Tool Box Buzz

Milwaukee MX FUEL Equipment On My Job (An Ongoing Series) -The 14″ Cut-Off Saw

MILWAUKEE MX FUEL 14" CUT-OFF SAW 2 BATTERY KIT W/ ONE-KEY MXF314-2XC

4.5/5

Manufacturer: Milwaukee
Price: 2,499.00
Power source: MX FUEL Battery
Motor size: 5350 RPMs
Weight: 32

In this review, I’m going to focus on my experience with the MX FUEL 14” Cut-Off Saw. But make sure you check out the article about my experience with the MX FUEL Core Drill as well!

A Monday Morning-Type Problem, Right?

“What do you mean you can’t get the concrete coring subcontractor out here until Thursday? I’m dead in the water until I have those cores drilled. And that’s four days from now!”

In the 2021 commercial construction environment where I operate, a real constraint is keeping up with changes and issues that mean getting a concrete slab cut or concrete cores done ASAP. Often, someone has dropped the ball or realized they need to react to the situation immediately. Mostly, these kinds of issues are not significant in scope but are undoubtedly large in impact. This is especially the case if the GC contract has Liquidated Damages or other punitive clauses for failing to meet the schedule. That is why getting these seemingly small items done right away can be critical to an organized and effective workflow.

Wishful Thinking

Certainly, I wish that people would plan better so that these kinds of issues do not pop up.  However, I think we will solve global warming or world peace long before getting people to plan proactively.

Bur rather than accept the time delays, I now have a great option with Milwaukee MX FUEL equipment. I can call on these battery-powered tools when I need some quick turnaround on concrete cutting and coring. The Milwaukee MX FUEL equipment are a key to solving such pressing job site problems.

First Call for the MXF314-2XC  Cut-Off Saw

Earlier this month, I received two Milwaukee MX FUEL  tools on my jobs to evaluate their use and performance. I had the equipment less than one week before I put them to productive use.

First, my crews used a 14″ cut-off saw to open up asphalt streets for digging test pits that the engineers recently requested. The engineers needed additional information to complete their work and the entire project was on hold until they had the test pit information.

With the MX 14″ cutoff saw, my crew was able to start cutting up the street within minutes of when the request came in. Most importantly, I did not have to wait the three days for a specialty subcontractor to get to the site. In addition, we did not have to run to the gas station or find the two-cycle oil to mix up the correct ratio of gas-to-oil. We plugged in a charged battery and started up the saw and a battery-operated Milwaukee tank and pump. The guys started cutting up the pavement right as our vac truck backed up to the site.

MXF314-2XC Features

• Fully Compatible with the MX FUEL™ Equipment System
• No Gas Headaches; Fastest Cuts From Start To Finish
• Push Button Activation
• 5″ Cut Depth
• Absolutely No Emissions
• No Mixing Gas & Oil
• Eliminates Engine Maintenance
• Onboard Water Connection
• 2 Year Warranty
• ONE-KEY™ Compatible

MXF314-2XC Specifications

• Battery Type Lithium-Ion
• Battery System MX FUEL™
• Blade Diameter 14″
• Cut Depth 5″
• RPMS 5350
• Blade Arbor Size 1″/20 mm
• Length                         73″
• Width                           12″
• Height                         93″
• Weight                        32 lbs
• Equipment Warranty                  2 year
• Battery Warranty                         2 year
• Push Button Activation Yes
• One Key™ Compatible Yes

Milwaukee MX FUEL Cut-Off Saw Performance

The Milwaukee saw performance tracked the Milwaukee-suggested performance. It is as fast as a conventional gas-powered saw. This MX FUEL saw delivers the power to provide a best-in-class cutting solution. Milwaukee has a table of anticipated lineal feet to expect from a fully charged battery. I have copied the factory data in the table below:

A Great Solution for Confined or Interior Spaces

The battery-powered equipment does not have the run-time to match a gasoline-powered saw. But the crew remarked that they like the idea of a battery-powered saw in a confined space. These guys often work inside of manholes or in deep trenches. The same goes for cutting in an interior space. Also, one crew member said how much he liked the idea of 100% certainty that the saw will start, no matter what the temperature is at the site. There was no more pulling, choking, wasted time, and colorful language needed to start up the cutoff saw.

Our field experience tracked in agreement with the factory data. We had four fully charged batteries available, and we cut 28 linear feet of street asphalt with three batteries depleted fully and one battery with 50% charge remaining.  Each of the crew that used the saw was impressed with the electric motor’s torque and power. “This Thing is a Beast” one of the crew said multiple times (some language censored out of that quote).

The Milwaukee 2819-21WS  Water Supply Kit in a Remote Location

Part of the challenge with remotely located asphalt cutting is how to provide a consistent flow of water onto the blade. In our case, we had a great Milwaukee accessory to use with the saw. I own a 2820-21WS M18 Switch Tank Water Supply Kit. I used this tank during a Tool Box Buzz 9-inch cordless cutoff saw comparison. In our MX FUEL equipment use case, this tank came in very handy and married up to the MXF314-2XC saw with no issues.

This tank is a great solution. It holds 4 gallons of water and contains a battery-operated pump. The M18 XC3.0 battery can power the tank through 12 full tanks of water. Users can adjust the 2820-21WS pump through a range of 20 psi to 60 psi. The quick connector coupling on the end of the 10 feet of hose clipped onto the 14 “cutoff saw with no issues.

To cap off one of the most significant features of the 2820-21WS water supply kit, it helps users will comply with the OSHA Table 1 requirements for dust mitigation. For inside or confined space work, the 2810-21WS enhances safety and cleanliness.

Water Source

We had a very convenient source of water from the onboard water tank in the vac truck at the job site. That water source allowed the crew to refill our Milwaukee pump. The work crew usually splashes water from a 5-gallon bucket onto their cutoff saws in the past. In our setup, we had a tank/pump combination with a variable flow adjustment. Our equipment configuration meant a much more steady water source that flows water directly onto the cutting blade. The crew was impressed with the entire equipment setup.

MXF314-2XC Has Great Wheels – Way Easier on our Backs!

One of the best-liked features was the wheels on the bottom of the saw. That meant the crew did not need to support the saw’s weight as they would need to when they use their gas-powered equipment.

The pavement supports the weight of the saw. The crew used their efforts to control the plunge cut’s depth and the speed of advancement. They remarked about the lack of fatigue and strain on their backs. Even our safety personnel seconded that observation and noted the process improvement and potential reduction of lost-time back injuries using the Milwaukee MX saw.

The Milwaukee equipment allowed us to get a timely start on opening the roadway and start excavating the test pit with no delays. While the runtime of a battery-powered piece of equipment will not match up to that of a gas-powered cutoff saw, the MXF314-2CX goes toe-to-toe with power and torque. The added convenience of instant start and no exhaust fumes and engine noise put this saw way above the gas-powered equipment. Great engineering features like the wheels on the bottom and the accessory tank make the Milwaukee MX FUEL system a compelling investment. It is going to be my go-to equipment for light-duty quick turnaround projects.

Final Thoughts – Milwaukee MX FUEL Cut-Off Saw

An investment in Milwaukee MX FUEL equipment is a lot of money for any contractor. The MXF314-2XC cut-off saw with two of the XC406 batteries and charger will run online for around $2,500. Is this kind of investment justified for a commercial contractor? My personal answer is an unqualified – YES.

Here is why the MX Equipment is Worth the Investment.

In my company, we hit the start of a job very hard because our experience has shown that getting a job underway is often a slow ramp-up. But in my case, I push the job start as the most critical time in the job because it is the time where I can make up or better the time in the schedule at a minimal cost. Tell me which is easier. Saving (or not losing) time when you have about 12 guys and two subcontractors present, or scrambling to save time when you have 150 personnel and 15 subcontractors tripping all over themselves near the end of a job? At the end of jobs, I have seen contractors and owners throw barrels of money away just to save (or pick up) a few days on the schedule. Those dollars are often spent with questionable actual results.

But let me bring the discussion back to the case at hand. My current job has liquidated damages clause that would cost my company an amount that equates to $2,095/ workday.  With the Milwaukee MX FUEL equipment, I avoided wasting three days on the roadwork to start the test pits. I also avoided another three days of delay in starting  the electrical conduit work. Both of those delays would cost me valuable time at the critical start of the job. by my calculations, having the Milwaukee MX FUEL equipment available to go with minimal startup timing was worth $12,600 to me. That value is just shy of 2 times what the equipment initially cost.

Many Many More Uses

In the future of this project, I will guarantee that both of these pieces of equipment will be used repeatedly during the next 25 months. So right out of the box I saw that the investment was more than paid off and the rest of the use will be additional justification for having made the investment in this Milwaukee MX FUEL Equipment.

Both the MXF314-2XC 14″ cutoff saw and the MX301-2CP Core Drill saved us extremely valuable time in the critical start of the job. Also, the Milwaukee 2819-21WS  Water Supply Kit aided in delivering water supplies to both machines. Both of these use cases were in remote locations that did not have an external power sources or water feeds available. With this equipment system, the work proceeded as soon as we showed up with the equipment. These real examples are why the MX line of Milwaukee tools is an excellent investment to save time and money in the commercial contracting world.

Now if I only had gotten ahold of the Milwaukee MXF368-1xc Breaker, I would not have had to rent that jackhammer and air compressor…… Stay Tuned…

Check Back for More!

Like I mentioned, this is the first of two MX FUEL products I’ve gotten a chance to try. Hopefully, over time as the MX FUEL System grows, I can try out some more and report back!

3 Comments

1. Colton Walker

   June 20, 2022 at 8:19 am

   Great article, Stan. Lots of great info in there! I just picked up one of these saws as a landscape contractor for making cuts and driveway and block, looks like I didn’t go wrong! As long as I have enough battery, at least. 😅

   Reply
2. Duncan Lester

   December 26, 2023 at 9:44 am

   I bought this saw to cut a slab inside a building and was impressed by its performance.
   Very surprised the battery played out after about 5 feet of full depth cutting, but the extra battery saved the day. Hopefully they will make a chain saw that uses this same battery.

   Reply
   1. Todd Fratzel

      December 26, 2023 at 5:01 pm

      These saws are a game changer for interior work and confined spaces. Yes the run-time can be a challenge but a spare battery is a must. Also in the very near future you’ll see some pretty significant improvements in all new batteries producing much longer run times.

      Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.