Woodworking Tips and New Products from Circle Saw

New Tools, Accessories & Tips from Circle Saw Builder's Supply

Milwaukee's V28 Cordless Secret

The sour grapes fable of Aesop revolved around the fox that tried and tried to get some grapes that were hanging high up on a vine. After many futile attempts to get the grapes, the fox walked away in bitter frustration saying "I didn't really want those grapes anyway; they were probably sour." In coming months you may hear many of Milwaukee's competitors using what I refer to as the " sour grapes theory ". Many would have you believe they have already evaluated and condemned the Lithium battery technology as not suited for heavy power tool use. In concept they are correct. The Smart Battery Enter the engineering department of Milwaukee Electric Tool. These are the folks that brought such breakthroughs as the 1st right angle drill, the hole hawg and the reciprocating saw, aka the Sawzall. Since 1924 with the invention of the first one handed electric drill Milwaukee has pushed the envelope of design and engineering wonders. Lithium batteries are but part of the answer - the rest is electronic innovation that enables the battery pack to balance the shock load exerted when the tool is called upon to spin a 2 inch self feed bit. Really now, if the battery technology would not hold up in the field would Milwaukee be foolish enough to put a two year warranty on the battery pack. With a battery loss of 2-5 percent per month while not being used this means a fully charged battery would still have plenty of power after 10 months of lying somewhere on a shelf - maybe longer. Add to that the operating temperature of -4 degree to 167 degrees heat and cold do not adversely affect it. The Milwaukee v28 battery actually likes hot weather, a definite plus in Houston, Texas. Add a battery charge gauge and you know how much juice you have remaining and the fact that Lithium performs at full power for 95% of the battery cycle with no power drop until the very end. The Charger Ok, after 9 years in the research and development stage they have put a huge amount of effort to bring the best to the market, the charger is no different. A smart charger for sure, with further plans to bring out a charger capable of charging both NI-Cad and Lithium batteries. Milwaukee engineering strikes again. The Tools All of the tools in the initial offering have been totally redesigned to take full advantage of the new Lithium batteries and the Milwaukee 28 volt system. The Sawzall From the first cut you realize this is a new sawzall, although stroke has been shortened to 1-1/8" and the counterbalance eliminated the vibration is non existent. Better design and less vibration = less operator fatigue, longer tool life with Milwaukee's 5 year warranty and longer run times. The Portaband For those cutting steel with this tool offers the same capacity as the current 6236 / 6238 deep cut electric portaband from Milwaukee using the same 44 - 7/8 inch blades. Although the tool with battery weighs in 2 pounds heavier than its electric brother the advantage of not having to drag 100 - 200 feet of 12/3 cord more than offsets the weight difference. The Impact For those running auger's where electricity is not practical or need to change a few tires the ½" square drive impact has a pin detent for socket retention, and develops 325 ft/lbs of torque. With its variable speed trigger, this is very helpful for starting lag bolts, auger bits or running nuts and bolts up slowly. Best balance in its field. Exceptional run time, 33% longer than the nearest competitor. The Circular Saw

Using a 6-1/2" x 5/8" bore carbide tipped saw blade the Milwaukee 28 volt circular saw has the power to rip 46 sheets of ½" OSB. That's 368 feet of cutting. Or put a steel cutting blade on and cut metal studs and unistrut or anything with Rockwell hardness of 25 or less to your hearts content. The Hammerdrill/Drill Driver

With 600 inch pounds of torque and 0-600 RPM in low range and 0-1800 RPM in high gear coupled with 2700 BPM in the hammer mode this is one serious drill. Add the Milwaukee 28 volt Lithium battery and you get twice as many holes, screws or lag bolts as the most powerful 18 volt cordless. V28 The Next Generation in Cordless Technology is Here.