Milwaukee's 18-volt circular saw and hammer drill combo pack is a great pairing of two well-designed, heavy-duty cordless tools. The 6-1/2-inch circular saw features a wide, sturdy base with a tool-free bevel adjustment up to 50 degrees, a 2.4 amp hr ni-cad battery for a long run time, and an electric brake. The 6-1/2-inch blade runs at 3,200 rpm and easily cuts two-by-four material on a 45-degree bevel. Tools are often described as having good balance, and with this saw it's easy to see what this means. Held in a regular grip--with the saw's weight balanced on your fingers right behind the trigger--the saw hangs just about level, so all the lifting is done with your arm rather than your wrist and hand. Balance like this, coupled with the saw's comfortable soft-grip handle, makes a big difference in user fatigue at the end of the day. The hammer drill features a reversible battery--unique to Milwaukee drills and one that comes in handy in tight spots. The tool's balance feels good with the battery attached either way, although, oddly enough, we liked the reverse battery configuration a little better than the normal configuration. One possible drawback to the reversible battery is that the contacts for the unused configuration are exposed, and may attract dirt if the tool is dropped in the mud or on the floor of a messy job site. The need to occasionally clean contacts struck us as a small price to pay for the added versatility the reversible battery system affords. The hammer drill has 21 clutch positions, and lets you choose between drill-only mode and hammer-only mode. The full combo kit comes with a case that has enough room for everything, including the saw, hammer drill, charger, extra blades, and the saw's rip fence. There's even a space left over for Milwaukee's 18-volt flashlight (sold separately). All in all, this is a great deal on some heavy-duty tools. --Brian Trinen
