Customer Reviews

Milwaukee 0375-6 3.5 Amp 3/8-Inch Close-Quarter Drill

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Milwaukee makes great tools. I did a lot of research on right angle medium duty drills and here is what I found. The Makita for slightly more money has: A more powerful 4-amp motor instead of the 3.5, while still maintaining a slightly lighter operating weight. (3.1 lbs, instead of 3.5) An LED light brightening the way that is guaranteed to last the lifetime of the tool. Variable speed of 0-2400 instead of 0-1300. Also the Makita has a speed-limiting dial to prevent over tightening of fasteners. Also the Makita has only a 2 5/8" head height instead of 4 1/2" for right angle drilling when working deeper than the first few inches of your project. For close to the edge work, the Milwaukee has a small head height, but if you need to go deeper into the project beyond a few inches, the angled body creates a 4 1/2" height, and that is for making 55 degree angle applications, if you need to make a 90 degree hole, you have to tilt the body, making the overall head height out of control. Look at the picture to see what I mean. For making joist holes in 2x10s this is not a problem because their is plenty of clearance, but if you are making cabinetry, and for example want to secure drawer guides in drawer openings, that are closed panels, the Milwaukee will not get the job done.
I went into the local home center, and got my hands on the Milwaukee close quarters drill. Please understand I am crazy about Milwaukee tools, but ! Holding onto this drill is strange. The only way I can relate to it is to say, think of holding onto a 1.5 litre bottle of wine. You know the kind that quickly mushrooms out at the neck. Your little finger, second, and third fingers are holding onto a large body, while your index finger and thumb are wrapped around the neck. Now imagine trying to force the neck of the bottle into something. Albeit, the Milwaukee has a mushroomed head, it is a tiny head nonetheless. Difficult to put into words. Go into your local home center and pick one up. You instantly will know what I mean. In a few words, it is uncomfortable. I don't know what Milwaukee was thinking with this one. For a little more money, get the Makita DA3010F 3/8" Angle Drill with L.E.D. Light.

Two other mentionables for competition are the Porter Cable air driven, and the Dewalt DW160. The Porter Cable air driven comes in at half the price and has a keyless chuck. It does reverse as well. The one drawback is that you don't get the degree of torque out of small air driven tools (monster impact guns excluded), and you need to have air. Lugging the compressor for a big job is not a problem, but for those small adjustments, it can be a nuisance.
The Dewalt DW160 3/8" drill has an oversized paddle switch, according to the manufacturer. Reviews were pretty emphatic about false start problems while changing bits. Also it does not have variable speed, nor does it reverse.
It is rare that you can narrow a tool choice down to yeah this, and boo that. If I had to chose just one, and I did, it would be the Makita. More power, greater speed range, least amount of overall head height in the greatest range of applications, and that lifetime LED light to constantly shine the way. They call it the new Eluminate line of tools. I know that if I get in a situation of needing the 55-degree angle, I will wish I had the Milwaukee. Additionally, I know I have a hankering for the Porter Cable air driven at those times when I have air. For the price, I might wind up with one of those also. The Dewalt, is an inexpensive drill that I know I would be cussing at, every time I needed to reverse out a screw, since it doesn't have reversing capabilities, and it doesn't have variable speed, so it will strip out the screw heads as well. Enough said: I like the first three very much. I have learned that if you go for a little more on the price, you often get a tool that is a lot more in the long run. Hope this was helpful.

If you want to drill masonry, get an SDS hammer. If you are running a house full of wire and pipe, get a Hole Hawg. But if you install cabinets or do other finish work that requires drilling or fastening in confined spaces, there is no substitute for this drill. One word: ergonomics. You'll hang onto this tool like your child hangs onto his or her favorite plush toy. Put a vix bit in and you can drill pilot holes all day long -- the drill just hangs from your fingers while the ball shape of the head provides a comfortable platform to apply needed pressure. This tool had a design change in the past year. Old design or new - they are both great. I did prefer the old style because of the hard, dense plastic shell. (I'm sure that's not the correct term - trust me it's plenty tough). The forward/reverse switch used to be on the bottom of the tool. It was a little indefinite in operation, but I've never had a problem. I bought a couple of the old models with a clutch and keyless chuck when I heard the design changed, but the new tool has the same essential features that make the tool great for its intended jobs. The new model has a "rubberized" or soft grip outer shell. Most people will probably like that better. The forward/reverse switch has also changed design and placement. What has not changed is the perfect balance and function of this great tool. This drill is an extension of your hand. I reach for it first and rarely need anything bigger.

When doing some wiring in my old house, I decided I needed a new tool when I had to break out 16" of plaster to drill a hole for a cable through a firestop. I tried to get by with a right-angle attachment for my regular drill, but it was very awkward, and I gave up on it and bought this. I have to say it's one of my favorite tool purchases. I've used up to 2" spade bits in it without any problem. Obviously, one can't use it a with a 4¼" hole saw - that's what the Hole Hawg is for - but neither is there any danger of its giving the user a good sock in the jaw. The trigger is convenient, and it slips off the finger very quickly if the bit catches. I find it has plenty of power. With a sharp bit, I can drill through a joist in less that ten seconds. It's easy to slip a hand behind the head and put some force on the bit. The 55º offset makes it handy for sneaking around pipes and other obstructions. Like another reviewer said, it makes judging the angle of the bit to the wood a bit tricky, but it's not for fine work after all. I've put my drill through the paces, and it's come up a winner.

Obviously, I wanted a drill that would be able to get into tight places for various types of assembly and remodeling. For this it works quite well. I feel it is a better choice for all purpose drilling at odd angles than a right angle drill which tends to hit framing, duct, plumbing . .. . unless you are at or close to that right angle. When attempting to align the drill for a hole that is reasonably perpindicular to the surface, can be a little tough to guage, but for me the flexibility of the 55 degree head outweighs that benefit of a dedicated right angle drill.The paddle type switch works quite well,sometimes too well as it can be easily turned on because of the way your hand wraps around the housing and switch. It won't take long to figure out different hand positions to avoid that. The reversing switch is a bit awkward to reach while drilling, but in tight quarters once you have twisted your hands and arms to reach that tight spot, it is nice not to have to worry about inadvertantly hitting the swith to change directions; however, that being said, it works against you when you need to reverse the drill and have to back out of that tight spot or manuever your other arm to the drill to switch directions. The keyed chuck works well, and the drill is basically comfortable and very useful. As for the reversing switch, I have not yet thought of a better location or type, but time may solve this minor gripe. Nonetheless, this is a typical Milwaukee product so far, it is well made, has a durable chasis and will probably run forever. I bought the steel carrying case to hold various auger and forstener bits which I tend to use a fair amount with this drill, the removable tray and the extra space of this box is very handy to grab and get to work, without having to pack up each time you use this drill. Nice tool to have around when the neighbors aren't asking for it.

I bought this drill to do work in close quarters (a rewiring job, holes up to 3/4 inch in framing) and it is great. Since then, I have found that it has become the drill I reach for first. The grip behind the drill chuck gives excellent control and pressure while feeling well balanced.

This drill is also offered in a version with a 1/2 inch chuck and lower speed/higher torque - this would probably be a better choice if you drill a lot of metal or very large holes in wood. For most wood boring, this model has plenty of torque and the higher speed (1300 RPM vs 750 RPM) gets the job done faster.

I have owned this drill for about 1 year. I also own 7 other drills from 1/4" to 1/2". I have powerful, and not so powerful drills. Variable and single speed drills in several brands and price ranges have found their way into my shop. I use this drill most of all. I build furniture as a hobby. I originally purchased the drill for work in tight spots. I have found myself reaching for it to drill holes; drive screws and just about everthing else. I have found this drill to have plenty of power for 95% of the jobs I do. This is a great little drill if you do not need a cordless.

I've been doing finish carpentry, cabinetry, and installs for
over two decades. If I had to unload all other drill motors except one it would be this one. My first one was ripped off on Kauai over nine years ago. I immediately got another, this time with a keyless chuck and screwdriver feature. The keyless chuck
is happening, the screwdriver feature was not. I have the older model with the rear-mounted tab reversing switch [lame] and a
sloppy paddle switch [also lame]. However, they have both lasted for many years and have served me well. Recently, both switches have been redesigned and seem to feel much more solid, though I have not actually tried one yet. I have had my old one apart a few times to install a longer power supply cord and to try to fix the balky switches. I was able to fix the paddle but not the lame reversing switch. The drill is built very solid and I intend to send it back to Milwaukee for repair, while at the same time buy a newer version. I cannot recommend this drill enough. I feel a little lost without it. I'm pretty sure it's a Sioux brand made for Milwaukee but truly could care less. They're both awesome brands. This drill goes home with me and my tool belt in a bucket every night, along with a Bosch 12v cordless. I leave thousands worth of tools on the job at the end of every day, secured in a gang-box of course, but this bucket goes with me. I've also been using quick-release type accessories
for about ten years and wouldn't dream of a drill without one. In fact, almost all of my drills have quick-release chucks on them. I use the close quarter drill and one cordless for nearly all install work.
Bottom line...? Get one, you'll never go back.

I purchased this drill specifically for installing my kitchen cabinets. It turned out to be so small, lightweight and handy that I wound up using it for almost everything. It had enough power to duplicate my heavy weight DeWalt. It was handy enough to replace my cordless. It was compact enough to drill through joists for a complete remodel including plumbing & wiring. I wound up giving it to a contractor as partial payment for a job. I am now purchasing a second one.

I have been using a Milwaukee 0375 drill for at least the past 15 years and I love it. My primary application for it is in the installation of furnaces and duct work. I own the Makita, (Lousy stiff cord) Dewalt (too bulky), and Black and Decker (No longer made had a 1/4 inch chuck and was smaller than the current DeWalt model) Small right angle drills. And have compared them over the years. In my opinion the Milwaukee is the best of the lot because of its design. You can put much more pressure on the drill bit and control it better. I use the 0375 primarly for rivet holes, drilling out rivets, screw starter holes, and steel step bits up to 1/2". At the end of a work day my hands hurt a whole lot less when I use the Milwaukee 0375 drill. I have droped several of these drills off a 6 - 8 foot ladder and the only problem was that I broke the drill bit. The only service these drills have required down through the years was cord and switch replacement (By the way I think that this drill is made for Milwaukee by Sioux as the parts are interchangeable) Sioux makes several screw guns of this same case design which I also use in my business.

Yep...thats right a sander. I've had this drill for 3 years now and I don't think I have ever put a drill bit in it. I purchased it to use as a sanding device for bandsaw box's and small clocks. It does a superior job with the multitude of flap wheels, drums, soft pads and wire whisk's. I have used this drill for hundreds of project's and have yet to think of a better substitute. I do a lot of work with burls, maple, walnut,cherry, and this unit really does a nice job of enabling me to clean bits of bark and dirt from the outside surface.
It is a bit heavier than I originally thought it would be, but that does help with vibration and stability, and doesn't to affect its manuverability. It is very comfortable to hold and use. The lever type trigger is a plus, much more comfortable than the conventional type trigger. I usually place a piece of foam rubber under the trigger to enable me to maintain the speed I want, without having to "hover" the trigger. Really lessens the fatique factor. I especially like the fact that the drill body does not heat up, even under continued use. I sometimes will use this drill for hours on end, and having to wait for it to cool would be a pain. It has a nice long, heavy duty cord, that doesn't tangle up easily.
I actually got the idea for using this drill as a sander from the book,BUILDING BEAUTIFUL BOXES WITH YOUR BANDSAW, by Lois Keener Ventura (seperate review). I also have a stationary belt sander and Jet spindle sander (seperate review), and I use these quite a lot, but for those small tight spots its hard to beat this combination.
It is probably a great drill and someday I may actually use it as one, but meanwhile it's an outstanding sanding tool and I highly recommend it.