Milwaukee 0724-24 description
Sporting the longest running 28-volt hammer drill on the market, Milwaukee's V28 lithium-ion cordless kit is always charged up for the beefiest drilling and driving applications. The tool switches easily between drill, drive, and hammer modes for less downtime and smoother transitions between tasks. This ½-inch hammer drill cranks out a whopping 600 inch-pounds of torque for drilling large holes and driving heavy bolts for deck support, playground equipment, and post-and-beam construction. The two variable speeds do it fast, too, spinning along at 0-600 or 0-1800 rpm's for more productivity.
Powering the V28 is Milwaukee's revolutionary 28-Volt Lithium-Ion battery pack. The 28-volt battery pack weighs less than an 18-volt NiCad pack yet delivers twice the runtime. And, a patented battery design lets you insert the battery in the reverse position for optimal balance when working overhead or in hard-to-reach areas.
The V28 hammer-drill comes standard with a ½-inch all-metal, single-sleeve, ratcheting chuck with carbide jaws that keep bits from falling out or slipping. A comfortable non-slip, soft-grip handle reduces vibration and fatigue. For easy transport and access, Milwaukee's patented Clip-Lok system attaches the tool securely to the operator's belt or tool bag and easily releases with one hand—a boon for ladder work where there's is nowhere safe to rest the tool. Milwaukee cover's this kit with a 5-year warranty. --Brian Olson
What's in the Box
28-volt hammer drill, two 28-volt batteries, 1-hour charger, carrying case, Clip-Lok System, side handle and No. 2 Phillips bit
Milwaukee 0724-24 reviews
Absolutely incredible
I am not a pro, but a do it yourselfer with a 100 year old house. There is no such thing as a small project. This drill was a Christmas present that replaced a 5 year old Craftsman 19.2 volt. WOW!!! Just to "play with my new toy" since I didn't have any projects going on Christmas Day I went out to the shop and drilled some 2 1/2 inch holes in some 2x scrap. It was like cutting butter with a hot knife. 20 holes later the battery still had 3/4 of its charge left. I have since used it for a couple of projects and have been equally impressed. The belt clip works wonderfully. The balance is great. It is a tad bit on the heavy side, but when it drives 3" deck screws like a machine gun that doesn't really matter since you don't have to hold it as long to get the job done. I highly recommend this tool to anyone who will listen to me.
1/15/2008
Outstanding product
A great product to use, lives up to it's reputation as being the best drill on the market. Extremely satisfied with this product.
12/31/2007
So impressed I ordered a second one
Don't let my computer nickname fool you, I just finished a complete remodel of my home, as well as a number of decking and outbuilding construction projects. The real test of the 0724-24 came when a buddy decided to build a deck cover that required drilling holes in a 6" thick concrete pad (why I can't remember). We borrowed a 3/4" Bosch heavy duty hammer drill but the masonry bits just weren't getting the bite they needed to chew through. Rather than go to the store and buy a new $20 bit we decided to try the masonry bits we had lying around the garage. I had my trusty V28 Milwaukee for the framing work and we decided to try a 5/8" masonry bit in hammer mode. In less than a minute the hole was done. The Milwaukee tore through all 6 holes plunging the bit all the way through the pads without incident. We even managed to get all the framing assembled on the same charge.
Pros: Batteries go forever it seems. Hammer mode works great without tearing your arms and shoulders out of socket. Batteries can slip on from the front or the back depending on how you want the drill to balance in your hand (I find the battery from the back very useful when working in a vertical position because it changes the center of gravity). Tremendous torque in both speeds. The high speed will almost rip your arms off if you aren't careful.
Cons: This drill gets very hot, very fast when in hammer mode. Batteries go dead very quickly in the cold. Milwaukee has offered to replace the batteries under warranty for me but this seems to be a Lithium Ion issue not specific to the V28. All of my rechargeable batteries die in mere hours when left in the garage but if I store them inside they hold a charge for months. I can only assume that the cold is the culprit since the garage is about 45 and the house is 65-75 degrees.
Final thoughts: This is a very pricey tool for the casual DIY'er. I bought mine because this was all the store had in stock at the time when my old Dewalt died. The contractors I hired to help with the heavy remodeling work were so impressed that they went out and bought thier own V28's. I have since justified the purchase of a second one so I don't have to keep changing bits during the drill a hole, drive a bolt while on a 24' ladder. I strongly recommend a holster through, makes toting the tools a lot easier than the belt clip that comes standard.
12/25/2007
Most powerful, longest-lasting charge, of any cordless hammer drill/driver
Milwaukee 0724-24 V28 Lithium-Ion 1/2-Inch Cordless Hammer Drill/Driver Kit
Cons:
- much heavier and larger than 14 or 15.6 volt drills. However, it seems no heavier or larger than my Bosch Brute 18v drill/driver.
- the main switch sometimes pinches my finger, where it meets the red frame. I scrapped some of the sharp edge around the switch and that helped; but it didn't fix it.
- should have a way to connect a safety strap; to wrap around my hand when working on a ladder, so the tool can't be dropped.
Pros:
- 28 volt Lithium-Ion batteries; the highest voltage available, and longest lasting, batteries; latest battery technology. If you can afford a professional-grade cordless tool, get NiMH or Lithium-Ion batteries. NiCad is cheaper, but it's inferior technology.
- V28 power. 600 in lbs. of torque is more than any 18 volt tool. Even though it lacks the maximum torque of many corded 1/2" drills, it handles 99% of my heavy drilling. I might used a corded drill once per work week. (Doesn't count using a Milwaukee SuperHawg for the really big holes.)
- Press a button on a V28 battery and 1 to 4 LEDs will shine, indicating remaining power. You'll know if it needs a charge BEFORE climbing the ladder, etc.
- Excellent ergonomics; comfortable grip, good switch function, plenty of clutch choices, excellent side grip. Battery is reversible if it the normal mounting gets in the way.
- Good all steel chuck (necessary to take the pounding of the hammer-drill function).
- Good speed choices: 0-600 (lo) and 0-1800 rpm (hi); lower powered drills need lower speeds to get decent torque ratings - not this one.
- Excellent tool-belt-hook. Slide the tool on the hook and it locks in place; plus it's easy to unlock and remove. Tool holsters are pathetic by comparison.
- Tool is guaranteed for 5 years, parts and labor. (Register online at Milwaukee dot com.) Batteries are guaranteed for 2 years at full replacement, and prorated for 3 more years.
Other:
- Choose drill or hammer-drill by turning the black steel ring behind the clutch ring. The hammer function is for lightweight use, when compared to a rotary hammer. But of course, it's a much smaller tool. It works well for small holes in concrete or drilling mortar/brick/cinder block.
- This drill is too big and heavy to by my primary light drilling tool. For those jobs, I still use one of my two Panasonic 15.6v drill/drivers (the best light-weight cordless drills on the market, IMO). This isn't a "con" of the tool; powerful drills are heavy.
Summary:
I have to agree with Fine Woodworking's 2008 Tool Guide, which calls Milwaukee's cordless line-up, "the best tools for serious work".
My advice is to consider buying this hammer drill/driver as part of the Milwaukee 0928-29 V28 Cordless 4-Tool Combo Kit. For $200 more, you also get the V28 Sawzall, the V28 circular saw, and the V28 flashlight. All are excellent and designed for day-in day-out contractor use.
10/19/2007
Superb drill!
I'm a commercial electrician and use this drill daily. Sometime for hours at a time. It has a ton of power. So much in fact it will darn near break your wrist if what you are drilling catches the bit and turns the drill when you least expect it. I'm constantly using large bore step bits to drill into steel j-boxes, door frames, etc. It's perfect. I have 3 other cordless drills and they stay at home. This is the only one I take to the job site with me every day. I'm so hard on this thing. I use it and use it hard. I have no clue what Consumer Reports could have possibly done to break it. I've used it so hard the drill body was too hot to rest your palm on and it didn't even smell. I've dropped it off a 10 foot step ladder onto concrete, picked it back up and used it the rest of the day. I've owned it 8 months and have put it through more than most people will in a lifetime and it's still going strong. I can't say enough about how extremely durable it is.
On the hammer setting it will drill 1/4" holes in block but that's about it, so don't expect much from the hammer setting if you have anything heavy-duty to drill. I use the Milwaukee 28v cordless SDS hammer drill for 99% of my hammer drilling anyway. (that drill is a superb hammer drill BTW)
2/2/2008
Batteries fail when using drill DONT BUY
I have had 8 of these batteries fail, all so far have been replaced under warrenty,
i own the hammer drill, impact , sawzaw each has cooked batteries with small poof of smoke from battery and its dead
i advised Milwaukee of what i believe the problem is and the batteries failing they advised that ITS me causing the tool to fail. but they have replaced batteries under warranty
when i first phoned into their support they advised me of a issue with the batteries which caused them to fry under load. Since that point if i call back they deny they ever told me this and turned the blame on me
if your using the drill and or sawzaw and the bit or blade binds for a split second it fries the battery.
bottom line dont risk it and buy this tools , mine have been broke more then they have worked
i have used a cheap 30$ walmart drill to finish the job that the milwaukee fried on,
still currently fighting Milwaukee to fix my issue, this time they are CHARGING ME to mail my batteries back in for inspection
BOTTOM LINE IS IF THE DRILL CANT TAKE A SLIGHT STALL OF THE BIT THEN IT SHOULDNT HAVE A DIRECT DRIVE MODE.
DONT GET ME WRONG WHEN IT WORKS ITS GREAT.. MOST OF THE TIME ITS NOT
2/27/2008
power to burn
At 600 pounds of torque and 1800 RPM this baby makes quick work out of any project. It is a heavy bugger, so you if you're a pansy don't even pick it up. You have to pay attention while your using it, I've seen people let it spin around on then and get jaw-jacked by the battery. The batteries seem to last forever and they recharge very quickly. Unbelievabley better then the old Ni-Cad batteries. No complaints at all.
3/28/2008
THRILLING DRILLING
Arriving late into these reveiws with professionals like "REMODELING-GUY" ahead of me, most everything has already mentioned about this amazing drill. Here's another angle: Being a try-to-do-everything-yourselfer, April is time for the exterminator. I had to drill six additional holes in 4" concrete around a foundation to pour termite treatment. Attaching a new 18" carbide masonery bit to this brilliant tool right out of the box and starting to drill was like driving a new red Ferrai off the showroom floor onto a Baja off-road racing course. The Milwaukee 28v easily won. For years, I have used a 9 lb. 8 oz.,24V DeWalt on such jobs struggling to finish before the battery died. Never happened. Every couple of years I had to buy a new Nicad battery which costs the same as a 5-year Milwaukee 28V battery. No contest. I am a NASCAR fan, but it is crazy to be paying big bucks to help pay for of a multi-million dollar advertising sponsorship when I could be putting those same bucks into the quality of my tools. The Milwaukee weighs 6 lbs. 13 oz. without the bit. The belt clip is ingenious and won't pull your pants down. With the DeWalt weighing nearly 10 pounds, the only way to carry it while working on a ladder is by wearing a horse collar and harness. If you've ever wondered what the exhilaration was like of a 10-year-old kid who got a Red Rider BB gun for Christmas back in the fifties, buy this Milwaukee 28v drill/driver.
4/9/2009
ONE BAD [...] GUN
I reviewed the regular 18 volt by mistake so I copied the review and pasted it here. I had used Dewalt when I worked with the Teamsters years back, it was a good gun but it can not compare to this machine. The gun I had was the model with the hammer drill setting I used this gun for work, drilling into 1/4 steal colums as well as concrete on a daily basis and work it did. The torque this thing has is incredible, close to a corded gun, well not the ones we had, they'd snap your wrist if you weren't careful, but this has torque, 2x stronger than Dewalt in my book if not more. The veratility this gun has was a great advantage not to mention the life in its battery pack. If you charge it correctly to start these guns hold power, light work a battery could get you through a 10 hour day, heavy work, like hammer drill mode you would need 2 in a 10 hour day, which is great, guys with dewalts usually had 4 batteries and 2 chargers cause they needed it. I would of given this thing a 5 out of 5 but I blew the clutch after a year of hard abuse. Its not easy for any cordless gun to drill into concrete, even if they say they have hammer drill capabilities. That's why I gave it a 4 out of 5, the boss ended up replacing it with a refurbished model, worked just as good, he never sent the damaged one in for repair though always wondered why. If I had the money right now I would buy this gun, no questions asked. My 12 year old Dewalt I have at home has seen better days.
8/14/2009
This drill has balls!
This drill has amazed me time and time again. I am an electrician and have used and abused this drill in almost every way possible. I have drilled through 8" of solid wood with a 1" naileater. I have used this drill to make high hat cut outs in plaster and wood lathe with a 6" carbide holesaw! One time one of my guys was drilling into a plaster ceiling with a 4" holesaw. He started telling me my drill had no balls so I told him to put it on low. The drill got away from him, hit him in the jaw and knocked him off an 8' ladder! I told him not to ever make fun of my drill again lol. I don't use hammer drill bits designed for cordless drills because this drill can handle an SDS bit for a real hammer drill. After two years of tearing this drill apart it has finally burnt out. It is crazy that it has lasted this long. I more than have gotten my money's worth out of it. This drill would last forever if you used it the way it was meant to be used. This is the closest you will get to the performance of a corded drill with the convenience of no cord.
6/3/2009
One great tool
I've worked my way up from a 9.6 volt cordless drill to this one. This is far and away the best one I've used yet. It's no heavier than its 18-volt siblings, with twice the battery life. If you really need a hammer drill, buy one with a cord, but if you are driving screws and need to do it sometimes in masonry, buy this drill. It's well worth the money.
4/1/2009
my thoughts
I have had this drill for about 3 months, so I guess now is a good time for a review.
I got this drill to replace my old milwaukee 18 volt, which I was very happy with. This drill is powerful! I like it because it can handle just about anything, and the battery lasts forever. The led indicators on the battery are very useful; you don't want to go across site to find you need a fresh battery.
However I can't reccomend this drill for any one, newer drills are now much more powerful and the milwaukee is very heavy.Only buy this if power is essential to you.Most of my friends don't like it because of it'e weight, but borrow it once in a while for certain jobs ' because your drill is more powerful'.
I plan to buy a lighter drill for less demanding work. However if I were to have only one drill, this be it.
2/11/2008
milwaukee 28 v drill a powerhouse
this drill has the power I need to drive large drill bits/ 2 9/16 and the large timberlock screws we have to use every day it holds up to daily hard use. my one complaint is the overall life of the batterys they have been only lasting me a little less than a year.
12/25/2007
Compare