Customer Reviews

Milwaukee 0516-22 14.4 Volt 1/2-Inch Driver/Drill 0-450/1450 RPM, T-Handle with Two Batteries, Charger & Case

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I have spent a lot of time looking at and comparing cordless drills. I spoke to people who sold them. I spoke with the companies tech departments to get their views. I also spoke to independent service establishments who repaired them. It came down to the Dewalt 990K-2 and the Milwaukee 0516-22. Both companies have been around a long time. The price was the same, and the motors are identical. Johnson makes them both. No difference there. They both have 14.4 volts. Milwaukee's is a 2.4 Ah battery; while the Dewalt is a 2.0 Ah.....Milwaukee has a longer run time. They both have keyless chucks. Dewalt has a plastic covering. This eventually wears out when forced to rub in tight places. Milwaukee's is all metal. The independent repair place said he replaces a lot of chucks on the Dewalt. None on the Milwaukee. Next is torque. In an independent test according to a Milwaukee service tech stated the Dewalt drills more holes, but the Milwaukee drives more screws.....this is because of the higher torque....Dewalt @ 334 and Milwaukee @ 390. So there, it depends on how you use your drill. I personally use it to drive screws, but was impressed how well it drilled holes. Then finally there is warranty. Dewalt has 1 year, whereas the Milwaukee has a limited lifetime warranty. I have never owned a Milwaukee tool before, but have seen many professionals use them. More than the Dewalt. I used my drill for the first time this week installing a garage door opener....drilling holes, driving screws and driving lag bolts. The torque in this drill is amazing! It has as much as some electric drills I've used. It almost twisted my wrist off putting in some lag bolts. Surprisingly impressive! There is a comparison section in Amazon.com's site of these and other cordless drills by Hanley-Wood's Tools of the Trade Magazine. They favored the Dewalt. However, if you look at the comparison, it wasn't fair. The Milwaukee drill was less money and was also a lesser quality drill. Furthermore, you should read the customer reviews in Amazon.com. Of the two drills, you will see that the Dewalt isn't rated as high. If you are thinking of what accessories to buy, you may wish to consider a speedlock set. This is a great idea if you hate to change bits all the time like I do....even if it is a keyless chuck. I bought a speed lock set from Sears......101 pieces. It has almost all the bits/sockets needed to do most jobs. There are also some duplicates in the set so in case you loose or break one on site. I looked at the Dewalt set, far fewer pieces and less money, but here again, Dewalt has a 1-year warranty while Sears has a lifetime on its hand tools. You get what you pay for in tools. I don't know about you, but I want to get the best tool for the money. Milwaukee is THE brand to buy.

I am a contractor and purchased these drills to install about 2000 lineal feet of metal fascia and soffit panels for a school rehab project. Generally, our company scoffs at cordless drills because of the types of demands our work places on tools. This job had to be completed largely after hours and on weekends due to our workload, and the school was locked up. I did alot of research, talked with our local service center, and decided on Milwaukee. We use their corded drill motors alot, and I believe they are the best available. These cordless drills did well too. Comparatively, the tool itself built in Germany. It is smooth and strong. The chuck is all metal, so it takes the abuse around metal and masonry without destroying the chuck, and the serrations on the chuck are not raised to the extent that they are likely to damge wood, plastics . . . . a definite plus as chuck replacemnts are not cheap, nor is replacing other trades' work. Next, the 2.4 amp/hours vs. the others - very simply the higher the value the longer the run time between charges, Milwaukee has everyone beat right now. These drills ran 2" self drilling screws into 18 gage metal studs through gypsum board an average of 5 hours on one battery. The chargers seem fine, they shut down automatically so as not to overheat or overcharge the battery, and the ones that come in this kit kit work on all Milwaukee batteries from 9.6v through 18v. The difference in weight between 14.4 volt models is fairly neglible. The BOSCH is the lightest in its class, but it is only rated for 2.0 amp hours, giving the Milwaukee 20%longer run time on the same charge. Replacement costs are similar. Regarding the warranty, Milwaukee sets the standard here - limited lifetime warranty V. 30 days to 1 year. Milwaukee also offers a 30 day no risk trial, if you decide against it. In speaking to the service center, most cordless drills utilize the same Johnson motors, so the difference here is not appreciable, the cluthces, switches, housing, chucks and bnattery technology is where they separate themselves. In general, DeWalt among the major players anyway seem to be the most problematic, they offer replacable brushes, which sounds good, but the service center said that DeWalts tend to burn them more quickly than others, and it is cheaper to replace brushes than drills. Swithces are also weak in the DeWalts, no problems with Porter Cable, BOSCH or Milwaukee. Ergonomics are best on the Porter Cable or Bosch in my hands, the Milwaukee wore off a couple layers of skin between my thumb and index finger after days of hard use. Likely no problem with less hours of usage. The Porter Cables are built in Taiwan, the Bosch are built here in the States. The Porter Cables are a great buy, but labor is cheaper in Taiwan. So some of the differnces are easy to figure. So all in all, it still boils down to preference. Bosch makes great tools, I likely would have gone with Bosch because I already own their 9.6v 3105k kits and love them for light jobs and the chargers would be compatible, the price was similar to Milwaukee, but the run time was a factor for us. I do not think think that Porter Cables "overseas" tools are as high of quality (nor do the service centers) as the ones they still build in the States, and that bothered me about the Porter Cable. I never considered Makita or Panasonic, because they both use Metal Hydride battery packs and the service center says that for now stay away from those. Which left DeWalt, which has distinct shortcomings and Milwaukee, which so far - has none to speak of. Good job Milwaukee.

After months of research and some demoing at local hardware stores, I narrowed my selection to this drill and the Porter-Cable 14.4V 3/8" drill (see my review for that drill).

I didn't want anything less than 14.4V, due to power loss. I didn't want anything larger than 14.4V, due to cost and weight.

The Porter-Cable and Milwaukee were great on paper and worked well when I demoed them. The DeWalt equivalent models were as expensive as the Milwaukee, but didn't have as good a track record. Also had an inferior chuck and warranty. The Makita was not as aesthetically pleasing to me and I couldn't find one to demo.

The Milwaukee drill offers some key advantages over the PC: longer battery life, more torque, lifetime warranty, all-metal chuck, more rugged construction overall, made in Germany vs Taiwan, better grip (able to operate forward/reverse switch with one hand), better balance (see below), and a 1/2" chuck.

The PC drill offers a better case (the molding is far superior than that found in the Milwaukee) and much lower price tag. The PC case hugs the drill perfectly. The Milwaukee case allows for some movement, not a big deal but I like a good case.

Since I'm just a weekend warrior, I was set to buy the PC. I don't need a contractor grade tool. BUT, Milwaukee corporate has a deal where you can get a free battery (which I'll sell, because I don't need a 3rd battery) PC didn't reach the price point required for free shipping. With all of these perks, it was actually break-even or a bit cheaper for the Milwaukee!

The balance of the drill is great. This is due to the reversible battery. I thought this was a gimmick and thought it was stupid when I first saw it. However, after using the drill, it makes a noticeable difference to have the batter facing backwards. It acts as a counterbalance which has a great effect.

The power of this drill is great. Drives screws and drills holes in wood with no problem. Definitely notice no performance loss from my Craftsman corded drill. In fact, I think there's more power.

I look forward to many years of happy use with this drill. I love it. The PC was great too and probably represents a better value for people like me.

I use cordless tools every day in my profession. I'll grab this over my Makita and Dewalt's any day! If you want extended run time, a chuck that will not slip or vibrate loose and wrist twisting torque this is the only choice. WOW!

Upgrading from a 9.9 Makita is a HUGE improvement. The unit as a whole is very ergonomically balanced and is comfortable to hold. The two-position battery is a great added bonus as you can reposition it when attempting to drill in tight places.

The ¼" x 4" lag bolts that bogged out my old Makita were easily and effortlessly driven by the Milwaukee. The torque control also came into play in driving the lag bolts into yellow pine by providing just enough torque to set the bolt without splitting the soft wood. The 20-position adjustment of the torque offers adequate torque setting options. The speed control switch is extremely smooth providing constant control of drill speed without any spikes. The keyless chuck works without a hitch. I put the battery stamina to a test in attempting to drill 5/16" anchor holes in a poured in place concrete wall. I wore out the masonry bit and the battery was still going strong... The 14.4-volt Milwaukee meets all the needs of this weekend wood hobbyist.

I wanted to write an update to my earlier review.

My battery charger for my Milwaukee drill stopped working. It too has a lifetime warranty, so I took it to the local service center for replacement. They ordered a new one for me.

After 2 weeks, the shop still hadn't received the charger (I think it was the shop, they said they had a 3-week lead time on any repairs, so I think my order was "delayed"). So I sent a quick email to Milwaukee corporate complaining about my 2 week wait. They responded within 30 minutes and sent me charger that same day (UPS 2-Day Select). When the local shop got my battery charger in, I asked Milwaukee what I should do with the extra charger. They said to keep them both.

That's some damn good service. It's nice to see that the excellent warranty on paper holds up when tested. Also nice to see the company jump to support their customer. So, keep this in mind when deciding whether or not to pay the premium for the brand. Again, you get what you pay for.

The Milwaukee 516-22 1/2" cordless drill is great. I have used mine for about 3 months now while rewiring my house. I used it to drill through serveral 2 inch studs and rafters and for drilling holes in concrete blocks to mount conduit. It just kept going and going, the batteries really last a long time and it has enough torque to easily twist your wrist if you are not careful. An A+ product well worth every penny.

Received this drill for fathers day, and have built (almost) an entire outdoor deck/stairs project with it thus far!

It has incredible power (not just for a cordless) and has drilled through MANY 2x8 and 2x12 studs for carriage bolt insertion, and has set literally hundreds of #8, 2-1/2" deck screws, through 5/4, brand new, wet, pressure treated deck board into floor joists without a single hiccup.

The batteries are lasting longer than I expected between charges, and both my neighbor and my father-in-law, who have much more experience with power tools, are AMAZED that this cordless is accomplishing all of these tasks so easily. I have never run short of battery power, as long as I re-charge them as I'm inserting the fresh one.

Milwaukee says the batteries wont reach full capacity until 5-6 charging cycles, but these 2.4 anp/hour battery units are already great, right out of the box. I've read some folks complain about Milwaukee battery life, but have done some research, and they use the same batteries as Dewalt, and that at present, this 2.4 amp/hour unit is the highest capacity 14.4 voly battery available, though a 2.6 amp/hour unit is apparently forthcoming. I can't imagine needing more/longer battery life, unless your negligent about re-charging.

Highly recommend this drill!

I am a contractor and use this drill every day. I drive screws and drill holes with it and i just bought another one. It's simply a great product with a great warranty (I dropped one from a roof and broke the handle - they repaired it under warranty).

I am pleased with the power and battery life. Though more powerful drills are available (18v, 24v) I have found that this 14.4v drill is the best overall choice. While those more powerful drills give you longer battery life and larger effective drilling diameters, they are significantly heavier. If you are going to use the drill repeatedly, the lighter weight of this drill will save your arm and shoulder. Those heavy drills will wear you out quicker. Plus the 14.4v is such an improvement over 9.6v you'll be amazed if you're upgrading.

This drill's T-handle design keeps the handle-to-material distance very close which translates to better control. (Easier to start screws, hold bits steady from wandering, etc). It also makes for a very comfortable, balanced feel. You won't have much success using a holster for this drill because of the T design though. If you want to carry it on your belt get one of those new clip-on belt hooks. (Prazzi Big-Lug). The battery can be rotated and inserted into the handle backwards for extra flexibility in tight spaces. (This is another Milwaukee exclusive feature)

I use this drill with hole saws quite frequently. Maximum hole saw size is about 3". Any bigger and it just doesn't have the juice, especially in thick or hard materials. It will also crank a 3/4" auger bit but you'll only get through about 10 2x4's on a charge. For screws and smaller holes the battery will outlast you. Since it comes with two batteries, if you charge one while using the other, the batteries will keep up with you for screwdriving and modest hole drillinig. No problem.

This is one of the few drills on the market that has a rotating switch for changing rotation direction. That's a good thing if you're left handed. I do not like the other drills that have a push-putton reverse switch because I am left handed and when I grab it with my left hand the button pushes in and reverses the drill. (Since you are using a drill in forward roataion 90% of the time, a right hander will not have a problem with this, but lefties will get tired of accidentally reversing the motors on other drills.) Milwaukee has solved this problem with a rotating switch accessible with either the thumb or forefinger. A Good design.

The one thing that drives me nuts about this and other drills on the market is the case. the case that comes with this drill is useless. Although hefty, the case is larger than it needs to be because it has a molded handle rather than a hinge-swing type. (I have a limited amount of space in my truck tool box and can't afford to waste space like that). And for all that size you'd think they could put some storage space in there, but it's all wasted molded plastic inside with no useful storage. There is no place to carry a drill bit set inside. There is a tiny little place to put loose bits inside but there's no containment device built in to the cover so when you open the case after carrying it around all the bits will be scattered around inside the case. No other drill maker on the market does a better job of this however, so I bought an old used metal case from another kind of drill and it works great. The DeWalt cases have more room inside them for accessories but they also scatter inside when you carry the case around.

One note to those considering DeWalt cordless tools: Their battery chargers leak interference into your electrical system so if you have your battery charger plugged in you may experience some noise on the Radio and some dot-pattern interference on your TV. I never have this problem with the Milwaukee chargers. Another note about chargers: Milwaukee now makes a charger that you can plug into your car cigarette lighter. It's the first on the market by any manufacturer and I use it a lot because I travel often with my tools.

In summary, it's a good medium-powered drill, a company that wants you to be satisfied with a liberal warranty policy, and a few design touches make it different and better than others on the market. I will keep buying these drills until they're discontinued. Then I will buy used ones till they run out.

Good luck and happy shopping.

Had the Dewalt 983 and this unit. The dewalt had a wobbly chuck (though it was a nice ratcheting one), the gear selector was poorly made, and had too much kick when pulling the trigger. The Milwaukees all metal chuck is extremely steady, the brake is smooth and the batteries are .4A more powerful than the Dewalt's. One drawback: the trigger does not have a frame around it, so it may rub your index finger during heavy use. Otherwise, fantastic piece of equipment. Unlike Bosch, Skil, and Porter Cable, these are made in Germany. The only two drills I would consider currently are DeWalt and Milwaukee.