Customer Reviews

Milwaukee 0824-24 18-Volt Lithium-Ion Hammer Drill Kit

5 star:		(42)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Very nice drill. I got a new Dewalt 14.4XRP and was very dissapointed. Extreme chuck wobble, lousy variable speed control and just a poorly built product.I tried several different Dewalts and gave up. I returned it and waited for this drill to become available. I got one of the first ones.

The good points are excellent trigger speed control, zero chuck wobble, very smooth sounding internals and of course the V18 battery.

The only bad is the weight. It is billed to be the power of an 18 with the weight of a 14. Wrong. It is a tank. Should last forever as most Milwaukee products do but could be lighter.

I don't think that there is a better 18v drill out there. I tried alot including the new Makita 18 Lithium Ion. Much lighter but not near as smooth sounding as the Milwaukee. Go with the Milwaukee in this class.

Recently purchased this tool after much research.

It seems that several brands are experiencing Li-ION battery troubles and pulled their Li-ION tool lines for now. Makita and Milwaukee seem to be the only two who are not pulling their lines. Says a lot about those two manufacturers doesn't it.

In the end I was trying to decide between the Makita LXT and the Milwaukee V18. The V18 won for me in two categories.

Power system. I like the fact that I can use the Milwaukee with very easy to find 18V niCad batteries if needed. Also that the V18 batteries will fit and power other Milwaukee 18 volt tools!

The Makita - I don't think so, batteries and tool seem to be unique to one another.

Milwaukee's battery warranty, 2 yrs/1000 charges complete replacement, with a 5 yr/2000 charge pro rated warranty. The details of which were easy to find on Milwaukee's web site.

The Makita warranty is kind of less defined - limited one year warranty on the batteries.... limited how? How many charges, etc.

Now down to the actual usage.

This tool only needs one word to describe it, AWESOME! Great power, fast, solid. Overall top notch. The chuck rocks, there is no noticeable run out or wobble (as noted on many hack and pecker made dewalts). I put a charge on the first battery and got started on the days work, I ran the crap out the drill and then ran the crap out of it for half the next day before the battery stopped. It was kind of shocking actually, I drove a 4 inch screw attaching a gate hinge to a 6x6 post with no problem and then next trigger pull, click click click.... battery done. they weren't kidding about that no fading thing. I had no idea the battery was about to go. Awesome, just awesome.

Very happy with the performance of this tool. It's a real winner for me.

Good hammer drill/driver. A bit heavy and tall. The battery does slip slightly front-to-back but this doesn't seem to affect operation. It can be reversed and the drill seems better balanced with the battery in the "reverse" position.

It should be noted that Milwaukee Tools is now owned by Techtronic Industries who also own AEG, Ryobi, Stilleto, Homelite, Hoover, Dirt Devil, and Vax. They are registered in Hong Kong and their stock is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

According to Techtronic's web site the company is currently undergoing a "Repositioning". They have transfered all Milwaukee cordless tool production to the PRC. Their corded tool production will be transfered to the PRC by the end of 2008 and they will close their two factories here in the USA by the end of 2008. Even their highly rated Sawsalls will be soon made in China.

This kit was purchased mostly for the lithium battery upgrade because the price was only a little more than the batteries and charger alone, and who can't use an extra drill, right? The only problem is that I would never want to use this one after having used my older one, the Lok-Tor Hammer drill model 0624-20. Whereas the Lok-Tor is smooth as silk and the fit, finish, ergonomics, and feel of the drill just ooze quality, this one is very loud and heavy with below-average ergonomics and a tawdry look obviously designed to be as flashy as possible for marketing reasons. Trouble is, it's all hat and no cattle. Yes, it's a powerful drill, and yes, it will definitely get the job done. But the reason I bought Milwaukee tools at their premium price is not simply because they get the job done, but because they made the highest quality tools and using them was truly enjoyable. They always felt a step above anything from Dewalt, Makita, or even Bosch, and their slogan, "Nothing but heavy duty," seemed to be a real mantra of the company that its employees took pride in rather than simply a catchy but empty marketing line. I also appreciated the fact that they were one of the only power tool companies to make most of their stuff in the USA (although the Lok-Tor drill is from the Czech Republic - still, I'd much rather have that than one from China). This drill was made in China with the goal of minimizing costs, and it shows.

It's not that China can't make good stuff, but when companies move their production there, that's generally a sign that they put the making of money, by whatever means, ahead of pride in the product that actually creates the wealth. And once that attitude takes root, the company starts cutting corners wherever it can to minimize costs while generating a huge marketing push to sell products based purely on flashy images and slogans rather than substance, which no longer exists. Despite what the brand loyalists might say, this drill is no better than the offerings from Dewalt, Makita, or Hitachi, yet it is much heavier than the other brands.

It's a shame what the company has become since I bought my first Milwaukee tool, a magnum hole-shooter, 12 years ago. The changes began when they were bought out a few years ago by the same China-based company that makes Ryobi and Ridgid, and now Milwaukee is pretty much just Ridgid in red instead of orange. They still make a few tools in the USA that have remained unchanged, such as their corded circular saws, sawzalls, and I believe the magnum drills. If you need them, you better get them while you can, because slowly but surely I see more and more Milwaukee tools showing up that are made in China, and it's only a matter of time before it happens to these old standbys. In cordless tools, nothing about Milwaukee stands out from other brands except the weight. If you aren't too concerned with weight, I'd say Bosch is now probably the most consistently high quality of the main brands. For the weight conscious, Makita or Hitachi are your best bet.

On the plus side, the lithium batteries are terrific and make my old tools just a bit more powerful than fully charged nicads, and believe it or not, they are made in Canada (yeah, I'm scratching my head on that one, since the vast majority of our electronics have been made in China for a long time already). But if Milwaukee were to maintain the honesty of the slogan regarding their actual tools, it should be changed from "Nothing but heavy duty" to "Nothing but heavy, period."

I bought this because I've always found I can depend on all my Milwalkee tools and this one beats them all.
I was warned to stay away from the V28 model because of motor failures and when compairing the two they
almost match. Both V18 and V28 batteries are rated at 3.0 amps, this is what counts not having more volts.
Anyway the ratching 1/2 inch chuck is one of the best I used, the steel gear box with all steel gears will out last the cheaper plastic models but it does add to the weight. The best part of this package is the Lithium-Ion battery, they hold charge while sitting so always ready, a meter on the battery tells how much is remaining so you can have an idea were you stand. Also Lith-Ion cells keep almost full power to the end of each charge, you won't find it slowing down slowly getting weaker, it will just crash. 5 year warr. on the cells with a 2 year 1000 charge replacment. A chip is built in to each battery stamping the first charger date, then counts each charge. This way if you have a claim the factory can tell when it went into service and how many times you charged it. What will they think of next?

I have been very satisfied with this drill/driver and love the battery feature that allows you to touch a button to see how much power is left. I also appreciate the area on the handle for storing 2 bits. It was nice of the company to build a plug adapter into the plug itself, thereby allowing you to plug 3 items into a dual receptacle box. Good weight, and nice size battery that is reversable on the drill. The V18 Lithium-Ion battery is compatable with all my V18 Nicad Milwaukee cordless tools from a previous contractor kit. The drill's shell is part metal and part plastic, which appears to be able to with stand more injury then their previous NiCad model. The drill has a very good clutch system with numbered increments. I bought this after my NiCad batteries ran out of juice and a tool technician warned against the 24V model, saying that the 24V batteries are to powerful for the drill's motor. I have no complaints with the output of this 18V model. So, great tool overall.

Lighter, stronger, and an unbelievable warranty on the batteries. I'm a very happy camper. This is the 2nd one we've purchased.

I have owned Makita cordless drills for years. My most recent model's chuck started slipping and one battery was dead. I began looking at reviews on cordless drills and found the Milwaukee was highly rated and also featured a hammer mode. I decided to give it a try. I have used the new drill quite heavily since I got it a couple weeks ago and its performance blows me away. The keyless chuck is first class all the way. It is simply fantastic. I have not had it long enough to know how well it will hold up over time, but if its fit and finish along with incredible performance are any indication, this baby is a winner from start to finish. I will NEVER own another Makita after using this machine. If you buy one you will be smiling in your sleep.

Great value & quality. I am a professional signmaker - we use cordless drills on a daily basis. Milwaukee drills are ALL we use now!

I purchased this kit at in town for $219 after trying out the Makita LCT200W Driver Drill/Impact Driver combo. After a great deal of research and much deliberation, I decided on the Milwaukee for several reasons:
1. It feels more solid
2. The chuck is much higher quality (all-metal with carbide teeth)
3. More power (I actually used both drills with a 1" space bit on a 4x4 post. The Milwaukee didn't have a hiccup while the Makita bogged several times.
4. The warranty is better on the Milwaukee
5. All the switches and actions feel much more solid on the milwaukee. Switching torque settings feels VERY solid and same with transmission gears and hammer/drill/screw selector.
6. The attenuation on the trigger is very smooth. To me, that says a lot about the quality. There is very good control of the speed you are drilling/driving at.

Many will mention I compared this drill with the compact Makita (which I did). I didn't consider the Makita BHP451 because I didn't feel the need for three speeds and feel it's just one more thing to break. I originally bought the Compact Makita combo but after bringing it home and trying it out (the store didn't have any with good batteries), it just didn't feel as solid as I wanted. I was more than willing to get the Milwaukee despite the almost three pound increase. To me, weight is not as important as getting a quality tool that will last for years. Besides, the Milwaukee feels really good and the weight isn't that noticeable at all.

To sum it all up, the tool feels great after some general use, and I will have this around for a long time.