Milwaukee 0923-25 18-Volt Cordless 4-Tool Combo Kit, includes 1/2-Inch Lok-Tor Hammer Drill, "The Hatchet" Sawzall, Circular Saw, Radio, and Worklight

List Price: $1,134.00

Features:

• Hammer-Drill provides up to 495 in./lbs. of torque and features an all-metal ratcheting chuck with carbide jaws for the highest grip torque on bits
• The Hatchet features a 6 position pivoting handle and an Orbital action selector for aggressive wood cutting or straight reciprocating action for metal and plastics
• Circular Saw cuts up to 145 2x4s on one charge!
• The Job Site radio features Rockford Fosgate« Sound System w/ Punch EQ and a rugged construction that withstands 8 ft. drop to concrete
• Limited Warranty

Accessories:
Milwaukee 49-22-0130 Contractor's Kit 7 Bit 1-Inch to 2-9/16-Inch Selfeed Drill Bit Assortment with 5-1/2-Inch Extension and Plastic Carrying Case	Milwaukee 48-89-0050 29 Piece 1/16-Inch to 1/2-Inch Cobalt Twist Drill Bit Assortment in Metal Index	Milwaukee 48-89-0045 13 Piece 1/16-Inch to 1/4-Inch Cobalt Twist Drill Bit Assortment in Metal Index	Milwaukee 49-22-4071 7-Piece 4/6 Tooth Job Saver Hole Saw Kit	Milwaukee 49-22-4066 13-Piece 4/6 Tooth Plumbers and Electricians Hole Saw Kit

Customer Reviews:

battery release problem [Posted on 2006-02-02]
My batteries won't release from the tools which is frustrating at best and perhaps even dangerous. As a person contorts their body to push on each of the release points at the same time as trying to hold onto the tool, I wonder how such a design flaw ever made it into production.

I am a concrete contractor with large hands and can't imagine how in the world a person with small hands would ever EVER get the battery off. Thinking there was something wrong with my technique, I gave the tool to fellow workers and ask them to take the battery off. One by one, each thinking they were more macho, they took their turn to only finally give up and hand the tool back with battery still on.

Not sure if Milwaukee has address and/or fixed this problem as they would not admit the defect design to me. They just said to take it in tool a Milwaukee representative - not a very pleasing aspect when you live very far from the closest one. What a frustrating problem.

Steve

Nothing but the best [Posted on 2006-02-04]
Really. I've only used corded tools for 20 some years of work and I laughed at the elelectrican who brought one of these drill drivers to the worksite recently. I was sceptical of the ability of these things to do extended work. No problem, after working with this drill a couple of days I bought this combo set with the radio, sawsall, saw and drill and flashlight for myself. Now I have to really think about taking the corded handtools out to do the job. I do take all 3 batteries with me to work with the charger and can burn through all of them in a day of heavy use. I've used the drill most, but all the tools in the set are first rate and all my corded milwaukee tools I've had for at least 7 - 10 years so If their name is on them I'm hoping for the best.

Great Tools! [Posted on 2006-03-09]
For anyone looking for a complete set of tools the Combo-Kit gets my vote. The Milwaukee brand got good reviews in Fine Homebuilding Magazine, for the cordless tools. I am an advanced woodworker, and am involved in a big remodeling project, and have used the tools. I also own Mikita, Bosch, and Hitachi. They all make great tools, but the cordless Circular Saw, and the Hatchet, are the first ones I purchased after using corded tools. I spent months investigating the competition, and these stand out!

Not What I Expected!! [Posted on 2006-06-02]
This kit looked nice, Milwaukee had a good reputation and the specs on each unit looked much better than the competition. How I was decieved. After three-four months of everyday contractor use, two batteries failed. Luckily when I purchased the kit there was a extra battery rebate (should have raised flags). While the two batteries were sent back to Milwaukee for free replacements (One Year Warantee) I barely survived on one battery and my 10 year old (still running great) Porter-Cable 12v drill/driver. Got back my two new batteries and two months later the gears on the cordless saw failed. Sent the saw out for free repair (Five Year Warantee) survived on my 8 year old (still running great too) 14.4v Dewalt cordless saw. Three months later the bearings on the drill burned up. Sent it out for free repair survived once again on my PC 12v drill now 12 years old. I now have all tools operating and batteries holding their own. The only tool which has not needed repair is the light (go figure). After two years of this kit, I've had it and currently shopping for a new Kit. Bought out by Roybi Int'l and manufacturing facilities moved from USA to China & Taiwan and stiff price competition by Dewalt, P-C, and Bosch has led me to the poor quality of these tools. I was going to give this review zero stars however the replacement/repair system is great. Milwaukee corded tools by my experience are top notch and would never trade my hole-hawg, sawzall and hammer drill, but the cordless kits need to go back to the drawing board.

Tools good, Batteries and Charger NOT GOOD [Posted on 2006-10-18]
I've had my set for about 4 years now, and I really like the tools themselves. I think in particular that the drill, sawzall, and flashlight are exceptional, and have never been a problem, and I've used these tools quite a bit with almost complete satisfaction. The circular saw is okay, but I'm not too impressed with the power. If you want power, you still need a corded saw instead of this cordless saw, although it is still quite useful when power cords are inconvenient or impossible.

My problem is the batteries and the charger. The instructions advise against leaving the batteries on the charger longer than necessary for a full charge, and that's fine, but sometimes it is inconvenient to monitor the batteries while charging. Big deal, right?

Well, NOT WHEN THE BATTERIES POP!!! NO JOKE!!!!

I have lost 3 batteries on two different chargers by leaving them unattended on the charger overnight, maybe a day and a half. It's easy enough to forget that they are on the charger when the day is done. The charger is supposed to automatically stop when reaching a full charge on the batteries, but it must keep a trickle charge going, and ends up overcharging the batteries. The batteries DO NOT to my knowledge explode violently, but in each case I have found the plastic battery cases actually split open, and a seepage from the split. The battery then has about 1/20th capacity, and is useful for the flashlight only.

In summary, I really like Milwaukee tools, and this is no exception, but something is wong with the battery/charging system they have for these tools, and since batteries are such an expensive part of cordless tools, I'd look at something else, like DeWalt, Porter-Cable, or Bosch.

Any feedback on the Milwaukee V28 system?

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