Milwaukee 2611-24 18-Volt Hammer Drill Kit

Background - I own a sewer and water excavation company that will in some buildings and concrete work, so we have extensive experience with cord / cordless tool for many brands. Hilti, Bosch, DeWalt, Makita.

After owning several Milwaukee exercises, including the former V18 Hammer Drill, 14.4 Volt drill and M12 compact running this exercise takes all. This is just an initial review of my thoughts, its only been in the shop now for a week. It seems more like a drill pipe than wireless. I had a little catch in some steel in first gear and drilled nearly took my arm with it. The V18 would make a similar performance. The overall feeling is very good. It fits good, well balanced, smooth and responsive and of course incredible powers. The comparable weight and size to the compact 14.4-volt Milwaukee drill, which has served me well safe here and abroad.

I would give it an overwhelming 5 stars if not for the strange control accessories fitted with two jaws instead of a band like most others, to put the whole gearbox. Rule in my experience is never used anyway. It has the ability to have a belt hook and bit holder mounted on the battery in the bottom of the handle as M18 Compact Driver / Drill (2601-22), there is a mounting hole and tighten them. But it is not with it. Why after the price tag they do not include them escapes me.

Its case is sturdy with a bit softer black rubber grips and safety latch. The batteries and charger are also rubber corners on them. Light is a nice feature, but is usually standard on new tools. The new style of battery is less than the V18 and sliding in and out better than the V18 battery. If you want one around the house a couple of compact drill 2601-22, but if you need anything at the professional level, this exercise is a no-brainer. Milwaukee is the interruption of their V18 line, and M18 is the future along with some new tools in the plans, including a grinder and jigsaw in the winter.

I bought this drill from Amazon in November 2008. It has been very good to me and have achieved everything I threw its way. I'm talking about concrete and metal work. Only for the most demanding job I break out cable Hilti.

A few months ago, the battery would not hold a decent charge and after sending it to a Milwaukee engineering, I got a new within a week.

I was sorry to Milwaukee Tools is now made in China (as Makita, Ridgid, and also Hilti), but they are still very well made and take a lot of abuse. No doubt, Milwaukee products are still super solid and I after owning this drill for a little over two years, I only bought 2 other Milwaukee 18 volt products (from Amazon of course) that I will review in the future. I do not like reviewing until I've had them for a good long time.

Finally, I have noticed that when I bought this exercise, it was also for sale on the local box stores, but for the last 12 months or so, only smaller and weaker version of this exercise is locally (Model # 2602). If it was me, I choose 2611 over 2602, because I can not see the point of buying a weaker drill with a hammer function. I also own light duty drills, but I use them for light work and not hammer the concrete.

DEWALT DCD950KX 18-Volt XRP 1/2-Inch Drill/Driver/Hammerdrill Kit

Living large and small holes and take on a wide range of design projects with this versatile tool. View larger.

The comfortable middle handle and balanced body makes DCD950KX easy to control. View larger.
Powerful engine and three-speed transmission
DEWALT 18-volt 1/2-inch Cordless XRP Hamer Drill / Drill / Driver is a high power high efficiency motor that can deliver up to 450 units watts out, translate to performance in a wide range of applications. Its patented, three-speed, all-metal transmission matches the performance tools for the task, resulting in the fastest possible speed application.

This rotary hammer / drill / driver has three speeds - 0-500, 0-1250, and 0 to 2000 rpm and 0-8500, from 0 to 21,250, and 0 to 34 000 BPM - which makes accurate hole placement and material-specific performance easier to achieve.

Comfortable, precise handling and LED
The DCD950KX built with an ergonomic grip and a balanced body for easy handling, which goes a long way toward ensuring accurate results. The 360-degree, side handle provides you with practical jobs for increased comfort and better overall management of the drill.

Stay on point with DCD950KX are heavy, 1/2-inch, self-tightening chuck that tightens when you use the drill to provide better bit-depth strength.

This rotary hammer / drill / driver weighs easy to administer 6-1/4 pounds and has a handy LED for visibility.

Trademarked XRP Extended-Life Battery System
A tool is only useful if it goes long enough to get the job done, and trademarked DEWALT XRP extended run time batteries are DCD950KX running on Full Tilt. They provide up to 40 percent longer run time than standard Ni-Cad batteries, and all XRP batteries can be used with any 18-volt DEWALT tools that allow you to expand your system by adding other DEWALT cordless tools (sold separately) requirements for your job to grow.

This DCD950KX 18-volt 1/2-inch Cordless XRP Ni-Cad Drill / Drill / Driver Kit comes with a DEWALT warranty package that includes a three-year warranty, one year free service contract and a 90-day money back guarantee.

What's in the Box
DCD950KX 18-volt 1/2-inch Cordless XRP Hammer Drill / Drill / Driver, one hour Ni-Cad charger, two 18-volt XRP Ni-Cad batteries, 360-degree side handle and box.

Milwaukee 2602-22 M18 18-Volt Cordless 1/2-Inch Hammer Drill/Driver Kit

I also have M18 2601 drill / driver, which is sufficient and preferable for many applications. It is a compact drill, and a large one at that, but it is not for every job. So for those times I need a little more than I in 2611 and 2602 and went with that and I'll tell you why. The 550 I / kg of torque, this gives will be enough for something I will ever foreseabley be with, and this work is smaller, lighter and longer-term (not to mention a shorter key length than the competition). I bought it for XC batteries and when used together with them it goes on forever, and give it out completely in 550 / kg of torque. This exercise will also accept the compact batteries (in 2611 will not) and when it runs on the compact batteries give out 450 in / lbs of torque - that's a smart living who knows where the battery is used and reduces the power to give you a longer operating time on battery power.

This drill is very well built - all metal gears and all metal chuck. The Chuck handles very well and tightens fine. It is well balanced and you can add a bit holder and / or belt hook. Forward / reverse / lock is easily accessible and easy to shoot. LED lights are always a nice feature, I quickly became accustomed to them and it is difficult to imagine that the exercises are not used to having them.

Updated 10/21/10: This drill has performed well. It's size really decieving, tore this drill through all that I've uploaded it to. Recently had 2 XC batteries in about 80% charge each and mixed 20 liters of mortar and still had two bars on the second battery.

Bottom line: If only I could own a drill, it would be. Small and compact, metal parts where it counts, and enough power to pull the shaft out, and batteries that last to do it all day long. (But since I can take more than one, I have it even smaller and lighter, more powerful 2601 also:)

I recently purchased Milwaukee M18 Hammer / Drill / Driver is mainly due to the fire integrity, but also because I was tired of wearing many extra batteries ran out of juice too soon. This surprised me completely. I'm more of a weekend warrior projects and this is carried out many tasks that I would normally use my old Black & Decker in combination with an electric drill. I've actually used this drill for 3 days before I broke out in the second battery for the first time. And the available power and torque is amazing, far exceeding the possibilities of even my drill. It is noteworthy that two hands to use when you know there will be a tough task, because the torque in this light monsters could put a serious injury to the wrist. Now I want to replace all of my cordless tools with the M18 family. The M18 6.5-inch circular saw is next on my list. Yes, they cost more than most of your average tools, but the benefits outweigh and are totally worth it.

DEWALT DCD970KL 18-Volt XRP Lithium-Ion 1/2-Inch Hammerdrill/Drill/Driver Kit

I bought this drill to replace my Dewalt DC925, which fell from a roof and landed in a big ugly mud hole, I thought only drill was toast and ordered a new, rescued 925 of salvaged parts. The DCD950 and DCD970 is exactly the same drill in addition to coupling ring, which is black on the 950 and silver in the 970 th difference is the batteries that are included have XRPs 950 and 970, the new Nano (lithium ion). OK, back to the comparison
Benefits of DCD970/950 VS. the DCD925
First Far better balance
2nd More power in both low-and midrange (Dewalt DC925 says has 480 unit watts vs. DCD970 is 450, but DCD970 is more powerful
3rd WAY smoother speed selector (moving back and forth, not in a semi-ellipse 925)
4th L.E.D on the front
5th Shorter in length
6th Drill / Screw / Drill different connection settings are no longer in the same ring, now has access his own ring.

Disadvantages of DCD970
First because of pressure from a group called "tool users" who only seem to worry about aesthetics, Dewalt shifted base to the new classical style, which means that if you actually use the drill only has room for a bit on the front and will not to hold a screw guide and short nutsetters very well, while the old style base could fit a screw guide for TEK screws on one side and a 1 / 4 "and 5 / 16" short nutsetters for tapcons on the other side.

But all in all DCD970/950 is an excellent exercise and deserves 4.75 stars if Dewalt will change the base, it would be a 5-star item, but it will never happen because the people who care more about how a tool looks like rather than how well it works.

06/06/2009
I adjusted my old DC925 and put a new battery and the thing works! Well now I have two, I guess that's what I get for asuming things well I like DCD970 better anyway.

This is a must tool for all types of home renovation jobs. It is extremely durable and plenty of power. I use this exercise with the old NiCd XRP batteries and works well. DEWALT tools are great to be forward and backward compatible with batteries. Batteries are a big deal. Dewalt is considerate of your past purchases and purchases from today's battery compatibility. Bottom line, if you plan on making a purchase on a long drill, Dewalt has durability and strength that most people do not survive.

DEWALT DC725KA 18-Volt Cordless Compact Hammer Drill/Driver

This drill is not a bad choice for a homeowner. I think someone who uses a drill on the job would probably do better with lithium batteries. The extra weight of NiCad probably will not be a factor for me, because I will probably use it continuously for several hours, or over my head a lot. NiCd batteries usually last a few years longer than lithium when they are used only for homeowner projects. It is dependent on having good batteries with temperature sensors and a smart charger that does not hold.

Apparently the memory problem with NiCd batteries is not a problem with high load equipment such as drills. And when NiCad retain almost full force until they are exhausted, you would tend to drive them all anyway. They have a higher self-discharge rate than lithium, but you will usually have enough power in the first to the second battery is fully charged when you need it.


Advantages:
Excellent performance you expect from a Dewalt. It is very good trigger control, and even when running at high speed chuck stops immediately when you release the trigger (with a clunk.)

Good work Chuck. It took a 1 / 16 drill bit and there is no wobble. A 3 / 8 keyless chuck makes no sense when a 1 / 2 can do the job well. You are not limited to exercises with the bass turned down to 3 / 8 There seems to be a tendency to put half-inch chuck on exercises that would previously have had 3 / 8, a trend I like.

The apparent temperature sensors in the battery and smart charger are both for and against. On the pro side, the batteries should last a while. My last craftsmen who do not have this advantage lasted less than a year before the batteries were useless.

The grip is comfortable for my hands. It is somewhat nose heavy, but the rest are generally working well.

You can leave a battery in the smart charger indefinitely, as long as it is plugged in. So if you make a project the next day, let it sit over night without damage to the battery.


Cons:
The light position is absurd. You need some that extend about six inches from the chuck so that the light is really something good for positioning. For all 3 1 / 2 inches or less, light is blocked by Chuck and your target is in shadow. Unfortunately the top of most pieces and many exercises I use to fall in the shadow and the light is meaningless. Most manufacturers put lights on the base to avoid this problem.

After heavy use of the first battery, do not believe that it is charged when you use up the other. It takes about 5 hours to fully charge a completely discharged battery, spent most of the time of the dot / dash signal that the battery is too hot to charge. It was in an air conditioned room with a battery that had not been under load. Outdoor or garage during the summer, you may not have the second battery is being charged that day. This is also a problem with lithium batteries, so it's just something you should be aware of. My last exercise was not the problem, but the batteries do not last one year, either. It is a great feature to protect the battery, but it can slow you down if you have a lot of hard work to do.

The hammer may be OK to put Tapcons of manufactured blocks, with a nice whole. For ages poured concrete, it is almost meaningless. The instructions say to use high speed (low torque) mode and puts enough pressure to keep the drill from the jump or it will hang up. To drill in the old concrete is poured around my house, I have to use my big thread 1 / 2 inch hammer drill and put all my weight into it.


All in all, I am satisfied with your purchase. Dewalt makes great equipment and I expect it to last a good bit longer than some other exercises I've owned. I do not buy it to replace my cable rotary hammer. I want a half inch chuck and the power is more than enough.