I didn’t realize how many Milwaukee hand tools I used on a daily basis. Most of them are great! Thanks for the Suggestion SUV RVing! / @suvrving Check out his channel!
I’m not gonna get into politics but ,growing up in a different country, coming across something that was stamped MADE IN USA was all you needed to know, it meant quality and craftsmanship. I moved to US almost 20 years ago and I noticed how difficult it is/was to find tools made in the US. I still found Craftsman at Sears made in the US. I sent back home, to my dad, Craftsman and Klein tools( he was an electrician)because they were still made in the US I thought Milwaukee tools were made in Milwaukee… I know I was gullible. Enjoyed the video!
Thanks for the shout-out, and thanks for making this video! I've been particularly interested in the combination wrenches and sockets, so it was great hearing what you think about them. Your videos inspired me to start going to local garage sales, estate sales, and auctions in the past month to look for vintage, US-made tools. I've picked up a bunch of Craftsman, Proto, Blackhawk, SK, and Klein stuff. Having a ton of fun buying a bunch of tools I don't need 😄 And I just yesterday got my pegboard tool wall set up in the basement, which made me think you should add a pegboard tour video to the list at some point.
It’s a ton of fun to find the vintage USA tools. You may not need them now, but I guarantee you they will come in handy. Thanks for the idea! And yes, a tool wall video is in the future! 👍
I appreciate that Milwaukee puts so much thought into the little things when they design their tools. The flashlights have rubber boots to bite on. The adjustable wrenches have extra threads on the adjustment screw. The sockets have anti-roll built in. I am excited to see their Made in USA line of tools because I suspect they will be excellent.
@@peeposadboy yes they do and TTi owns Milwaukee as they do Ryobi and it's a Chinese company I believe so. I had a Milwaukee fan boy try so hard to tell me to leave Makita because it's not made in the USA but your tool companies brand is in China people are crazy ! I like Makita so be it one of the only companies still owned by the same family who started it
HI EVERYONE! Milwaukee hand tools are awesome! For the price they are excellent! Only thing is they are not USA made(I don’t live in the states but for me it is a selling point) UNLESS you wait for the ones that will be soon released. Their new USA made screwdrivers and pliers lineup is going to be a good thing for us tool nuts! Cheers
@@user-ki3dj9pu9y yeah I know and I wish they would come out with more and more USA/Canada made tools. But I also give Milwaukee a thumbs up as the vast majority of all their lineups of tools are still being made in China without being a pile of crap like other manufacturers. That’s the living proof that the Chinese are not the problems but the manufacturers that sells us overpriced garbage
When I was 23 I was walking my dog around the block. I saw a tool box sitting in the garbage. I grabbed it and took it home. It had a very old 1/2 inch proto socket set with 7/16 all the way up for 1 1/4 and the extensions, wobblers, wrench, etc. it also contained a set of us made 1/2 inch craftsman deep sockets. I’m now supplementing that with the Milwaukee 106 piece 1/4 and 3/8 pack out socket set.
I've got milwaukee 61cm (24inch?) breaker bar, and I'm very happy with it, I bought one for my father too, and it survived 2 weeks already with his type of work. He is fixing cars and reselling them and love to use a pipe when rusty bolts are present 😂. Most cheap breaker bars survive 1 month with him. My father really liked thicker forks of milwaukee bar compared to cheapo ones.
I got their pick set. So far, they work great. I used them to remove lifters out an engine. I also removed all the trim off an Elcamino. No bending or breaking so far.
I love my Milwaukee hand tools. The ratchets are on par with my snap on ratchets. The sockets are great and unique, so they are easy to identify them as mine when working with other people and their tools. The only downside is that they can be hard to read. The 2nd gen screw drivers do suck, I have most of my 1st gen set and they feel 10x better, they have a good weight to them.
A mí en lo personal me encanta las herramientas Milwaukee. Los detalles,los precios,las garantías lo recistentes que son. Wow !!... todavía me sorprende y seguirá sorprendiendome más. Gracias Milwaukee tools.
As a licensed Electrician, I usually use Klein Tools, with a mix up of Milwaukee and DeWalt, I must say those Milwaukee screw drivers are the worst that I've used. I do not think they are up to par with others on the Market, the tips are very brittle and weak, and yes the handles could be redesigned and balanced
Nice video been watching you the past few months. Just subscribed to ur channel. I have milwaukee wide blade measuring tape non magnetic It's been my go to lately and the slotted demo screwdriver been good to me. Gna try out those adjustable wrenches. Other then that thanks to ur channel I been going to flea markets and pawn shops looking for old usa made vintage tools. Haven't gone to any estates sale but hopefully find some near me in the future.
I actually love my milwaulkee tape. Ive got the 25' with the long standout, the one that doesn't have the magnet. Its been heavily abused but has never let me down. I like my dewalt fractional tape better but it is less tough. The one thing i don't like about either is how fat they are, which makes them hard to keep from falling out of a toolbelt in my experience. Far as socket sets go, I've got craftsman and dewalt, and both are good but the cases are awful. For my work truck I might get a set of Milwaulkee sockets.
Sorry but their tapes are junk...never measure anything with a standout position..best tapes are ones the don't fold over when on their side.. That's how must trades men measure not straight out.. Milwaukee don't even make it past 7 or 8 in" and falls over on itself..just junk
I bought the 56 piece master set in 3/8 drive for 100 dollars and it’s been great I have a lot of vintage USA tools and I’m pro USA but I just couldn’t pass up that 100 dollar set hey look at it this way it saves wear and tear on my vintage collection lol but it’s always cool to break out the classics
As far as USA made tools go, I don’t think the higher end Taiwan made tools are of any lower quality. That may have been the case 30/40 years ago but things have caught up. Germany and Japan make some of the best tools out there as well. I haven’t heard anyone talk down on the Milwaukee mechanics tools but more the pliers and drivers (myself included, as a knipex and vessel guy). I have these wrenches and the quality is great. They’re also my first power tool choice.
The only one who complain are anti Milwaukee folks to start with. Team yellow and teal would fuss regardless. Every Milwaukee tool I have purchased has be a good tool. I have a few different testing on their wrenches and they have exceeded most others. Their impact sockets are incredible. Could be the best on the market, definitely in the marking department.
Best Milwaukee hand tool are the vice grips with the torque lock eye bolt The fast back with screw driver has been in my pocket a while, I think I had it a year and didn’t know about the xtra blade storage until RU-vid auto played someone’s review on it. I cut a lot of sealant and as much as I like it the only down side is the blade change lock gets gummed and you think the blade is locked in and it is not but I had a husky that was just hard to change because of the gumming up before. So I check when I change now.
I replaced all my needlenose with those Milwaukee multi pliers. They have a use in any toolbox. The ones in my plumbing box even replaced my pickle folk for drains.
I'm still pretty bitter about Milwaukee selling out and moving production to China, i came of age when Black & Decker made first class power tools, and when that brand went downhill I switched to Milwaukee power tools and now i can't even buy an American made circular saw anymore. So I try to support American tool manufacturers as much as I can. I know too many people whose manufactureing jobs were lost to be happy about Chiwanese tools. That said, i would buy more Milwaukee tools should i see them being made in USA but with things going the way of Eagle grips and Craftsmans USA production I'm not holding my breath.
Yea, I totally understand where you are coming from on all that. I have enjoyed the Milwaukee hand tools that I own for the most part, but hate that they are all made overseas. I’m a little worried that their USA line is not going to last as well because it sounds like they are going to be more expensive than Klein, which seems like it would be tough to break into the market. Given the choice between a Milwaukee pair of pliers and a cheaper Klein option, I feel like most ppl would choose Klein. I’ll be very interested to see how it goes.
Big fan of the 1502 fastback. Huge fan of the flat head demolition screwdriver. Veryyy well made. That said... Im more of a klein hand tool guy for whatever reason. I just love the multi use klein designs.
Bahco adjustable spanners open in the other direction than similar spanners in the rest of the world. This means that I will loosen othet spanners when I try to tighten the spanner before each spanner move. Unfortunately, I can only use Bahco.
They're fastback knives are very nice. Outside of that I usually stick to Knipex, Snap On, NES Koken, Vessel. So many better tools than Milwaukee will ever make. It's their sawzall and a few other hand tools that put them apart from manufacturers not there hand tools. I still have what I've labeled the Beast. A 3200 strokes per minute, a 1 1/4 inch stroke length. The closest I've seen to that is 3000 SPM 1 1/8- 1 1/4 SL so glad i got mine way back in late 90s I believe they were still made in United States back then..
These milwaukee screwdrivers are one of my absolute favorite tools I own lol. They are perfect to me. They feel great maybe yours are different from mine. I like them 100x better than snap ons. I'd actually never want to own a snap on set tbh I don't like a single thing about their designs at all. Thats why there are so many tool options I guess... I've used some of these Milwaukee drivers thousands of times and I haven't had even the slightest bit of wear on any of the tips. They legit stay locked into any screw I put them in, and can hold their weight up from just the tip.
I agree.. I’d bought the Mil. ‘Demolition drivers,’ then found myself using them as regular drivers so much that I bought the reg. Mil. set. Their tip-fit is excellent, not all drivers are, and I’ll never get another screwdriver without the ‘hex shaft,’ allowing you to get a wrench on for added torque..
The Fastback was by far my favorite utility knife until I used a Fiskars. It doesn't have the extra features of your Fastback, but I like the feel and the blade replacement button enough that I've almost stopped using my Fastback. Almost.
Hey, anybody knows if the snap on ratchets would fit in those Milwaukee trays(@18:50)? I really like that set up, but prefer my snap on ratchets instead of those Milwaukee ones, would be awesome if the fit in those trays.
I’m loving the Klein and Channellock brands of adjustable wrenches these days (both made in Spain). I’ve used the Milwaukees, and they are a little sloppy for my liking.
Nice. I have a couple sheet metal bending tools and snips that are all Crescent/Wiss. They are ok, but haven’t been super happy with any of them. I’ve been thinking about getting the Midwest snips.
I own very few milwaukee hand tools. Their folding knives seem to be pretty bullet proof. I have heard their pry bars are good & am going to pick up a set. My biggest beef with milwaukee is the way they advertise. I am a plumber & they pay supply houses for the shelf space so that only their tools are on display. I really like Diablo bits & blades but once milwaukee came in my supply houses removed them so now I have to go out of my way,usually to homedepot, to get them. I think if your tools were the best you wouldn't have to pay to have your competitors removed. I am a traditional made in the USA guy but I have to admit there is some quality stuff coming from Japan & Taiwan. I still avoid stuff made in China but Japan has koken,nepros, & vessel as well as others. Sunex,tekton,capri& vim all come out of Taiwan. I only have a few of these pieces as I am slow to warm up to them but there does seem to be some good options out there. That's why I like channels like this because you get exposed to tools big corporations don't want you to know about. All that being said I think Mac is owned by stanely-black&decker so most if not all Mac stuff is foreign made & I think most if not all matco stuff is foreign made also. For that matter snap on owns Bahco & some of snap on stuff is made in other countries. Thanks for the reviews keep up the good work
Milwaukee is definitely all over the supply houses and hd pushes them super hard. It’s crazy how much marketing they do. I must say I have enjoyed most of the stuff I have bought though.
Great video to listen to after a long weekend of wrenching on trucks. First time clutch job and the replacement parts broke and we had to do it all over again in half the time. It's not fun if you don't have to do it twice, right?
I hear the same thing a lot and the most common reasoning is 'well they make power tools what could they know about hand tools?' For one they own hand tool companies like Empire who's been making levels and squares for a century, now they own Stiletto which is a premium hammer brand... plus, how do they suppose the original guys did it, the first company to make this or that? There wasn't any prior experience or even anything else on the market to study, yet they managed. And there's also standard R&D and hiring the relevant talent. You don't have to have been making things for decades and decades to know a thing or two especially when you can hire talent who does, it's not like the CEO of Milwaukee is personally designing these things. Sometimes those who have been doing things a long time start resting on their laurels, look at how the Big Three domestic car makers got caught with their pants down in the 70s and 80s while Toyota who didn't start until the 30s and Honda who didn't get into cars until the late 40s flew right past them. Saw it again in the video game market in the 80s, Atari helped lead the crash and Nintendo who had previously had nothing to do with video games pops up and is an explosive success. That all said, I've tried some. Eh some are alright some aren't. But I will give credit in them trying to put spins on things and trying new things and packing features.
I tell apprentices (I’m an electrician) if they don’t want to spend so much on Klein for a tool they won’t use often then to get a Milwaukee version because the hand tools are cheaper and on sale a lot. I got 2 Sheetrock saws for the price of 1 klein
After using my Milwaukee Max Bite combo wrench set I stopped using my Snap On Flank drive wrenches. They got moved to my car bag. The tape measures do suck. No one will beat FatMax. I had to pay $150 CAD each for my Metric and STD and would gladly do it again if I ever lost them. I have the 3/8" socket set that I haven't tried. I bought it on sale and put it in my car bag, in the three years its been there I've never needed to use it.
People who say Milwaukee hand tools suck just because they used one or two tools from the catalog. And it’s funny because most of the people that say that are usually the slightly slow ones that obviously were using the tool wrong. Now they’re not the greatest. No one is claiming that anyways. But it’s just crazy that people expect a tool company’s whole catalog to be full of the best and greatest tool ever made lmao. Every company is going to have their hit or miss tool. That being said the Milwaukee Hex Jaw pliers are probably my favorite.
Good topic. Only Milwaukee handtool I like is there fastback. The strippers that you showed. Suck. The screwdrivers. Suck. But the socket sets look good. Way better than the Kolbat set ive beeb using for the last 10 years. I AM curious as well about their US made series. Looking to give Klein and Knipex a run for their marketshare. They are priced high, hopefully the quality, performance, & longevity are there to justify the price.
It’s going to be very interesting to see how it goes with the new USA line. If they are more expensive than Klein, it’s gonna be tough for them I think. I can’t wait to try them out.
@@realworldtoolreviews 30 yrs. with Verizon as a facility technician. Was hired as a H.V.A.C. technician but that morphed into: You are now responsible for the complete envelope of the switch. Meaning the whole building is your responsibility.😆
@@kmjpcm63 lol I feel like that is how a lot of us end up with the jobs we have. It need to get done and you were there. All of the sudden it’s your job 😂
I love my Milwaukee power tools, but I’ve heard such mixed reviews on their hand tools I never ended up getting any. Now Im really interested in those socket sets though! I’ll be keeping an eye out for a sale. Thanks
The sockets are excessively bulky for no reason and the ratchets are mediocre at their absolute best. For the price, you’re better off just buying the Husky sets if you’re at Home Depot. Or look for the Gearwrench or Tekton sets if you want something closer to prosumer quality while still being closer to budget pricing.
My buddy is a technician for decades, has had and used tools from the top name trucks, last 10 years he has been using Milwaukee and have been great with no failures, still going strong, sold me,will pick up a few as we start a new custom shop
@@nitrorc4life1 as far as power tools are concerned? Yeah, Milwaukee is the way to go. If you’re claiming he downgraded sockets, wrenches, ratchets, etc from tool truck tools to Milwaukee, even if they were several decades old now, I’ll happily call you a liar for so many reasons.
Ya Milwaukee is kinda a step up for me I do have some good ones like I have a set of sae and metric ratcheting wrenchs that are gear wrenchs I have had for like 15 years and I carry a set that is husky and have some harbor freight stuff
No matter the brand name it all depends on the type of steel they ( manufacturer) decides to use. In my opinion that causes confusion which is also a form of monopoly forcing the consumer to run up an down fighting to acquire what is durable to prevent hurt head .some people on the other hand get tired an just accept what ever. While being robbed in the process. Can u believe it. That is legal in this system.
Armstrong makes one of the nicest adjustable wrenches, along with Proto, Snap On and Craftsman? Not a fan of adjustable wrenches, myself? Any USA made wrench will be of better quality, than Asian made? Have a 24" Craftsman USA, 12" Armstrong. and 6" Proto that I love, when needed, especially the 24"? The only Milwaukee hand tools I would think would be of descent quality, are their wrenches, and the newer USA made pliers, that's it?
Nice review. I dont think i own a single milwakee tool. Must be because i like makita. I saw that tape recently and didnt like it too. The tool holding on the sockets and wrenches looks nice though
It’s not that I don’t like the pack out cases necessarily. I just like the standard cases they come with better. They are slimmer, have good handles, and they don’t cost as much. I would say that if you just want the sockets and don’t own any pack out currently, spending the extra for the pack out when you don’t have any other pack out boxes to click it to will just make you want to spend more money on more pack out stuff 😂. I have been guilty of purchases like that in the past.
@@realworldtoolreviews i dont want alot of packout stuff. It just looks like they latch good. My biggest hate with the plastic boxes that wrenches and sockets come in is opening them up side down and everything comes out of its place, and the latches breaking or not retaining good and it comes open when you grab it out of the truck😬😫. Like the videos man 🤙
@Andrew Williams I use the milwaukee packout 1/4-3/8 combo set. The lid clamps tight but don't forget to latch it. I had to clean them up off the floor last week when I grabbed it in a hurry. The one issue I have with the case is, don't have it out in the sun closed. Makes the tools super hot to handle a greenhouse effect. They are holding up to my abuse as a heavy equipment technician. I like the square shape it helps in tight spaces cause I can turn them with my fingers once broken loose if the space is tight to be swinging the ratchet.
my tape measure absolute junk the autolock broke really fast the screwdivers arent so bad but i have the impact beat with a hammer drivers those saved my ass a few times i did buy a set of chinese tool store cheapys and i can agree that the handles feel the same
I might check out a pair of their American made pliers when they hit the market, but beyond that because they are imported I'm not going to touch Milwaukee hand tools. I have nothing to say about whether or not they're any good,I just won't touch them because they're not made here. The fastback utility knife I use at work and I don't really like it, but I haven't actually found anything better. It's a good tool and I haven't found anything better, but I just don't like it. I want to try their compact slide out utility knife buy my local HD doesn't have them.
I think I'm addicted to tools.. I bought both sets of Milwaukee's ratcheting wrenches (SAE + Metric), I got them for $80 a set on HD "special buy of the day" deal. I like them a lot, but I dont think the $250 each set price is worth it.
Yea I wish I would have seen that deal. I probably would have scooped them up. I wish they were reversible though. I agree the full price on those is insane.
I like for electrical work, to just use a pair of Channellock or Klein wire strippers, and a front style with cutter crimper? Not a fan of the long needle nose style wire stripper Milwaukee makes, it gets in the way of stripping wire to me?
I absolutely hated those Milwaukee screwdrivers as well. I ended up buying the Icon screwdrivers from HF. Those are actually pretty nice! Just recently, I purchased a full set of Tekton soft handle screwdrivers. Absolutely love them! Regarding Milwaukee sockets and wrenches I'm not a fan. Sockets are too bulky, and the wrenches just don't feel right in my hand. I'm sure they're great tools. Just a personal preference thing!
Thanks so much dude! I would like to try out the icons and the Tekton. It’s tough for me to justify more screwdriver sets, but I might order a couple Tekton ones just to try out that tri lobe. As far as the bulkiness of the sockets, it’s never been a problem for me personally. I can see how it might be in super tight spots, but I have not run into a spot where they wouldn’t fit yet. The wrenches are super comfortable in my hand. I love the design on them. Like you said just personal preference. I really appreciate your support Matt and thanks for watching
Yes Tekton would be a better choice for me I'm not a Milwaukee fan I don't like how their tools feel ergonomically and they are not very comfortable to use all day. Tekton tools are great quality for the price and I use them daily and their lifetime warranty is unmatched !
Their ratchet wrenches 30 set went on sale at home depot for 140 last week. Was bonkers, I personally hate the inserts, because they take up too much space compared to proper organization.
I would use all those Milwaukee tools but i don't buy them because i think they charge too much. Yes, some of their stuff is quite affordable, but wreches, etc, are too much when i can go with TEKTON.
Tekton is awesome too. If I hadn’t got these on sale, I would have gone with Tekton for sure. I love me some Tekton as a company. These Milwaukee sets are great though if you can get them on sale. I agree that they are overpriced at full retail.
Short answer, sorta, long answer, no. The vast majority of their hand tools blow. Their sockets suck because of the whole square thing, it increases the radius of the socket and thus you can't get them into as tight of areas. The Wrenches are just Hi-Five, the same as Icon and Carlyle. They're good, but you pay extra for the unique beam and name.
That’s interesting. I’ve never had a problem getting the sockets in tight spots, but I’m not a professional mechanic or anything. I have used them a lot, but I don’t use them every day so I’m sure for mechanics that might be an issue.
I think you are right for a lot of their hand tools for sure. For instance, they charge as much or more for Chinese tongue and groove pliers than channel lock does for USA made ones. I think that’s crazy. I’d go channel lock all day for any pliers over Milwaukee.
Its not so much that Milwaukee make bad tools, many of there new offerings are on par with other tool co's. It's the Milwaukee male cheer leaders that dance around in red claiming that anything red is miraculous after buying chinese made cordless tools. Many dont want to associate themselves with the cheer squad crew thus steer clear of Milwaukee. Thats what turned me off the brand, I do own a set of ripper hole saws frim Milwaukee and a corded German made die grinder which is a high quality tool.