Milwaukee 2429-21XC Review

Milwaukee 2429-21XC Product Image

Editor Rating: 4.4/5

Very Good

Milwaukee 2429-21XC Review

 

Reviewed by: Timothy Henderson

Last modifiedAug 20, 2022 @ 1:44 am

 

 

 

 

  • Design
  • Functionality
  • Price

Milwaukee 2429-21XC Review Summary:

Whenever you decide to invest money in a particular machine, the best thing you can do before that is research extensively and get familiar with its advantages and shortcomings. However, many people don’t have the time or will to spend hours in front of their screens and read hundreds of reviews. We are here to help you find the best-suiting portable bandsaw without having to waste hours upon hours of your free time.

If you’re interested in one of the most compact and lightweight models around, then the Milwaukee 2429-21XC might be a good start. Take a moment and check our review out, it will help you to figure out whether or not it’s worth investing in this particular model. We only cover the top-rated models so that you can have an idea of the minor differences between them and decide which one suits your requirements the most.

Specifications:

  • Power – M12 12V battery
  • Weight – 6.75 pounds
  • Power source – Cordless (battery powered)
  • Speed – 280 SFPM
  • LED light
  • One-handed operation

Milwaukee 2429-21XC – The Basics


The biggest selling point of this particular model is its compactness. On top of that, it’s one of the easiest to use on the market. It doesn’t come with complex mechanisms or expensive proprietary parts. Instead, it’s a basic bandsaw that features high-quality parts and performs as advertised.

On the other hand, this Milwaukee model is far from being a perfect choice. There are some limitations that we will address later in the article, but the most notable one is definitely the questionable quality of the plastic shrouds that cover the wheels. The second concern is the fact that it is made in China instead of United States. Truth be told, it shouldn’t be a major concern, but it still makes some people feel suspicious of the overall quality and trustworthiness.

The Features


The Design


As far as the design goes, it’s decent. The most notable advantage is the fact that you can utilize the unit with only one hand thanks to its light weight and ergonomic design. The hand grip is okay, but it could have been designed much better. It’s not particularly bad per se; however, some people find it thick and not ideal for small hands. While it’s not necessarily a game-breaking factor, it still needs to be mentioned so that you know what to expect if you ever opt to purchase this model. The 1-5/8-inch cutting capacity is decent, but it’s nothing one should be particularly impressed about. Although, it certainly isn’t suboptimal, by any means.

The Battery


The 12V battery is quite good and it will yield around 150 cuts until it needs a full recharge. Now, the important thing you should bear in mind is that the number of cuts is only an approximate guess and it solely depends on what materials you are cutting and how thick they are. On the other hand, the real number of cuts usually doesn’t deviate much from the approximate guess issued by the manufacturer.

The good thing about the battery is that it’s not heavy or cumbersome and it doesn’t take much time for a full recharge cycle. Therefore, the downtime isn’t as significant as one would expect.

Additional Features


Because this is a relatively simplistic version, there aren’t many notable additional features, to begin with. The one that stands out is the LED light. It’s a great feature, especially if you’re working in a dim and dark environment. On top of that, it illuminates the cut allowing you to pay attention to the accuracy of your cut.

cutting metal with Milwaukee 2429-21XC

Pros:

N

Compact

N

Easy to use

N

Lightweight

Cons:

N

Questionable quality

N

Poor quality of the included blades

R

Things we liked about it

The fact that you can use the machine right out of the box is vastly underappreciated nowadays. People usually don’t know that most units don’t include the battery, charging station, or even spare blades. However, this one comes with all of those included meaning you don’t have to think about investing more than you can afford. On the other hand, we highly recommend that you get a couple of spare blades because the ones that are included aren’t as high-quality as one would imagine.

The included hard case is also a highly appreciated thing by most of the users. If you consider the affordability of this unit, the included additions should be a respected deed.

Q

Things we didn’t like

The plastic shroud isn’t something we think is the best idea as far as the design goes. We would be much more comfortable with metal parts as they are undoubtedly more durable and can withstand hits, bump, and other frequent mishaps better. Also, the cutting capacity isn’t nearly as versatile as in some other models on the market. Therefore, this unit isn’t foreseen for a vast variety of applications, but it does its job pretty well.

As we already said, the included blades aren’t necessarily useless, but they won’t yield particularly good results, to say the least. The solution is pretty simple – buy a few additional ones, most of them are budget-friendly and inexpensive.

What Users Say About The Milwaukee 2429-21XC


The opinions are quite mixed when it comes to this particular model. Some people love its simplicity and compactness while the overall quality is frowned upon. As we said, it’s not a low-quality machine by any means, but it could have been designed much better, especially when it comes to the materials used in production. In other words, many users would have appreciated metal parts more instead of hard plastic. On the other hand, one cannot expect a miraculous performance because you get what you paid for.

Conclusion


If you’re looking for a mid-range unit with a couple of useful features, this one might be a good solution. It’s affordable, compact, and most importantly – efficient. It’s not something we would recommend to an avid professional due to some limitations, but occasional users shouldn’t have too many issues with the Milwaukee 2429-21XC. It all comes down to what you need and how much money you’re ready to invest. If you have a dynamic budget instead of a limited one, we would recommend checking some other models. On the other hand, if your budget is limited, don’t hesitate to look into this model.

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