i was wondering about something. i’m looking to get a new radio for the jobsite. a real tough radio. no sonys they belong at home. had one once on a job about 18′ in the air on a stage got kicked and broke. now i’m looking for a real radio. there is only three choices.
1 dewalt
2 millwaukee
3 bosch
the dewalt was the first out then everyone else followed. i’m just looking for opinions from fellow tradesmen on which one is better and why.
REMEMBER SAFETY STARTS AT THE SAME TIME YOU DO…….
Replies
Door # 2 for the radio...
Door # 3 for all other features. 2nd choice for the radio..
Door # 1 goes to the dumpster...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming....
WOW!!! What a Ride!
I'll say it again....
I've got all three.
The Dewalt get's bad reception with mediocre sound. But if you're on the cordless DW kick then it may be worth considering.
The Milwaukee is the best bang for the buck. Great reception, great sound and digital tuning. Won't help your cordless situation
The Bosch CD feature is nice for however long it lasts. The sound quality and reception are about the same as the Dewalt. The four banger GFCI is a great idea and it charges Bosch batteries (my cordless choice) But it's expensive. It's got a 30 day no risk guarantee and I'm 99% sure it's going back.
No hope...
ROAR!!!
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming.... WOW!!! What a Ride!
All this to make more noise on the site and bother
the neighbors???
It's got a 30 day no risk guarantee and I'm 99% sure it's going back.
Not really what I wanted to hear, is the reception that poor?
any other complaints?
I don't know CAG. Maybe there was too much hype leading up to this thing or maybe my expectations are too high. The Bosch is an awesome concept, but doesn't really work that well. The speakers sound kinda tinny, you can't turn it up past 8 (it goes to 10) or the sound distorts big time. The reception is pretty much like the Dewalt, except that it doesn't have an external antennae, so there's not much you can do.
As you know I'm right around Boston. Not exactly a small radio market! You'd think I'd pull in a better signal.
Don't know what to tell you, except that you get thirty days to figure out whether it works for you. $170 is alot of radio.....it should sound like $170.
Dieselpig,
My Bosch just came today. I just got done playing around with it and compared to the Milwaukee it doesn't sound very good. But, that Milwaukee sounds great. I'll use it and see if it grows on me. We wear earplugs all day long. Do you think the Bosch is loud enough? That Milwaukee sounds great and is plenty loud even with earplugs on :-) The DeWalt was always good enough and we won't have the Milwaukee forever. We are just borrowing it.
Tim,
I'm not happy with the Bosch at all. Very disappointed all around. I agree with Jeff Buck and others, not expecting a jobsite radio to sound like my Bose Wave, but my Dewalt gets horrible reception and the Bosch is right there. Only good thing I've found with the Bosch is that if I plug enough cords into the four-way, the reception gets better.
I'm sending it back. It says right on the box "30 day no risk, blah blah blah". First time in my life I've been disappointed enough with a "tool" to return it.
$170.00 will buy me that swing table I actually need. Maybe even one of those bolt markers too!
The Milwaukee has good reception, very good sound and is the cheapest of the bunch. No frills and gets rained on all the time w/out any problems.
No. 2
Just something to think about.
If you have cordless tools or plannning on getting some either Dewalt of Bosch, then I'd go with the radio that would charge your batteries.
Probably a pretty obvious observation though.
here are a few other discussions about them
http://forums.taunton.com/tp-breaktime/messages?msg=43829.1
http://forums.taunton.com/tp-breaktime/messages?msg=43580.1
Edited 5/29/2004 9:54 pm ET by CAG
I'll take the one that plays country and talk.
i think mkaita just came out with one too
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I have the milwaukee and the reception and sound quality is fantastic. If you have a Pepboys in your area, they had a radio identical to the Milwaukee (branded differently) for $50. Why spend the $$ for the emblem.
Does the Pep Boys run off Milwaukee batteries? I have not looked at the PB but is it the Rockford Fosgate?
To all: how many threads does the radio issue merit?
Edited 5/29/2004 10:17 pm ET by RASCONC
I didnt think milwaukee's radio ran off or charged their batteries?
runs off them, won't charge. But does have a dandy 12v jack in the back, so you can do the portable CD thing if you want or plug the cell phone in if you're getting low."If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man." - Mark Twain
As RW said, it runs off batts, but will not charge them. It has a pass through two prong ac plug, a 12vdc outlet, and an aux input for cd/mp3/cassette.
I found a pic and description of it...I know it was cheaper than listed when I saw it in the store.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=7902248833&category=50434&sspagename=WDVW
It looks like it very much, but like I said I doubt if it has the Rockford Fosgate pedigree. It did not say anything about the input plug for cd or mp3, etc. You really have to hear this radio to believe how clear and good it is. Since I did not have any Milwaukee stuff I picked up a 12v drill with two batteries (ebay $52) so I could use it withoput plugging in. Will run better part of day with one bat. I would bet the one you showed uses regular cells which is not a problem, just an additional cost. I tried to find it on the PB site but could not.
Besides jobsite snobs will rate you higher with big red :-). Besides the source I quoted has it cheaper than the PB on ebay.
Milwaukee 49-24-0200X Milwaukee Cordless Job Site Radio
Product ID: 421
View Image
The Milwaukee Job Site Radio is the world's toughest radio - designed to withstand an 8' drop. Features 2 way Rockford Fosgate speaker system,3 way Punch Bass system,digital tuner,and flexible antenna. Operates on Milwaukee Power Plus 12,14.4,or 18 volt batteries.Auxillary jack for external audio sources.12 volt DC socket for charging cell phones.Integrated tool bag on back of radio.Steel handle wraps around for added protection Shipping Cost $0.00
In Stock,Order Now!!!
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$75.00
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Copyright © 2002 Strickland Electric Supply All rights reserved Telephone: (888) 347-4281Questions or Comments?
Edited 5/29/2004 11:14 pm ET by RASCONC
Edited 5/29/2004 11:32 pm ET by RASCONC
Funny, I was just going to bring this up. I'm very dissatisfied with my dewalt radio. I live in the detroit area (certainly not out in the country) and no matter where i'm working it seems like every station is full of static. I was considering the Bosch, has anyone used it yet?
I first heard the DW when helping another contractor do a Harley D store in the WNC mountains. I thought it was pretty good, had decent reception considering where we were and reasonable sound. After hearing the Red one there was no choice. Pardon me IMERC but I don't think I would send the DW to the dumpster though. :-)
Edited 5/29/2004 11:31 pm ET by RASCONC
All relative comparrison is all...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming.... WOW!!! What a Ride!
None of the above. There's no way I'm listening to radio, the commercials are too obnoxious and loud, and I'm never nearby to turn them down. Guy I worked with had a digital device that stored all his music on a drive of some sort. At home he queued up a day's worth of stuff from his CD library, brought it to work and it played until quitting time. No CDs to get trashed around the job and it seemd fairly dustproof. Kinda like an Ipod but not an Ipod. Myself I was wondering if satellite radio would be the key... apparently there are no commercials with the subscriptions you buy. Can anyone confirm that?
I'd guess thats an MP3 player ya heard..yes digital satellite is commercial free, just like the TV music.
MP3's are just digital music, no discs , but a memory stick can be handy.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations.
david
What no comercials? Thats when I work!
I recently bought a Creative Nomad MuVo MP3 player for $75. It plugs into the aux. input in my dewalt radio. The unit has 128 mb capacity, which is about 2 hours of music at low compression (near CD quality) or 6 hours at a quality level which I can stand. The MuVo plugs directly into a USB port to transfer files, and a side benefit is it can also be used to transfer data files, just like a very large floppy disk.
So far I'm happy with it. It has no moving parts, will never skip, and is about the size of a zippo lighter. I won't have to listen to the radio for a long time now.
Jon Blakemore
That's good thinking!
I've got an 128mb MP 3 player that I use at the gym (when I make it there!) . But never thought to load it up and bring it to work. Makes all the sense in the world. That was one of the things that I was disappointed about with the Bosch. (this one's on me, not Bosch's fault). I've got enough stuff to drag into the house every morning without grabbing a stack of CD's. And who has time to change a CD every 45 minutes while working? MP 3 player is a great idea.
I've had the DW since it came out.
It fell off a second story roof and I couldn't believe it still worked....yet I wish it were digital because I can't tune in anything I wanna tune in without a 10' piece of copper pipe over the antena and even still......
Be
Turned on, tuned in, and dropped off
andy
The secret of Zen in two words is, "Not always so"!
http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
I agree ...
I got the DW right after they came out ...
and it's been used 5 to 6 days a week ....
inside ... outside ... thru sun/rain/snow ....
I don't expect concert hall sound ....
and anyone that thinks any job site radio can come close hasn't ever heard a coupla hundred well tuned watts .... thru good speakers ...
So I'll take the workhorse dewalt .... that'll take all the abuse ... plus survive life in the van ....
and ... I always have at least one freshly cooked battery on site ....
even after I forget to plug in the regular charger.
JeffBuck Construction, llc Pittsburgh,PA
Artistry in Carpentry
I agree with Jeff here. I bought the Dewalt simply because it was a radio, wasnt looking for concert hall quality, just something to keep me company ( I work alone alot). Sometimes if the radio annoys me I like silence too. I have one old 12v battery that powers the thing for hours, and I like the ability to run it cordless, otherwise I would have bought a clock radio for less.
I'm sure the Bosch is a great radio, just pricey for my needs.
I hear you Jeff, regarding the Dewalt. It would be good enough sound if I could get some reception. I live 20 min outside of Boston, which is one of the largest radio markets in the country. I oughta be able to pull in a decent signal.
Not expecting a jobsite radio to rival my Bose Wave, just want to be able to hear it. I'm sticking with the Milwaukee, it's the cheapest of the bunch and sounds great.
To each his own.
I'm lucky .... it picks up all of the stations I listen to regularily ....
my new helper/buddy listens to NPR ... who ever gets to the site first picks the music for the day .... I've notice either a framing square or my mud mixing paddle lays across the top ... touching the antenna ... when it's his day.
I have seen one on a commercial crew inside a big building with terrible reception where someone smart cut off the antenna end and soldiered on a nice length of flexible antenna ... rolled it out .. and across the floor .. and out the door ... down to the window .... and it worked great!
always thought about trying that.
my biggest bitch ... the thing is big enough ... and expensive enough ... to include digital tuning.
But ... like I said ... I got it mostly as a back up charger ... the radio attached was an added bonus. Someday I'll go thru with my plans to tear into a portable cd player and screw it somehow onto the side of the radio. Just gotta figure out how to hardwire it ... or leave access to the batteries in the cd player.
I originally came up with that idea for a cassette player .... can ya tell how long I've put it off? Next ... it'll be .... maybe an mp3 player .....
Is the DeWalt the "cheapest" of the 3? Even at $100 it's overpriced .... glad Santa coughed up the cash(at that time even more) ... one of those ... I'd like to but never would myself ....
JeffBuck Construction, llc Pittsburgh,PA
Artistry in Carpentry
The Milwaukee is down to $80 here in MA. Won't help your batteries any.
I gotta say..... I used the Bosch CD gig for two days before I got pizzed. I found CD's to be a royal PIA. Gotta go swap it out every 45min or so or listen to dead air. Plus, I can picture all my CD's scratched to he11 in a week or two. Maybe Cd's are better left in the truck.
I'm back to the Milwaukee. Gonna try hooking the MP3 player up to it next week. 2 1/2 hrs of music and no moving parts.....that might be the ticket.
Jeff,
I don't know if you read my post about the MP3 players, but I highly recommend that route.
I am loving having music (couldn't get any FM reception, CD's too risky) on the job again. I have a 128 mb MP3 that I picked up for $75. No discs to scratch, no moving parts, will run a little more than one day on a AAA battery.
I think they're made for the job site.
Jon Blakemore
I read that post ...
I'll have to check out an MP player ...
fact is ... I've never even taken the time to see one in person.
Will have to stop playing with fire and the wheel and check out some new technology!
JeffBuck Construction, llc Pittsburgh,PA
Artistry in Carpentry
When yur done with the fire and / or wheel can I have 'em...
I'd like to up grade...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming.... WOW!!! What a Ride!
I get so frustrated trying to tune in the station I want on my DW that I switched to a speaker out the window attached to my amp.
Was so elated at the reception that...well...a neighbor up the hill called me yesterday and told me to keep it down....heyyyyyy, we're on the roof.
Here we go againThe secret of Zen in two words is, "Not always so"!
http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
The Dewalt gets bad reception everywhere. Every 10 minutes you have to move it or shake it. Usually I just turn it off. Someone left the radio playing on battery power over the weekend. Killed the battery dead.
A Dewalt works much better if you can round up a piece of rebar or other metal to lean against the antenna.
We used a Dewalt in the foothills of Denver and never had any real problems. I've never had any experience with any of the other brands though.
When you buy a Dewalt radio, does it come with another battery?
no,it doesnt come with a battery
I have a Sony boombox that is white and kinda space age-looking. It is their sports model that also plays mp3's. I can get around 150 songs on one cd, even though I haven't burned more than 50 or so yet. No messing with the cd's every 45 mins. The sound is very good and I think I only shelled out 125$. The digital tuner isn't what I had hoped for, still rig up ground wires from outlets or wierd things to improve reception.
I was on a large jobsite today, and they had it down. One of the guys had a satellite radio receiver connected to a low-power FM transmitter (works up to about 100 feet). Everyone on the job could get the same feed (no competing radios). Closest to me was a Milwaukee radio that sounded fine. No commercials all day long, that's the best part. I freakin' hate commercial radio! I have been known to throw a scrap of header at a radio playing the same commercial for the 14th time in 5 hours. The music on the satellite (XM Radio) was good enough and they pulled out some stuff I hadn't heard in years. He had a 2 year subscription at $8 per month.
Here's why the Milwaukee is the best choice. The majority of the time you're going to plug this radio in. The pass through outlet can be used to plug in chargers from ANY manufacture. So, recharging problem solved (just need to keep your charger handy, which you probably do already). If you're planning on running the radio off the batteries, then the DeWalt's battery recharger is useless and it comes down to a reception and quality of sound issue.