the adjustable handled circ saw. It was interesting to see how much he new about all his competition, including Festo and some other less prominant brands.Very nice guy.
Edited 2/6/2005 9:50 am ET by BradR
You work on in one of the shops near 124th St? My friend is an engineer at Milwaukee. I know him through some other friends who are architects/engineers. Do you remember the boat dealer at 127th and Arden, in the same building with the painting contractor? I worked there till we moved to Pewaukee.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
You work on in one of the shops near 124th St?"
Yes, 125th and Colfax
http://jppattern.com/
Pretty much specialize in high end tool making/prototyping/aerospace projects, as well as space science/research type stuff for a bunch of Universities including UW-Madison being being one of them, where I got my undergrad and met my wife.
And you?
Jon
gents,
keep an eye out on some future issues of FHB, I'm trying to setup a review of some 28V tools by Mike Guertin. He's pretty skeptical of new-fangeld tools, so he and I thought it might work out well for him to give it a fair try.Justin Fink
FHB Editorial
How many 28V tools are there, other than the models coming out in April from Milwaukee Tool? I was at their main building last week and there were a couple of 2x12's leaning against the building with a bunch of holes that looked to be between 2" and 3" dia. I counted 66 on each and asked my friend if they were from testing the new 28V driver/drill. 66 holes, 2-1/2" dia, 1 battery, quick succession so there wasn't time for it to cool down. I assume they used their self feeding auger bit, not a hole saw.Have you contacted them about getting the tools for testing yet?
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
Hey Justin, if Mike is busy send those tools to me and I'll do the review for you, I dont need any pay for it, I'd consider it my duty!
Doug
Our Milwaukee rep came by yesterday with some brochures about the v28 tools, and my company has apparently made a huge buy of the kits.
We should have one in the store soon so I'll let you know how I like them...
darcy
I've also got a kit sent out to Mike Guertin for testing...should have a T&M review in issue #173
Justin Fink - FHB Editorial
What's the Difference?
Drywall Screws: Coarse Thread vs. Fine Thread
"Fine threads go in the regular Fine Homebuilding Breaktime folders- Coarse threads go in the Tavern." -GWA
I saw a news item saying that Toshiba, IIRC, had developed a charger for Li-ion batteries that could charge them to 80% from dead In ONE MINUTE! Wow. They intend to go after the electric/hybrid car and forklift market first, before scaling down. Bill
It is a new battery more than a new charger. One really nice thing about this new battery is they are claiming only 1% loss in capacity after 1000 charge discharge cycles.
Wow. Now I feel real good about my very small to date investment in cordless of $330.
Something to look forward to!
Rich Beckman
Another day, another tool.
if any one sees a price on this,
post it here.(I couldn't find one, but I didn't look real hard)
The Li-ion battery for my digital camera was $90 (CDN) about three years ago, and it's a tiny unit. Can't imagine a 28 V Li-ion battery going for cheap. Heck, even the 12V Li-MH Makita batteries are $90 ea here as replacement parts...
Often the retail price of a rechargable battery is many times the price of the cells in the package. Lots of people rebuild cordless tool battery packs for a small fraction of the retail price. OTOH, at the low end of the market you can get a new tool and battery for the price of the replacement battery (9.6V cordless drill, for instance) Depending upon your camera's size, the battery might've actually been Li-polymer, which are really expensive, but can be made really flat. My last phone had a Li-poly battery -- it was about 1-1/4"x2-1/2"x3/16". Last I heard, Li-cells (not pack assemblies) couldn't be made flat, only cylindrical. I recently noticed on the Dell web site that 53 Watt-hour Li-ion battery packs for notebooks run $69, and 80 Watt-hour packs are about $90. Li-ion battery packs have to have chips to control charging to *each* cell independently, because if you overcharge a cell, it's *done*. Obviously, that'll make the packs a little more expensive than a comparable NiMH or NiCad.
Doesn't sound like this is going to be very cheap,
price wise that is....
Man! The Japaneeze are always doing this!
I just upgraded my 8-Track
and now they come with Dolby?
Be Constructive
Gord
St.Margaret's Bay NS
No Jap batteries. The Milwaukee Lithium 28 battery pack said "Made In Canada" on the label on the bottom. Gotta make a Canuck like you happy, eh?
"Made in Canada??"
Oh No!
Ryobi has taken us over too!!
Be Constructive
Gord
St.Margaret's Bay NS