Customer Reviews

Milwaukee 0512-25 14.4 Volt 1/2-Inch Drill Kit with Flashlightight

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I did a lot of research before buying this drill I was upgrading from a 9.6 volt Makita. The difference was phenominal. The Milwaukee is well balanced and comfortable to hold and use. I was using it to drive 4" deck screws and I built my bench without having to change the battery. the torque settings were very precise and can be used on thin sheet metal as well. Most importantly, it's comfortable. for a guy with arthritis that is important. I've used DeWalts and Porter Cable cordlesses but they are heavier and bulkier than the Milwaukee. This drill has plenty of power and is comfortable at the same time, and hey, it's a milwaukee, you can't go wrong.

I have had this tool for a few weeks & it hits the sweet spot for weight & feel when I use it. I especially like the reversable battery pack feature, which allows me to get into tight spots. where the battery would normally be in the way. All I have to do is reverse the battery out of the way. I also have found that the 19 different torque setting are extremely accurate. This is especially important to me when I am driving very small screws like those I use for hanging gutters. It would be very easy to strip a small screw like this but the torgue setting on my Milwaukee works perfect.

I replaced my Porter Cable 12-volt with this drill, and was immediately impressed. The weight, balance and power were terriffic, The battery life easily withstood heavy-duty use all day, and my drills see heavy daily usage from sheetrock to decking to concrete lags.

One of my batteries did wear out (stopped taking a full charge), but was replaced under warrenty. However, precisely one day after my 1-year warranty expired, the other one developed a loose connection that couldn't be fixed. Also, the brake has given out, which isn't critical but sure is annoying when you need to do precision work. I took it to the local fix-it shop, and he told me there was nothing that could be done about the battery, and it would cost ... to fix the brake, because there are no brushings in a Milwuakee. I would need an entirely new trigger assembly. I asked him if these problems are typical of Milwuakee, and he told me yes. (Their shop sells all kinds of power tools, including one of the most impressive assortments of Milwaukee in the Iowa City area.) He informed me that when it comes to power tool durability and reliability, DeWalt is far and away superior to everything else. He said that after DeWalt, the rest are pretty much in the same category.

I'm not an ad exec for DeW. or Black & Decker, but I believe a repairman over a salesman. The only thing keeping me from ordering my DeWalt is my unfinished research on Panasonic--but my next drill will not be a Milwaukee.

I fell in love with this drill when I first handled it( the handling is wonderful) and given Milwaukee's reputation for durability I bought it. Everything was fine for just over a year until one of my battery packs fizzled and couldn't be fixed. I e-mailed Milwaukee and they pretty much told me "tough". A month after my battery pack died, the electronic brake gave out ( same as another post left here). Two weeks after that I was running a Unibit through an electrical box when smoke started coming out of the vent holes in the drill. From new to worthless it took about a year and a half. This is totally unacceptable in my opinion. I am an electrician and mainly use the drill to drive screws and run hole-saws - nothing too taxing. There are too many other cordless makers out there for me to EVER buy a Milwaukee cordless again (however, their corded tools are among the best). I'm looking at Panasonic or Bosch as a replacement. Milwaukee totally let me down and lost me as a future cordless customer.

With this drill, you don't even need a drill with a cord. the 14.4 Volt power source is plennty to drill into wet Kleenex, Paper, Wood and concrete. The reversiable battery makes the drill's center of gravity in the right place (requiring you to reverse it when using it if you want the center of gravity right). Keyless chuck, Variable Speed, Reversing, braking.. and SOLID. Of course being from Milwaukee, I found it humourous that a drill with my city's name on it also has "Made in Germany" stamped on it. The only complaint I have about the drill is the forward/reverse switch is in a silly place. But that's no big deal.

If you use a drill, you need this one. Corded power with Cordless portability.

We bought this drill to replace our 1,100 sq ft redwood deck. The 9.6 V DeWalt we had was barely getting the 3" screws into the treated pine joists. I was tempted by various 18 V models, but their weight and price (the 18 V models had just come out and were still quite expensive) ruled them out. The 14.4 V models seemed to be the right blend of power, weight, and price, and this Milwaukee was available on sale. It made the deck easy work and my arm did not feel like it was going to fall off at the end of the day. I have noted two "convenience" faults: (1) a clip for spare bits is not present and (2) the forward/reverse button, which slides forward and backward, is not as convenient as the push buttons available on most other brands. Milwaukee touts the ability to install the battery in the other direction as a feature allowing access to tight spaces, but I have never encountered a space where this feature was useful. Overall, this is a really solid drill; it feels and sounds like it will last a long time.

This write-up was three months in research. I tryed em all 12, 14, 18 volts. The Dewalt was to heavy and both models I bought were defective right out of the box. Makita was too fat around the handle and not very comfortable plus the angle of the chuck did not feel right. Porter-Cable again much too big to be swinging around all day. The Milwaukee 18v was also to large for me. On one charge the 14v drove 15, 1/2" X 3" hole in brick and morter plus drove about 50, 3 1/2" deck screws into pressure treated lumber. It's really balanced, light weight and so powerful it will twist your wrist if you don't use the clutch settings. Made in Germany and it proves it's worth the ($$$)every time I use it.

Everybody has their likes and dislikes--no two people will ever agree on everything. As with most everything, a cordless driver/drill comes down to four things: 1) comfort, 2) performance, 3) price, and 4) warranty. The first three things on the list you have to decide for yourself--what feels best in your hand, what works the way you want to work, and what sells for what you care to spend. Like you, I can't afford to buy anything twice--sometimes I can't afford to buy it even once. I'm not rich enough to buy junk that needs to be replaced on a regular basis. When I buy a tool, I need to know that I'll never have to buy another one of them again. I buy Milwaukee so I won't have to.

If you're a homeowner, an 18 volt drill is too big. It's heavy, awkward, and expensive. It'll twist the head off a giant lag bolt--but so what? Why would you ever want to? Most 14.4 volt drills fall in the same category. The 0512 is more like a 12 volt than a 14.4. Similar in torque, weight, feel, and all those things you love in a 12 volt drill. It comes in under 4 pounds, which makes a big difference when you are on a ladder 17 feet up, swaying in the breeze, and reaching for that last screw on the shutters. Hold a 5 pound bag of flour out at arm's length and see how it feels after a couple minutes.

We bought one of these for doing assembly and repair in our durability lab. Everyone that picks up this drill to use, just loves it! It feels good in your hand, recharges fast, the reversible battery is great. It has more power than we will probably ever use, but it is great. Now, I have to talk the wife into letting me buy one for myself! Thank you, Milwaukee.

I really like the Milwaukee 14.4 volt drill. It has remarkable power, resonable weight, and a nice working feel. However, the charger apparently failed to shut off and caused the melt down of two batteries. Would I consider buying another Milwaukee? Yes I would, but only if I had the assurance that the charger design has been modified within the past two years. By the way, new batteries are about $60. each.