Yes, I know that this is starting to look like “Milwaukee week” (again), but there’s good reason for it. I really just want to wrap up my product coverage from their media event. I tried to do it all in one post, but there simply were just way too many tools to cover, photos to share, and things to say.
This post will be a catch-all for all of the remaining hand tools I hadn’t talked about before now. Most of these tools will be coming out in late 2015 or early 2016.
Earlier, I posted about the new Milwaukee adjustable wrenches, PVC pliers and huge adjustable pliers, the all-new pipe wrenches, customizable pipe wrench, and plumbing tools, and the new EDC knives & FastBack III.
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Check out all my other Milwaukee 2015-2016 media event new tool previews here!
New Milwaukee Tape Measures
My Milwaukee “what’s new” cheat sheet says that there are new 30′ and 35′ tape measures coming out this year. I was too busy looking over the ball bearing tool storage cabinet when they discussed the new larger tapes, so you’ll have to wait on those details.
But isn’t this new 6-foot Milwaukee keychain tape measure the cutest darned thing? Looks like Stanley’s EDC-able 6-foot tape measure will soon face some competition.
ETA: The 30′ and 35′ tapes are coming out in Sept. 2015, the keychain tape measure is coming out in November.
A Folding Rule
There’s also a new composite folding rule. I really like my Swiss-made pocket folding rule, this one looked okay too.
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Wire Strippers and Multi-Use Strippers
On the left are low-frills wire strippers, and on the right is the new 6-in-1 combination pliers. These are both prototypes, so the final designs might change.
I like the wire strippers on the left, and hope that Milwaukee comes out with another one that covers smaller wire gauge sizes. They probably won’t, as 22-26 gauge isn’t really used by electricians. Am I wrong? But I use smaller gauge wires as much as larger gauge.
The plain Jane wire strippers don’t look much different from my Stride-made Craftsman wire strippers, or Klein’s wire strippers (which I believe are now being made by Klein themselves).
It’s been a while since Milwaukee launched their first generation of pliers, which included a 6-in-1 long nose pliers and wire strippers combination tool. This new 6-in-1 has curved cutter blades, which should help with cutting larger wire and cables, and what looks like longer and narrower jaws.
On the current/previous 6-in-1 pliers, the jaws are tapered inwards. With these, the inner wire stripping part of the jaws are tapered outwards, giving the pliers a more parallel outer geometry. It will be interesting to see how well the two versions compare. It looks there will be lanyard holes built into the handles.
ETA: March 2016
A Hacksaw
Hey, a new hacksaw! That was unexpected.
It looks like the new Milwaukee hacksaw has a quick-change blade, and possibly tension adjustment mechanism. Sorry, I wandered away from this talk too.
I’ve got a Bahco-made Craftsman hacksaw (made in Sweden) that I really enjoy using, but I’m not one to snub new designs. This one looks alright, and comes with a USA-made Milwaukee blade.
ETA: Feb 2016
More Inkzall Markers
Milwaukee’s Inkzall markers came out only a year and a half ago, and they’re already expanding the lineup. New additions include paint markers, and metallic markers.
ETA: Feb 2016
Chalk Reel
There’s also a chalk reel, with geared line return. Milwaukee says that the chalk reel, with its StripGuard clutch and planetary 6:1 gear ratio, has the longest gear life and is best performing.
Here’s a partially disassembled chalk reel, in case you wanted to see what the gearing looks like.
ETA: Feb 2016
Application-Specific Knives
No, Milwaukee isn’t getting into the combat knife business (although they are entering the spring-assist folding pocket knife market) – this is a duct knife.
They’re also coming out with plain edge and serrated insulation knifes.
All three of these knives have full-tang construction, and there’s a viewing hole in the handles in case you forget. Each comes with its own sheath, with the duct knife sheath also featuring a belt hook.
ETA: Aug 2015
Large Connection Crimpers
I almost missed that there are new hand crimpers. These were presented alongside the new ForceLogic crimpers that I’ll show you in an upcoming post.
Linesmen should appreciate the large tether attachment points built into each handle.
Hmm, I wonder how long it’ll be before Milwaukee comes out with bolt cutters. The only thing they would have to do differently is change up the shape of the tool head, right? Maybe they haven’t come out with bolt cutters yet because they cannot make them with competitive pricing.
Even More!!
My “what’s coming out” cheat sheet from Milwaukee lists a couple of other new hand tools that either weren’t present at the media event, or I somehow missed them completely. Seeing as there were a number of prototypes, maybe they weren’t ready in time or were broken by other media attendees.
- 12″ PVC Saw (Nov 2015)
- Reaming Pen (Nov 2015)
- New Pliers (Nov 2015)
- Milwaukee I-Beam (Feb 2016)
- More TorqueLock Locking Pliers (Mar 2016)
A reaming pen (Ream-all?), what I could only guess is an I-beam level that’s different from Empire’s new box beam levels, and more pliers. Sounds good to me.
Noah
Be still my beating heart.
SteveR
Noah–Speaking as someone who had heart surgery a year ago, be careful what you ask for; you might just get it.
Norm
Those 6-in-1 combination pliers look interesting!
I use 22-26 gauge wire all the time (control wires mostly RTDs, Speed POTS, etc).
It depends on the electrician I’d imagine.
Industrial Electrical Maintenance… for wow, 10 years already.
Tator
Does anybody use folding rules anymore?
SteveR
Probably not too many. I’ve always considered them suspect when accuracy was needed. I think their biggest use comes into play when you need to measure the inside of something (i.e., it’s depth). The ones I’m familiar with had a narrow sliding brass piece that extended (six-inches I believe) at one end that could make that measurement. Or, they could be used in narrow areas where you couldn’t place a wider ruler or tape to take a full measurement. Carpenters still probably carry them for that reason.
They pre-date the current tape measures everyone now uses, and were a convenient way to carry a measuring stick around a job site. However, they’re only six feet long, so it wasn’t as convenient to use as modern tape measures (up to 35 feet in length). Anyone else?
fred
Folding rulers do have their limits – and as you point out most are only 4 or 6 feet long (there is the Lufkin X48 – eight footer) – but as you say ones with extensions are useful for taking inside measurements. Lufkin also makes (or made) specials – for bricklayers and masons ( #636, #646 and #656), a Doyle Log Scale ruler (#524), an Engineer’s scale (tenths) ruler (#1066D and 1066DM) and a plumber’s ruler (#626).
David T
Folding rules are used a lot by utility linemen since taking up a metallic tape measure might be a little risky. Looks like Milwaukee is coming out with a lot of products for this trade.
fred
Cool
Looks like Milwaukee wants to expand their shelf space at Home Depot and compete even more with folks like Klein, Greenlee and Malco. Insulation knives used to be either homemade affairs or were hard to find tools from folks like Hyde and Dexter or imports mostly from European firms like Klenk and Carl-Jung. But various sorts of soft-walled ductwork (insulation and ductwork in one) have become so popular that the knives have followed. I recently saw a Husky Brand (Home Depot) one that looked a bit like a d-Handle bread knife
Josh
Anyone else think the Milwaukee hacksaw looks an awful lot like this one from Lenox?
http://www.amazon.com/Tools-High-Tension-Hacksaw-12-inch-12132HT50/dp/B000LGBZDE
fred
Sure does look the same. Maybe Lenox (Newell-Rubbermaid) sourced this from same OEM that will produce the Milwaukee one.
Jason
A couple of the Milwaukee hand tools have looked very similar to other brands. Not a ton of them but a few.
Stuart
They look similar, but with distinct differences. At first glance, they do kind of look like the same saw. I had to go back and forth a bit to see the differences.
Kevin
Looks somewhat similar to the Bosch hacksaw (which I own and like very much, though I got it for far cheaper):
http://www.amazon.com/Bosch-BHF1202-12-Hacksaw-Frame/dp/B000WA510W/
pete
WEEYAA! That’s alotta tools Milwaukee! I’m interested in those 6-1 wire strippers/needle nose. I’ve been looking for kliens that they have but haven’t found them at homedepot yet.
William
I saw the Reaming Pen at the SkillsUSA National conference. It was hidden in a drawer of one of their tool chests on display. I asked several people at the Milwaukee booth and only one person knew what it was. It looked almost identical to this one: http://www.amazon.com/Bahco-316-1-Pen-Reamer-Standard/dp/B001OXDBO4
I was thinking the hacksaw looked to have similar functionality to DeWalt’s 5in1. http://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DWHT20547L-5-in-1-Hacksaw/dp/B0051QIIDO/ I’m not sure if the DeWalt has similar features to the Lenox, just with a different tension mechanism.
Does the folding rule have a sliding extender piece for inside measurements?
Nate 818
I use a duct knife alot. Cause I run duct for a living. Maybe that knife will be great. Maybe it won’t. I do know it will have to be sharpened. If possible could the toolguyd audience suggest their preferred way of sharpening a serrated knife edge. DROP SOME KNOWLEDGE.
Stuart
I don’t sharpen serrated knife blades, but if I did, I would probably use a shaped diamond abrasive sharpener. They look like small files but are specifically made for sharpening knife serrations.
Stan
There is a way to sharpen serrated knives and this isn’t very expensive provided you have a vise and a triangular file. I wouldn’t use a Harbor Freight file for any quality serrated knives, but that is what I’ve used to sharpen knives in the past.
Back when Nicholson was still making files in USA I lucked out and purchased a sizable amount of files and my most used size was four inches with triangular files.
Then again this method might not be OSHA, NIOSH or meet any strict regulation, so as with any online information, do this at your own risk.
Jerry
I like the looks of the EDC tape measure. The other tools, I already own, but do not have a pocket tape measure. Kudos, though, for an expanded tool lineup. More choices are always better than less.
Chris Fyfe
I like the 6′ tape – I am forever misplacing tapes , when these little guys come out , I buy a bunch of them , and sprinkle them like fairy dust !
I like folding rules for some applications , so I’ll be checking them out .
Chris
jesse
Just wondering – are any of these tools NOT made in China?
Stan
Only the blade to that hacksaw is USA made and probably even that isn’t even 100% made in USA I bet. That being said, I doubt ANY of these tools are American made and at best maybe Taiwan made. So this is pass for me for sure.
Nathan
The current 6-in-1 is one of my favorite tools, so I hope the new version is an improvement and not a step backwards. It strips, reams, cuts and grabs, and has a narrow enough (yet flat) head to poke into deep boxes around wires. I only reach for the linesman pliers occasionally now.
Robert
It looks like they got wise and replaced the cheap plastic locking mechanisms on their combination 6 in 1 stripper. That should make a lot of users happy. One of the biggest complaints was that the plastic locks almost always broke over time. It then left the tool in a continually sprung position.
That was the single factor with some users that influenced them to avoid a tool that was otherwise highly rated.
Dennis
Hey Stuart, I have got to get one of those “milwaukee” keychain tape measures fire my daughter. I can’t find them online. Please tell new where I can find one. Thanks
Stan
Why did you fire your daughter?
Might be worth contacting Milwaukee directly and if you do I’d ask for a model number, universal product code or potentially a serial number for this product. You’ll definitely at least need a model number as providing more information is always more helpful.
Stuart
As mentioned in the post, they’re not coming out until November. At that time, I expect that they’ll be available at Home Depot.
Stan, I’m sure that was just his phone’s autocorrect making a booboo.
Stan
Stuart, I know he was kidding….I figured some levity might help. I tried to help this guy out, but Milwaukee is closed for the weekends, this item isn’t listed on their corporate website and not currently stocked at Home Depot.
This might be hard for some to believe, but while I do care about issues most don’t and can be rough on the white collar workers/big corporations, I do try to help out when I can. In this case, there is literally nothing more I can help with as I don’t have industry contacts.
Stuart
You’re rough on PhDs too, with assumption of riches and cushy salaries. No, I haven’t forgotten that yet.
The product is 3-4 months out and hasn’t even been officially announced by Milwaukee. Calling Milwaukee Tools’ customer service isn’t going to help very much.
Dennis
Thanks guys! Much appreciated. Stewart, sorry I didn’t read your post thoroughly. I tend to speed read when there is so much I want to absorb. I’ll be looking for it in November. My daughter is 4 and can drive screws into pre-drilled holes w/ the M12 fuel impact. Believe it or not she’s a Milwaukee fan like her father. She has her own radio, lantern, M18 fan, and loves to work with daddy in the garage. Wish I could post pictures here of her using the M12 tools in there with me. That includes the jigsaw too. By the way, (I DO HAVE MY HANDS ON IT AT ALL TIMES). Any way she’s going to be so proud to have a “measurer” that looks just like her dad’s, except perfect size for her. I CAN’T WAIT to see the same excitement in her eyes, just like she sees in mine when I get new tools.
john
Lovely Dennis, really nice to find things to make kids proud. My lad absolutely loves working with me. He is 3 and can take screws out now pretty well with a little 10.8v Stanley Fatmax impact. I will try him out with putting some in soon.
Stuart
You’re very welcome. The “as mentioned in the post part” wasn’t really directed at you, but is more of a prompt for others to check the post before getting frustrated about ETA questions or non-availability.
I would expect for the keychain tape measures to be stocked in a plastic bin, or similar, as the Stanley FatMax ones are.
Blurp
It’s so cold this morning I was searching for an M12 heated jock strap.
DependableMikeAC
I do HVAC work for a living in South Florida, running/repairing flex duct is a constant down here. I bought the Milwaukee duct knife online from HomeDepot and had it shipped to my local store for free. Great knife, same size and length as a standard Malco…except for a superior sheath! This hard plastic sheath has a clip as opposed to the cheap cloth sheaths that normally come with the knives, so no more having to thread a belt through it (although most of the time I’ve carried my knife inverted in my back pocket, definetely not safe nor OSHA approved!), it’s great to be able to clip/unclip as necessary when crawling around tight attics. It’s nice now to have a quality sheath..and at $25-30 bucks I’ll just replace it before sharpening, but that option isn’t for everyone. I’ve been a loyal Milwaukee tools buyer for some time now and most if not all of my tools are “NothingButHeavyDuty” red! With the exception of electrical meters and test equipment (Klien) and manifolds/gauges (YellowJacket/Uniweld), most everything else is M18/M12 and Fuel when it’s available and within the budget (but for me, ALWAYS worth the extra $$$!). I also do plumbing and can say from first-hand experience that running the Fuel Sawzall with a carbide blade, it eats right through old cast iron pipe like butter! Straight cuts, no need to dig out extra space to fit a grinder and no worrying about stress cracks from a sledge hammer! Thank you for all the sneak peeks of upcoming tools!!! It’s like waiting for Santa for me,lol!