Customer Reviews

Milwaukee 49-24-0280 V28 28-Volt Lithium-Ion Job Site Radio

5 star:		(78)
4 star:		(32)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This is the new version of Milwaukee's jobsite radio. In addition to AC power and 12-18 volt NiCad batteries, it also runs on Milwaukee's new 28 volt lithium batteries. (Milwaukee plans to market 18v lithium batteries that will work with its already-existing 18v tools. I presume, from the item description, that those batteries will also work with this radio.)

>>>NOTE: This radio, like the previous Milwaukee jobsite radio, does **NOT** charge the cordless tool batteries it runs on. I emailed Milwaukee about this, and was told that they did not incorporate a charger because the focus of this radio is sound quality and radio reception.

I run my radio on Milwaukee's v28 lithium batteries. I would expect the same performance from Milwaukee's other batteries, with the exception that Milwaukee states that this radio will run longer per charge cycle on the v28 batteries. I'll edit this post to include the average run time for a v28 battery after I've used it several times.

Both the reception and sound quality on this radio are fantastic. The sound quality is so good (and loud, if you want it loud) that you'll be glad to listen to this radio anywhere, any time. If you like bass, the Punch EQ offers 3 levels of bass-boost. The first, or lowest, level is plenty for me. I usually listen with the bass boost off entirely.

I previously owned a Bosch PowerBox jobsite CD/Radio. The PowerBox offers many more features (including charging batteries), but I eventually returned it due to its extremely poor radio reception (even with their new external antenna) and inferior speakers.

The Milwaukee's 12 volt DC output jack (like your car's cigarette lighter plug) allows you to use the radio to power an Ipod, satellite radio, cell phone charger, etc. I particularly like the fact that this plug works when the radio is running on battery power (the Bosch PowerBox's 12v plug only works when the PowerBox is plugged in and running on AC current).

The nylon bag on the back of the radio is removable and measures 11" x 8.5" x 2.5", so it's large enough to store quite a bit of stuff (Ipod, CD player, CDs, patch cables, cell phone lighter-plug cable, etc.). The bag has dual zippers so you can leave a small opening at the top for your external audio device's connecting (patch) cable without risking the device falling out. There is also an elastic strap inside the bag to hold things in place, with spaces for 3 pens/pencils.

The LCD clock readout is visible even when the radio is off. In fact, it's visible even when the radio is unplugged and there is no battery pack in it. It's powered by two "AA" batteries (included).

This radio shuts down automatically when whatever rechargeable battery pack you are using gets low. This is important because you NEVER want to completely discharge any cordless tool battery. Doing so can cause cells within the battery to reverse polarity and become ineffective. The battery might still work if this happens, but it won't be producing as much voltage.

The soft-grip handle is comfortable and the rubber-whip style antenna is perfect for a jobsite radio. You can also attach an external antenna to a provided external connector, but the reception is great so I don't see much need for this.

To connect an Ipod or other audio source, you'll need a cable that goes from the output of your audio source to radio's auxiliary input. For an Ipod, this would be a simple patch cable with a (male) stereo mini plug on each end.

A few extra features would make this an ideal radio for any occasion. Padding in the nylon bag would be great (after all, the radio is designed to survive falls and abuse). A remote control would be useful (especially if you're working on a roof or using it in your garage or home). And a "sleep" timer and headphone jack would also be nice.

Some of the features I suggest might seem out of place on a jobsite radio, but I think this radio could find a market with people who will never even visit a "jobsite." The sound quality is there, and the styling offers a real "wow" factor. This radio could be great as a permanent fixture in a kid's room, basement, garage, etc.

Regardless, I give this radio 5 stars because it is the best jobsite radio I've ever heard. More importantly, it is compatible with Milwaukee's v28 lithium-powered cordless tools, which are, without doubt, the best cordless tools on the market.

I heard a crash and then turned around. My radio was lying on the basement floor. I could have sworn I left it on top of the ladder...? Picked it up off the floor and placed it on top of a cardboard box; much more stable. No need to check the radio because it was still running and suffered only a small scratch on the bar handle. This radio is very tough indeed! It sounds great, has good FM and very good AM reception; the weather bands are tough to get but they do work. The unit will run on a Milwaukee cordless drill battery, plus the 12v DC outlet readily charges my cell phone and it has an auxiliary micro input that accepts any stereo source. All in all this is a great radio for a rough environment; though it would be nice to see it also function as a charger. This would allow you to leave your regular battery charger at home limiting the amount of gear you need to haul around. Milwaukee really should have included a charging circuit with this unit. I am sure they could have found a way to include charging without compromising the sound.

What others have said about the great sound is true, it's awesome. I'm not a pro so this radio goes back and forth from my shop to whatever part of the house I happen to be tearing apart on any given weekend. I have full confidence, however, that this could take the daily beating of a job site while still sounding and working great.

Compare this to the Bosch and Dewalt; it beats them hands-down on ruggedness and sound quality. The Dewalt doesn't hold any advantages to my eye and the only thing the Bosch has on this one is the GFCI outlets. If the Milwaukee had some outlets, I'd have given it 5 stars; I think that's a nice feature. The fact that the Bosch has a built-in CD player doesn't do anything for me. For starters, who wants to lug around a bunch of CDs that are just going to get scratched, dirty, lost or stolen anyway? Even if you do want to do that, use a cheap portable CD player and toss it in the pouch on the back of the Milwaukee. What you should really use, however, is your MP3 or MiniDisc player; pack more music in that pouch than you could listen to in a week. The Bosch has an input for these, but no pouch to my knowledge.

A few things you should know about the Milwaukee that you don't see in the pics here on Amazon:

1.) There is a removable black zipper pouch that is attached to the back of the radio. The pouch has straps inside to hold an MP3/CD/MD player and your cell phone along with some pencils, etc. There are also two velcro flaps, one on each side of the pouch to run your cords out of - one for the audio input jack and the other for DC power.

2.) You need to have Milwaukee cordless tool batteries if you want to go without AC power (I think all the brands do this). If you are away from AC power often and you don't have a Milwaukee cordless tool (or have plans to get one), that could be a deal breaker. As I'm sure you've already read, this radio does not charge tool batteries. So what - that's what chargers are for and every tool comes with one. Or, take the money you save buying this one instead of the Bosch and get the multi-bay charger from Milwaukee and charge 3 batteries at once.

The Bosch is more than twice the price of this one but even at the same price, I would pick the Milwaukee. I don't use my tools as hard as most of Milwaukee's customers do because I'm not a pro, but this radio adds to my already strong impression of Milwaukee Electric Tools.

I bought this radio for my carpenter brother-in-law. He has raved about this radio since Christmas. The sound quality is tremendous, far surpassing the DeWalt version his friend has. It has fallen off a workbench without incident! I highly recommed this product to any contractor because of its durability and quality. An excellent radio for a good price.

I'm a DeWalt guy, but didn't feel the need to shell out the bucks for a DeWalt radio or a Bosch. The Milwaukee has better build quality than either of them, at half the price. It is a well thought out device, seems to be extremely well made, and the tool bag attached to the back is a great idea. I store my phone and mp3 player there. The only drawback I can see, and it's really more of an oddity, is that radio only reaches stated output(44w) under battery power(28v). It only puts out about half that on AC, and only about 7w on 12v battery packs. I don't see a problem as the sound quality and volume seem to be first rate, but I just thought it strange that device would not be adequately(or equally powered may be more accurate) powered off household current. But in any case, I think this is an outstanding product and I would buy another without hesitation.

This radio is basically a portable stereo just like any other except it is rugged, looks really cool and runs off a tool battery or a/c. The knobs are large and easy to use with gloves. There is no point in comparing it to the Dewalt unless you are using both companies tools? The pass thru plug is cool, 12v power plug is cool. You can plug your charger or whatever into the back of the radio's a/c plug. Digital tuner with memory function is nice, the punch eq is just ok, only the first setting is really usable with the unit cranked enough to hear over saws, the next few bottom the woofers. The radio has a low center of gravity and a wide bottom so it's near impossible to knock over. It has rubber no slip feet too. It's not really a big deal to me that the radio does not have a charger function, if I have my tools I have their bag with the charger and extra batteries. If I am running the radio off the battery there probably isn't a/c available anyhow.
I gave it 4 stars because it deas not have a charging function. Even though that doesn't matter to me, it is a feature that should not have been excluded. Also the price of the radio is similar to the Dewalt that does offer a charging function.

Thanks!

When I saw this on the shelf I knew I had to have one. I sold my Dewalt because it was a Piece of $###! The sound quality was deplorable. Yes it charges batteries but who needs a behemoth battery charger that hurts your ears ? This thing actually sounds very good for a portable. As a car audio nut ,I LOVE Rockford Fosgate. The punch eq adds a fair amount of kick. The reception is far better than the Dewalt with its manual tuning. I love being able to charge my cell phone batteries right there where I'm working with the 12v acc output. With the 20 presets and the weather bands you get a well rounded package. You can spend a lot more for a radio , You can get built in CD capabilities (who has time to change them while working ) You can get more features in other portables but there is nothing tougher or better suited to the work place out there.

This unit is just what it says: a radio. It is not a charger! At first I thought that it should have a charger feature to it but I realized I already have two chargers and the batteries last long enough that they don't need more than one charger to keep up with the tool use. Milwaukee concentrated solely on making a good sounding radio that can run on battery power and they have done just that. The music comes out loud and clear from the Rockford Phosgate speakers. I listen to a lot of AM radio and the reception for AM is better than any other radio I own so I use it at home sometimes just for AM radio. I thought it was a pretty neat feature that you can charge your cell phone with a battery in when no AC adapter is present. The unit is built like a brick sh**house (as my uncle likes to say) and looks like it could take a bullet and keep on playing sweet music. I also like the straight through plug so it does not take up any space on the outlet. All in all this is another great product from Milwaukee and it is significantly less than Dewalt and Bosch's radio with better sound quality.

I bought this to replace my DeWalt job site radio that just died one day and refused to run on either battery or 120v. This radio is HEAVY! It is not something that is likely to get accidently kicked over. It is built to be bottom heavy and is very stable. The reception is great (and where I live, we often have difficulty tuning in with other radios). Even inside houses and in basements I have no trouble getting a clear signal. The battery life seems to go on forever--I used a spare 18v., but it takes other smaller Milwaukee batteries as well. This was a great value for the money compared to the other job-site radios I looked at.

(Michelles husband John using her account)
I bought this radio almost a year ago and I love it! Great sound, good reception, sturdy, lots of volume, great bass, whats not to like? I use it every day and it gets wet, doused in saw dust or even worse, MDF dust, beaten around a jobsite or the back of my truck and it just keeps going! The controls are easy to use and I like the presets and the punch bass. Occasionaly I plug an MP3 player into it too when I get sick of what the radio plays and the pouch on the back is a very convienient place to stow it. The only two issues I have are A) it doesn`t charge batteries. I thought it did when I bought it. I got it even though I don`t (yet) own any Milwaukee cordless tools figuring I` could get a battery when I needed one. Turns out I need a charger too. Not a big deal, it doesn`t come up often and I do intend to get a Milwaukee combo kit eventualy.
B) the reception goes to hell when I plug in my cell phone to charge. A bit of a pain, but not too bad.
Overall this is a great radio. Better sound than the Bosches and old or new DeWalts other contracters have on the same sites I`m on. Four stars.