A rare find from Ebay, vintage Milwaukee drill

[burbguy82]

Pretty sure I have used that exact model (or almost) at a job I had in the late 90s.

if it was a Milwaukee, this was it, or very similar. they had several different options on the same drill.

Excellent find. Those are fantastic drills. I have several Milwaukee tools of that vintage, all running strong. My single speed 'Hole Hawg' is an arm breaker.

Funny how something with a barcode label is now 'vintage'.

yep, seen many a fella break of severely jam their thumbs, wrists....one dude got knocked out on a 6 ft ladder while drill a hole.....hit a knot, no brace.....tko.

hole hawgs were dangerous...still are, and i still have one. also have the Super Hawg, it has a clutch.

 

[dlundblad]

Awesome find. Very cool it is US made too.

I often wonder what it was like to work in the trades before cordless. I’m currently working at the largest job site I’ve ever been on. 40 million or thereabouts in electrical alone. I can’t imagine all the generators and cords needed to get the job done.

 

[burbguy82]

Awesome find. Very cool it is US made too.

I often wonder what it was like to work in the trades before cordless. I’m currently working at the largest job site I’ve ever been on. 40 million or thereabouts in electrical alone. I can’t imagine all the generators and cords needed to get the job done.

Typically on sites like you are talking about, generators were the way....normally builder provided, unless temp power was brought in....sooner......

Then once a structure was dried in, temp power would be run around the site, strategically, maybe every 200 ft or so, and on every floor. Most corded tools of the time were low amperage, so you could run a sawzall on 200 ft of 12 ga cord forever, no problem. Higher amp tools would trip breakers if you ran a cord too far......such as Super Hawgs, high amp, high torque.....etc.

"Rolling out" cords and "Rolling up" cords was the helpers gig.....

when I would call out "Roll up!" My subordinates would know the end of the day was near.....a different time.

Funny thing....cordlesss tools make work much faster and easier, but prices of construction are at an all time high.....I have pondered on this.

 

[97prizm]

I have had the privilege of being in the trades during a transitional period between old school plug in power tools and the proliferation of cordless power tools. I have seen from the first commercially available cordless drill from Makita, to the newest cordless tools of today from nearly all makers.

That being said, cordless tools have their place, mostly in the realm of the professional user, who use them to make a living, save time, and agravation in pulling out cords. But, with anything, their are advantages and disadvantages, cost being a big one.

A normal person, who does not use power tools alot, will likely be wasting money in investing in a cordless tool system. Of course, this is not for everyone, but by in large, other than a cordless drill, most power tools sit and collect dust. But batteries have a shelf life. Some more than others.

As I am no longer a professional in the field, installing stuff, I really dont have a use for cordless tools. Dont get me wrong, I still have several, such as cordless ratchets, and a few cordless drills (as they are far more controllable for screws...) but I have started to supplement my tools with corded models. One being they really have no shelf life, and two, if I am using the tool, I am likely in my building, where I have endless plugs and cords.

Anyway, back to the good stuff......I came across a rare find: a 2nd gen Hole Shooter, 3\8 chuck, (low amperage, good for use from a vehicle inverter) 1700 rpm drill. This was the first corded drill I ever used in the field for screwing in tub surrounds and drilling holes in tub surrounds to install valves in fiberglass showers. New in box, had not seen the light of day since they stopped making these models in favor of the "Magnum" line about 35 years ago, by memory. I think this unit was a factory replacement model, as it did not come with the side handle. (not retail packaging). Might be wrong, but I remember seeing this packaging when we would break a tool, they would hand these out in the tool crib.

Works like a charm. Made in USA, by the old Milwaukee, not the Milwaukee of today.

I am going to contact Milwaukee and see when this drill was made, and report back.

And yes, I plan to use it....

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That's really cool. It belongs in a glass display case.

 

[Donald]

I had to put up a fence. I knew it was going to be a slog on screws so I bought a made in USA corded drill on ebay for like $15, just like the one I already had which was a gift from my dad when I was a kid. That $15 drill put up the fence, no issues. I do like my cordless, but if I need to drill 1000 holes or drive 1000 screws, I'll roll out a extension cord.

If I have to drill 1000 screw holes to put up a fence, I will hire a fence guy!!

 

[Fitter30]

I've got one that's a 3/8 angle drill motor. Had it for 50 years. Used it for one job carried it in my service van for 40 years probably used it another dozen times. Just wish corded drills had a clutch. Have a 1/2" drill motor that will twist you into a pretzel in a heartbeat.

 

[burbguy82]

I've got one that's a 3/8 angle drill motor. Had it for 50 years. Used it for one job carried it in my service van for 40 years probably used it another dozen times. Just wish corded drills had a clutch. Have a 1/2" drill motor that will twist you into a pretzel in a heartbeat.

Yeah, a clutch would be nice, or an electric brake.

 

[zzyzzx]

I have the same exact drill.

So do I.

 

[DCDG]

That drill in a 1/2" model has as much torque as a plaid Tesla scale to size.

 

[Elkins45]

I had a nice all-metal 3/8” drill and circular saw from the 60’s that were Christmas gifts from my parents. They were K-Mart branded so I’m not sure exactly who made them, but they were first rate build quality. I lost them to a burglary in 1992 along with almost everything else of value I owned at the time.