Milwaukee 2601-22 reviews
Incredible
helpful for 14 of 14 people
This thing is a beast. Maybe I feel this way because I'm coming off a recently blown up Crapsman 18v drill that was sub par. However, I do have experience with the Panasonic 15.6v drill that has been arguably the best drill out there. I would easily put this up against the Panasonic anytime. Sure the Milwaukee is brand new and the Panasonic has been around for years so we'll see what the China-made Milwaukee will do long term. That said, it's lighter, shorter and more powerful than the Panasonic. Not by much, but it is. Even the charge time of the battery is quicker! I've always been a fan of Milwaukee's cases so there's another bonus over the Pany.
The previous reviewer complained about the placement of the forward/reverse switch but I don't agree. In my opinion, it's located just fine and very similarly to other cordless drills I've used (Craftsman, Panasonic and Porter Cable). If you're a homeowner and looking for a weekend project cordless drill, this may be too much for you, especially considering the cost. Being a contractor, this is EXACTLY what I was looking for. It's light, it's stout (not too long) and most importantly, it's POWERFUL. It is currently priced very competitively with the Pany. You can't lose with either!
11/13/2007
Great driver
helpful for 9 of 13 people
I am a woman with carpal tunnel syndrome, so was looking for an easy-to-use power screwdriver to eliminate the pressures on my hands and wrists. This driver is as light as any I have found, and has a very easy-to-hold grip. It has the quality and power that my husband needs for bigger jobs, so he likes it too. I found it at my local Home Depot for only $199, so check your prices. My only criticism so far is that it only came with one phillips bit, and I had to buy additional bits. For this price, I would think they could include a flat-head screwdriver bit. Also, the sliding button that determines forward or reverse is not "touch-friendly"...and I find it hard to find the center location on the slide button, which locks the unit. For safety purposes, this is not great...hard to find the position and it is very easy to accidentally touch the button and unlock the driver.
Positives:
Easy to grip and hold; lightweight.
Solid, high-quality feel and construction.
Two battery packs.
Long life batteries (18 volt).
Powerful.
Includes charger and case.
Three bit holders on driver.
Belt loop.
Wide range of torque settings.
Cons:
Only comes with one Phillips bit.
"Lock" (safety) position hard to find and easy to accidentally unlock.
10/27/2007
Almost perfect compact drill
helpful for 12 of 12 people
I purchased one of these when they first came out because I was looking for a light weight powerful compact drill. I also own the V28 drill which is great for the heavy duty stuff but I was looking for something to use on the light duty tasks. I found just what I needed with this drill.
This drill is not very heavy, fits in your hand perfectly, and is very powerful for such a small drill. It seems better made than the Makita drill but I am sure that's a fine drill also.
Now there are a few minor things I would change on this drill. The led light only shines when the trigger is pressed. I like the way the Makita light stays on a few seconds after the trigger is released and if you just bump the trigger the light comes on for a few seconds before you start to drill. Like I said it's a minor complaint. Also there is some chuck wobble (not much) but not as refined as it should be with something bearing the Milwaukee name.
My last complaint is that it's made in China. Seems nothing is made here anymore. Of course Milwaukee is only following what every other company has now done. It's a shame. I would gladly pay more for something manufactured here as opposed to offshore.
That being said, this is a great drill that would please the professional as well as the homeowner alike. And with the warranty you can't go wrong.
11/24/2007
Very Impressive
helpful for 10 of 10 people
I used this along with the Miwaukee 12 volt and I am beyond impressed with both of these. It is very compact and the power was great; although, I wouldn't recommend putting 2 9/16 self-feed bits on it, but for general drilling purposes this is above and beyond anything you would ever need.
I was impressed with the smooth functioning of the tool, when I barely pushed the variable speed trigger you couldn't even hear the gears moving and when I did this with the Makita compact version it immediately made a loud buzzing sound. Although, I appreciate some other brands, but Milwaukee always seems to be superior.
11/14/2007
The Best!!
I've used drills and tools for over 30 years and Milwaukee corded tools always were professional grade. When going to a cord-less drill/screwdriver I tried Dewalt, Poerter-Cable and Skill units. These always ended up in the trash. So I moved up to this Milwaukee unit and after 3 months am still glad I bought it. It has SUPER battery life, is quick charging and using the torque gauge it is easy to sink screws flush with the work. It never seems to run out of battery life.
If you continually upgrade thru lesser brands, you'll eventually end up with a Milwaukee. Buy it, you'll like and will not regret it.
3/18/2008
nice tool and nice case
I was one of the unfortunate people to buy one of the Milwaukee Ni-cad 18 volt drills with their defective batteries and charger so I did hesitate when buying this drill. I have DeWalt drills and like their performance but have been turned off by the mickey mouse (apologies to Disney) drill cases they provide with some drills and sell as an after market item for $40 for the many pro level DeWalt drills that sell without any storage case at all.
The Milwaukee Li-ion batteries work well so far. I have yet to drop a drill and know that some of the early Li-ion batteries would explode when dropped so this is still an experimental tool for me in that respect. They seem to run cooler than the Ni-cads and I would expect longer life with more recharges possible.
The LEDs are great and it is nice to see they provide a belt hook. With the similarly priced Makita Li-ion drills this is something you have to order from customer service and pay an extra $15 (when Makita has them in stock or find one for sale on eBay and hope the seller is legit).
It has good torque and the keyless chuck works very well - better than a key chuck when cutting tough materials like plywood where there is often a lot of vibration. The Milwaukee chuck is much better than the one on the Makita Li-ion drill that sells in this price range, and which I also own and use.
I have even used the Milwaukee Li-ion drill to cut large 9-1/4" holes in wood paneling for Air Tec's MV air conditioning outlets using a Hole Pro X-305 adjustable hole cutter (also highly recommended!!!!). They are a great combination for a lot of projects.
3/17/2008
Great Drill
I bought this to replace a 15 year-old Porter Cable 12V drill that was a real workhorse. Unfortunately, the batteries on the PC simply wouldn't hold a charge long enough anymore to keep it in service, and replacement cost of batteries made replacing the entire drill attractive. I found the Milwaukee at a good price at Home Depot and put it to immediate use driving 60, 3.5" lag screws, along with several dozen pocket holes. Good Lord, does this drill have power! The power stays at 100% until the battery is exhausted, too. The batteries have a "meter" that's handy, letting you know the remaining charge. I noticed that the available power will dip a bit after a good run of use, then will recover a bar on the meter after a short rest. The chuck appears to have an internal ratcheting mechanism that really locks down on bits - you can hear the ratchet engage if you listen closely. I haven't spun a bit in the chuck yet. The bit ker-chunks a little when going from forward to reverse, and vice-versa, which I presume is also related to the ratchet mechanism. The drill is very well-balanced. It fits my hand perfectly (I wear a medium glove). I strongly recommend it.
4/14/2008
Great drill
I bought this online to build a very long fence surrounding a new pool. The drill was used daily for three weeks without any problems. I am not easy on my tools so this drill was given a workout from lots of stress, use, drops, heat, and so on. The two batteries worked great, I only had one completely drain so the backup was greatly appreciated.
My only con is the day after I received the drill I notice a local box hardware store had the drill AND an impact wrench as a set for the same price I paid only for the drill. I recommend the drill but also recommend shopping around. ยบ
7/23/2009
This will be your "go to" drill
I purchased this to compliment the V28 Milwaukee combo kit. The V28 drill is an ultra heavy duty beast but it's no lightweight. At just four pounds with battery, I find myself using the 18V far more often. I'm very impressed with Milwaukee's implementation of the Li-ion technology. As a casual user, it's good to know that I can grab this drill and go to work even if it's been in storage for a while. I loved my trusty old Dewalt 9.6 but I don't miss it one bit now that I have this.
4/20/2008
Defective batteries?
I purchased this drill to replace my dead Makita 12v Ni Cad drill. Multiple sites seemed to give this drill a thumbs up with little complaints. Once I got my drill I charged up both batteries as per the instructions and started my project. Basically I just needed to drill 5-6 7/8" x 5-3/8" holes with a 7/8" auger bit. On the first battery, the battery died on the third hole. The second battery died on the 5-6 hole. These were pretty tough holes to drill but 3 holes? gimme a break.
The batteries don't seem to be charging correctly or ?? The one battery will show "charged" after 5 minutes in the charger and the second battery will show "charged" after maybe 15 minutes.
I realize that it's a fast charging system but based on the life of the batteries once charged seem to indicate either the batteries are faulty or the charger is bad. I'm going to call the 1-800 number for Milwaukee and see what they say.
Other than the battery problem (which is major in my mind), the drill has performed great. Lots of power and torque to get the job done. I am happy with the drill if I good get some decent batteries,
5/15/2008
Power, LED, Brand Name, WOW!
Ok, I bought this to replace my Craftsman (and I could be Bob Vila with all of it that I own). I spent a little more than I normally would, but I can say it's been worth every penny. I just drove 3" door screws without any problem. The battery guage is awesome. The drill is balanced, and very attractive. I thought the light was a gimmick, but I actually really liked the feature. It helped when the sun was setting, and my project was several hours past schedule. Do NOT hesitate buying this. You won't be sorry. Very quick charge also. I can't wait to buy the Sawzall next.
4/20/2008
Excellent multipurpose drill
This is an EXCELLENT drill... good battery life, nice torque, good construction... you can't go wrong.
My only complain is there is no where to put an extra bit. There are little threaded holds on the handle, but the instruction book doesn't say what they are for.
7/14/2009
One BAD [...] gun.
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
Limited battery feature
Milwaukee replaced the batteries on warrantee. Now they work as well. Original supplied size battery would only hold a partial charge and last about 15 minutes.
7/23/2009
Where's the beef?
When I initially charged this drill up and used it for the first time, I was quite pleased. After putting it through moderate diy-er paces over the last year and a half, my opinion has slowly degraded. The chuck/arbor has developed run-out and the batteries' life span is less than 20min. of continuous, medium-duty work (driving screws in softwood). The batteries' safeties also cut out very easily under heavy loading which makes me question the torque rating. This drill gets tough assignments, but I do handle it with care and it doesn't get used everyday, so I am a little disappointed that I'm already looking for a replacement.
I expected more robustness out of a Milwaukee tool not to mention it doesn't appear they did their due diligence in L-ion battery R&D before they let this one go to market.
8/19/2009
Not happy
Despite claims, the drill I received seems to have shorter battery life than my last Milwaukee drill.
Everything I read about Li-ion batteries is good and I have been a long time fan of Milwaukee tools (more so when they were made here) but still my batteries just don't last like I had hoped. The rest of the drill,I'm ok with.
Will I try for help from amazon, not after a previous experience, just not worth it
9/10/2009
Powerful, light and compact
I bought this drill about a month ago and used it to install seven dormer vents and two powered fans on my roof. On this project, I needed to use power-hungry spade bits. I wound up drilling thirty-six 1-3/8" holes in roofing plywood, and about ten 3/4" holes through the 2" rafters. I had originally planned to use a corded drill because I didn't expect a cordless to have the power or battery life to deal with these large holes. But how do you leave a brand new, top-of-the-line, $200 drill on the shelf while doing a big "drilling project".
I was amazed at its performance. The batteries are about 1/2 the size and weight of other 18v batteries, and they seemed to last forever. I wound up changing to the 2nd battery just because I wanted to test it too, so I don't really know how long they would have lasted. I saw no decrease in power as the drill was used. This drill is much lighter, and more compact than any drill I've had. I thought the "belt hook" was kind of gimmicky for a tool of Milwaukee's "pro" reputation, but it really works well as long as your belt is sturdy. Plus, who can resist a bright red tool???
The only neg. is the torque slider switch. It's stiff, and doesn't have a positive "click stop". My wife thinks it must be a pretty good tool if that's all I can find to complain about...
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5/22/2008
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