I have been looking to upgrade my 14.4 cordless when the batteries expire. For the cost of two batteries, you might as well buy a kit with a new drill. The new Makita with NMH batteries got my attention. They were giving more drill time and charged in 45 minutes instead of 90 minutes like the NiCads. I also liked the ergonomically designed handle. It felt good in my hands-very comfortable. br Then my brother got wind of this Milwaulkee, and now I am sold. I own a corded hammer drill from Milwaukee, and never experienced that level of torque before. It caught a bit, and almost broke my wrist. When I went over to the local Milwaukee factory store, I got a better introduction to this cordless 14.4. First it had the ergonomics that I like in the handle grip, just like the Makita. At 460 in/lbs of torgue it outperfoms the Makita which is only 340. The 14.4 and the 18 volt are simply the highest torques-strongest cordless drills on the market today in their respective voltages. Additionally this newly introduced Milwaukee has advanced battery technology. They took the NiCads to the next level. Milwaukee is able to get the recharge time down to 1 hour, while still maintaining the longer life expectancy of NiCads. The NiMh batteries have a shorter shelf-usage life. Something to consider with the hefty cost of replacement. br So some technical stuff. The Milwaukee has ALL copper windings in the motor. The yellow guys have a metal mix in the coils. Net result, more cost to build one but yielding more reliability and muscle. Additionally it has more gears. More gears with finer teeth, result in less polish-sliding-resistance on the gears. The gears are all metal, with a metal housing. A big competitor gives you metal gears in a plastic housing. br Another interesting note is that is does not weigh any more than its competitors in the 14.4 range. br The large 1/2" capacity chuck jaws are serrated carbide. Imagine that carbide teeth in a drill. No slip there, and they have a single sleeve on the outside, so you can run the drill to tighten the bit. No having to stop and grab two sleeves to get a good grip. br So there you have it. Reversing drill, two speed capabilities, more power, more reliability, quicker recharge times, great ergonomics in the handle, a nice price, and now even better with the special going on for a free extra battery or car charger. I'm becoming a devout Milwaukee fan, and the big red is easy to differentiate on the job site, when everyone else has their yellows recharging. Helps to not have your new battery "accidentally" swapped out with an old one. Just don't tell your buddies about the torque, otherwise you will start to see a lot of big reds showing up. :-)

My old 12v Porter Cable's charger starting having problems and the battery was getting old so I did the math and decided a new drill with two batteries and a new charger made more sense than buying replacements. So to Amazon's[.com] tool reviews I went for a little in-depth reading. I was mixed as to the size I wanted because my two 12v PC's had served me well over ten years but after handling both sizes I decided to opt for a 14.4v drill. I really liked the feel of the Dewalt drills in my hands but the reviews were bad and I need my tools to always work. I steered away from the PC also because of reviews, which left me with Milwaukee, Bosch, and Makita. With the reviews read I headed to HD Lowe's for a little touchy feely. I have short fingers and being able to switch between forward and reverse while holding the drill is important. I was unable to find the Bosch drills so the showdown was between Milwaukee and Makita. After playing around with both drills for a while I noticed the Makita drill started rubbing the side of my thumb which would become a bigger problem toward the end of a day of hard use. I finally chose this Milwaukee for the following reasons: The drill is manufactured in Germany and has a lifetime warranty. (The Makita only has a one year warranty. When reading the Milwaukee manual it simply says that if the drill fails they will replace it.) [Batteries are made in Japan and the charger in the USA.] pThis drill has a new motor that is made by Milwaukee that produces 460 in. lbs of torque, which is outstanding. This drill also has a solid feeling 1/2" metal chuck with a spindle lock that is easy to operate by holding it and using the forward and reverse. A quick snap of the wrist locks the chuck or unlocks it as needed with no slippage noticed. It also has a great case not too small but not too big. All in all a well balanced, powerful, solid drill that will work with you all day, every day.

.pThis model was a champ previously, and now, with the new Lok-Tor technology, this unit packs about as much torque as most of the competition's 18V models (and really, 9 out of 10 users will never need this level of wrist-snapping torque).p"No Memory" batteries should help extend their usable life, but the best part is the combination of the (2.3 AH) extended service batteries and the 1 hour quick-charger - that should never leave you waiting for a freshly charged battery.pThe drill is rather hefty and may tax your forearms and biceps with extended use, but for this level of quality, it's well worth it (truly lightweight models are sneeking into the 9.6 and 12V arenas, but lack the battery life needed for continuous use; unless, of course, you buy a bucket-load of extra batteries).pThe new T-Bar at the chuck is a welcome addition for applications with super-high torque.pAnd don't forget, the motor has a LIFETIME WARRANTY!!!

I bought this drill but ultimately decided to return it and go with the hammer-drill version. Even though I don't use the hammer function much, I went with the hammer drill because the hammer function increased the length of the drill's nose. The longer nose decreased the angle between the handle and the chuck so that the drill can be pointed in a tight area without the handle and/or battery hitting an obstacle. Of course, you can get extension pieces for driving screws and some bits, so the longer nose is probably a minor point. But without such attachments, the longer nose and reversible battery (which is a feature of both hammer and non-hammer drill models) allow the hammer-drill version to access tight areas where the handle/battery would interfere a little better. On the downside, the longer nose increases drill's overall length, making it more difficult to insert into tight areas where the drill's motor chuck length is the limiting factor.
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br /I compared this drill to the 14.4 volt Bosch Brute Tough drill, and I preferred the higher rpms that Milwaukee offered. Bosch has a better warranty on its battery (1.5 years compared to Milwaukee's 1 year), but Milwaukee's lifetime warranty on the drill beat Bosch's 3 year warranty. Although I was impressed by Bosch's durability claims, I found many similar testimonials on the Milwaukee website that attest to their drill's toughness (stories of people dropping them from heights or driving over them with construction equipment). The Bosch drill's case had a compartment to hold Bosch drill bit cases-you just snap them into the space provided. Although the Bosch kit included a screwdriver bit holder and small metal ring attached to the back of the drill, I found the removable side handle included in the Milwaukee kit a more useful option. If you want to tether the Milwaukee drill like the Bosch, there is a small ring built into the lower back of the Milwaukee drill's handle that can accommodate a tether. Just buy some thin cord at a rock climbing shop and tie a loop to the ring.
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br /If you're mainly interested in driving screws, then an impact driver/wrench such as the cordless Milwaukee 9083-22 might be what you're after. In hindsight, I wish I would have bought one of these. The 9083-22 has much more torque, is more compact, and is better at driving screws. With the proper chuck, it can also be used to drill. Or you can get hex-shank drill bits that chuck directly into impact drivers. For an interesting demonstration of impact drivers, check out the video on cordless impact drivers on the Fine Homebuilding magazine website.
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br /Interestingly, if you quickly release the trigger on Milwaukee cordless drills, the braking mechanism will shoot sparks out of the rear vents. At least this is what happens when the drill is brand new.
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br /This is a great 14.4 volt drill, but it's not the most powerful thing out there. It offers a good balance of size, weight, endurance, and cost. It's a really good choice for medium duty drilling and driving tasks, but it didn't compare to the power of an 18 volt or corded drill when drilling 1.5 inch holes through 1 inch compressed particle board with a somewhat dull hole saw bit. For heavier duty tasks, I'd skip the larger cordless drills and go with a corded one. They're cheaper and much more powerful.
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br /Update: Although my Milwaukee cordless tools have proven themselves to be reliable and sturdy after several years of jobsite use, I'd seriously consider the Panasonic line. They seem to be a bit more technologically advanced than the rest of the competition, and Fine Homebuilding reviews consistently rate them highly.

I bought this drill but ultimately decided to return it and go with the hammer-drill version. Even though I don't use the hammer function much, I went with the hammer drill because the hammer function increased the length of the drill's nose. The longer nose decreased the angle between the handle and the chuck so that the drill can be pointed in a tight area without the handle and/or battery hitting an obstacle. Of course, you can get extension pieces for driving screws and some bits, so the longer nose is probably a minor point. But without such attachments, the longer nose and reversible battery (which is a feature of both hammer and non-hammer drill models) allow the hammer-drill version to access tight areas where the handle/battery would interfere a little better. On the downside, the longer nose increases drill's overall length, making it more difficult to insert into tight areas where the drill's motor & chuck length is the limiting factor.

I compared this drill to the 14.4 volt Bosch Brute Tough drill, and I preferred the higher rpms that Milwaukee offered. Bosch has a better warranty on its battery (1.5 years compared to Milwaukee's 1 year), but Milwaukee's lifetime warranty on the drill beat Bosch's 3 year warranty. Although I was impressed by Bosch's durability claims, I found many similar testimonials on the Milwaukee website that attest to their drill's toughness (stories of people dropping them from heights or driving over them with construction equipment). The Bosch drill's case had a compartment to hold Bosch drill bit cases-you just snap them into the space provided. Although the Bosch kit included a screwdriver bit holder and small metal ring attached to the back of the drill, I found the removable side handle included in the Milwaukee kit a more useful option. If you want to tether the Milwaukee drill like the Bosch, there is a small ring built into the lower back of the Milwaukee drill's handle that can accommodate a tether. Just buy some thin cord at a rock climbing shop and tie a loop to the ring.

If you're mainly interested in driving screws, then an impact driver/wrench such as the cordless Milwaukee 9083-22 might be what you're after. In hindsight, I wish I would have bought one of these. The 9083-22 has much more torque, is more compact, and is better at driving screws. With the proper chuck, it can also be used to drill. Or you can get hex-shank drill bits that chuck directly into impact drivers. For an interesting demonstration of impact drivers, check out the video on cordless impact drivers on the Fine Homebuilding magazine website.

Interestingly, if you quickly release the trigger on Milwaukee cordless drills, the braking mechanism will shoot sparks out of the rear vents. At least this is what happens when the drill is brand new.

This is a great 14.4 volt drill, but it's not the most powerful thing out there. It offers a good balance of size, weight, endurance, and cost. It's a really good choice for medium duty drilling and driving tasks, but it didn't compare to the power of an 18 volt or corded drill when drilling 1.5 inch holes through 1 inch compressed particle board with a somewhat dull hole saw bit. For heavier duty tasks, I'd skip the larger cordless drills and go with a corded one. They're cheaper and much more powerful.

Update: Although my Milwaukee cordless tools have proven themselves to be reliable and sturdy after several years of jobsite use, I'd seriously consider the Panasonic line. They seem to be a bit more technologically advanced than the rest of the competition, and Fine Homebuilding reviews consistently rate them highly.

I have had the last iteration of this drill for the past 3 years. It's a great tool. I've used a lot of the others, but this one feels the best (though I haven't tried the Panasonic). It has plenty of torque and the metal Lok-Tor chuck is really solid. You can feel and hear the jaws locking, and they grip better than most of the others. Also, the metal chuck ring doesn't get all cut up when you have to run it into metal boxes, beams, etc. When I read that the battery could be installed from either side I thought it was just marketing hype. But this ended up being a really nice feature. Not only can you move the battery out of the way if it hits something, but changing the mounting position changes the tool balance. Unless the battery gets in the way, I always keep it in the "backward" position because it feels so much better (a personal preference choice you don't get with the other guys). When and if this thing ever dies, I'm getting another Milwaukee.

Fortunately, I have a job of advising people in drill purchases.What makes this drill so special is the 465 ft/lbs of torque in a 14.4 volt battery. A bit of weight is saved with minimal power loss.In comparing this drill to other drills, it is more powerful than the competing 18 volt yellows. The metal ratcheting chuck is a nice sign of the quality of it. Notice the replaceable brushes, which Yellow lacks. Notice the quality of the fit and finish.The only downside is that the 14.4 batteries are only useful in the drill and the job site radio, as Milwaukee's 14.4 line is not as extensive as their 18 volt line.As for the warranty, it can't be touched. Yellow has been downright stingy on their warranty lately, with some shoddy construction on a couple of recent drills I have seen.The bottom line, better than a DeWalt 18, in a 14.4 version. This is a bit of overkill for a home user, but perfectly good for a contractor.

I think that this is the best balance of power and weight. I use them all the time. Never hear of the problems that the one person had. I also have other Mil. tools and they are top notch.They are very solid tools.

I am a contractor who owns 11 Milwaukee power/cordless tools.
br /I bought this drill in 4/2004 in July on a job site it quit. I took it to a Milwaukee approved service center, after 10 days in the shop (parts backordered) I asked if they would call Milwaukee to request a NEW drill kit, I was told it would be better if I called and I did, a day later a Rep from Milwaukee called and I told him the situation they next day the drill was ready. Two weeks ago same thing DEAD. This time no calls from anyone at Milwaukee. Try Hitachi

I read every review here and elsewhere in deciding which drill to buy. Got it down to Panasonic and Milwaukee. Decided on Milwaukee because of the 5-yr warranty.
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br /Actually, I have only 2 negative issues with the drill. First, a battery doesn't make it thru the day, as some reviewers reported. To get it thru maybe 90 min. of steady use (drilling holes, putting in deck screws), you must use only low speed. Use high speed, and it will be dead in 30 min or less. When I exchange for a fresh battery, the charge light is still on. That suggests it takes longer than an hour to charge a battery.
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br /The second issue is more of a convenience complaint. No caddy. How is it possible not to have a bit caddy on an expensive drill? Minor inconvenience for most, a pain for me, who switches from bit to bit quite frequently for the jobs I do. I understand the Panasonic also as no caddy.
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br /Otherwise, the drill is fine -- has lots of power and is quite rugged. Just hope those batteries hold up after all the frequent charges.

Without question, Milwaukee is dead on the mark with these 14.4 V drills. They easily outperform higher-priced and heavier 18V models from DeWalt and Makita. I've used drills from all 3 companies, and the Milwaukee wins hands down in reliability, power and quality. The Lok-Tor feature is awesome as well. Don't waste your time with the Yellow tools...save money and buy a Black Decker at Wal-Mart. If you want or need a SERIOUS cordless drill, go with Milwaukee. You will not be disappointed.

My old Makita 9.6 had lived a good life, old I tired I decided to retire her. I decided I needed a 14.4v drill to replace her. I did all kinds of research; online, friends, neighbors. In The end it came down to a Dewalt or the Milaukee. I chose the Milaukee for a number of reasons. First off this drill has 460 in. lbs of torque (more than the top of the line 18V dewalt). The two speed clutch seemed better put together than the dewalt 3 speed. 0-500 rpm in low gear 0-1700 rpm in high gear. This drill has a 1/2" metal chuck with a spindle lock. Everything about this drill reeks of heavy duty. 2.4 ah battery, lots of time to work. This Drill also comes with a side handle you can put on if you need it. The down side of this or any 14.4 drill is the weight. It is heavier than the old makita but you do get used to it. The makita was a nice screw driver that could drill some holes. This is a big bad 1/2" drill that you can drive some screws in with.The is the best 14.4 drill on the market right now (10-31-02)

After being a loyal Milwaukee customer for many years, things at this company have changed. Approximatley 15 months ago I purchased the 14.4 drill. It came with a nice case and two batteries, along with a charger. The first 6 months everything was fine, however I started to notice that the batteries would wear down after 40 minutes of intermittment use. I only used the drill a couple of times per month. Now, after 15 months, the batteries are completley dead and will not accept a charge. Milwaukee told me batteries are out of warranty and offered no help, even after I explained that the drill is only 15 months old. I paid 179.00 for the whole kit and the new batteries are 65.00 per battery. The drill is now useless. Milwaukee has no idea as to the loyal and steady customer they have lost, all over some batteries. I would have accepted only one battery from them, but they didnt even offer that. I am done with Milwaukee. No wonder the Japense companies are doing so well. We Americans who try and buy American products are tired of companies who dont appreciate our business or loyalty. Next time I will try Panosonic.

drill works great with a lot of torque. i like that it has 1/2"
br /chuck and power to go with it. had the drill less then a year and one of the batteries wouldn't take a charge. i thought it was dead. what i did was take an old phone charger the kind where it plugs directly into wall. i cut off the end jack and split and stripped the double wire. after using a meter to determine which one was (+) and (-), the single contact on battery is (+). i hooked it up to battery for a few minutes. battery is now taking charge in milwaukee charger. they do say don't let the batteries completely discharge so it seems it just needed a little charge for the milwaukee charger to accept it. hope this helps.

Overall, I am very pleased with the Milwaukee 14.4V 1/2" drill/driver. The construction is very sturdy. I accidentally dropped mine from an 8-foot ladder last year onto my concrete garage floor. At the time, I had a magnetic screw bit in the chuck which served to increase the bending force on the tool when it hit the concrete. The battery pack popped off. I re-inserted the battery and the tool has continued to operate normally.
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br /The handle is comfortable and well balanced. I've had good luck with the battery packs. I use a pack until the drill begins to slow down and then pop it into the standard charger. No battery problems whatsoever over the two years that I have owned the tool.
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br /On torque - I have had mixed results. I've used the tool to put hundreds of screws through Hardibacker down to subfloor with excellent results. However, I recently experienced what feels like a slipping clutch when trying to put 2-1/2" coarse-thread drywall screws into studs in a difficult position where I could not bear down on the drill with my full weight.
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br /I like the tool, though when I eventually buy a new drill, it will be a beefier 18/19V or 28V tool.

About 2 years ago I bought the 12 volt drill kit and couple of months later bought the 14.4 impact driver kit [both Milwaukee]. Having been a long time Milwaukee fan I expected no problems... Fourteen months later my first battery went dead and a couple of months after that two more went out. The tools themselves worked fine but the batteries are garbage. I understand Ryobi bought Milwaukee Tool. Ryobi's batteries have a similiar history. I used to think if you bought Milwaukee you had a first rate tool, now it seems it's just a third rate tool.

I purchased my Milwaukee drill in Spetember of 2002. I made an informed decision after much research. Based on reputation, torque and features. I was initially delighted. The drill had quick charge, lots of power and felt good. 7 months later my first battery pack failed and was replaced under warranty. Now at under 2 years of ownership, the second battery has failed and the original replacement is dying. The batteries are $60 each and are failing at a rate of more than 1 per year. I am not a contractor and have given the drill moderate use and excellant care. I wrote to Milwaukee via their web page twice. They promise a response in 24 hrs, it has been a week, I am still waiting. So their customer service is just as lacking as their battery packs. Try the Makita Mforce