JerryNY

I've beat the hell out of mine, the 16ft magnetic version, and it still works great. I'd return it for a new one, maybe you got a lemon. They have lifetime warranties I think so you can always get it replaced...

Well true. There's a lot to be said for using the smallest battery you can get away with so you don't waste your own energy carrying it around getting fatigued.

Also it's worth repeating the advantages of Milwaukee's 9Ah battery appllies to every M18 tool they make. You only get to take advantage of the 18vx2 36v Makita system on those specific tools, no matter how nice they are. That being said there are disadvantages where you probably won't want to use the 9er on a tiny impact driver or other smallish one handed tools where the size and weight would just make it unwieldy and tiresome.

It's an interesting discussion to be sure but I don't really know how it's all handled internally by the tool though. My thought would be going to 36v cancels out any advantage on internal resistance because each battery is still the same pack with same internal resistance which can't change. 36v means the battery is being used the same as if the other battery wasn't even there because it is an independent unit still being used at 18v internally. If the battery has some kind of circuitry where it detected being used paired up with another I guess it would be possible to change things but that would be awfully complicated and the benefits of such a system wouldn't be outweighed by the complexity and cost when most times a battery pack is going to be used by itself.

I have a practically brand new fuel hammer/impact driver combo kit for sale in the for sale forum...

I think a larger cordless tool like a miter would be ideal for a 9Ah pack like this. Also Milwaukee showed the 9Ah is superior to 2x5Ah packs. More cells internally means a drop in overall internal resistance in the pack so it gives better runtime, less heat and a other advantages like ability to do heavy work over extended periods of time without overheating the pack. Size and weight are the downsides for the 9Ah pack but for a miter saw or larger hand tools like an SDS, or their LED work lights or other two handed type tools the size and weight increase are a worthwhile trade off imho. Makitas 36v dual battery tools are nice and two 18v packs are nice but they add considerable bulk to all but the largest tools and you have to make sure you always have a pair of equally charged batteries available otherwise you're going to limited to the weaker pack. Also the tool has to be 36v to use two packs. Milwaukee's 9Ah pack should supercharge any m18 tool or light or vacuum...

I don't know about "as is" in this case. I hate lawyering up but the homeowner could threaten to sue the seller and neighbor and they might fear criminal prosecution as well and settle for paying the repair costs. You never know...

I think with Honeywell you can use the current location and add a comfort remote and use it as the thermostat for wherever it is. Not sure what models work with it though. I have a wifi Honeywell and it works great but I have it in a good location and don't need a remote. That way you can just use the old wiring and add on a remote for the other room.

Wonder what the pricing will be. Maybe the fabled M18 Fuel Miter will be bundled with the 9er...

Nice, probably super lightweight too. How much torque?

I've used the hammered rustoleum spray and like it quite a bit, mostly on old radiators I've stripped, but it can be a little tricky to get the effect even. That being said the Milwaukee boxes are a matte rough finish, almost looks like red Diablo sandpaper. It's a powdercoat I think and regular spray wouldn't ever match but when buying a new box you should get a new box. The Milwaukee box is a nice looking one too, it would suck to deal with it being messed up before even getting it home...

This is how I use my Fuel2 to eat my Choculas but I can't recommend using the mode 4 for self tapping screws though. It's tough to deal with the changing rpm when eating cereal..

The Milwaukee fuel 2 hammer drill has 1200 in lbs but yeah it's not that huge a difference. That all being said, even though it's too nice for the job, I was mixing mortar this afternoon with a big eggbeater type mixer with my new fuel 2 hammer to see how it would handle it and it almost ripped the 5 gallon pail out from my ankles Honesty these days so many tools are well made and if you stick with a name brand it's getting tough to find real stinkers. Find the tools you need in the price you want and see if you like how they feel because it's going in your hand in the end. I don't think you can really go wrong with Hilti, Milwaukee, Makita, Dewalt, Bosch, Rigid or even Ryobi has tools that can't be beat for the price in some cases. If there are a couple of must needed tools you need go by those and pick your platform from there....

I posted this in Wigwag's thread so I pasted it here as it applies. I have the ion21 Pro and like it quite a bit. For anything 12" and under I think it's fine, it helps to keep the snow getting too deep because you can't expect to move mountains with a less than 40lb. snow blower... I bought the Snow Joe ion Pro which is the bigger 21" wide version with a 5amp battery. It's brushless too. I have a narrow 75ft drivewaya and a few short walkways and last season it was great. Small, lightweight and good to probably 9 inches and up to a foot depending. It's not as powerful as gas ones but it makes up for it in ease of use, no gas and no starting troubles and it's so light you can easily move it around in tight spots. It's super quiet too so my strategy was to not let the snow get too deep and blow during the storm before it got too deep and go back again later to finish. It's quiet enough you can use it at night and it even has a headlight which works pretty well. It lists for $499 but Amazon has it for $447 prime and sometimes cheaper I think. It's not that much more than the the more common 18" model but it comes with a 5 amp vs 4 amp battery a wider 21" vs 18" intake and longer runtime even though it's got a more powerful motor. Considering the batteries alone are like $150 on these things the longer 65min runtime vs 50 prob means you can get away with the pro model with one battery compared to the smaller one where you might want another battery to finish a job in one session. Their new hybrid model does look cool though, I personally don't love extension cords in the snow but if that's not a problem it seems like a decent idea. Also worth mentioning is the electric snow thrower chute controlled by a joystick on the handlebars always makes me smile when I use it for some reason

I went to HD for a tube of caulk and ended up spending $700 once. I was trying to avoid looking at the Milwaukee rolling tool chest because I knew I wanted it and an orange apron wheeled one right in front of me and overheard they just sold one so I went right outside and grabbed one of the flatbed dolly carts from the lot and grabbed one, well it took two trips to get the top and bottom...

Ah, well that makes sense why they don't offer it in the US... I need a miter saw too...come on Milwaukee...

I must have gotten lucky but there is no discernible wobble in my Fuel2.

They are packed better than almost anything I've ever seen. Also the little assembly needed was pretty easy, not to mention the tolerances were all quite good so you could hand tighten every nut and screw all the way in. I don't know but I would see if they have stock somewhere still in a box. I love the rough textured finish of the box but the downside is I think touching it up is going to be super difficult.

I bought the Snow Joe ion Pro which is the bigger 21" wide version with a 5amp battery. It's brushless too. I have a narrow 75ft drivewaya and a few short walkways and last season it was great. Small, lightweight and good to probably 9 inches and up to a foot depending. It's not as powerful as gas ones but it makes up for it in ease of use, no gas and no starting troubles and it's so light you can easily move it around in tight spots. It's super quiet too so my strategy was to not let the snow get too deep and blow during the storm before it got too deep and go back again later to finish. It's quiet enough you can use it at night and it even has a headlight which works pretty well. It lists for $499 but Amazon has it for $447 prime and sometimes cheaper I think. It's not that much more than the the more common 18" model but it comes with a 5 amp vs 4 amp battery a wider 21" vs 18" intake and longer runtime even though it's got a more powerful motor. Considering the batteries alone are like $150 on these things the longer 65min runtime vs 50 prob means you can get away with the pro model with one battery compared to the smaller one where you might want another battery to finish a job in one session. Their new hybrid model does look cool though, I personally don't love extension cords in the snow but if that's not a problem it seems like a decent idea. Also worth mentioning is the electric snow thrower chute controlled by a joystick on the handlebars always makes me smile when I use it for some reason

Nice review.

http://www.spacewar.com/m/reports/USS_Truman_first_carrier_to_install_Afloat_Fab_Lab_999.html "A Fabrication Laboratory, or Fab Lab, is a small-scale technical workshop comprised of off-the-shelf, industrial-grade fabrication and electronics tools, including 3-D printing technology. Navy officials say the workshop will help sailors become more innovative. .... In addition to 3-D printing technology, Truman's new lab consists of a desktop Computerized Numerical Control mill, a large flat screen monitor, wireless keyboard and mouse. The printer is capable of building objects of a variety of sizes and shapes from polymers. Truman sailors have been training in the Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center's Fab Lab since November 10, familiarizing themselves with 3-D rendering programs, soldering basics, and electronic component instruction." Cool stuff but I always thought they had things like that but maybe being a super carrier they are one phone call away from having parts flown in...

Nice, Fein makes some nice stuff, good to have you. Stuttgart has produced some of my favorite things, there was this blonde girl I knew years ago from there, and the tools and cars are ok too

They have the framing blades on sale in two packs for $10 at HD. $5 each is crazy for those blades but I'm torn because I want the new ones coming out in feb which look to be even better...

I think a conscious effort to use a battery platform because they have the tools you need/want is fine. The "lock-in" to a specific brand due to batteries is a little overstated though when all the tool makers have kits with batteries included that can get you on the battery platform pretty cheap....

Wow, nice work testing this. So the grinders, especially the DGD800 - die grinder right?, really suck decent amperage while idle. You figure you put the tool down with a 25% charge and in a matter of a few weeks the battery could discharge. I think Makita inadvertently amplified the problem by not having battery indicators on their batteries. i.e. unless you plop it into the charger the only way to see the charge is to slap it into a tool and you might kill a weak cell in the process.