Would you be interested in a new “Ask Me Anything” series featuring Milwaukee Tool?
I don’t know if it would be possible, and so I’d like to gauge reader interest before pressing for it.
Q&A sessions have been a part of Milwaukee’s annual media events for as long as I can remember attending. That’s one of the most enjoyable parts of attending Milwaukee’s Pipeline media events at their USA headquarters – the ability to stray off-topic and receive unfiltered answers.
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Here’s a snippet from their 2023 Q&A event:
In this clip, Tim Albrecht – now Group President of hand tools, storage, and PPE – touches upon Milwaukee’s USA pliers and screwdriver manufacturing challenges and strategies in more granular detail than you’ll ever see in official announcements.
At these Q&A sessions, because Milwaukee Tool’s leadership doesn’t know what will be asked, all of the answers are always off the cuff and unscripted.
Here’s the referenced conversation I had with Tim Albrecht about Milwaukee’s USA-made hand tools:
Our time on the media event demo floor is similar, with “how,” “why,” and other off-center questions answered candidly.
The idea of an “ask me anything” featuring Milwaukee Tool leadership, product managers, or engineers isn’t a new one – I’ve put out feelers about this a couple of times but never followed through with a formal request.
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I have also toyed with the idea of recording – with permission – some of my calls about new product introductions.
Maybe we can blur things together into a video podcast, so that you can learn about new tools in the same way I am usually able to.
At the very least, maybe I can bring some of your questions along to the next Milwaukee media event – assuming ToolGuyd is invited and able to attend.
What questions would you like to ask?
There would likely be some limits as to what could be answered, but I think this could be fun. I think the only hurdle, aside from getting anyone to carve out time from their busy schedules, would be in convincing Milwaukee that this would be interesting and beneficial for all without being harmful.
For example, if they drop a hint about a new tool, there will be people saying “Milwaukee promised…” There is also the risk of proprietary details leaking out.
I always love opportunities to dig deeper and learn more, and I wish I could share the inside glimpses that I’ve truly enjoyed over the years. Q&As periodically throughout the year seems like it could be a good idea. Maybe we can start with Milwaukee and then expand from there.
Thoughts? I’m also open to any suggestions you might have.
Rx9
I think it would be cool. Worst case, you can just grab a few questions from the comment section here and send them over.
For one, I often wonder if their product development team has ever gotten any insights or ideas from blogs like this.
Stuart
As I understand it, they do a LOT of field work to identify pain points and room for improvement.
Many tool brands keep eyes and ears on online spaces, and so it’s possible. I have also noticed managers and decision-makers taking notes at their media events after asking for feedback. At least one of my feature requests made it into a subsequent product, but it could have been a coincidence.
Saulac
Can you share your request? I am interested in how you form your requests.
Stuart
“What did you think about our [new product]?” Well, if I were in the market for this, I wish it had…
S
Frankly, I’m really not all that interested. A live in-person or online event tends to always be while I’m working and unable to watch.
I would however like to see a multi-day “ask me anything” format reddit style post. For me it’s important that it occurs over multiple days because of that damned money thing–i need to be physically and mentally present at work to avoid injury to myself and others(the obvious detriment of a hands-on job!), considering no one is offering me a winning lottery ticket to cover my tool bills or housing needs to forgo showing up to work daily…
Otherwise the typical mid day AMA average responses will be retirees and office people that have time to sit at a computer in the middle of the day.
Which might be great if it was a talk with a manufacturer of new staplers or groundbreaking fishing lures. But the point of such a time to talk to a tool company is to ask the majority of people using the tools, which is going to be construction workers that work during the day with minimal access to sitting around watching a screen.
Stuart
What I have in mind are 10-20 minute interviews that are recorded and shared instead of just happening and being over. Maybe I ask some of your questions plus some of my own.
I tend to talk with a lot of tool brands about a lot of things. I absorb a lot, and jot down notes and takeaways, but do they really have to be fleeting?
Dave
Is that you, Stuart, on the other side of that video conversation with Tim Albrecht?
It doesn’t really matter, but that is just not how I’d pictured you. Now I have to come up with a new idea of how you look, that goes with that voice, lol.
Stuart
Yes. I’ve never been a fan of being on video, and so there are only a handful of places you might have seen me. This leads to very amusing introductions, reintroductions, and realizations at media events. That’ll likely change eventually.
Richard
Not that you’re soliciting for questions yet but: I want to know about their design process: how they pick what tools to rev.
Like, I want to pick up their miter saw, but I’ve heard it’s got some issues. It’s been out for awhile and I keep waiting for them to rev it but no dice.
Also it seems they are more in tune with their customers than other companies. Improving tools that are already seemingly top tier. What is their philosophy and how do they seemingly avoid “enshitification”?
MM
Speaking of Milwaukee news, are we ever going to get the updates you promised regarding the new motor tech Milwaukee announced & you reported an initial glimpse of back in June of last year?
Back then there was a lot of hype about the new motor design improvements, but zero details, only the statement “we” get into finer details another time”.
You seemed extremely excited about the presentation, but we peons are still in the dark? What happened here?
Jason
A lot of those emerging tech advancements take time. Think how long it took for the 9AH battery to actually launch. I think it was 2022 that the snow blower was casually dropped as coming (although it is finally launching this fall).
My guess is similar to the “next breakthrough” or “fuel” launches, you’ll see a bunch of tools coming out with the new tech combined with forge batteries.
MM
Oh, I understand it will take time for tools to appear on the shelves. I’m asking about the information. That has been known for several months at this point–getting pretty close to a year–just not followed up on.
Last year, when the hype article was posted, Stuart explained that he was tired from traveling and that he wanted to explain everything in detail but it would take time to put the full explanation together–which was totally reasonable. Now that quite a lot of time has passed I’m asking what happened regarding that. There were many of us in the comments section of that article looking for facts rather than hype, and hype without details is very uncharacteristic for Toolguyd.
Stuart
Yes. It’s difficult because we only have (1) data point so far – the new gen circular saw. Aside from that, I’m excited about the promise.
It’s very abstract. The new batteries can deliver higher current and stay cooler while doing it. The new motor delivers high power in a smaller package while also being a little more efficient. The power delivery systems have been upgrade to be able to handle all of that.
What that means to me is that they can move to a same-size motor that can deliver even more power than before, and that opens the door to higher performance levels.
But what does that mean for tool users NOW? What are the specific implications? That part is the most challenging.
I’ve been putting it off because the topic basically requires a series of whitepaper-like explorations split into discrete topics of their own. I’ve been making progress.
What are they doing with this tech? They launched an updated circular saw. What *could* they do with it? A whole lot. Why do I say that? That answer will take several thousand words to bring everyone up to the same speed.
Basically, it was easy for me to get excited about, and proven a lot harder to spell out exactly why that is.
Bonnie
Maybe it’s just my overdeveloped cynicism, but I find most AMAs are just marketing exercises and I’d rather not see direct Milwaukee advertising here.
Luke
That’s sort of my line of thinking as well. Companies this size strictly control their messaging and marketing. A company representative will only share things that put the company in a positive light. It’s hard to imagine gaining any sort of revelations or meaningful answers from an AMA that Milwaukee has not already shared publicly.
That said, I’d still love to read/watch whatever Stuart comes up with. Any insight into their development process would be fun to learn.
Cory
I agree that it would be marketing, but it would be marketing to questions from you. Your question might be answered honestly, or allow them to add a feature you wanted or they may respond unfiltered, or it might be something you spread over a field as fertilizer. And I’m assuming it would/should be increased to other brands within the Toolguyd universe.
Assuming Stuart has a way forward, but I would create a form where he only sees the question you are asking and if it’s manufacture specific. He’d combine and then ask the manu-rep the questions. Assuming the questioning would be verbal or by text/chat to get “unfiltered[ish] answers.” He edit them for clarity and may allow them to make pre-post suggested changes (we said 100 unit and it should be 1000 unit). Stuart could publish all for a manufacturer or do an article for a question that was answered by all manufactures.
My response, yes to the post title question.
My questions are manufacture independent as a :
– Can we push toward one battery for all? Its a redundant question that has been covered well in the past by Stuart/others in the comments.
– Why are there so few options for dual power (battery/shore)? I have the M12 rocket light I use. Having the ability to power it by shore power is nice.
Stuart
I have definitely seen that too.
I have all kinds of conversations where I’m not just given cookie cutter marketing spiels, and anything gleaned is fair to share with readers. It seems there could or should be some way to share that directly with readers, but also pull some reader questions into the mix.
There’s always deeper info, and plenty of middle ground between what’s at the surface on product pages and what’s in “the public can’t know that” territory.
I believe it was 2022 when I was shown a slide with the speed ramp-up graph for the new M18 Fuel impact driver. I couldn’t or didn’t take a photo. The take away was that the impact had greater control for lower speed feathering, as a lot of tool users have been reaching for their impact for many more types of applications.
How many people know that half the max range is the sweet spot for most rotary hammers? https://14cyiuhvcgv.com/cordless-sds-rotary-hammer-drilling-sizes/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Can we explore things like that in a more formal and shareable manner?
Bonnie
That sounds like a really interesting topic. The problem is if that information is coming from a tool company marketing person I’m always going to assume they’re twisting the truth if not outright lying (because it’s literally their job to convince people their product is better).
I don’t know who other than the tool companies you could get to talk about that though. Most research in this area is naturally going to be from the companies themselves.
Stuart
It wouldn’t have to come from a marketing person.
I regularly talk with different brands. Sometimes it’s with marketing and PR/communications people, but a lot of the time it’s with product managers and even engineers.
There’s a rather wide line between “things we typically share” and “things that can’t be shared with the public.”
So regardless of the brand, it wouldn’t just be a regurgitation of whatever’s on a product page. That’s not fun for anyone.
Bonnie
Eh, in my experience (software and services) product managers are just as liable to lie or exaggerate or otherwise twist their words. Particularly if trying to make or keep a sale (and nobody would believe they’re doing an AMA here purely for their own health).
Engineers are a little better, but still liable to exaggerate or oversell.
As I said at the beginning, this may not be fully rational.
Stuart
Depends on what you’re asking and who you’re talking with.
ElectroAtletico
Question: Why can’t Milwaukee Tools make in the US pliers of the same quality, at a slightly lower cost (no tariffs), that perform as well as Knipex?
Where is the Milwaukee “Cobra”?
Stuart
Who is to say that this is not already part of their plans?
I have asked about their USA production intentions and influencing factors, and received answers. Getting shareable answers is difference, hence the idea for publishable/shareable Q&As.
Nate
I would love to see Milwaukee come out with a battery powered positive placement nailer for putting up hangers.
Hunter Catron
Nasa administrators do an AMA that they personally answer and I think it’s a great way to keep an ear on the ground and get real feedback from your boots on the ground people.
People want to feel heard, especially when you’ve invested heavily in one brand and rely on it for your wage.
I second the need for quality pliers, dikes, etc made in USA…
At least my knipex’s are already red….
eddiesky
Dear Milwaukee rep: can we get option for the EU colour pack outs in the states? That black with red logo is just cool.
Isaac skolmin
I would like to know if Milwaukee plans on coming out with a cordless air hammer something like big nasty power and also are they working on making a cordless impact ratchet as of now they only have air Versions of impact ratchets I know Milwaukee has a right angle impact wrench and they have electric ratchets, but that is not the same as an impact ratchet
Stuart
As a rule, tool brands don’t comment about unannounced future releases.
Walter Bordett
Don’t let them forget corded power tools. The run time, longevity, and always being ready to go are important to me. I am a retired DIYer with lots of corded tools and a few rechargeable tools.
I am a huge corded Sawzall fan. It has gotten me through some hairy demo problems and never let me down.
Stuart
Brands aren’t investing much resources in corded tools anymore. I can’t recall the last time Milwaukee launched a new corded tool.
They’ll still make them as long as people buy them. To my knowledge, the corded Sawzalls are still made in the USA.