Review on 🔧 Milwaukee Shockwave 23-Piece Kit (Model 48-89-4631) by Greg Baker

I liked my old set of Stanley hex shank drill bits but after many years the case fell apart and due to the high cost of replacing defective bits one at a time, was it makes sense to buy a new set . I chose this one based on the reviews here and elsewhere and overall I'm happy with it. I can't tell if the variable torque Red Spiral chip cleans faster, but the split-tip configuration is very effective at minimizing strays, and these bits will chew aluminum like butter. I've had drill bits from other well known brands that turn right out of hex shanks but these seem to be holding up well. I hope they hold up well as the forked tip cannot be sharpened with my Drill Doctor. You should be aware that sizes 1/16 through 3/16 are short or repairable (15/16 through 1-). 11/16 length) rather than the more common jobber length. I'm okay with that because I prefer them to be more rigid, but consider your own needs. The drills get five stars in my book, but I have to take a star off because of the housing. On the plus side, when closed it looks like a tiny toolbox which my wife thinks is cute :) It's sturdy and has 'real' hinges, not 'live' (ie 'cheap molded junk'). Loop used in many plastic cases. The clasp is very secure and easy to use. On the other hand, everything else in the case is annoying. It's a lot bigger than it needs to be and its design could be a lot more user-friendly. First, the only way to tilt the index blocks is to place your finger on the drill bits (sharp ones, huh?) to overcome the strong grip holding them in the memorized position. Then the chisels fit tightly into the blocks; If you have large fingers you may need to use pliers to get the right bit out. It's even worse at smaller sizes because the two rows of bits are in the same index block and flip up together, and there's no gap between the fingers. I compare this to my old Stanley set where the bits were loose and easy to remove but locked when the index block was tipped back into the body. Finally, putting size markers on the left block is just plain stupid. They look great in the product photo, don't they? But the markings for the back row of teeth are right in the middle behind the front teeth, so you have to hide and try to read them. And don't forget to mark the front row of bits as they are completely hidden when the index block is flipped up (see my photo below). Come on Milwaukee, there's so much more you can do. Let's get back to business. I should note that although bits 1/16, 5/64, 7/64, 5/32, 3/16 and 1/4 are duplicated, bit 7/16 does not exist. (Guess what size I needed almost immediately?) It's available separately at 48-89-4625 but isn't listed on Revain and is around $13 elsewhere. It doesn't fit in that empty space in the case that's too close to bit 1/2, but it should fit in slot 3/8 if I rearrange the other bits. Which brings me to my final observation: if you need more sizes, consider the 29-piece set part number 48-89-4632 instead, which isn't listed on Revain but costs around $70. No duplicates, but any size from 1/16 to 7/16 in 1/64 increments, except oddly 13/32 plus 15/32 and 1/2.