Joining the pack of combo-kit makers (see FWW #173, pp. 50-55), Milwukee has introduced model 5616-24. With its 2-1/4-hp, 13-amp, variable-speed motor (adjustable from 10,000 to 24,000 rpm), the Milwaukee is a powerful, versatile tool that can handle just about any cutting challenge. The motor has a soft-start feature that helps reduce startup kickback, and a constant-speed feature that maintains rpm, even when the bit has to work extrahard, such as when it hits a knot or gets fed a little too fast. When testing these features, the motor showed no inclination to bog down.

Photos: Kelly J. Dunton and Thomas McKenna

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