Milwaukee has started the transition from their V28 battery system to the M28 Lithium Ion system. Users who switch their cordless power tools over to the new battery system will experience more advanced electronics, higher performance, greater run-time, and upgraded durability. M28 batteries are completely compatible with current V28 tools.
Also making an appearance in the new batteries is a new digital power management (DPM) feature which includes a temperature management system to keep batteries at the ideal operating temperature range. Coupled with individual cell monitoring, this ensures optimal charge and discharge rates.
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From the looks of it, these batteries appear to have a built-in battery gauge as well!
These batteries also feature a side packed design, integrated weld frame, cell separator and impact/vibration protective rubber coating. Users shouldn’t be throwing their batteries around, but it’s nice to know that they’re designed to handle rough jobsite conditions with ease.
With the transition, Milwaukee is also releasing a new M28-powered hammer drill and new lighting solutions. These new products should be hitting stores this summer.
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lametec says
You make the built-in battery gauge sound like a new feature. The V28 batteries have this too.
lametec says
Also, as far as I can tell, new “M28” tools will be able to be used with V28 battery packs. Nice for those of us who already have V28 tools.
Stuart says
I didn’t mean to sound like it’s a new feature, I’m just a HUGE fan of battery gauges and think that other manufacturers should implement them more often.
I agree, it’s great that Milwaukee made the battery form factor backwards compatible.
Sean says
I really enjoy using older Milwaukee tools. But, I am hooked on Makitas lithium series of tools.
ICRC4U2 says
DPM? thats a marketing crock, ambient temp. and amp draw will dictate battery temp. “Temperate” in my dictionary means moderate, We dont need cell monitoring, we want auto cell balancing when being charged or anytime possible
jeff wilson says
i have a v28 power tool kit sawzall, hammerdrill, light and circular saw. my one of two batterys won’t charge the charger constantly blinks. i have had it about five years, but only recharged the one battery about twenty times now it won’t take a charge. for at least a 149.00 for a new battery this is totally wrong. thought i was buying top of the line tool.
Michael Miller says
I enjoy the V28 tools. The only problem with getting a new M28 battery, you need to buy the M28 charger to properly charge it. Otherwise you are just going to kill all the extra DPM you just paid for.
justin says
DPM is in the battery not the charger it doesn’t matter if you use the old or new charger. I have 7 of the V28 tools and the batteries only hold up about 3 1/2 years, I believe that is why the new M28 batteries only have a 3 year warranty. Great tools though the prices are a little to high.
Stuart says
Agreed, the DPM is in the batteries. 3-4 years is actually a long lifetime for lithium ion batteries, especially if they are cycled daily or even several times a day.
Older li-ion battery performance can degrade over time, even if they’re just sitting there unused. 5 years is a long time for li-ion batteries, so I’m not too surprised that Jeff’s batteries are no longer able to hold a decent charge.
Garrick says
Lithium ion battery life is not necessarily predetermined by time or useage. Heat is the real enemy. A fully charged battery sitting in a hot car will last only a couple of years. Kept cool, they should last 10 years. Of course, if you use them every day, they do have a cycle limit. I seldom recharge a battery more than 100 times a year though, and with a 1000 charge cycle limit, that would also be about ten years.
I keep my spare batteries in my shop fridge whenever possible.
Neo Gabriel says
I WENT TO A MILWAUKEE AUTHORIZED REPAIR FACILITY AND GOT AN EDUCATION. THE V28 AND M28 BATTERIES HAVE A CIRCUIT IN THEM THAT RECORDS THE DATE IT WAS FIRST CHARGED AND THE NUMBER OF TIMES IT HAS BEEN CHARGED. THE M28 BATTERY HAS SIGNIFICANT CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE TO IT. IT HAS A HIGHER CURRENT DENSITY. THIS MEANS IT WILL BE MORE DIFFICULT TO STALL A V28 OR M28 TOOL. THE ONLY TOOL I HAVE STALLED IS THE CIRCULAR SAW (0730-20). A WARNING SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED THAT WARNS AGAINST STALLING A TOOL. IT IS HARD ON THE TOOL AND EXTREMELY HARD ON THE BATTERY.
CIARAMELLA LORENZO says
I have one battery skatole, carcasses there but I can give a dozen at the time of the purchase from wurth, which cost less
Bill Pair says
I own a Plumbing and Septic Company. We have only used Milwaukee Tools for the last 20 years. We have spent thousands of dollars on upgrading when they come out with the more powerful tools.
This last change has been a big disappointment for our Company. The 18v was nice for years. The upgrade to 28v. just is not what we expected and we have noticed Milwaukee still shows off their 18v. tools way much more in their advertising? Something is not right and I want to know why they are pushing the 18v after their upgrade to 28v. You have to look for the 28v. advertisements but the 18v is plastered all over most contractor advertisements! I hate the fact that the 28v batteries are so much more expensive. The first 28v batteries we bought only lasted a year! we have purchased new ones in the last couple of months and are waiting to see how they work out. So far, we wished we kept the 18v.
We gave all the 18v. sets to friends after buying the 28v. sets. Big Mistake!
You know something is wrong with their 28v. tools when they have been out this long and you can only find 18v advertisements and have to look hard to find the 28v. tools! Does anyone agree with my finding?
Stuart says
In a general sense, 18V power tools are in far greater demand than 28V or 36V tools.
Milwaukee emphasizes their M18 tools because they sell better and competition is fiercer.
David Schuh says
I also upgraded to a 28 volt kit and I too have been disapointed with their performance. Very much the same power as the 18 volt but much heavier.
Flying Eagle says
I have owned the V28 tools and batteries since they first came out and It has been a great purchase for me. . . The fact that it had a meter on the back was fantastic, I used to be an industrial plumber (Retired) and it saved me many trips up and down the stair as I could check how charged the battery was. The band saw is great for those jobs when you need to cut all thread, uni-strut, pipe, etc. I still use my tools and the flash lights are awesome as they have an adjustable head so that you can set it down and work on what you need with both hands. The chuck over time on the drills would get stuck and I could not get them to release the bit, even with my pipe wrenches so I hope they have fixed this problem. At the time, it was cheaper to just buy another drill then send it in for repair. I have had the dreaded flashing green light and when that happens, they are toast. The Hammer drill, Reciprocating saw and Impact have served me well. The circular saw runs down very quickly as opposed to the other tools but it does draw a lot of current. All of my tools have easily paid for themselves.
My favorite is the portable band saw.
Sean says
I bought my 28v 4 piece kit in early 2006. While I use them more weekly than daily, both of my original batteries still hold a charge and i don’t have a single complaint about my set. They have been amazing and worth every penny. I’ve been looking into buying one or two of the new batteries, and I agree that the prices are a bit stiff, but honestly, the performance and reliability of the tools and batteries has been exceptional. I upgraded from a dewalt 18 or 20 volt 4 or 5 piece set, and ended up giving that set away after just a short time of using my 28 volt set. The only thing that does stick out in my head is the weight difference, how the 28v equipment is substantially heavier, but thus far, almost 8 years later, I still endorse my Milwaukee cordless tools to anyone that is willing to spend the money on good equipment.
Ken Rickards says
Hi I have a M28 volt angle drill for winching up a halyard on my yacht.I use it maybe 2 times a week for the last 18 months and all of a sudden I get it out and just nothing.I always set switch on off when not in use and never let it get below 3 lights.I am getting 27.6 volts off 1 neg pin and 1.6v of the other one.I am totally disappointed with this happenning I get the green red flashing on the charger and no power or lights on the drill.Any ideas Thanks Ken
Bill says
That’s the problem, it is important to completely drain the batteries at least every few chargings. At least this is what was told by the Acklands dealer that sold me my 28 volt set. I bought mine for $799.00 from $1500.00 half price almost. I live on an acreage and power cords are not an option in most cases.One of my batteries still holds a hare as if new but the other drains in 10 minutes. Not sure why but having 2 batteries gets me through my jobs. I am going on 10 years now and will buy another battery. I love my 28 volt set and except for the fast speed (2) having to jiggle it occasionally to engage it I have no complaints other than the fact my son keeps wanting to borrow mine so I bought him a Ridged set similar to mine but an 18 volt brushless. If I was to have to buy another set I would probably get the Ridged 18 volt brushless as it is a nice set also but pricey.
Rex C. Klopfenstein says
In 2009, I purchased a Milwaukee Heavy Duty V28 Sawzall with an extra V28 battery. It was a magnificent beast — for awhile. First one battery could not hold a charge, and then the other one failed also.
I called Milwaukee (1-800-729-3878) and explained my problem. They said that I had probably stalled the Sawzall (I had) and fried the batteries. They then told me to send the fried batteries back to them (Milwaukee Electric Tool, 7595 Granger Rd, Cleveland OH 44125), and they would replace them at no charge. I did and they did.
At first, I expected that the replacement batteries would suffer the same fate if I stalled the Sawzall. However, these batteries had a different design. Apparently the original batteries would disconnect temporarily if overheated during a stall, but not in time to save the battery. In contrast, the replacement batteries apparently disconnect temporarily on current overload (like a circuit breaker) before overheating and failing.
Bottom line: my V28 Sawzall has worked for five years, and I am a Milwaukee Tool fan.
Bob McNeely says
In Belize, solar power so not enough watts to run tools but plenty to charge. Bought 28 Volt Milwaukee kit (drill, 6 1/2 circular saw, reciprocating saw, light. After less than a year both batteries failed. Six months of shaming seller got batteries replaced. First time I charged the red/green light flashing; indicating battery failure. In US used a number of brands over the years, never a problem. Last Milwaukee purchase ever; does any Milwaukee tool work reliably? The Yugo of power tools; how do they stay in business?
Cecil Bearden says
I bought a V28 Impact in 2005. It was actually a Birthday present from my wife. She also bought a Sawzall and Circular saw later for me. They worked fine for about a year then the batteries quit. It was half the price of the entire kit for one battery. I found a great introductory price on a Dewalt Hammerdrill, Impact and a free Sawzall. I now use Dewalt 18V and some 20V exclusively. Dewalt even has a 20V to 18V adapter which makes the 18V grinder/cutoff work great. I can also find 18V aftermarket batteries on Ebay and they work great. I grew up with Milwaukee corded tools, and they were all great until I bought the 4-1/2 inch Angle grinder with the paddle switch.
I want to thank Milwaukee for making me a Dewalt Cordless user.
David Kinder says
For down under
Australia
28 volt V
Not impressed12mths old
Dead
Warantee reply “charged tomany times”
Fact Charged twice in 12 months
My Milwaukee 28V volt kits up for sale
I’ll Stay with M12 and M18 Volt kits
Dave
DAVID F. MAHER says
I bought the V28 Kit from Home Depot.
Within 16 months both batteries were dead. Abused the dealer said.
Not at all. Ordered new batteries. Then the V28 itself failed. Bad design the rep said.
The V28 tools sit on my shelf unused.
If Milwaukee Tool cares, they can respond to my email and fix their bad design and replace the batteries.
Otherwise I will never buy another Milwaukee tool again.
My Rigid tools are still going strong after five years.
Down under Doug says
I’m still operating with v28 kit after 15 years and the two origonal batteries still in use Although they now have very limited performance and i mainly use an m28 battery. They did a power of work particulary in the early days doing N Parks infrastructure contracts.
The key to longevity with the batterys is to never store them uncharged, and keep them cool.
Milwaukee’s policy of ripping people off for replacement parts Battery over$300au and drill more means that i will NEVER EVER buy one of their products again.