Couldn’t believe it when it was posted so I went to their website, read the discription and still not certain. So, I go to the tool supply house – NOT a big box.
The Milwaukee radio does NOT charge its battery when plugged in! Now tell me folks, how hard would it be and how much more would it cost to include this feature? It’s truely NOT an $80 radio (discounted/ on sale). It’s a $160 radio – if you ever want to use the battery feature. Gotta buy the charger separately or buy another one of their battery tools. That will happen but it means I’ll still have to carry around ANOTHER charger. I already carry 2 DW and 2 Ryobis. (Love the R drills. Light (9.6v), for punch list stuff and only $29@, which included 2 batteries and a charger!)
Go figure!
.
Replies
It's not stupid at all - It's a legal problem.
Dewalt patented the radio/charger first. So Milwaukee can't sell the same thing.
I've heard you can buy something that can hook a charger up with a radio, but don't know the specifics...
I'm honest, bright, a hard worker, and I served my country honorably in the military -- guess I'm never going to be president [Senator Richard Lugar]
Did Craftsman and Bosch license the radio/charger design or did they have some tweak to the system that lets them do it? I've noticed that both now have radio/charger combo units out, maybe a Milwaukee Radio v2 will do both..hopefully.
-Ray
It's a radio.
It's advertised as a radio.
It's primary function is a radio.
You had unjustified false expectations. It's an $80 radio....exactly as advertised. You want it to charge your batteries? Well, that sounds more like a battery charger than a radio, doesn't it? It's not a $160 dollar radio as you say, it is in fact an $80 radio. The fact that Dewalt's radio charges batteries has nothing to do with anything. The spot for the battery in the back of the Milwaukee is only there so that you can run the radio off the batteries.
Don't really get what your beef is. Seems to me that the only "stupid" thing about the Milwaukee radio is....this thread. I've got a TV at home that plays VCR tapes.....I don't expect every TV I buy from now on to do the same....
damn that's harsh
but true
Bosch charges there battery in there radio, and has all the bells and whistles.
cd player,
12 volt auto plug to charge cell phones,
clock
4 outlet to plug tools with a gfci
and a battery charger that also plays the radio too
roll bar cage
I have the millwaulkee and like it fine, my friend steve has the bosch and loves it.
dogboy
Frankie,
I understand what you are saying. I just assumed the Milwuakee charged batteries too. Our electrician has has, and I figured I was just too dumb to figure it out. I called him the other day and he said that the radio doesn't charge and the reason it doesn't charge (I think he may have talked to Milwaukee, but I'm not sure) is that the charging makes "noise" and reduces the clarity of the music. I think it reduces the ability to pick up radio signals and it creates a hum or interference behind the music.
That's what he said and I'm just passing it along. Sounds interesting to me. It is a great sounding radio. I'm impressed with it.
Possilby true, but also BS.
What they are really saying is that we tried adding or existing charger design to the radio and the charge produced interference in the radio.
But what they forgot to add is that was that they did not want to go to the expense of redisign the charge so that it would not interfere.
There is no technical reason that the charge has to interfere with the radio.
I have a Mil radio, and I can tell you that if I have the charger beside the radio, it makes a terrible noise, so in my case it's not BS. Still, if they could figure it out .....
Naw. This is Milwalkee. They give a rat's AZE about the satisfaction of (this) consumer.Quality repairs for your home.
Aaron the HandymanVancouver, Canada
I spoke directly to Milwaukee about this a year or so ago when I was considering the Dewalt vs. Milwaukee. I was told that they did not add the charger because of negative impact on the performance and reception of the radio. I bought two Milwaukees, one for me and one for my brother and couldn't be happier with the performance. A contractor buddy has the Dewalt, but I haven't seen it since we started the current project that we are working on (about 6 months). Seems he likes my Milwaukee better. You can find a thread comparing all of the jobsite radios including the new Bosch. You'll find most agree that the Milwaukee is by far the best radio for sound and reception. If that isn't important to you, then I guess you can charge your batteries in a yellow or blue unit!
I have noticed a cyclical hum (hum ~4 seconds, skip ~1 second, repeat) from my Milw. charger, on non-Milw. radio. Does not matter if adjacent to each other or 12+ ft. away, if both are plugged into same duplex outlet/circuit. Will aquire the same type of hum if on different circuits but radio and charger are in close physical proximity; sometimes even if on different circuits, it will not matter - that maybe due to both being plugged into same "leg" of 120/240 service, never bothered to really look into it that deeply.
I have not noticed this with other brands of chargers, but am not near them enough to have much experience. Anyone else?If everything seems to be going well, you've obviously overlooked something.
I have been told by the local Mil rep that it is an legal issue.
MikeD