Avoid Milwaukee power tools with a chuck

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RogerS

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Because when it fails, after a few months light use, they will refuse to replace it stating that ALL their units with chucks only have a 90 day warranty on the chuck.

Pass it on.
 
OK, so their warranty is only 90 days on the chuck, but your rights under current consumer law means that the retailer can't get out of their responsibility -- they can't argue that the chuck is a consumable item.
 
If you bought it from a shop in europe, you have a two year full warranty and another year limited warranty against the supplier. Its their problem talking to milwaukee.
Talk to your local trading standards office at once.
If you bought it in from outside the EU, youre on your own
 
In the U.K. the legal position is that you can claim for the lifetime of the product for material, design or manufacturing defects. Within the first twelve months from purchase it’s up the manufacturer to prove it wasn’t one of these if you make a claim after the first twelve months it’s up to the consumer to prove it was a material / design / manufacturing defect.

Manufacturers often add their own warranties, which may offer better benefits but cannot contradict the law....but they try it on! Your entitled to a replacement, money back or repair, and that’s your decision not the manufacturers within the first 12 months.
 
If its only a few months old don't worry, you are covered. Politely tell them that you are informing trading standards of their illegal decision.
 
Nah...no point involving Trading Standards or CAB. Simples.

Letter Before Action.

Small Claims Court.

Pretty stupid of the company that sold it to me

Trade Counter Direct if anyone is interested.
 
Paddy Roxburgh":3qhw9lu8 said:
Out of interest, what is the nature of the failure?


It fails to grip drill bits properly. Frequently the drill bit will stall in the material while the chuck keeps turning. Then when you tighten it up harder by hand in an effort to prevent this, you need a mole grip to undo it.


It also has a screwdriver feature (in common with many other manufacturers) with a range of torque settings. When you hit that torque setting the drill sort of executes micro-impacts (if you get my drift). Again just like other manufacturers. Only this action results in one having to resort to the mole grip again.

Thought I'd also publish this risible extract from Trade Counter Direct's T's and C's as this company seems to have a poor grasp of the term 'merchantable quality'.

12 Month Guarantee

If you have any goods supplied by us that are not functioning correctly within the first 12 months after your purchase you can return these to us. Certain products will be replaced or refunded and others will be repaired according to the manufacturer’s warranty. Components (parts and accessories) subject to natural wear and tear, including but not limited to Service & Maintenance Kits, carbon brushes, bearings, chuck, SDS drill bit attachment or reception, power cord, auxiliary handle, transport carry case, sanding plate, dust bag, dust exhaust tube, Felt Washers, Impact Wrench Pins & springs, etc. will not be covered by a manufacturer's warranty or our 12 Month Guarentee. All products will be tested upon return and any misuse will not be covered by the 12 month guarantee.


I will draw the attention of the local Trading Standards to this clause.
 
Ive got both 12v and 18v milwaukiee cordless drill. The chucks have worn on then so they dont grip. When you tighten them hard, they become pretty difficult to undo.

They are metal chucks, but havent lasted too well.

These are used in a busy joinery shop, so used almost every day. And they must be 3 years old. However other drills dont have chucks that wear out. Most drills fail due the batteries.
 
RobinBHM":1z1b8zuu said:
..... However other drills dont have chucks that wear out. .....

And there rests the case for the prosecution.

And which is why they try and get away with only a 90 day warranty on this 'consumable' item.

'Fit for purpose'? Don't think so.
 
I can honestly say that I have never worn out a drill chuck, as said I have had batteries or compnents fail in cordless drills, motors fail in corded drills but never worn out a chuck. In fact I have several old drill chucks I use on my lathe that has gone on far longer than their original tool and I have some older chucks that aside from patina are mechanically perfect yet older than me.

The only drill chuck that has been ruined was my own fault when I tried to take it apart to clean out chips, I did a bad job and royally buggered it, shame it was a lovely old Jacobs. Still, the keyless jacobs that replaced is much better lol.
 
RogerS":mqtaehwi said:
Because when it fails, after a few months light use, they will refuse to replace it stating that ALL their units with chucks only have a 90 day warranty on the chuck.

Pass it on.

Which particular model has failed for you please? I have the 18v Fuel combi Impact and Hammer Drill. No sign of any chuck problems and it has been worked hard.
 
cutting42":p4umbeg3 said:
RogerS":p4umbeg3 said:
Because when it fails, after a few months light use, they will refuse to replace it stating that ALL their units with chucks only have a 90 day warranty on the chuck.

Pass it on.

Which particular model has failed for you please? I have the 18v Fuel combi Impact and Hammer Drill. .....

Same one. M18 FPD
 
phil.p":1o59ru3v said:
Should have stuck to a reputable firm like Lidl or Aldi. :D

My lidl drill chuck had poor grip when I bought it but for some reason it improved just before I decided to take it back and has been great since then. Either there was a bit of faulty cast in there somewhere or it responded to a talking to.

It's been a good drill for the past couple of years
 
I going back about 18 years here, and the only chuck I have ever had fault with was a Metabo 1000w ? mains hammer drill. It was a Rohm ? keyless and I could not get the masonary drill out. I took it back to the dealer who had to send it away to get the drill out. When this happened again they replaced the chuck and all was fine.

Colin
 
RogerS":1hbcm08u said:
cutting42":1hbcm08u said:
RogerS":1hbcm08u said:
Because when it fails, after a few months light use, they will refuse to replace it stating that ALL their units with chucks only have a 90 day warranty on the chuck.

Pass it on.

Which particular model has failed for you please? I have the 18v Fuel combi Impact and Hammer Drill. .....

Same one. M18 FPD

I am surprised twice here. First that it failed as it is a beast although I accept stuff happens and second about the warranty. I have been very impressed with the build quality and they are the go-to drill for US trades and get a real beating. The Milwaukee warranty is actually 5 years on battery tools although they do call out exceptions like the chuck and a few other items from that 5 year warranty as you say.

Without knowing how hard you have pushed back, I would contact Milwaukee direct and complain as your experience sounds exceptional.
 
Don't bother complaining to the supplier if they are behaving like that. Just get your money back and get another brand from another supplier.

I have a "never again" rule for retailers and manufacturers like this. The law was altered precisely to avoid this kind of bouncy, finger-pointing nonsense, and retailers know this. I hate the relationship we are nowadays forced into with big shops, online or otherwise, and although I'm a free-marketeer at heart, it is only the threat of the law that stops us having to eat pepper made from brick dust or use green paint made with cyanide.

The trouble is that trading standards departments are toothless and stupidly overworked. Quite reasonably they are more interested in poisonous food and Russian cigarettes, and are forced to prioritize somehow.

I don't trust Milwaukee products, not least because they describe their 10.8V battery systems (with the same chemistry and from the same factories as everybody else), as 12V, and seem to build tools with highly improbable performance numbers. That tells me a lot about their marketing department and internal processes, and the company's ethics and culture.

The only good thing about all this is that there is still a lot of brand choice out there. In other fields, e.g. broadband supply, the market is a lot less robust - no matter which company you go with, in most rural locations, only one company does the work.

I sympathise.

E.
 
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