BOLTR: Milwaukee Ratchets Brushed vs. Fuel

Chickadee and I made a T-shirt. It's both sage and funny. teespring.com/...
Comparing the old 3/8" Milwaukee ratchet to a new fuel ratchet. The head on the M12 Fuel is HUGE and consequently, reasonably skookum.

[@dwaynezilla]

"the tool's kinda useless if it doesn't fit in the hole" Thanks for the self-esteem boost, AvE!

[@MatthewBallinger]

Fluke was on ACV the first time you checked that battery.

[@arduinoversusevil2025]

Woopsie doodle.

[@raymondmucklow3793]

@@arduinoversusevil2025 Give this man a break already, Hes a Dad of 2 now. for frogs snacks

[@tommihommi1]

I think you can set it to default to DC somehow

[@lolocfmjpwp0kjcxsa]

@@tommihommi1 nope. Rotary select dial. You get what you point at, old school like.

[@elBusDriverKC]

Yeah, he was going to try and sneak that one by us haha. We've all done it.

[@riggsre]

Love the story about the hole saw. I did a similar thing. In the 70's I was a pro mechanic on Triumph sports cars. The Spit fire came from the factory with loose bolts on the clutch pressure plate. Rather than take the interior out ( the trans came out through the floor), I used a 1 inch hole saw to cut through the bell housing to tighten the 8 loose bolts then sealed up the hoke with the cut-out and silver silicone. 10 hour (book) job done in 30 minutes. Bob's yer Auntie!

[@for2utube]

I had a ‘73 Mercury Marquis - to replace cabin fan required cutting a 4”x4” hole in the passenger wheel well, sealed back up with a stamped plate and 8 screws. Fortunately, previous owner had the fan motor replaced once already and all I had to do was read the TSB then find the access plate. This was at a time when most American cars needed only 10 minutes to replace a fan motor mounted at the top of the cowl.

[@darylcheshire1618]

I read that the welsh plugs that corrode and leak are the ones hard up against the firewall meaning the engine has to come out. The 30 minute solution is to lift up the rubber mat, cut a hole in the firewall, replace the welsh plug then replace the rubber mat, that is don’t bother patching up the hole. When I had to have the engine out on my ‘71 Holden because of a $5 leaking rear oil seal, I had all of the welsh plugs replaced at that time. I had not thought about welsh plugs, my friend mentioned them in an offhand BTW comment.

[@hightttech]

@@for2utube: I've hole-sawed a few holes into wheel wells to access nearly inaccessible rear spark plugs. I think 70's Corvette, V8 Vega and/or Maverick? Not sure; so long ago. But big time saver.

[@johnnystewart9389]

Its told in new Zealand that Bruce mclaren had a big old hole in the side of his mini to change camshafts for testing way back when 😊

[@tryxxor]

i just did something similar today, old Mercedes A class crankshaft bolt, they where nice enough to put a hole there for your socket but the head of the screw wont fit through it.

[@williamward2948]

Your little holesaw story hit home there, AvE. I'm a mechanic, the '98 Lincoln Mk. VIII has a 12" long bolt that holds the upper control arm on, the strut tower is welded to the subframe, inorder to change the A-arm, you gotta remove the brake booster and holesaw through the firewall and pull the bolt out through, under the dash... I swear, the way they engineer those cars is draw a chalk outline of the car on the floor and dump a 5 gallon bucket of various metric bolts in it, and that's where the bolts go in the design...

[@calculator1841]

Uh, um, Ward... I think you are remembering a different vehicle. The U/A doesn't have a foot long bolt, it's two bolts.

[@wrightcj01]

4:45 She's working perfectly but you're measuring AC volts!

[@johnchafin3817]

Saw that... LOL

[@DookieMcButtAss]

You beat me to it.

[@Gideon_Judges6]

Beat me to it, not sure why this vijeo just popped into my feed a week late. He had his pixies set for dancing, not standing.

[@PhoenixRevealed]

Came here to say that, and somehow he changed the meter to DC volts between clips without noticing his error.

[@TraceyAllen]

@Dave Micolichek i miss d/c at least once a week at work. It happens.

[@paulross8821]

Well that had to be the tamest box opening ever. U feeling okay this week bud

[@scottie6-573]

Your right, he didnt even call time... everyone gets a mulligan.

[@NeilAdamstheartist]

The fear of getting démonétiser..... package opening shell shock syndrome.

[@PapiSmerf]

He's still suckin' wind and trying to get his wits about him after almost getting sucker-punched for $50 a battery.

[@kingpopaul]

The margins got him too excited before he started to record.

[@martylucas8557]

It seems he tends to do that when he likes the tool or anticipates liking the tool. I’ve noticed tamed openings on the Milwaukee Fuel Hackzall and Fuel and non-Fuel ratchets.

[@OTE_TheMissile]

18-years experience R/C truck racer here, batteries are my jam. Last I was aware most lithium batteries ship with an 80% charge, which is about as much charge as you'd want to keep in a lithium for any extended period of time (weeks or more). As you said in the start of the vidjayo, lithium batteries don't like to be left sitting fully charged or fully dead, they prefer to be somewhere in-betwixt. In fact many competition chargers for R/C batteries come with a special "storage charge" mode that'll either charge or discharge the battery to a safe level for extended storage. Leaving lithium batteries fully charged is bad, but draining them to absolute zero is much worse. I'm noticing on some of the lithium drills & drivers we've got at the machine shop I work at, these tools seem to be equipped with a lithium battery cutoff because when the battery dies, the tool goes straight from full chooch to lights out. Lithium cells drop off quickly when they reach full discharge but not lightswitch fast. We've had integrated lithium battery cutoffs in R/C car electronics for several years that will detect when the battery is approaching full discharge and put the car/truck into a "limp mode" (so you can get off the track and out of the way of fellow racers) before shutting itself down completely. I have to assume toolmakers are seeing that allowing lithium batteries to fully de-chooch to a dangerous level (unsafe to recharge) is asking for a major liability lawsuit, so they're incorporating battery cutoffs as well. So if your lithium power tool suddenly conks out on ya from outta nowhere and no amount of trigger squeezing or reinserting the battery will get it goin' again, it's probably hit the cutoff. Nothin' t'worry 'bout, just plug her into the charger and take a coffee break.

[@ddd228]

Most yanks don't know these things. Thanks for the wake up call.

[@ddd228]

ON and OFF is really NOT quite the same. In cordless-powered battery devices. Lap tops and cell phones are the same.. OH CRAP! It's not easy to pull the power supply from some of these devices.! My Chinese digital calipers are also being discharged at a constant rate as well. We all have a SHIT-ton of battery-powered tools,if we are here.

[@willstaffan3229]

Where can I purchase my copy of "The Legend of Smellda: Quest for the Jeezless Clip"?

[@Doubleelforbes]

It's dangerous to dangle yer dingie, take this vise before you go.

[@DrewGangl]

Diesel mechanic here. I have been pretty much using the the 3/8" brushed ratchet daily for 2 years now, no failures aside from the battery's plastic case falling off (Easily fixed with super glue). Oh and also, a couple days ago out of pure anger as a result of the directional control switch getting stuck, I began violently smashing the head of the ratchet against the step of a Freightliner. This resulted in the steel ratchet housing cracking. Thing still fuckin works though! I'm now wondering if all the coolant, oil, water, salt, dirt, ATF, and blood I have gotten inside of it has somehow strengthened the internals. Update: The switch is clogged with shmoo. Can only get half throttle out of the thing. Will attempt disassembly soon.

[@lobsterbark]

Unrelated, but your profile pic is amazing.

[@barrylinkiewich9688]

I'm not a pro but been using the 3/8" brushed for all kinda shit all summer and it's been beefy as needed. Been a great tool and does what a 3/8" ratchet should do. Any meatnugget who busts one of these by cranking on a tough bolt like it's a breaker bar deserves a trip to Home Depot to think about his sins.

[@phatbuddha1]

Mutation with a little hit of Gamma Ray. Did the ratchet turn green while you were wailing on the Freightliner. 💪💪

[@timothynelissen948]

The tool demanded a sacrifice before it could become immortal

[@bugdrvr]

I've been using the same one at work for something like two years now and it's been great. I did try to unscrew the giant caliper bolts from a 911 Turbo once and snapped the spinny bit that runs the ratchet thing but $8 on eBay got me a new one. If this ever dies I'll have to try the brushless model.

[@ridetheapex]

Camshaft story was fantastic. Just had to say it. Made me lol.

[@ridetheapex]

@@tommypetraglia4688 Holy lol What you don't know.....

[@ohnoitisnt]

I wonder what car exactly

[@djstringsmusic2994]

@@tommypetraglia4688 now I want to take apart a 15 year old car that's had a lot of work, just to count the "access" holes. Lol

[@OnlyNotes]

Just like replacing the passenger-side blend door actuator in a GMT800 truck... gotta cut the air duct in two and pull that out and then tape it up when you reinstall it

[@richardshortman5645]

@@tommypetraglia4688 One of the best tools i ever bought was a horrid fright pneumatic saw. Chevy blazer, bad fuel pump, don't drop the tank. Cut an access hole. Can't get to the O2 sensor cut hole in wheel well. Ah yes mercury window lift as of high i remember.

[@982Nighthawk1337]

I would certainly like to see you rip apart a snap-on and test them all as well

[@lemur2870]

Snap on will rip apart his asshole with a 10 year mortgage just to buy a battery for one of their guns. They're absolute tosh and cost twice as much as milwaukee, I've converted all the guys at my workshop to milwaukee, literally everyone has got rid of (or is planning to upon it's failure) their strap on for a milwaukee

[@TheExquisiteRoofer]

He did it with the impact. Id like to see the electric vs. air though.

[@M0USTACH10]

I'd like to see the extended head Fap-Off if AvE can get his dirty dickbeaters onto one of those.

[@hillie47]

Probably needs to remortgage his house first!

[@Realchairborne]

I have both the snap on 1/4” drive electric ratchet and the Milwaukee non fuel 1/4” electric ratchet. I use the Milwaukee at work and the snap-on at home; the snap on one is to big, I bet the Milwaukee fuel is built better than the Snap-On.

[@trialsmart]

Your story about using a holesaw on the inner wing, we used to do it all the time on Classic mini's so you could get an impact gun on the flywheel puller!

[@mazzalnx]

The untold stories from unsung heroes in this world... boggles the mind

[@GradyHouger]

Happens with John Deere combine harvesters as well, have to cut and modify a bunch of stuff to work on it. The parts department is part of their business model, but the machines aren't designed to be repaired.

[@jjglick5777]

Similar story... I was a Ford tech in the '70's. Full size Galaxy's had the heater blower motor hidden behind the right side wheel well. To remove it you had to take apart half the dashboard inside. So what guys were doing to beat the book time was cut a hole in the wheel well. Easy access. Problem was they left it open. Not good in NY winters with snow and water splashing up there, killing the new blower shortly. Ford finally got smart and started to dimple a template in the wheel well and supply a cover plate with the new blower motor. You cut out the hole, replace the motor, put some dum dum (strip caulk) around the cover plate and screw it into place. Job done.

[@aussiebloke609]

@ Martin Reynolds I was just thinking along similar lines - it's how I changed my first Mini cam. Just pull the radiator and cut through a couple of the braces across the exit holes in the inner fender...and pull the cam through. Sure beats pulling the engine and trans. :-)

[@patwashington403]

At jeep we used a strategically placed 2.5" hole behind and under the passenger headlamp to access the rad fan control module on the older Grand Cherokees. Beats the heck out of removing the whole front fascia and all the one time use plasti-rivets!

[@WallHaxxx]

90 pound Filipino? You mean Michael Reeves?

[@trialsmart]

Must have missed him saying it, but if he made a joke about a 90 pound Filipino, it would have been about Michael Reeves (not the first time :P )

[@matrix7485]

@@trialsmart around 8:00. But I don't think he was talking about Michael

[@NiHaoMike64]

Maybe he confused Filipino with Chinese and he's referring to potential rival Naomi Wu. (Is he even aware that she's planning to get a nice big CNC?)

[@RichieRichOverdrive]

Glad somebody finally said it lol

[@JohnSmith-bx1mp]

Carlos Maza?

[@muwave]

I expect that the installed battery is to avoid some of the transport of hazardous goods rules around lithium batteries.

[@tewksindahat]

Correct. This is the same for laptops.

[@teslatrooper]

In addition modern microcontrollers only draw a few nanoamperes in deep sleep mode. And battery management chips often come with a "shipping mode" which disconnects the battery until the user first turns on the device or plugs in a charger.

[@john-paulsilke893]

I have a jacket that killed the battery but since I use my tools and my 12v tools are cameras and lights they got me. I won’t warenty it because guilt from breaking so many Fuel tools. I’m extremely hard on them and honestly want to keep my team red going so not hate but Hilti is definitely better but I need spares so big red is my go to, (I can have three for one so I’ll take three inferior to one skookum).

[@davidkohler7454]

Was thinking the same thing about the legality of the battery transport.

[@markvanderborght7559]

Wheel chair batteries must be disconnected for air transportation DGR. special disconnect in transport mode makes it plausible

[@GiovanniGiorgo]

Nice try with covering from switching from AC-DC 😏.

[@jeffjeff8562]

Yeah, I caught that. Why didn't he just admit it? I do it all the time myself.

[@BobWilson84]

Squiggly line = AC. Sine wave whatnots and such. Angry pixels abound. (Am I doing this right)?

[@kierchristensen]

Interesting he caught his mistake , didn't admit it outright but DID include it in the video. That way it's like a video Easter egg.

[@steph756]

Did I just eat an Easter egg? Tastes sour.

[@fennyferrister668]

@Dave Micolichek It is the internet, we denzins have a reputation to uphold.

[@ADDJT]

There needs to be a fluke meter that acts like google search. You: AC Google meter: do you mean DC? You: .... yes.

[@franksmith6683]

What a fantastic invention, a Google O' meter - Where have you been all my life!

[@sogwatchman]

I bet Nintendo puts a claim on this video for the Zelda theme.

[@Zrogdule]

LOL. I saw the triforce symbol... then started hearing the song. Thought I was tripping there for a second.

[@not0evn]

If you don't discharge the batteries past half capacity you'll get twice as many charge cycles!! Wait a second....🤔

[@debug9424]

It extends the battery's life cycle by much more than just the double.

[@ninja5672]

That is lead-acid batteries. Lithium is best between 20% and 80% state of charge.

[@ddd228]

@Dave Micolichek LIPO's suggest about 60%.. WHAT?

[@BobSmith-rs7tn]

@Dave Micolichek This was more of a general rule for nicad/nimh batteries, lithium ion batteries don't really care, and do best between 20-80%, like ninja said.. They don't like to be fully charged, or discharged.

[@swan5687]

@Dave Micolichek nope

[@Flicules]

Switch used is actually German: Marquardt. The company is specialized on switches and is also active in automotive business. Saw some Mercedes keys with their small "m" logo on the key.

[@ITubeTooInc]

Marquardt also makes keys for Audi. You can find a picture of an Audi key on Marquardt's website us.marquardt.com/industries/automotive/drive-authorization-systems/ They are also a supplier for American companies like Stanley Black & Decker and Chrysler. The first products they developed when the company was founded in 1925 were built-in switches for electrical appliances etc. Marquardt Switches subdivision: www.marquardt-switches.com In 1991 Marquardt took over the competing tool switch manufacturer, Russenberger. Among many other things Marquardt also makes complete BMS (battery management systems) for EVs etc. They have more than 11,000 employees worldwide.

[@Reaper4367]

You were correct about which is gonna break first... Granny was well pissed! ;)

[@FatAznAznWithCake]

7:00 I actually just warrantied my non-fuel version. It’s as you said, something in the head broke. In particular it was the pin that the motor spins to drive the ratcheting mechanism.

[@klynepostnikoff3529]

As a Canadian I can say never have I heard more of a Canadian accent. So thank you sir!

[@nrdesign1991]

4:51 no fooling me. You switched from AC Volts to DC.

[@caenos]

Came to the comments for this.

[@STARDRIVE]

Makes it official he´s a human being.

[@nrdesign1991]

@@STARDRIVE I'm glad he is

[@cbennet1]

Not human, Canadian. Ha ha ha ha ha. Ha? Sorry, sorry, sorry.

[@BrianBuehler]

several months back, I called Milwaukee to see if they recommended storing the tools with the battery attached and they said specifically to pull the batteries if the tool isn't going to be used for a while.

[@Fee.1]

Should’ve read the manual, it states otherwise

[@cementer7665]

@@Fee.1 I have only Snap-On cordless tools, and I always disconnect, if not fully remove the batteries, because I am afraid of a fire.

[@bryanstevens5901]

I only do it so if somehow the trigger is pressed, I don't have it running and damaging itself or another object. I keep mine in soft bags in a trunk so, eh. Do what works. Lithium ion aren't the dinosaurs we grew up with.

[@stephendoyle1153]

I’ve had my m12 kit for nine years and always store my batteries in the tools. Still using the original batteries. Storing them separate, to me seems like would only increases the risk of shmoo on the contacts

[@russellgiardina]

@@stephendoyle1153 half logical, half inconsiderate

[@spelunkerd]

Heavy tools are durable and powerful but it is hard to overemphasize how much easier it is to use a lighter, smaller tool. These ratchets are for small assembly nuts, few would use them for lug nuts or high torque bolts. For chainsaws, cutoff saws, and hammers, heavier isn't always better....

[@samuelw.3992]

Your definitely right my friend. When I first started mechanic’ing 😂 I had my first 3/8 brushed ratchet an used it for a brake job on my 07 Silverado. Now looking back, that was retarded as can be. But now… definitely I keep my replacement to it as a fender liner removal tool. Or anything equivalent to those fasteners. Funny how tools work so well for what they’re intended for 😂

[@em21701]

Lithium ion cells like to be stored at 3.5v which is exactly why you found the pack at 10.5v. There are also DOT regulations regarding the state of charge allowable for shipping, but I don't think a 3s 18650 battery meets the capacity requirement of those regulations. Source: Am a battery test engineer.

[@em21701]

@@BlackEpyon that's dependent on the manufacturer and the application. The range you listed is good for cycle life but leaves capacity on the table. Full capacity for most cells is 2.5-2.8v lower cutoff to 4.1-4.2v upper cutoff. Using full capacity degrades cycle life.

[@em21701]

@Dave Micolichek leaving them at 3.8v is fine and leaves headroom for self discharge.

[@garethbaus5471]

@Dave Micolichek interesting information.

[@802Garage]

THE MARGINS! Always buy cordless tools in combo kits on sale, or with free batteries as a bonus, or you are getting ripped off. :P

[@ouikikazz]

The tools in the kits aren't always the latest models

[@802Garage]

@@ouikikazz Very true. Sometimes they are models with less features too. Just gotta be careful and smart when you shop. I have gotten a few hundred dollars worth of batteries for free or heavily discounted with already discounted tool prices so far. Holidays are def the best time to shop for deals. Besides sometimes last year's model is 90% of the tool for 50% of the price!

[@kartingpt]

I am yet to buy a battery powered tool, it's worse than inkjet cartridges

[@ouikikazz]

@@kartingpt cordless tools have their advantages and it may not be for everyone

[@802Garage]

@@kartingpt It absolutely isn't. The batteries aren't disposable like in cartridges. They last years. If you use your tools daily, the time and hassle saved is massive. Mine have been well worth it.

[@tiredagain6722]

Drums in the deep....fly you fools!

[@EPgeek]

You shall not pass!

[@NukeDMAn]

This thing has a MOSFET and a diode to form a half-bridge PWM driver for the motor speed control. It's usually done with two synchronous MOSFETs to decrease the losses and increase the efficiency, but a diode for freewheeling is cheaper.

[@deanafranks]

Technically it is not a half bridge, that would require two mosfets in tote-pole configuration. This is most likely a simple low-side driver with an N channel mosfet switching the ground side (NFETs are cheaper) and the diode would be across the motor winding in the reverse direction to the normal current flow to dump the energy stored in the motor winding when the mosfet turns off. Half bridges let you electronically reverse the motor direction, but require a split power supply (full bridges do the same thing without the requirement for a split supply).

[@NukeDMAn]

@@deanafranks Hey, you are right. You have described the same thing that I did, but you have reversed the driving side from highside to lowside. N-MOSFET leverage is unquestionable, I stand corrected!

[@chuckmiller5763]

@@deanafranks 100% correct. Diode is dumping extra pixies when the trigger is no longer engaged.

[@Scrogan]

A half bridge with capacitors on the other side also works fine with a single supply if you’re switching at a 50% duty cycle.

[@PhaseP1]

It is a DC and one way only turning motor, so a single Mosfet is all you need. The diode is for suppressing switching current spikes at PWM off an ons. They didn't cheap on or lost efficiently, it is done right for what it needs to do.

[@mackwoodcock7484]

You are by far the most original tool reviewer No BS. What you see is what you get. I wish you did more.

[@evilutionltd]

"musta been something wrong with the connection". Yeah lol, ok.

[@stingy49]

Can confirm, blew the head off my brushed one in about 3 months of auto use. I bought the brushed specifically for the smaller size too.

[@firehawk6188]

Crazy. I use the 3/8 and 1/4" flavors daily and abuse the crap out of them. The only thing I don't to is use the handle to reef excessively hard on a stuck fastener. I regularly will spin the tool at wide open throttle and drop the socket on said fastener. Impromptu impact! Works great. ~3 years of daily abuse and have zero failures to date.

[@sompka1]

@@firehawk6188 I do that too. My snap on guy loves warrantying my 10mm socket! nothing like spinnin it up and droppin it on pulley bolts, taking them out without even holding the pulley.

[@rodbeckner5116]

@@firehawk6188 Ditto.

[@scottworelds2933]

I don't have the fuel version, but I started out with the 1/4 years ago when they 1st hit. I use it for fender liners, bumpers, spark plug removal, intake manifold fasteners and the like. I bumped up to the 3/8 and it's pretty solid. I have yet to have an issue. I am a "260 pound gorilla" but I know how to proper use tools. I have an entire draw of just torque wrenches lol I love your channel, I've probably seen every episode. Keep it up!

[@Jodah175]

As an mechanic, i can confirm the need for 2 elbows, 6 knuckles, and vice grip fingers. Also not being a small guy, i hate some engineers, usually toyotas. Lol

[@monkeypainter808]

Thats the dilemma.. I'm a mechanic and I want a reliable daily. They are reliable as fuck, but when they do break, they're a bitch to work on.

[@RickTrajan]

@@monkeypainter808 you probably drive the good ones. I drive the shitty Corolla. Been good for the most part - had a seized caliper at one point but I didn't wash it for winters. She's a little old too.

[@monkeypainter808]

RickTrajan you have no idea how bad cars can be... Lol

[@steveramos1452]

I can only wonder your feelings on Audi engineers..

[@JTA1961]

Damn those child labor laws...📉😎📈

[@thorsbyguy5121]

The hole saw story was similar to how you changed heater motors on late 70's full size Fords and Mercs. The "kit" was a stainless patch panel that you used as a template to cut the hole in the inner fender, then used again to cover the hole after the motor was changed. It was a pretty good solution to an otherwise labour crazy job.

[@maddias291]

Always check if your meter is set to DC if you want to meassure DC Voltage. Saves you alot of troubleshooting...

[@matthiascarroll1924]

Nice water hammer analogy. Drums in the deep, it’s been a while since I’ve watched LOTR.

[@engjds]

Just remember those new to the game, if a component has two legs, it's not necessarily a diode, check if the tab is connected to the circuit, though not in this case as you can see its isolated and hence a diode as Ave said.

[@Skanlaxjmo]

Quite a big fan of my Non-Fuel 3/8ths rachet....it is small enough to get into small spaces for work on my truck, SXS and other random projects. Couple weeks ago it sheared the crank shaft. Dropped it off at my local Milwaukee reapir shop and he said, yep we see these all the time getting warrantied.....they had the replacment crank shaft already in their shop as they fix so many. I might grab a Fuel version, but i was really turned on by the compact size.....I don't really care about the torque ratting, reef on it to break it and spin the nut off.....so well see how the second go around with this tool goes, first one lasted 2 years of decently hard daily use

[@peadarr]

I have a lot of m12 tools(even the rotary hammer) and its exactly as you say- light duty. If you use them appropriately they're fine,but you can't expect them to drill 16mm holes in concrete or 100mm holes in in wood and expect them to last. There good for times when weight is more important than power.

[@AidenParsons]

Yes please compare the Mac, Snap On and the Milwaukee 3/8 brushless ratchets.. No one has made that comparison yet! I have the Mac 3/8 and I love it but have nothing to compare it to.

[@loddude5706]

So, send it to Uncle Bumblefuck for 'testing' . . . saves him wrecking a brand new one & fruit flies like bananas.

[@AaBB-ks6oc]

​@donkey ass reviews and do's got a link to that particular product? Or a model #?

[@mikegraydon9271]

Lol. When you couldn’t get that first reading, you were on AC on the multimeter!!!!

[@umbra1016]

Really liked that story you told. Certainly something to keep in mind that sometimes a simple solution can be fairly unorthodox and that you shouldn't always be afraid to break past the prefab mold of the thing you're working on.

[@pelor92]

What I reckon is happening with the motor driving circuit ( I actually am an electrical engineer XD) is that they are just using a simple chopper/buck converter to control the motor voltage, they don't need a full bridge since the motor is running in just one direction (the direction of the socket is switched mechanically in the gearbox at the head), and as such it would be an unecessary waste of resources/money/complexity to use a full bridge. I actually don't se anything wrong with the topology as long as the circuit and motor are designed correctly

[@PhaseP1]

Exactly! brushed DC motor and only needs to turn one way. Then you only need one mosfet to switch it on and off for PWM. Diode for suppressing inductance spikes during on and off transitions. That is all needed.

[@foobar8157]

For the car repair story... Get the original work shop manual and read it. Especially the Honda ones are superb.

[@thedim900conf]

I am an electrician and I got mine in a set for $200 with two batteries charger drill flashlight impact hackzall all the crap. I use mine for disassembling and reassembling electric gear that we have to take apart to get through doors. worked phenomenally and cut about 5 hours off the time. plus didn't have any striped out bolts from using an impact. I didn't use the ratchet tighten the bolts. I used a box wrench on the nut. Glad I did that.

[@detky_cinematics7135]

I sheared that drive pin in the head of my 3/8' non-fuel ratchet 6ish months into owning it with a solid palm smack trying to loosen an oil drain plug, warrantied it out and from then on anything larger than a 12mm I broke loose with a regular ratchet and zipped it of with the milwaukee. Dropped er in a bucket of coolant(more than once), fished it out, sprayed it out with brake clean (which began to melt the off-brand battery plastic oops!) let it dry for a day and 3+ years later of professional mechanic-ing she still chooches. Perfect 5/7, would buy again

[@kflo409]

Hole saw story was great. My dad used to change spark plugs in boss 429 mustangs by drilling the fender wells out in the 70s

[@FaceIntoKeyboard]

Sounded like how you change a headlight on a Subaru Outback.

[@mazzalnx]

I've kept basic replacement parts and bulbs in the glovebox for basically every car I've owned, even if I never changed them. It's like $3 to get a set of bulbs once, and potentially avoid a $40 ticket (they're pretty harsh where I live). That is... until I got a Peugeot 206+. Same deal. Blindly ordered and kept bulb set in glovebox. Front right blinker goes out. Can't figure how the hell you get to it. Take it to a guy. Gotta remove the entire ignition module and have a skinny 8 year old boy's arm to have a chance at reaching the damn thing...

[@JohnSmith-bx1mp]

@@FaceIntoKeyboard you drilled a hole for that??....oh boy.

[@Mick_A_Knuckle]

Boss 429 plugs are in the middle of the valve covers, like a mopar hemi. Maybe standard 429?

[@brucejones2354]

Same thing with the Cadillac!

[@Subsonic-cd2en]

YES! Please do a comparison with Snap-On and the Harbor Freight Earthquake ratchet. Would be very interesting to see.

[@GrEmLiN76X]

Golf cart mechanic here. Recently made the jump from air tools to Milwaukee M12 series. They’ve been fantastic. For $199USD I picked up a three tool kit with charger and bag - M12 Fuel 1/4” hex impact driver w/ 4.0AH battery, M12 Fuel 1/2” hammer drill w/ 2.0AH and M12 brushed 3/8” ratchet. Indispensable in my profession. I try not to get too crazy with the ratchet, but there’s times when it will torque my arm around if I’m in an awkward spot. It’s got some guts with a full battery. The brushless impact is my main go-to and it’s small enough to get in most places. It’s rare that I need more torque than the ratchet can provide. The brushless impact is good enough to do lug nuts and large bolts on stuff. Once in a blue I’ll have to pull out a breaker bar or a Snap-On ratchet or something but it’s honestly quite rare. Very happy with my Milwaukee tools for the price.

[@JFirn86Q]

Who could say "no" to AVE doing a deeper dive into these, and looking at a Snap-On version for our amusement/education?

[@StrangaPsychoPachic]

Havnt watched fully yet, but I prefer the brushed do to the smaller ratchet head. Can fit in tighter places.

[@StrangaPsychoPachic]

@@gsppuffer 35 ft lbs is plenty for a 3/8ths. Mainly use it for smaller stuff on semi trucks, then use the 3/8th m12 impact for anything else. Last resort is air.

[@mrdumbfellow927]

@@gsppuffer you don't need a ton of power for a ratchet really. Its not like an impact, too many ft/lbs and that ratchet will smash your hands when it binds. I normally break the bolt loose using it manually and then just take it out the rest of the way by hitting the button. Plus it is nice to not have to worry about over tightening bolts when assembling. And regardless if the Brushless head is too big to fit it's extra power does you no good :) ....... doesn't mean I won't ever buy the brushless, I just find the brushed more useful.

[@stevennelson209]

Mrdumbfellow I couldn’t have said it better myself.

[@badactor3323]

Sometimes smaller is better.

[@Dragonfabb]

gsppuffer it’s a ratchet not impact

[@bobsofia68]

For $5 American you can buy a 3/8" & 1/2" adapter insert bits for your impact driver or drill and save $150. Remember, every dollar saved NOT buying a tool, is a dollar more for beer !!!

[@Brad-z3b]

You are a professional at making me laugh with the “angry pixies” and the “homeless despot”

[@FranklinSonatra]

Home despot on Father's day sells a Milwaukee kit with a ratchet, hex driver, "hammer" drill, hacksall, flashlight and 2 batteries with a charger for $200

[@petewood2350]

So a shorter length of round hollow bar on the end of this one?, say 4' instead of 4 1/2 '.

[@Wallyworld30]

My dad has an old Milwaukee Electric Hand Drill that must be 40 years old. It has so much torque if your not careful with it you can break your wrists while operating. It's amazing.

[@handyman4536]

AvE, this is the first time I've ever commented on KZbin but Your videos are freeking awesome. Makita just came out with a 12 Volt CXT RW01R1 and it has both 3/8" and 1/4" head adapters and the head build is completely different than anything I have ever seen. Looked at their break down pdf and I was hoping you could get a chance to look at this thing. Thanks again for all your awesome content.

[@skuula]

Those MCUs have standby currents down into nanoamperes (a nano is a thousandth of a micro), if a good micro is used and they knew how to program it. And voltage regulators have a ridiculously low standby current too now. They might be shipped with the battery installed in order to circumvent some hazardous goods classification? Separate batteries = danger, installed = it's just a ratchet. Like with the airline hand luggage?

[@covishen]

IT makes me wonder how they would compare to the harbor freight earthquake 12 volt ratchet.

[@SpencerRyllSmith]

Its an ACDelco clone

[@Birdman_in_CLE]

If you look at the body between HF and AC, they are identical. The batteries swap between them also

[@covishen]

@@Birdman_in_CLE Interesting, very interesting. Wonder how different the prices are between the batteries, I might have to go looking.

[@llloyd4]

Reminds me of a story my Uncle told me. He worked as a mechanic for over 40 years. Had a job to replace the a frame. Suppose to pull the engine to do it. He said he just slightly jacked up the engine, attached a chain to a cross bar resting on padding on the fenders to hold the engine up. Then unbolted everything and snuck the a frame out the bottom. :D Did it faster than the book time.

[@MrFireman164]

I know you have never heard this before but you sir are literally a genius ... no seriously

[@gdub2556]

Next pixar movie, "Tool Story"

[@jaylittleton1]

Sounds more like a Wood Rocket parody.

[@Mr19ford93]

Yes more test!

[@v8consumption]

we have used both for years now and have yet to have one fail. same tool its used 24/7 between 8 techs. used to remove rusted 3/8 bolts and these things work so good makes our job way easy. and never had one break. occasionally batteries go bad but hd replaces them free we also tq them with all ur weight, I cant imagine them breaking even if you tried

[@hardcore4476]

So you use the smaller brushed one for breaking small nuts and bolts with no issues after 8 years?

[@ezrapster]

I have the Snap On 3/8" battery ratchet and as a mechanic, I use that thing daily. Have had it well over a year with zero issues. I'm waiting for the new 3/8" ratchet that is supposed to have 70 lb/ft of torque to come out. I like Milwaukee tools, but the Fuel's head is just too big to get in places.

[@mindaugasvaskevicius1818]

Snubber diode? I'm no pro, but as far as i know it is more likely to be called freewheeling diode, snubber is an series RC circuit in parallel to a silicone switch, usually triacs, mosfets or IGBTs.

[@bar10005]

Freewheeling or flyback diode is a type of snubber network

[@ohmthewatt5961]

A single 18650 cell wants to be stored at 3.6 volts. It likely drained .1 v per cell on the shelf. Not tea bag.

[@daftnord4957]

@Dave Micolichek 3.6 is nominal voltage. Any higher gives allowance for self discharge

[@EdgyNumber1]

One of the main reasons for watching AvE? His total absolute mastery of the use of a more colourful palette of the English language ...lol 👍 (Marketing wankerteers ...nice one lol)

[@nateglen9358]

After doing warranty repairs for Milwaukee for over 4 years I can say that the pin on the end of the crank was very rarely broken.

[@norco1989]

??? Matco is in Canada. I just warrantied my pry bar that I bought from him 6 years ago

[@twiiiggy]

Lol meter was on AC… oops

[@dremwolf5419]

ROFL I use to work at a Chevrolet stealership while in High School Auto Shop in the late 70's. We use to drill holes in the wheel wells on several of the V-8 full sized cars for quick access to the spark plugs.

[@tekn1x]

Cheers from Fort Mac! I come for the know-how, but I stay for the lingo! Great video - Subscribed, and will be perusing through your content library!

[@MrT9822]

How much weight you reckon he lost since the kid eh? Those hands are startin to look a bit dainty...😂

[@trialsmart]

Makes the dingus end look bigger when he's holding it

[@MrT9822]

@@trialsmart The shorter the hair, the taller the tree I always say

[@OldCurmudgeon3DP]

Other than the need for a hose and compressor, think I'll stick to the pneumatic models from my dad's auto shop. They're still working after 40yrs though getting long in the tooth.

[@barrylinkiewich9688]

Other than hauling a 100 pound air compressor and 25' of hose, and possibly a generator to run the compressor pneumatic are plenty portable hahaha These are ideal for service truck or mobile mechanics, and people who have bought into the really handy M12 line.

[@OldCurmudgeon3DP]

@@barrylinkiewich9688 each has a use case. Most service trucks I've seen have engine powered welder/genset and compressor. Won't argue portability.

[@iworshiplemons]

"oh whoops, I was looking for alternating angry pixies - not those what are coming right fer ya'. ...must have been a connection problem. These meter dials are haunted as frig, wah!" Love the channel!

[@toml1446]

I'm glad to see youre finally seeing the light of the brushless motors!

[@moorecha]

What the fuckover was that? Using your hands to open the box? Next thing we're going to hear is how good it feels in the hand...

[@John-wk2fd]

Professional handjober

[@Nick_1911]

You ned to keep them batteries between 80 and 50% not full charged and not dry sucked .

[@hotrodpetesgarage699]

I used to replace a leaking heater core in the second generation Camaro/Firebird by cutting an access hoe in the metal passenger side front inner wheel well. I'd fold the metal down out of the way, revealing access to the heater core packed inside the guts of the dashboard. Could swap it out in an hour, not the five hours the flat rate manual called for by disassembling the dashboard and all the small and delicate plastic clips and pins and retainers and panels and parts and wiring and HVAC cables and other small stuff that's impossible to get to without breaking them. Last, you'd fold the sheetmetal back into place and seal the hole you cut with dum-dum, then spray over it with canned undercoating.

[@aussiebloke609]

That camshaft story reminds me of swapping the cam in an old Mini. You can pull the engine and trans, and do the job on the bench...or you can pull the radiator, snip one of the radiator outlet fins in the front left wheel arch and bend the ends out of the way, then pull the cam through. When you're finished, just slap a little paint on the cut edges if you're feeling generous, and bend those ends back into place. :-P

[@summitlt]

Running a non-fuel Milwaukee side by side with a snap on 14v. Which is way closer to the fuel milwuakee. I prefer the non fuel Milwaukee. Turning wrenches for a living the size matters way more than the power. That little ratchet is on my hand more so than my half inch Ingersoll. Dead nuts on the battery flexing issue. Do that constantly and cringe every time, definitely not how it was new but after three years she's hanging in there. Made me more money than I paid so if it grenades tomorrow I wouldn't shed a tear.

[@jsomething2]

you can buy the new plastic housing for cheap on eBay. I picked one up for mine when the motor burnt out after about 3 years. cheap motor from Milwaukee, I picked up 2 and replacing the plastic housing. like a brand new tool.

[@mattr272]

My 3/8" M12 fell apart like a Chinese motorcycle.

[@canadian_wolf8395]

I’m 12 and my dad and grandpa have collected lots of old engines and trucks and stuff that are completely fucked and I get to take em all apart without having to remember how they go back together and it’s great

[@pauljardine3024]

I was working on the front brakes of a buddies Tahoe when he handed me one of those brushless m12 ratchets. Of coarse the motor did not have the torque to bust the bolt loose so I applied some of my own torque and sheared that pin in the head. Milwaukee sent him a new ratchet.

[@crazyguy32100]

I've seen some comments about the meter being set to VAC for the first battery test. Yes that is the wrong setting but on most multimeters you should at least get some sort of a reading. AC meters can measure in a few ways depending on your setup. Some like my Crappy Tire special are probably average counting, they take the AC, measure the voltage spikes, calculate by RMS and divide by frequency, of course that gives very confusing values when measuring on pulsed ouput like a VFD but it will also read crazy numbers from DC supplies. My Fluke scopemeter uses a micro ammeter and a resister to measure current in a known circuit (either induced through the clamp or directly) and figure on the voltage very accurately using Ohms law, good for power supplies and other delicate gizmos, also self sensing AC/DC. I don't know what type my workhorse Klein is, but I know the insulation is good so I always set it to AC first if I don't know the circuit, if the numbers go crazy and bouncing around the mV-V range than it is a fair assumption that the control circuit on that piece of equipment is DC or the PLC is having a seizure. The only meter I've seen that wouldn't read anything when testing DC on the AC setting was a Power Fisted analog meter, it would read something with the leads hooked up correctly but nothing with them the other way, must be a rectifier in there for measuring only the + section of the sine wave.

[@raymondmucklow3793]

i just woke up so im gonna take your word for it ill read later, id also like to say i left 50 word comment some guy hairassed me about my life story. ok i read it seems like you know

[@VictorGalayda]

It depends on the meter, internal resistance of the meter and quality of DC filter plays a big role. Better meters won't read DC on AC setting. Very important to have if you have AC+DC circuit.

[@crazyguy32100]

​@@VictorGalayda Really? Most of my better meters, like my Flukes, are self setting for AC or DC and tells you which it is. I'm not an electronics engineer and have never heard of a AC+DC circuit but it sound interesting, what applications do you find them in? I would have thought that the constant + voltage of the DC power supply would attempt to nullify the peaks and overcome the - voltage of the AC sine wave, overloading both the AC and DC power supplies as they are fighting each other unless your -DC isn't bonded to ground or AC neutral.

[@VictorGalayda]

@@crazyguy32100 you are correct, some flukes have logic board that tells you if ac or dc based on input since typically you get one or another. On ac+dc you are not entirely wrong either. Imagine ac as a sine wave in xy plane, now apply dc component and graph will move up or down. Uses: anywhere where you want to carry dc power and ac signal in the same circuit, tv, cellphone, radio etc. It's much more common than people think, just not where regular folks usually stick the meter.

[@crazyguy32100]

@@VictorGalayda I gotcha now, essentially changing the neutral point of the AC sine wave on the X-axis to a voltage other than 0, shifting the entire wave without changing the frequency or amplitude. I generally stick my probes in 24V-600V, occasionally swapping hardware in computers but never looked into the small stuff. Learn something new every day.

[@dumitruleonis2437]

When you "completely discharge" a lithium battery in a modern tool, you're actually only discharging it to its safety cutoff of about 3.0-3.2v per cell. The batteries can handle this just fine. What's worse, is charging the battery to 100%. Worse still is storing them fully charged. To get the best value from a battery, you would ideally charge only up to 80%, and then discharge down to about 3.2v per cell. And charge them before use, not before storage. I have noticed some newer Makita chargers have an indicator to show you when the battery reaches 80% charge. This is probably intended for those times you're sitting around waiting for a battery to charge enough that you can crack on with the work. But it's also useful for taking them off early to preserve their lifespan.

[@trumpetRex]

Monsters are people too! No more torch parades in the middle of the night! Respect the green and moldy - they need love just like you do.

[@viol999]

I saw the title "Milwaukee Ratchets" and thought this video was going to be entirely something else.

[@peterclaassen5750]

AvE, you aren't wrong about that crank pin in the head. I sheared mine clean off. The nice thing about it was when I sent it in for repair. Milwaukee just sent me a brand new bare tool. Best i can figure is it must have been cheaper for them to send out a new one than pay a technician to tear it down, replace the part, and reassemble it.

[@WarMachine550]

I've been daily using the 3/8 brushed ratchet for about 3 years in a diesel shop. First time i broke it i was aggressively testing the limits of the tool on a cars brake caliper bracket bolts... snapped the head mechanism right out. 2nd break was just normal wear. The motor spun but the anvil would not turn. Around that time the forward/reverse switch became almost impossible to turn with your fingers. The ball bearing under the switch had worn a groove into the the switch necessitating the use of pliers. The Milwaukee online warranty process is top notch though. Fill out the form, print the shipping label (free shipping to and from) and they sent me a brand new tool in a week.

[@WarMachine550]

I love this tool for places where you can't get any swing with a regular ratchet. Like the starter wires on a freightliner dd13. Break them loose with a standard ratchet, then jam the milwaukee in there and zip em off. It's tight as hell but it works. And the fuel version won't fit. Too wide in the hips.

[@mathewselin8704]

Had the same solution to my Ford Fusion (4cy) when replacing the idler pulley. Holesaw in the wheel well to access the threaded mount hole for the pulley.

[@monkeypainter808]

Auto mechanic here. Mine broke right where you said it would (crankshaft) after 2 years.. 36-17-0305 is the replacement part number that superseded the original. I got the fuel, and its much stronger and stiffer. I didn't really lose much on the tight spot access because of the short neck issue you mentioned. As for the vent holes on the fuel, mine came with a sponge filter/screen. The brushed ratchet is spins faster with low torque, while the brushless is high torque and you can yank on it for a little extra oomph. Both great for different uses, but I do wish the neck was longer while the body was shorter on the brushed ratchet.

[@JohnnyUmphress]

I read somewhere that Milwaukee did not consider the auto service trade when they built these ratchets. They were designed for the lineman/electrician industry.

[@TehPwnerer]

I hadn't heard the water hammer idea being linked to circuits but that is a really good one analogy

[@rodbeckner5116]

I have 3 years of almost daily use (automotive under hood work) on the brushed little 3/8. Best time saving tool I have. Have the big , slower battery sucking, clumsy fuel 3/8 too but don't use it as much. It has a tiny bit more grunt. Lube the heads once in awhile. I don't use them as a breaker bar. Engage the tool with the trigger pulled and will break loose most of the fasteners it's meant for. 1/4 version is great too.

[@bumpstart21]

I have one of these small ones too. Gets into tight places. BUT, the battery has no protection. I ran it all the way down and killed a cell!! Just got three new cells and soldered them in. I think the FUEL versions may have some battery protection circuitry.

[@Ezrielthefallen]

Mad respect for "Drums in the deep". KZbin with their rules "we cannot get out".

[@markcargill1185]

Thanks for throwing the zelda theme in there, thought my emulator was still running 😂😂