For a better part of 2018, I got my hand on some Milwaukee tools. If I may be honest, I mostly stayed away from them because I was always on a budget. The first tools I got my hands on were the M18 sander followed by M18Fuel Drill Set. Right away I was impressed by the power these tools delivered operating on batteries. The last quarter of the year, Christmas came early, and I received the M18 brushless tables saw, M12 Rocket LED Stand work light and a few more Milwaukee goodies. I’ll touch more on them in a few. This year I plan to be a bit more mobile, so it was perfect timing
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When I first laid eyes on this M18 Table saw, my thoughts were, “this is interesting!” I was wondering what the primary intent was? Everything was designed around construction sites. The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to distance myself, and then it hit me. I always had plans to work outside my environment, either going to do work at my dad’s house or wherever this journey takes me. This also could be a great investment for apartment owners. It’s not too loud and is light enough to pick up and carry. Speaking of being mobile this will work out well when I need to tackle outdoor projects and want to eliminate many trips back to the garage.
After unboxing the saw, I liked the build quality of it. The rack and pinion fence are a nice touch assuring you that everything stays squared and has up to 24.5in rip capacity. The quick lock and adjust fence makes it effortless to fine-tune so you can focus on ripping plywood, OBS and dimensional lumbers. Also the included blade guard can minimize sawdust flying towards you. I do find the dust collection works really well but depending on the phase of your job, letting dust fly is minor.
At this point, I have not tried to push the limit but knowing that this is designed to rip up 600 linear feet, umm…, game on! So before you buy a second battery, I would say give it a day’s work and see how things work out. The saw uses a 12 AH battery that is included, plus with the fast charging chargers, you can get back to work in no time. While I’m on the topic of batteries, if you didn’t know that this saw came with a cord, you wouldn’t know the difference whether using a battery or the cord.
If you check the reviews on this saw most users are in love with it, and now having it, I can understand why. This saw kit comes with (1) HD12AH battery, (1) Rapid charger, (1) 8 1/4in blade, push stick, fence, blade guard and a miter gauge. If you are into it, there is a Bluetooth feature that allows you to track and manage your saw. I have worked on a job sites in the past, and when you have so many trades around, things can come up missing. So if you’re on a job site, it makes total sense. If you were considering one of these, a 5-year warranty gives you peace of mind. I designed a stand for this saw, not sure when I will build it, but if you need something for it, there is a stand.
When I am working on a project, I get in a zone. Sometimes that carries over late into to the night. Most of the time that’s happening in the workshop and I have a ton of light there. However, my to-do list is massive and there are many outdoor projects on it. There is nothing I detest more than being interrupted, and I don’t want the lack of light to halt my progress. No matter where I am, the Milwaukee M12 Rocket LED Work light works excellent. I like the concept of its ability to collapse from 5’8’’ to 2’7’’ for easy transport. With that in mind, I designed my workbench so that it has a spot for it when not in use. This light is surprisingly bright putting out 1,400 lumens on high output and 700 lumens on low output. You cannot deny the portability and functionally of this.
The light is dual powered meaning you can power it by battery or using a standard 120-volt extension cord for extended operation time. You’ll need to pick up the battery starter kit separately if you don’t have one. On a single charge, you can get up to 10 hours of light. The light head rotates and pivots so you can shine the light on your subject. Accidents happen, so this work light is built to withstand impact. The M12 Rocket Work Light does not come with a battery, so if you want that portability, you will have to grab a battery and changer starter kit unless you already have tools from the M12 family.
Very little work is possible without a tape measure. Unless you are a newbie, you will understand the need for multiple measuring tapes (to let you in on the secret, you can never find it when you need it). Following the durability theme, the Milwaukee Stud tape is rated to survive drops from 80 feet high, however I would not recommend testing it to see if it’s true. It’s also estimated for up to 10ft standout, every time I tried, it failed in the 9.5ft range. That’s pretty good, but 10ft may have been a lucky day. It does have a nice 1in (27mm) wide blade that’s wear resistant.
To complete my mobile workshop, I have the Milwaukee shockwave impact duty Drivers bit set. This set is straight up awesome. If I didn’t have this mobile workbench/workshop theme planned I would do away with the old bits I have. When I leave the house I always grab this set and I know I have what I need. Before I speak on what’s in the set I have to state that it’s very hard to get these out of the bit holder. Of course, you don’t want your bits falling out, but you shouldn’t need pliers to pull them out either unless it’s just my set. Circling back to what makes this bit set, they come in a nice tough plastic case and you get 142 pieces. Not a lot, but I have had bits snapping due to high torque situation. The shockwave design has a shock zone. That is the slim area on the bits, and with high torque applied, this allows three times the twisting on the bits preventing breakage. Standard bits can snap if too much twisting is introduced. The set is made from hardened steel to maximize wear, and hold up against shocks lasting up to 30 times the life of other bits.
I don’t know what tomorrow holds, but there is a high chance that I will add more to my mobile workbench. I did design it with a few holes for future products, and in the meantime, stay tuned and be on the lookout for that project.
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