Today, I will be reviewing the Milwaukee Redstick (Milwaukee’s smart level). It came in nice packaging. It was easy to open, and once opened it was like Christmas. I was expecting just the level and the battery. To my surprise, it came with a cord and USB-wall adapter along with two manuals. Then, what shocked me even more was that it came with a bag to haul it in!
After opening, it needed to be charged. I felt that the instructions were unclear on how to charge it, but I am sure Milwaukee veterans would have no issue figuring it out. I did not have any issues opening the clip/latch on the level to insert the battery, but someone with larger fingers might have a difficult time. The battery is a rechargeable red lithium ion battery. According to Milwaukee, this battery will last over 2000 recharges. So that means this battery should last 7-8 years if used daily. That is absolutely crazy! The battery came uncharged, which is to be expected, and took about 1 hour and 15 minutes to charge to 100%.
The level is equipped with two digital displays. The level displays the incline on both the top and the middle like so. I find that the top display can be easily read in the sunlight while the round middle display is designed more for indoors.
This level comes with a plethora of awesome settings and modes. You can set the display to show your incline in degrees, percent, inches per foot, and millimeters per foot. The inches per foot really comes in handy when leveling a slab or a floor in a house.
You can also change the precision of the measurement. While this is a cool feature, how often do you need to measure a degree to the hundredth.
This level also has a sound feature. Simply what this does is beeps louder and faster the closer the level gets to the desired incline. This can come in handy when you are not able to be putting your eyes on the incline at that moment. The beeping can get annoying otherwise, so it is good you are able to toggle it.
Another cool option that this level has is its power mode. This has 3 options all concerning the round digital screen. I found that the high contrast (which is meant for sunny days) did not really help that much. I would recommend just keeping it on auto unless you’re tight on power. Overall this is a really cool feature.
Possibly the best part about all these settings/modes is the menu. It is extremely well done and very simple to navigate. Milwaukee has outdone themselves in this aspect. The menus are so easy to maneuver my grandma could do it.
Possibly the most useful feature of the Red Stick is its ability to pin. Basically, this holds the angle. This is where this tool really shines. It makes working with stairs child’s play. For example, anytime you want something to be parallel to your stairs, like a railing or trim, all you need to do is pin point the angle and then you can measure the incline with that angle as your standard.
Earlier I mentioned a carrying bag was included. At first I was questioning the type of bag, thinking a tube-like bag would fit better. After loading and unloading the level a few times, I can tell you that this envelope-type bag is very convenient and very easy to get the level in and out. The bag includes a little zipper pocket for the charger and manuel. It is also equipped with a handle and a shoulder strap that makes carrying the level very effortless. Considering competing companies’ levels of the same price charge an extra $40 for a carrying bag, this is an absolute win!
One of my main concerns for this product was its durability. Although I personally have not used this tool to its death, it seems like other owner’s have been very surprised by how durable it actually is. It has been IP65 rated which means it can handle dust, dirt, and water in reasonable drops. From what I have heard, this tool is more than capable of surviving a job site. And if something ever did happen, it is backed by a 5 year warranty.
My main complaint of this tool is its lack of bubble vials on the level. There are none. It makes it somewhat inconvenient because it takes a couple of seconds to turn on and initialize. The level will turn off after a couple minutes and inevitably this is when you will need it and have to repeat the process. This bother could be completely avoided if it had a bubble vial or two becuase lots of time that is all that is necessary.
Overall this product has a lot of really cool features. I would consider this tool a specialty tool because while it does have features that are cool, most of them are not necessary. Especially coming in a little north of $350 I can not say this tool is worth it. It can be improved, like I said a couple of bubble vials would really help it. But as it stands right now, there is much better bang for your buck when it comes to level.