My Wacker ehb11 rotary hammers 3 phase converter failed. Power in no output...dead. $600 part i'm told. Looking at the Milwaukee 5342-21. Usage is infrequent, can't justify a big Hilti cost wise. I like the design of the Milwaukee but I've never personally seen one. Any thoughts are appreciated. Thanks.
how big of one do you need? I have a Bosch and a Dewalt which looks similar to the Milwaukee. The Bosch works great the Dewalt has never had a bit in it.
Well the Milwaukee is a 2" and that's smaller than my wacker but should be ok. 6" core bit is currently my biggest. I do like the narrow profile the Milwaukee has. $800+ Just want to be sure.
I have this, its great. i use mine one or twice a year for 4" holes. I'm happy with it and feel it would hold up well for more frequent use. https://www.milwaukeetool.com/Products/Power-Tools/Concrete/SDS-Max/5426-21
I have a Hilti SDS combo for dry cores up to 5” or so and Bosch SDS for the smaller cores ( can’t remember the model #’s off hand) can’t go wrong with either brand. I have heard good things about the Milwaukee rotary hammers as well. You can try to see if Bosch offers reconditioned rotaries for a discounted price. I picked up my smaller Bosch Reconditioned and i have it well over 13 years. The new Milwaukee machines look awesome. I love my Roatry Hammers. Great tools.
Years ago I came across this Milwaukee rotary hammer for sale in a used tool store and came home with it. And I recently saw a lot of the bits for this on ebay for sale cheap. I like good tools, but if I use it infrequently I always buy a good, vintage tool. The large bit is 1-1/2", but it takes core bits too.
Who’s coring what? What is the need for coring, other than opening a hole for plumbing penetrations or some such? Just wondering out loud here...
I have used my larger Hilti with the 5”bit for 4” dryer vent connections, and 2” bit for gas and electric cores. Perfect for 2” plumbing pipe to act as a sleeve for these applications
The wacker was a auction buy. Didn't know it was 3 phase until I scored a manual. 110 in 3 phase at some unknown frequency out. No brushes/commutator, sweet soft start, hits like crazy. I'm a job shop and also do some installations of machinery. Holes for pipes, conduit bollards and such.
The little red angle drill (made for Milwaukee by Sioux) is pretty handy. Just don't drop it ! I just bought 4 new in the box ones and one slipped out of it's open box while bringing it in, easy to see the gears now.
The long handle that comes with it screws into several spots. I'm hoping that's good enough, just had the motor get in the way a few times is all.
I have developed a distaste for Milwaukee's Chinese-made tools. I send way too many out to be repaired. Sitting currently looking at a repair estimate for a customer's 4-1/2" angle grinder. Cord was main issue. It's a little older and made in USA (rarely see these for repairs), so I will recommend the customer have it repaired and not wind the cord so tightly in the future. (cord damaged where it enters back of tool) $65 for new cord, brushes and armature (worn). Well worth it. I'd guess the tool is 10+ years old. Some customers are only getting 6 months out of the "Heavy Duty" 1/2 cordless impacts. Broken anvils and housings. I will say that those tools are used daily and heavily. It seems that the newer designs just don't hold up when actually used in an industrial application. The tools they were making when Electrolux owned them were pretty decent. Now that TTI owns them, they seem to have become very....gimmicky. Focused on specs and features, rather than longevity. All that said Screw, I don't know that a yellow or blue one will be of any higher quality. If Bosch still makes anything in Germany...that'd be what I'd get if I were you. Hilti is still quality and still their own company...no corporate master, but their tools are indeed expensive.
I grew up with Milwaukee tools, personally have well over 100 of them, all USA.. this drill is made in the Czech republic however that's what got my attention. Milwaukee obsoleted spares pizzes me off. A couple like new d handles with snapped nla spindles, switches for 0222-1 (4 screw) drills etc. I have 2 4 1/2" grinders that the commutator bearing ate the shaft, severely. That will be a fun weld and grind. I can go on but I'm still satisfied with the brand overall. I don't have any Chinese ones though.
I do have to say, when new they are pretty impressive tools. Being in my position though, I see the failures. I am getting the felling that TTI is doing to Milwaukee what Black & Decker did to DeWalt some years back...ride the name for everything it's worth. Sell sell sell and worry about the rest later. I have no problem with the older Milwaukee tools. I have some 18v nicad stuff from early 2000s. Drill was made in Germany...me thinks either by Metabo or Hilti. I'm down to my last battery and replacements are going for $75 or more. It's terrible...my employment gives me dealer access to several brands (Dewalt, Milwaukee, Metabo, Makita, Bosch) yet I'm hesitant to buy either due to country of origin and or MAP internet pricing that undercuts dealers, such as my employer.
My new Milwaukee Fuel 1/2" was sent in for work under warranty less than 6 months old...they replaced the whole drill...that one has made it to about 1 year now...but it hasn't been flawless either! The old 28V drill was a tank!
These rotary hammers are a popular item here lately, priced them locally for a couple villages and one of my construction guys just ordered one. I was amazed at just how expensive they are when we started pricing them, entry level was around $350 and 2 models later they were over $1000. Hate to even think about what top of the line ones cost. RCBS your not alone in your experience with Milwaukee, my Cornwell dealer sells a bunch and every week he is sending in a laundry basket full of warranty and repair tools. Majority of the tools in the repair box every week look like they have seen a decent amount of use but there are a bunch of almost new tools in there as well. My experience was the same with them, used the 12V impacts for work in the shop, it became habit to keep a couple NIB on hand for when the smoke started rolling out of the ones we used everyday. At least 2 per year burnt up and we dont use them much. Since we became a Makita dealer i switched over.....optics of selling Makita and using Milwaukee in the shop was the main reason but we are now 2 years into using the Makita stuff and i couldnt be happier, not a single burnt up or broken tool to date and the poor metal cutting circular saw has gotten a workout along with the subcompact drill, i dont think they were meant to drill 3/4" holes in steel.
