Magnetic base drills

JMS/.MN

Well-known Member
Jancy-Hougen-Milwaukee-Fein, etc.....different brands of magnetic base drill units. Anyone with experience with these units?
 
We have sold two Metobo battery drills,not cheap but you can take them anywhere. One guy mounted his upside down and drilled out a draw bar pin under a tractor(used an oil can for oil cooling).
 
A tool-rental company here has a Milwaukee. I've used it a few times. Plenty of power, no problems. When this type of tool is needed there's no substitute.
 
here at the shop we have had milwaukee for over 30 years and they get rough treatment alot of the times. i know we get replacments parts for them when needed and i have taken them home on weekends if i had something broke that i could get in a drill press or a mill. go on grainger.com and they list some with prices. it would be the one i would buy.
 
I will second/third Milwaukee. I have one that is close to twenty years old and I have had zero issues with it. Milwaukee is also one of the easiest brands to get parts for.
 
Dad bought a Milwaukee for the business nearly 15 years ago. It's done everything from hanging upside down drilling bolt holes with a standard bit, to boring 3 inch holes with a spade bit. It's variable speed, which is a must, and also has an adjustable base. The adjustable base makes it far easier to get dead on by allowing you to make small adjustments once the magnet has been energized.

I've used other brands, and they are often lighter weight, but I have yet to find one I would trade the Milwaukee for.
 
have a Jancy-Hougen uses rotery broches used to bore pin holes in loader booms soon learned to pack the bit with wax to lube and cool had it for years bought it used in the early 80s and its still going strong
 
Very useful and versatile tools , just look at what happened down our way in the late seventies :)

http://australiancrimes.com/crimes/magneticdrillgang.html
 
When I used to use them in the trade, (pipefitter) Milwaukee was what we used, and they worked well.
 
Have and use both a Hougen and a Milwaukee. Both have advantages and disadvantages. Which is best depends on you use. For plate work the Hougen or other broach type comes out on top for speed and lightweight. We bought the Milwaukee for drilling out broken bolts in CAT track frames.
I guess to make an easy to read list

Broach type
Advantages
A-Lightweight
B-Fast drilling
C-Best by far for plate work
Disadvantages
A-Limited applications in repair type work such as blind holes
B-broaches must be sent out for sharpening

Milwaukee type
Advantages
A- Versatile
B- Uses standard drill bits
Disadvantages
A- H-E-A-V-Y
B- Much slower to use
 
Just make sure it has a safety chain because when someone trips over the cord and unplugs it it loses all magnetism and lands on your chest. Not fun when you are up on a high voltage tower.{ even with the chain].
 
Not sure about the other brands, but apparently the Milwaukee's are now hecho en China! Beware, they ain't what they used to be!
 
Like dr sportster said;
Make sure you use a safety chain.

I worked in a shop back in the 80's and watched a guy get picked up and thrown about 15 feet when his bit jammed and the whole thing started to spin.
 
I have a smaller Craftsman mag drill and love it! They will pull it from my cold dead hands before I give it up. Don't use it a lot but worth it's weight in gold.
 

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