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Independent Tool Review
by Peter Brett - December 2005
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Milwaukee V28 HX Hammer Drill
Corded Power with Lithium Technology
At the recent Axminster show I had conversations with a number of representatives of large power tool companies about the virtues of Lithium-Ion technology. Although no-one seems to have a date for the phasing out of ‘non-eco’ NiCads, it seems to be generally accepted that their day is done. It is clearly time to move on with the newer battery technologies. These will not only give better battery life, more power and less weight to cordless tools, they will also provide a step into the future for so-called First World manufacturers in their efforts to differentiate their more sophisticated and, therefore, more costly products from cheaper competition. Frankly, while I have heard many tradespeople tell me proudly about their cheap bargain tools, picked up in the ‘Sheds’, very few have ever told me that they preferred them to a big name brand with a number of advanced features. They mostly aspire to using good tools, but, for a variety of reasons, they sometimes choose cheaper ones.
Milwaukee has an enviable reputation in the design and manufacture of power drills, hammers and breakers. Having tried several of them, I am pretty sure that, should I ever need to buy such a product, their offerings would definitely be in my very short shortlist. The V28 HX cordless Hammer drill simply adds to this reputation, and is my first real experience, in extended use, of a cordless that can match the power of a corded machine.
Perhaps because it is a very recent arrival, my sample arrived packed in a simple Milwaukee Red cardboard box. No blurb on the box or fancy custom fitted case. I am sure that Milwaukee are not going to break with tradition and that production models will have cases, but the very understated nature of its arrival seemed to be a challenge. It seemed to urge, “Just try me, forget the fancy packaging”. So I did just that.
The tool comes of course in familiar red, black and grey Milwaukee livery. The entire case is made of tough quality ABS, and it is well screwed together as you would expect. The only rubberised bits are on the handle where they are not overdone, and the handle is big enough for use with a gloved hand. All the usual controls are there:- a large trigger, push-through forward reverse switch, and a mode selector switch on the left hand side of the casing near the adjustable front handle.
What you do notice immediately when you handle the drill is that it is definitely lighter than you would expect. The lithium-ion cells are largely responsible for this. They are in a low-slung position under the main handle, where they provide a balance to the weight of the motor and gearbox in front. Just to compare briefly. A 24 volt NiCad battery from one of my favourite cordless drills (German) weighs in at 1220 grams, while the Milwaukee 28 volt Lithium-ion one is a shade over 1000 grams. The newer technology delivers a cool 3.0 Ah while the NiCad delivers just 2.0 Ah. You can feel the difference not only in the weight, but also in the power available.
I also liked the large well-sprung buttons that secure the battery to the body. They are big and efficient. I am fed up with doing battle with pathetic switches on batteries that only partially release the catches, or need you to wrestle to release them before you can stick them on charge.
Milwaukee kindly sent me a variety of SDS bits to try out, the largest being a 12mm diameter, 150mm long one that I used most. My first task was to drill some holes for a series of cables through a face brick wall. The score? Milwaukee 1 Brick wall 0. The task did not seem to be a very good challenge at all because the V 28 HX barely stopped to gather itself, it just ploughed on through. Admittedly, it had to work harder on some concrete paving slab, and even harder on some granite worktop. But none of these things was beyond its power, I just needed to keep on pushing and working the bit to best advantage as I was drilling. As I was working outside where the dust and noise wouldn’t be a nuisance, I was struck by the fact that I was using a cordless tool with the power of a corded one. I then started thinking of all the trades that would love to have such a benefit (not to mention the Health and Safety Officers on building sites throughout the land) and I could think of few where the benefits would not be appreciated.
I really liked the very controllable progressive trigger. One of the best I have used. It is literally possible to go from a very few revs to full speed in a controlled way, as well as being able to maintain an optimum speed when needed.
In common with many other hammers, I didn’t like the mode switch, it was too small and stiff to move easily even with a bare hand, let alone a gloved one. Some of this is due to it being a brand new machine and therefore the switch needs a bit of working, but also it would never do for a machine to swap modes in the middle of a task, so I guess it needs to have some tightness. The Milwaukee FIXTEC system on the chuck works well, but again I found it the collar a bit hard to grip and pull back to seat and release the bits. Since I suspect that many cold hands on building sites will be using this machine, it needs to be a bit easier.
Although I had only one battery, I was able to use the machine at will. Being a Lithium-ion battery it has no memory effect and can be charged for the odd ten minutes here or there. The ‘smart charger’ will condition and recharge the battery, and it can also be kept on the charger without fear of overcharging.
Another brilliant feature as far as I am concerned, is the battery level indicator on the battery case. This allows the user to monitor the amount of power left, so you won’t be left, as I have often been, in the middle of a job on top of a scaffolding with a discharged battery. You just check it and charge it before you go.
This is a great machine. I loved using it. It is capable and businesslike. If you are looking at drill hammers it should be on your shortlist.
Independent Review by Peter Brett
Airstream Communications