M12 Trap Snake 12-Volt Lithium-Ion Cordless 6 ft. Toilet Auger Drain Cleaning Kit with Free M12 HACKZALL Saw

The Hackzall was very handy when I had to trim the floor and cabinet for a heater vent.

I've had this tool about a year now and I really like it's cutting ability & small size. This little hackzall is really quite the beast, you put on the right blade for the job and it'll work just like it's big brother for many jobs! I now go to it first and I'm always amazed how well it cuts! I only wish they would put the slide lock/unlock switch somewhere else, maybe even just a little higher, as it gets hit by accident all the time by my hand and I have to stop what I'm doing to push it back to unlock, the same issue goes for their drill & drivers too for that matter. I've use this tool with attachments as well like scraping blades & metal brushes for paint prep (see pic) and it does a good job with those attachments too. I've even thrown on a tree limb cutting blade to trim my trees & bushes, it's so much, easier, faster, cleaner & safer than a chain saw. If you found this review helpful please click on the thumbs up. Thanks!

I'm Just diy-er who loves quality tools. I used it and bought it cause I had to get into a confined space. To cut some drainpipe. It did the job. Took too long. I should of got a corded saw or a m18 for my application. I just bought the wrong tool... I believe this to be a good tool. It was my fault for using something not designed for the job.

Starting off I thought this would be an awsome product to have for quick emergency use to have in our truck tool supply. Having actually trying to work this auger it has been nothing but a hassle . Trying to release the 6 foot snake extention is a bit tricky. Pushing in the small springed ball bearing to release the extention shaft is not the most straight forward. After getting this ball pushed in you need to pull the shaft out a couple feet to engage the ball bearing into another hole to lock the shaft . Your then able to push the remaining portion of the snake out. The inner shaft is not very robust and I can see this breaking or bending with regular use. Once your set up you need to install the motor end to the auger. It too doesn't really mount secure as it attaches like a drill bit and is never really in a secure position on the auger. It does work , having the ridged Handle makes for smoother pushing thru the trap. The snake has a tendency to get stuck by putting the motor in reverse direction helps greatly. Once done you need to retract the snake back into the assembly again having to push in the bearing and reclipping it on the other side of the shaft. The idea seems good just some steps that might make a person give up if you not very mechanically inclined.

I was given a chance to check out M12 Trap Snake 12-Volt Lithium-Ion Cordless 6 ft. Toilet Auger Kit by Milwaukee, model 2576-21. That’s the kit that comes with the auger, battery, charger, and snake for toilet bowls. There’s an available snake for urinals, but I’m not in the building trades or a building manager or superintendent, just a DIY home owner so urinal snaking isn’t something I need to do. So, this review will come from the DIY’er viewpoint. I’ve traditionally used a plunger and a manual toilet auger and generally been pleased with results, but I was interested to see what a battery-operated unit would add; I have other Milwaukee cordless tools and have been more than pleased with their performance. Sometimes timing is everything, and a few days before the auger arrived one of my in-laws plugged up the guest room toilet. To her credit, she did use a plunger and get the thing flushing, but the water flow was very slow and had that odd gurgling sound that lets you know that something is wrong somewhere in the works. Since it was working, and we don’t use the toilet on a regular basis, I was able to “save” the snaking job for the Milwaukee, which I knew was in the process of being shipped. The Milwaukee unit arrived with the auger/snake separate from the drive and battery (see photos). The battery, which has a “how much charge is left” indicator (again, see photos) was at about half charge. However, I have other M12 batteries so I put the new one on to charge and installed one of my existing cells. For storage, I’ve elected to remove the power unit because of the limited shelf space I have. If you have more storage space or store the device vertically the power unit can be left attached. First impression – the Milwaukee auger is HEAVY compared to my manual closet auger; it comes in at something over nine and a half pounds. It’s also much longer than my manual unit (the manual unit has a 4-foot snake, while the beefier Milwaukee offers a 6-foot snake for toilets). Following the instructions, I tapped the power button to make sure the rotation of the snake was correct, put the business end of the snake in the bowl, fed it in manually until I felt resistance and then pushed the power button. The snake fed immediately into the bowl, past the obstruction. I reversed the rotation, powered the snake out, and sure enough it pulled the blockage out with it. It was that fast – the snake didn’t try to jimmy around on itself, I didn’t have to force feed it while simultaneously pushing down on the snake – it simply bored through and cleared the blockage. It took me longer to hose it off, dry it, and hit it with some lube for storage than it did to clear the clog. The switch has forward and reverse positions and a middle position which keeps the trigger from working, much as a cordless drill has. A professional tradesman might have a better solution, I can only go from my limited DIY’er knowledge – but this thing certainly worked as advertised. The fact that the snake itself can be swapped out is an added plus. If it’s within your budget (or you’re giving a gift to someone) I think that this is a fine tool to have in your kit – especially if you have other Milwaukee M12 tools so you can utilize the batteries more efficiently. If you’ve ever spent a half-hour trying to clear out a stubborn toilet clog, I think you’ll really appreciate the effectiveness of the Milwaukee auger. I had expected it to be a “gadget” – a solution in search of a problem; I was wrong – this is much, much better than my manual closet auger. The construction of the tool is very good, no sharp or rough spots where you might be expected to grab the tool with your hands. It has a rubber boot to protect the toilet porcelain, and a hand crank is available (but not included in this kit) that can be used if the battery dies. There is a retainer that keeps the snake against the handle (see photos). The unit comes with a 5-year warranty on the tool and a separate battery warranty (check with Home Depot or Milwaukee to get the lowdown on battery warranties). HTH Regards, Jim

I've had my Hackzall for over a year now and its been through some hard work. I mostly use it for cutting 1/2' conduit but it has gone through 2' before. from angle Iron to 2x4 wood this really takes on the smaller job that you don't want to break the big saw out for. However mine finally died on me. I for sure got my money worth. I looked into sending it in for repair and its $80+ to send it in. I'll probably just upgrade to the Fuel instead of sending it in. I buy a lot of Milwaukee and it's been the first tool yet to quit on me.

I've a hope chest of 3rd generation old tools. Receiving this modern version of a Reciprocating saw was a blast! I've spent hours looking for the right tool to put a blade on an old reciprocating saw. I'm having fun just using a couple of fingers to twist a knob with the Quik-Lok blade clamp. The grip is small enough for a woman, with rubber to make it easy to control. This isn't a tool I've used often. I've never had one I could grip and control. I'm looking forward to learning new things to do with it besides basic wood cutting. This Hackzall can be bought as an add on to the 12 Volt Red Lithium Ion Tools with Battery Kits, like the Brushless Drill. They come with an extra battery so both tools can be used in one project. Lastly, if you didn't notice in the specs, this has a 5, Five year warranty!

Does exactly what I needed for

Delivered when they said it would be.

Rating provided by a verified purchaser