General Blogger

At last week’s media event we saw so many tools and all of them were pretty impressive. Milwaukee has been on a mission as of late to make cordless tools as fast or faster than their corded counterparts. They’re trying to prove that cordless tools can be heavy duty tools. When I think of heavy duty tools, rotary hammers are the first that come to mind. They are always working with a hard material in dirty, dusty conditions. How can a cordless tool possibly keep up?!! The M18 Fuel Rotary Hammers have changed my perspective.

Last week Milwaukee introduced two new tools, both are M18 FUEL Rotary Hammers. They released a 1″ SDS+ hammer in the medium category and a 1-1/8″ hammer in the large category. That gives Milwaukee a full line of SDS+ hammers and one battery platform. A company doesn’t have to have multiple battery platforms to power their various hammers, they only need one. Milwaukee is the only company offering this right now.

Milwaukee conducted a lot of research with contractors to see what would make them switch over to cordless for their rotary hammers and it came down to three things; it has to be fast, has to be durable, and has to use the same battery platform as all their other tools. At the event they squared off two popular 1-1/8″ corded hammers against the new Fuel. Of course the Milwaukee won by a landslide (I wouldn’t expect anything less at a manufacturer event). It goes to prove though that the speed is there. It was faster than comparable corded tools. Here’s a clip where you can see how far ahead the Milwaukee is from the competition.

Like I mentioned above, rotary hammers are some of the hardest working tools on the jobsite and see some of the harshest conditions. It is impossible to prove a tools durability in a 30 minute demonstration but we all took turns on the hammers. They had a good feel to them. The vibration dampening worked well enough and the fit and finish was really nice. Time will bear out Milwaukee’s claims though. We’ll know soon enough how durable they are.

M18 FUEL™ 1-1/8″ SDS Plus Rotary Hammer Kit (2715-22)- NEW

M18 FUEL™ 1″ SDS Plus Rotary Hammer Kit (2715-22)- NEW

M18™ 7/8” SDS Plus Rotary Hammer (2605-22)

M18™ 5/8” SDS Plus Rotary Hammer (2612-22)

The new M18 FUEL Rotary Hammers will be available starting in October 2014 in the US and that includes the dust extractors. Look for them at Home Depot and independent dealers.

Contributing Editor Jeff Williams is a Project Manager for a masonry restoration company specializing in large historic buildings. Jeff comes from a long line of Contractors. His parents started a Commercial General Contracting firm many years ago and it has afforded him life-long, hands-on learning opportunities from rough and fine carpentry all the way to structural steel and concrete. Jeff has a Construction Management degree and loves the thrill of coordinating and successfully managing large jobs from start to finish. Inspired by the difficulties sometimes encountered to complete punch lists his motto is, "Work hard until the job is done."

@jeff_williamsJeff Williams

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While Milwaukee has always offered rotary hammer drills in SDS-Plus sizes they have not been serious players in the category. Bosch and Hilti have been the leaders with Dewalt and Makita taking their share of the pie as well. Up to this point 18V cordless SDS-Plus drills have been more of a lower powered niche product. Things look like they are about to shake up however as Milwaukee is working to prove their M18 FUEL cordless rotary drills can not only outperform any 18V or 36V but corded drills as well.

At the recent Milwaukee New Product Launch event we watch the Milwaukee folks test these new drills against the top corded SDS-Plus hammer drills from Bosch & Hilti. In the video we can see the M18 FUEL 2715-22 ($549) drill take on the Hilti TE-30 ($600-900) as well as the Bosch Bulldog Xtreme Max RH228VC ($259) which are all rated up to 1-1/8” solid bit capacity. Not in the video they also test the M18 FUEL 1” 2712-22 against the 1” versions of both the Hilti and Bosch with similar results in favor of the cordless Milwaukee.

We also spent some time on our own drilling with various models as well as using the new M18 tools in chipping model to verify these results. With the long runtime of the 4.0Ah batteries and M18 5.0Ah batteries here shortly there are very few reasons we could not see going to going cordless with one of these new SDS-Plus drills.

HAMMERVAC HEPA Add-ons

One thing we did not get to see at the event and what can be a very beneficial feature is the new M18 FUEL drills both have the option for attachable/detachable HAMMERVAC HEPA vacuum systems which will collect the majority of silica dust created from drilling in concrete. For more and more jobs especially anywhere near food prep or medical these types of vacuums are required. For many situations of course you may not need a HEPA vacuum attachment so you may opt to not get the option or it can be easily removed and used without. Either way it is always better to know at least the tool is HEPA vac ready so if that situation comes you will be ready, even if you need to run out and buy it. It is almost 40% less expensive to get the HAMMERVAC units in the kits upfront but they are available as standalone items as well, 1” 2712-DE ($139) and 1—1/8” 2715-DE ($139).

Milwaukee M18 FUEL SDS-Plus 1” Rotary Hammer Drill 2712-22 ($499)

Length    12.48″
Weight    7 lbs
No Load Speed    0-1,400
BPM    0-4900
Blow Energy    1.7 ft-lbs
Trigger Lock    No
Solid Bit Capacity    1″
Thin Wall Core Bit Capacity   2-1/2″
Drilling Mode    3-Mode: Rotary Hammer, Hammer Only, Rotation Only
Vibration    8.9 m/s²

With HAMMERVAC 2712-22DE ($599)   

HEPA Filters 99.97% of all particles greater than 0.3 μm.

Milwaukee M18 FUEL SDS-Plus 1-1/8” Rotary Hammer Drill 2715-22 ($549)

Length    12.8″
Weight    7.7 lbs
No Load Speed    0-1,350
BPM    0-5000
Blow Energy    3.3 ft-lbs
Trigger Lock    No
Solid Bit Capacity    1-1/8″
Thin Wall Core Bit Capacity   3″
Drilling Mode    3-Mode: Rotary Hammer, Hammer Only, Rotation Only
Vibration    8.6 m/s²

With HAMMERVAC 2715-22DE ($649)   

HEPA Filters 99.97% of all particles greater than 0.3 μm.

Certainly time will tell if Milwaukee can take a chunk of the SDS-Plus market but it is clear all power tools are moving towards cordless and these rotary hammers look to be out front at least for the time being. If you have any questions on Milwaukee M18 Standard or M18 FUEL cordless tools contact the experts at Ohio Power Tool 800-242-4424 they would be more than happy to help you find the right tool for the job. Read more in the full Milwaukee press release below.

MILWAUKEE, WI – Milwaukee Tool redefines the cordless SDS Plus rotary hammer market with the addition of two new M18 FUEL™ models that will round out the line and deliver the market’s first and only full SDS Plus solution powered by one battery system.

The SDS Plus rotary hammer market is divided into three product segments that satisfy varying user needs: compact, medium and large.  The market is currently trending away from corded and into cordless, as users look for increased productivity.  Manufacturers have developed tools for the compact segment on 12V-18V platforms and in the medium to large segments on 18V-36V platforms, but none offered the complete range of solutions on a single battery platform.  The technology did not exist to use a single battery platform that was small enough for use on compact tools but powerful enough for medium and large tools.

“Users don’t want to manage multiple battery platforms, it’s a productivity killer,” said Andrew Plowman, Director of Product Management for Milwaukee Tool.  “By utilizing proprietary M18 and M18 FUEL™ technologies, we’ve developed a single battery system solution that meets the full range of user needs in each distinct SDS Plus rotary hammer market segment. Our full solution now includes a lightweight M18 5/8” for the compact segment, a M18 7/8” and M18 FUEL 1” for the medium segment which makes up the majority of the market, and an M18 FUEL 1-1/8” for the most demanding applications in the large segment.”

The new M18 FUEL™ 1” and 1-1/8” SDS+ Rotary Hammers drill faster than their corded counterparts, are built with corded durability, and can deliver a full day of work on one charge.    Milwaukee is able to accomplish this level of performance by combining three exclusive innovations, the POWERSTATE™ brushless motor, REDLITHIUM™ battery pack, and REDLINK PLUS™ intelligence.

The POWERSTATE™ Brushless Motor works harder, lives longer, and converts energy into power more efficiently, providing the tools with greater speed and performance than competitive corded units.  There are no wearable parts which extends the life of the motor, reduces motor friction and cools more rapidly to deliver years of maintenance-free performance.

Milwaukee REDLITHIUM™ XC4.0 batteries provide a full day of work on one charge, 20% more power and 2X more recharges than standard lithium-Ion batteries.  REDLITHIUM™ XC4.0 also delivers best-in-class performance in extreme job-site conditions.  With Milwaukee® durability built into each pack, the REDLITHIUM™ XC4.0 battery operates cooler and performs in climates below 0°F/-18°C with fade free power.

REDLINK PLUS™ Intelligence hardware and software is the most advanced system on the market.  It integrates full-circle communication between tool, battery and charger to protect them from overloading, overheating and over-discharging.  The protections help maintain ideal conditions for maximum application performance.

Available in October of 2014, the new M18 FUEL™ Rotary Hammers are a true testament to Milwaukee’s focus on the user and investment in game changing technology. Full SDS Plus Rotary Hammer Solution:

M18 FUEL™ 1-1/8″ SDS Plus Rotary Hammer Kit (2715-22)
1-1/8″ Max Capacity
0-1,350 RPM
0-5,000 BPM
12.8″ long
7.7 lbs

Includes M18 FUEL™ 1-1/8″ SDS Plus Rotary Hammer, (2) M18™ REDLITHIUM™ XC4.0 Battery Packs, Charger, Side Handle, Depth Rod and Carrying Case

*Also available as a bare tool (2715-20) and with HAMMERVAC™ Dedicated Dust Extractor (2715-22DE)

M18 FUEL™ 1″ SDS Plus Rotary Hammer Kit (2715-22)
1″ Max Capacity
0-1,400 RPM
0-4,900 BPM
12.48” long
7 lbs

Includes M18 FUEL™ 1″ SDS Plus Rotary Hammer, (2) M18™ REDLITHIUM™ XC4.0 Battery Packs, Charger, Side Handle, Depth Rod and Carrying Case

*Also available as a bare tool (2712-20) and with HAMMERVAC™ Dedicated Dust Extractor (2712-22DE)

M18™ 7/8” SDS Plus Rotary Hammer (2605-22)
7/8” Max Capacity
0-1,400 RPM
0-4,800 BPM
11.75” Long
7.2 lbs

Includes 2605-20 M18™ 7/8” SDS Plus Rotary Hammer,(2) M18™ XC High Capacity RED LITHIUM Battery Packs, 1-Hour Charger, Side Handle, Depth Rod and Carrying Case

*Also available as a bare tool (2605-20)

M18™ 5/8” SDS Plus Rotary Hammer (2612-22)
5/8” Max Capacity
0-1,300 RPM
0-7,000 BPM
12” Long
5.5 lbs

Includes M18™ 5/8” SDS Plus Rotary Hammer,  (2) M18™ XC High Capacity RED LITHIUM Battery Packs, M18™ and M12™ Multi-Voltage Charger, Side Handle, Depth Rod and Carrying Case

*Also available in a one battery kit (2612-21) or as a bare tool (2612-20)

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Sometimes you need a small tool to get into delicate intricate situations.  Dremel has released the 8050 Micro, a lithium ion powered 8V max tool.  It doesn’t have the power of its cordless counterparts, but it has great run time and fits in your hand like a pen.  The ergonomics are great, I found it easy to control especially while engraving.  It can cut, buff, drill, engrave,grind, sand etc..  It is pretty much limitless as to what you can do with this tool and Dremel accessories.  It even comes with a small assortment of accessories like cut off wheels, sanding wheels, engravers etc.

The 4 LED light ring on the front of the tool does a great job of lighting up the work area.  The charger base can charge the batteries on roughly 3 hours and 45 minutes.  It has a plus and minus button to adjust the preset speeds.  The tool cuts out when too much pressure is applied and you need to hit the on button to start it back up.  Make no mistake this tool will not replace your bigger Dremel tools but it excels at small tasks.  For the DIY type and hobbyist the tool is a no brainer.  Best of all it’s under $90.  Check out the Dremel 8050 via Amazon.