We’ve been wondering when the first cordless jack hammer would hit the market and what that might look like, what brands would do it? Would it have 4 batteries? Well Milwaukee MX answers some of those questions with the MXF368-1XC ($2499) that uses standard 1-1/8” hex, has 50 ft/lbs or breaking power, one of the lightest options and even features LED lights! So how does it stack up to the corded competition?
Milwaukee MX Breaker vs Bosch / Dewalt / Makita / Hilti
We looked at the manufacturer’s own specs on the competing corded electric breakers – Hilti TE-3000-AVR ($3150), Bosch BH2770VCD ($1799), Makita HM1812X3 ($1869) and Dewalt D25980K ($1499) against the MX Breaker just to see where they all compare for power, weight, vibration and price.
On Power the MX rated at 50 ft/lbs looks to exceed Bosch 43 ft/lbs & Dewalt 38 ft/lbs and match Hitli also at 50 ft/lbs. The only option with more power Makita at 53.9 ft/lbs. It also has the highest BPM beats per minute with 1300 BPM exceeding them all by at least 300 BPM so potentially could be the fastest in field use (we will have to obviously put that to the test)
On Weight the MX is the lightest, even with the XC406 battery at 11 lbs it still the lightest breaker at 63.9 lbs but just barely. The Bosch is 64.2, Hilti 65.9, Dewalt at 68.3 and Makita 69.1 lbs. There is a unique handle on the MX which allows you to carry the breaker from the middle balancing it nicely with also makes it feel easier to lug around so again field use it’ll probably seem much more portable.
On Vibration the MX is 4.9 m/s2 even with much higher BPM rating which is right inline with Dewalt which is currently the lowest, Hilti is 7 m/s2, Makita at 7.5 m/s2 and Bosch at 8.4 m/s2. While there are not currently OSHA requirements on vibration any safety professional or doctor will tell you continues exposure to heavy vibrations in your hands is extremely damaging.
On Price the MX is not the cheapest however it is still less than the Hilti even though it seems to have better power and speed. Again a lot of the upfront cost is tied into the MX tools will be in the battery XC406 ($599) which once you’re into the system bare tool version in future might be right inline with other typical brands in the $1800-$1900 range.
Overall we were very impressed with the MX specs on how it lines up to the competition on performance and value. And did we mention only one with LED lights, how can you deny LED lights make every tool better!
What is the Runtime on a Cordless Jack Hammer?
It’s a little tricky to measure runtime on a breaker when in use. Typically, this kind of tool is going to be on and off constantly as you break through a pad of concrete. The demo Milwaukee uses is 1 battery will allow you to break enough concrete for a 40ft run of 12” wide by 6” deep concrete needed for running a trench which is a real-world application we’ve seen many times. The equivalent of 2 tons of concrete which is very respectable runtime. Considering adding a second MX batteries and a 90 minute recharge time it would be very very difficult to work faster than the batteries can charge here.
Looking at the Milwaukee MX Platform the MX breaker will likely be one of the most popular tools at the launch because it could definitely completely replace its corded counter-parts and price is not too far off the other options. To see more on the other tools check out our post on the entire Milwaukee MX System. If you’d like additional specs or to Pre-Orders check out Ohio Power Tool for Milwaukee MX Pre-Orders. Launching in February with most of the other MX tools, we will follow up with additional info as it becomes available.