Milwaukee Portable 6" Band Saw, M18 FUEL Review

I purchased a Milwaukee M18 Fuel Deep Cut Band Saw recently for work. List price for the kit, including a 5.0 ah battery, a blade, a hard case, and rapid charger (for M18 and M12 batteries), was $499 USD on NorthernTool.com. Shipped free, with sales tax, and with a NT catalog coupon for $20 off a purchase over $100 the price roughly came to $510 USD.

Upon first usage, the band saw was noticable more powerful than other brands I've used; both easier to control and with a smoother cut. I was able to get several cuts out of a single battery charge; 8 3"aluminum fence posts, several 2" posts, about 15-20 cuts through assorted schedule 80 2" PVC conduit, and about 20 cuts through 1.5 " stainless steel struts, as well as about 10 cuts of #6 stranded copper ground wire.. The battery was finally on one bar after an entire day's usage. (For reference, I am an electrician for a solar farm construction company.)

It's a little heavy for one handed use and can definitely grab and spin/throw material if you're not careful. All in all I would highly recommend this item if you make regular cuts or do heavy fabrication for racks and conduit.

I would