Customer Reviews

Milwaukee 0234-6 Magnum 5.5 Amp 1/2-Inch Drill

5 star:		(73)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

First of all I want to say that I am a around the house handy man and not a pro but I know quality when I see it and I have had a very decent amount of experience with power tools.

I am guilty of owning a Craftsmen 3/8 inch, 1/3 horse power, 3 amp, corded drill "I got it because it was on sale for close to half price,I paid $20 for it.
When ever I tried to use it as a screwdriver with its so called variable speed trigger,it would almost always rotate to fast which would result in it stripping the screw heads.

Most times when I tried to use it for tightening nuts or drilling metal it would stall,so to make a long story short it was under powered and the variable speed control was almost uncontrollable !! Oh well you live and you learn !!!

So it was time for me to get a "high quality drill".
I now wanted a drill that would have plenty of power and have a "very controllable" variable control trigger and most of all I wanted this drill to be able to last me the rest of my life and I wanted it to be the best darn drill money could buy and at a reasonable price,now is that asking for to much ?

So I went on the net and started reading a ton of reviews,I read up on cordless drills first but I was turned off by their overall price along with the "over priced batteries they use",and lets also remember their not the most powerful drills you can buy,they simply cannot supply you with the torque a corded drill can,and when you push a cordless drill it puts a tremendous strain on the battery and in return the same battery that might have held its charge for hours using it for light duty will now lose it's charge in a matter of minutes when you use it for heavy duty use.

I have heard of some of the best batteries losing their charge within 3 minutes after using the cordless drill to do a really tough job.

I still think cordless would be nice for light duty jobs as a second drill if you can afford one!

So after reading mega reviews on the net, I was still having a little trouble trying to narrow it down to one drill,but the Milwaukee 0300-20 and the "Milwaukee 0302-20 a keyless version of the 0300-20" caught my eye with it's 8 amp motor and with the claim that it has the best power-to-weight ratio in its class.
All I could think was yum yum,MASSIVE POWER and TORQUE galore, and lets not forget that it's made by Milwaukee!!!!

Now I'm thinking I've got to have this drill no matter what, so I called a local tool store and asked if they had the 0300-20 and they said yes,so out of curiosity I asked them if they felt that the 0300-20 was the best in it's class and to my surprise he burst my bubble and told me no, and he said that the
Milwaukee 0234-6 Was The Best In It's Class !!!

Man I was so surprised at what he had said,and the man that I talked to was the owner of that shop, so I'm thinking to myself he must not know what he's talking about,I knew a little something about the 0234-6, I knew that it had a 5.5 amp motor and that it was a very old model, and I also knew that the 0300-20 was a much newer model with an "8 amp motor" and they cost around the same,so I'm thinking to myself "Duh" that sounds like a no brainer to me...old vs new, 5.5 amps vs 8 amps,come on, give me a break!

I was also thinking to myself do the math Mr. Tool shop owner! So I got off of the phone with him and called another local tool shop and talked to the boss who's name was Mike and asked him the same set of questions and low and behold he gave me pretty much the same answer which was the 0234-6 is a much better drill then the 0300-20,then Mike went on and told me that the 0234-6 is the best drill on earth bar none !!!

He said that he has had his 0234-6 for 15 years and he used it as a pro and in 15 years it never failed him once,and it never needed any repairs !

Now I'm thinking I must be in the Twilight Zone and I'm also thinking does Mike not know that the 0300-20 has 8 amps and the 0234-6 only has 5.5 amps and the 0300-20 is a much newer model.

I need to also tell you that some people think the 0300-20 and the 0302-20 are just like the 0234-6 but only with more power......WRONG !!!!

I even called Milwaukee tools and talked to a rep and he told me the 0300-20 was just an updated and more powerful version of the 0234-6...."He Was So WRONG"!!!

After thinking for awhile I decided to get the 0300-20 over the Keyless 0302-20 for these reasons...

Keyed vs. Keyless Chucks
Keyed chucks are tightened and loosened with a small hand tool, achieving a tighter and more secure lock on the drill bit than keyless chucks. They also provide greater torque for when you need extra power. On the other hand, keyless chucks require you to manually turn the chuck, making for quick and easy bit changes.
* Keyed chucks are especially advantageous when removing screws
* For those who may be prone to losing a key, a keyless chuck would be a sound selection !

So today I went to Lowes and had already decided in my mind that I was going to buy the more powerful 0300-20, which is supposed to be "the so called newer version of the 0234-6".

When I got to Lowes, their they both where side by side the 0234-6 and the all powerful 8 amp 0300-20,but wait just a minute the 0300-20 does not have the same rock solid sturdy side handle that is screwed into the metal frame of the 0234-6 so when I held the 0300-20 in my hands and put a lot of pressure on the side handle it flexed and I said to myself "Oh No" I don't like this handle and most of all I hate the way that it is attached to the drill,I think it is attached in a very tackie and not very strong manner!!!

The side handle on the 0300-20 was almost a deal breaker for me ,I could not break the handle ,but I sure did make it flex more then I think it should have!

Now on the other hand I tried to make the 0234-6 side handle flex or bend, no such luck it was rock steady , and the entire 0234-6 is built like a tank and I'm not kidding.

Next I tried out the trigger on the 0300-20 and the action of the trigger was not smooth at all, it was very choppy at best,let me tell you their is no way on earth for you to use a drill as a screwdriver if you don't have smooth trigger action.
I will go one step further and say I feel that it is potentially dangerous to try and use a super powerful drill when its side handle is not very steady and when its variable speed control trigger is choppy.

You cannot control the speed with a choppy trigger...so that was the deal breaker for me, a bad handle and a choppy trigger !!!!

Next I tried the trigger action on the 0234-6 and it was super smooth, I was truly impressed with the 0234-6 and very disappointed with the 0300-20,so I took the 0234-6 home with me.

When I tried out the 0234-6 , I was so thrilled and shocked by the super high quality of this work of art !!! The speed control when using the trigger was superb ,you can use this drill as a super screwdriver any day of the week, I could get it to spin at the slowest speed imaginable,and when I pulled the trigger in all the way this high quality drill spun with such smoothness and power that I found myself laughing out loud and thinking to myself this drill is a master piece.

Speaking of power, the 0234-6 has a whole ton of power and I can't ever imagine it stalling on me or anyone else for that matter"Just read all the write ups on it"!!!

Don't be fooled by the other drills that have 8 and 9 amps, to many of the high amp monsters have a short life span and none of them not a single one of them can hang with the 0234-6 as far as quality and durability is concerned.

So as far as the 0234-6 vs The 0300-20 or the 0302-20
their really is no challenge here, the 0234-6 is the King of all drills and the 0300-20 and the 0302-20 are no competition what so ever, the poor trigger action and the bad handle on these 2 super high powered drills should make them some hard to control monsters!!!

Before I did my homework I was impressed with the larger number of amps the 0300-20 has, "8 amps sounded so much better then 5.5 amps, but now I know a lot better!!!

Be smart and consider the overall picture when buying anything!!
Quality is far more important then pure power alone, and let the truth be known, you could hurt yourself badly with a very powerful tool if you don't have complete control over it and use it with extreme caution.

Since the 0300-20 and the 0302-20 have such a poor side handle and a choppy trigger,in short that means you could never have full control over the 0300-20 and the 0302-20,and with all that power they have, you better watch out.

I am a very strong and large 300 pound "body builder" and I simply don't trust the 0300-20 and the 0302-20 !!!!

Now on the other hand, when speaking about the 0234-6,I simply and truly love this drill so much, that I don't even want to get a scratch on it! I might buy a second 0234-6 for use and put this 0234-6 in a picture frame or in my trophy case,because it is truly a mechanical work of art ...a real master piece and oh what a prize!!!!

These days when the cordless drill seems to have replaced the resevrsing 3/8" corded drill as a standard, a lot of amateurs and even pros may wonder why they need a corded drill. Well, a cordless drill is a wonderfully handy thing, particularly when working on a remote job site, but even the biggest 18 and 22 volt drills are limited in the amount of power they can generate; sometimes you need a really big, honkin' drill. Drilling heavy hardwoods, going through mild steel- these are tasks where a cordless drill starts to bog down or overheat but this 5.5 amp drill just keeps turning.

I was first introduced to the Magnum Hole Shooter by a boatbuilder who called it the single best power tool he owned. Not only was it powerful enough to drill through an oak keel or refasten a few thousand hull screws, it was built uncommonly well. You just can't destroy this drill in ordinary use, and if you do manage to break it or wear out the brushes, it's easily serviced.

Compared to the old 1/2" drills, like my 1950s vintage Thor, this drill is half the size and a quarter the weight. It's not much bigger than a decent 3/8" drill even though it has over half a horsepower. If you're doing serious work in wood or metal and can only own one drill, this should be the one.

Don't be mislead by the gimmicks and styling of other 1/2" drills out there. This beast is all you need for truly heavy duty work like running large hole saws, mixing drywall mud, or just drilling monster holes with big bits! This machine is the standard by which others are judged and has been for years. It is ridiculously overpowered and its durable engineering hasn't changed. It's still the best.

Milwaukee makes a keyless chuck version of this drill, but I do not recommend it. For the types of tasks this drill is designed to handle, you will want no possibility of slippage. The keyed chuck on this drill is as beefy as they get and is up to any task. Milwaukee also makes an 8 amp version of this drill. Such a machine seems like it would almost be dangerous, as this 5 amp version is perfectly capable of wrenching your arm. More amps isn't always better. This drill does not slow down, and would probably blow a circuit before it stalled.

The removable cord is a nice feature, as is the removable and ambidextrous side handle. The only thing this machine lacks off the shelf is a good case, but the genuine Milwaukee steel case is available from various distributors for about $35. A very wise investment, this excellent case will protect your tool for years to come.

If Dirty Harry worked in the trades this would be his gun. I have drilled, screwed, mixed, and sanded with Makita, Bosch, B&D, and Craftsmen (it was a desparate moment). The majority performed well. Makita and Bosch had pretty good power and got the job done. I didn't care for the keyless chuck or the adjustable handle on the Bosch that I used. B&D and Craftsmen struggled with big bits in big wood and usually got hot enough to put them down and leave them alone for a while, (and the bits were sharp).

Which leads to the hole shooter. Which leads to power.

From big buckets of thinset, to drywall mud, plus some augers and lags thrown in for good measure, the hole shooter performed with flying colors. The only time it "gave up" was a delibrate test of my own curiousity. 1/2" x 3" lag, with an 1/8" pilot, into a 4x4. Even the hole shooter needs the right size of pilot. But I should say it broke the socket arbor "fighting the good fight."

The fixed handle (right or left) at 90 degrees of the trigger, provides a tremendous amount of stabilty and control. This is especially handy when mixing mud, or punching through plates when you need to brace it against something. It's nice to be able to focus on the task at hand without having to worry that your support handle isn't going to slip.

Keyed chuck. The only way to secure the monster bits or paddles. Keyless in this arena just don't provide enough bite.

The trigger is great. No one or two finger triggers here. It runs almost the full length of the handle. Again,one less thing to worry about when your picking up your tool and getting down to business. The variable speed is just senstive enough and it's consistent.

Quick lok cord is nice. I was a bit skeptical on just how secure is was going to stay in place, but so far its performed flawlessly, which is now over 2 1/2 years old.

The low rpms is the only drawback for high speed drilling. But I can overlook this, because what you gain elsewhere significantly outweighs this minor issue.

..who's only weak link is it's cord. I have owned mine for 2 years now and when I do use it, I'm usually drilling long pilot holes with auger bits, or using large self feed bits (1 1/2" or 2"). I have used it the past week to drill out mortises for timbers joining into large log posts. As you may have noticed from the other reviews, this drill has power to spare and if you don't hold on tight it will twist right out of your hand. I HIGHLY recommend using the grip attachment when drilling with self feed bits or when drilling into microlams. Anyhow, I have had this drill twist out of my hand and fall 10 feet more times than I care to recall. Well, this week it twisted out and fell over 30 feet to the ground. I climbed down to go get it, half expecting to see it broken. When I picked it up, one of the housing screws was out about 1/4" and a seal was protuding from a seam in the housing. I tightened the screw, climbed back up to try her out again on the log and, IT WORKED! Kept right on driving that 2" self feed bit like it had before. I am impressed! The one draw back is that I am on my third cord. I have yet to cut one, but if the twistlok portion gets slammed enough times, it will not work. At least it is a simple fix, twist off the old cord and replace it with a new one in seconds. The premier feature of this drill has to be the trigger. It is SO sensitive to subtle changes in pressure, which makes precision work much easier. An excellent tool that will not let you down.

As well-built and durable as the Milwaukee reputation would have one believe. I've had mine for 12 years now, and it's still growing strong. The only gripe I have is the low max RPM which is not particularly the best for drilling wood. I bought the Milwaukee hammer-drill for some concrete work, and since that has a higher maximum speed, I use that most often now. I save the Hole-Shooter for when I don't want a high speed such as for hole-saws, Forstner bits, and drilling metal.

After reading some of the reviews I decided to buy a Milwaukee 0234-6 Magnum Drill to replace my ancient Craftsman. It arrived from Amazon in only two days after ordering. It looked solid and heavy, the kind of drill that would last me the rest of my life. But upon further inspection I found the product label read, "Made In China." Now, I'm not going to stand on my patriotic soap box and start screaming about companies outsourcing their products to other countries. Its happening more and more and if a company chooses to do this, it is their legal right to do so, even at the risk of disappointing thier customers. However, I do believe Milwaukee Co. and any company selling their foriegn made tools are obligated to make their customers aware of this. Nowhere on the box or Amazon description page does it say that this drill is "Made In China." And the fact that the "Made In China" lettering was so small on the label (I had to use my reading glasses to confirm) further suggests that Milwaukee is concerned about losing customers over their once American made product(s).

Is there a difference between the two drills? Maybe, probably not, who knows. But I couldn't in good conscience keep this drill. I felt duped. I sent it back to Amazon and found another seller who bought a bunch of US made Milwaukee 0234-6 Magnums just before they began manufacturing them in China. This may seem like a waste of time to some, but I just couldn't handle the idea of keeping this drill for the rest of my life knowing it was outsourced. I want this to be my go-to drill and I knew that if I kept it, every time I picked it up I would think...Milwaukee sold out and I rewarded them for it.

So, I am taking off 1 star for Milwaukee's less than full disclosure, and 1 star from Amazon for the same reason.

I have owned this drill for a couple of years now and agree with other reviewers' comments. You have to respect the power abd durability of this drill.

I dropped the drill about 6' to 7' down onto the opposing side of a roof I was working from. As the drill was still plugged in, I pulled it up the roof by the cord. There were a few scratches in the case (from impacting the shingles), but that was all as far as damage was concerned. It still ran like a top.

This drill is not one I use often; my cordless drills get most of the day-to-day action. But when you need what this drill can deliver--incredible torque, and relatively low speed, this is the tool to go with. A co-worker recommended this to me before I bought it and I must say he was right.

If you drill metal or run big diameter hole saws, your search for a drill is over.

I used to work in a machine shop. I used one of these just about every day. I used it for Power Tapping. I would run this drill for hours with a 3/8 or larger tap in it, tapping Cast Iron or Boilerplate. I would use it for hours continually under super heavy loads. I abused it way beyond what anyone would ever reasonably or unreasonably use it for, and it would continually come back for more with no degradation in performance. For a 1/2 inch drill it is very compact and easy to use. It's slightly larger than most 3/8 drills and smaller than most other 1/2 drills, but outperforms all.

Great drill! Unquestionably Milwaukee makes the best, most durable, and comparably powerful drill motor on the market. The gear housing is metal, not plastic. The pistol grip is thick plastic, and very comfortable for larger hands. ( Its a pretty good stretch to hold this drill with your hand high on the housing while trying to drill a hole and toggle the trigger ). Speaking of the trigger, it is very sensitive & accurate, again seems to be of a better quality than most. The Quick-Loc cord is a nice feature, but really should be of the twist lock variety, particularly for working at heights. The replacement cords seem pricey at first; however, when you figure on taking the housing apart to access the set screws . . . as you normally would, it is well worth the price, particularly if on the job. What more can you say about a drill, this one is powerful, well made, should last a very long time (even under heavy use)and will drill holes with any bit you can fit in the chuck. The side handle is must with all the torque this drill has, and the threads are coarse enough that they usually don't clog with dust alone, dirt will do it though. The only drawback to this drill is its weight, which is good and bad. It is good, because of all the reasons listed above, but if you use this drill all day, you can really feel its heft ( I have the 75th Anniversary model,which is even heavier). One other comment, for 1/2" drill motors the keyed chuck makes all the difference, keyless chucks just don't hold the bits tight enough, especially when drilling in tough materials. I doubt very seriously, you can buy a better drill than this one.