# Milwaukee Cordless Tubing Cutter



## Pipedoc (Jun 14, 2009)

Any of you guys use one? I am interested in finding out what you guys think of it.

I bought one a few weeks ago at the Cheapo Depot. (I hate to shop at my competitor but I couldn't find it anywhere else) It has been sitting on the truck and I didn't use it. I bought it with the intention of using it on repipes. Well today I was installing a heater and figured I would pull it out to give it a try even though I only had to make a few cuts. It worked awesome! :thumbup: I was in love with my new tool. This afternoon I fielded a call for a leaking 3/4" return line and used the new tool again. Awesome! When I returned to the shop, I pulled it off the truck to show one of the guys and the damn thing didn't work. Nothing. Squeeze the trigger and absolutely nothing. I figured maybe the battery was dead because I never gave it an initial charging. So, I took it home and charged the battery. The damn thing still won't work! :furious: I checked the battery with the volt meter and its fine. The charging cradle says its fully charged. Needless to say, I am very disappointed. 

Well I guess I will have to go back to the Cheapo Depot in the morning.


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## GREENPLUM (Jul 27, 2008)

They will replace it, free of chage.They have a loose return policy. People are always try to sell me HD store credit card, they like "hey its got 50 or something on it, ill sell it for 40 cash.


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## Ron (Jun 12, 2008)

It has a 5 year warranty on the tool, I surprised it broke out so soon. Is this the tool your talking about?


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## Pipedoc (Jun 14, 2009)

Yep. That's the one. I was really disappointed because the tool worked absolutely awesome. My pipecat sits in the case most of the time 'cause its only good for repipes and I still end up using the Ridgid 150 on the job. This tool will work great for service and I bet that I will hardly ever use the manual cutters at all.

How has this tool been holding up for you?


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## Ron (Jun 12, 2008)

I don't have one, but looks like a cool tool.


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## SewerRatz (Apr 25, 2009)

I bought one for the girlfriend, she said it did not vibrate enough.



Strike the above statement:

I just realized we are talking about the pipe cutter. I been eyeballing one of them for a while. Just wish the do a combo pack with that and the new battery hack-saw.


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## TotalPlumber (Sep 30, 2008)

I love the Milwaukee 12 v. little tools! Have the driver/drill and flashlight. really great...so far. may try the tubing cutter. it looks big and wierd, though....

Total


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## evilcyrus (Apr 27, 2009)

I own 2 of these on are trucks and there the greatest... cuts up to 1" man i can not live with out it..


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## Pipedoc (Jun 14, 2009)

@ Total plumber,
Give one a try. It is not akward at all. I really think it is a great tool even though I had this trouble with mine.

To All,
First stop of the morning today was a supply house. Talking to a few guys about the problem with the tool and asking if they have one or have had any trouble with one. One of the guys asked to see mine. I pulled mine off the truck, opend the case, picked it up and pulled the trigger and Presto! the damn thing worked! 
Now I really am perplexed. I just fired off an email to Milwaukee asking them if they have any idea what the trouble may have been. I will wait for their reply but I think I will exchange this one anyway.

I will post their reply in this thread in case anyone is curious. I will also post if I have any more trouble with it in the future.


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## TheMaster (Jun 12, 2009)

Pipedoc said:


> @ Total plumber,
> Give one a try. It is not akward at all. I really think it is a great tool even though I had this trouble with mine.
> 
> To All,
> ...


 Who has the best price on it that will sell to anyone??? or a plumber atleast.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Seems a bit bulky like it might not do well in tight spots.

They had it out to try out at HD here but the nimrod plumbing expert they have working for them put it out on the demo bench with cpvc and pvc pipe.

The results were very unimpressive! :laughing:


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## evilcyrus (Apr 27, 2009)

man there great in tight spots.. i threw my mini cutters in my box.. never use em now.. makes roughins go faster.. havn't been upset with it at all. i was sceptical at first but once u use it for a bit and get used to it. u'll wonder how u lived with out it.


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## Nevada Plumber (Jan 3, 2009)

I use the Milwaukee tubing cutter and the hackzall very often. When they work, they are great tools. The problem I have with them is if they get wet. I'm not talking about trying to cut pipes completely under water. I'm talking about like cutting a pipe in a crawlspace. No matter what you do, you will get a little bit of water on the tool. If that happens, you have a 50-50 shot of the tool not working. Once the copper cutter dries out, it will work again, and it will continue to work great. I've gone through two hackzalls in under a year though. Milwaukee should have stolen an idea from DeWalt on how to make a waterproof tool. No matter what I do with my 18v DeWalt sawzall, it just keeps working. Just something to think about before you spend money on the tools.


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

I've got a few thousand cuts on mine and it works just as good as day one. Great tool.


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

Most of the Li-Ion batteries have microprocessors on them. if the computer gets wet the battery will go all squirrelly on ya. Most Ni-cads and Ni-hydrides don't have chips and are therefore not affected by water.



Nevada Plumber said:


> I use the Milwaukee tubing cutter and the hackzall very often. When they work, they are great tools. The problem I have with them is if they get wet. I'm not talking about trying to cut pipes completely under water. I'm talking about like cutting a pipe in a crawlspace. No matter what you do, you will get a little bit of water on the tool. If that happens, you have a 50-50 shot of the tool not working. Once the copper cutter dries out, it will work again, and it will continue to work great. I've gone through two hackzalls in under a year though. Milwaukee should have stolen an idea from DeWalt on how to make a waterproof tool. No matter what I do with my 18v DeWalt sawzall, it just keeps working. Just something to think about before you spend money on the tools.


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## Pipedoc (Jun 14, 2009)

Didn't have time to return the tool today. I will return it tomorrow. For what its worth, this is the lame responce Milwaukee gave me about the problem.



> As a precautionary measure, we would recommend returning the kit with
> in 30 days to the place of purchase with your receipt. We are not sure what caused
> your issue, and are not sure if it would repeat because it could be electrical.
> If it is past 30 days, you may take it in for Warranty.


 

Thanks for the info Nevada Plumber. My last stop of the day it did get wet when I cut in to the service. I did make several other cuts during the remainder of the service call with no problems though. Milwaukee says says its "sealed for protection from water" but I suspect this was the problem.


Nevada Plumber said:


> ......... The problem I have with them is if they get wet. I'm not talking about trying to cut pipes completely under water. I'm talking about like cutting a pipe in a crawlspace. No matter what you do, you will get a little bit of water on the tool. If that happens, you have a 50-50 shot of the tool not working. Once the copper cutter dries out, it will work again, and it will continue to work great........


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## hepco (Jul 29, 2008)

i got one of those hackzaws for christmas last year and never put it on my truck for close to a month. made a couple of cuts and set it down. when i picked it up ..nothing..it wouldnt work anymore, not with that battery, the other battery, or the first battery after i tried to charge it again. put it back in the box and the depot exchanged it. second works good----at least the last time i used it.


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## pauliplumber (Feb 9, 2009)

I have the Hackzall and love it. I have had no problems yet and I've used it about 35-40 times. It got pretty wet the last time I used it, after reading this thread I want to go out to my truck and test it. I can't remember where I read it, but someone mentioned defective trigger switches on the new 12v milwaukee tools. Maybe it was just someone bad mouthing as I think it was on a competitors site.


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## JK949 (Mar 18, 2009)

Nevada Plumber said:


> I use the Milwaukee tubing cutter and the hackzall very often. When they work, they are great tools. The problem I have with them is if they get wet. I'm not talking about trying to cut pipes completely under water. I'm talking about like cutting a pipe in a crawlspace. No matter what you do, you will get a little bit of water on the tool. If that happens, you have a 50-50 shot of the tool not working.


Got my Hackzall wet this week and it's on the fritz. I'm torn on trying to open it up and dry things out or have my wife run it by the service center.


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## leak1 (Mar 25, 2009)

i stopped at home depo today to look at this cutter,it looks like its pretty heavy duty,its alot more costly then i thought it would be! you guys that have them do you think there worth the money?


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## Pipedoc (Jun 14, 2009)

Got the one I had exchanged. No other problems so far. I am really loving this tool right now. Unless I start having more problems I will say it is most definately worth the money.

I have been using it on small repair jobs but I can't wait to do a repipe with it.


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## Nevada Plumber (Jan 3, 2009)

I think the Milwaukee 12 volt tools are absolutely worth the money. I purchased the four piece set, and then the 3 piece driver, impact driver, flashlight set so I could have the impact driver and a second charger. I just wish the tools could handle water a little better.


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## JK949 (Mar 18, 2009)

Update!

My Hackzall got wet a couple weeks ago and still hadn't done anything with it. It was sitting on my desk at home and I just noticed an air duster can. Figured "why not" and sprayed the motor. Pulled the trigger and fired right up!


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## Tunnel Rat (Sep 8, 2009)

Ok, I'm definitely intrigued.

I'm thinking this cutter would be great for running copper on a construction job. Not TO much of a chance of it getting wet unless of course there's the need to cut something out after the water is on.

My local HD doesn't show them on line... so how much ($) is one of these rascals? :001_unsure:


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## Pipedoc (Jun 14, 2009)

Try this link for one on Amazon. The link is to an ultra cut but there is also a Milwaukee further down the page. I think I like the Milwaukee better though.

As long as I'm replying I might as well add an update to my experiance with the Milwaukee.

I have been using the new one for awhile now with out a single problem. I am very pleased with this tool. It saves time as well as wrist pain. I do try not to get it wet when using it for service as much as possible.

On a scale of 5, I award it 4 pipe wrenches.


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## Tunnel Rat (Sep 8, 2009)

Ok, found it on Amazon. Looks to be around $159.

I saw a picture of a guy cutting 1/2" stubouts with it and for some reason i thought it was smaller than the picture depicts. I guess if it cuts 1" it needs to have a little 'size' to it. LOL


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## smellslike$tome (Jun 16, 2008)

Does this tool simply cut or does it ream the pipe as well?


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## Pipedoc (Jun 14, 2009)

It just cuts.


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## Rhitchcock (Aug 25, 2009)

I have had one of these for about 8 months now and i love it. I am running a lot of med gas and 80% of the pipe i cut is 1/2 - 1" it really makes it easy to cut pipe that is clamped into a unistrut trapeze. i have not gotten it wet really. it works really well with pipes in the wall too. just keep your fingers away from the cutter while it is spinning i know from experience.:thumbup:


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