Milwaukee 49-24-0280 V28 Job Site Radio Review

Manufacturer: Milwaukee
Model: 49-24-0280
Price: $162
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The Milwaukee V28 Job Site Radio (49-24-0280 V28 for those looking for a model number) does the job it was designed to do with decent reception, good sound and tough-as-nails construction. No more busted boom boxes with this brute around. With its rugged construction, this radio can reportedly fall 8 feet on to concrete and still function properly! Standard with a host of features this radio is the perfect companion to any serious Milwaukee fan or any contractor looking for dependable tunes on the job site.

Built of tough plastic with a metal roll cage/carry handle and weather-proof speakers and controls, the Milwaukee Job Site Radio is ideal for any interior or exterior job. This radio has a front load battery box with a rubber gasketed access door that will accept any Milwaukee Battery from 12V – 28V including the regular Ni-Cad, Power Plus and Lithium-Ion series. The radio does not, however, function as a battery charger; the batteries are used just for powering the unit. There is a 10 ft long power cord for use with 120VAC power. Two other nifty power features that Milwaukee included are a pass-through-plug, so you don’t lose outlet space, and a 12V cigarette style power port that can be very handy for charging your phone or as a power source for your MP3 player. Speaking of MP3 players there is a 1/8″ auxiliary input mini jack that you can also use for your iPod, portable CD player, or for any other audio input device. On the back of the radio is a handy, removable cloth soft pouch for holding all of your audio accessories.

The V28 sound system consists of a pair of 5-1/4″, 25 watt weather-resistant polypropylene speakers from the legendary Rockford Fosgate brand. There are even separate neodymium tweeters so the highs are clearer than many smaller radios we’ve seen in this category. There is a three level “Punch EQ bass boost” (which really just boosts various amounts of additional bass frequencies into the system) and 20 station presets. Control of the system is via the front panel, which is made up of two knobs (power/volume and tuning) and 4 buttons (mode, memory, preset and EQ). The right tuning knob also doubles as a Mono/Stereo switch.

In addition to the usual radio AM/FM bands, there is a setting for the NOAA Weather Band. This could prove very useful for folks that tend to do a lot of exterior type work. The digital tuner shares the same backlight LCD window as the digital clock. The clock and radio presets are saved by two AA batteries, so changing your main power source or battery isn’t going to cause everything to reset. A nice surprise feature to the radio is that the cord can be wrapped around the unit for storage. On the jobsite, quick niceties like this can really save time and make this product all that much easier to justify as the perfect tag-along radio.

Conclusion

The Milwaukee V28 Job Site Radio represents legendary quality built in to a high performing and very functional tool. It’s only real disappointment is that it doesn’t function as an extra battery charger when plugged into an AC outlet. That would have been very useful and is something we’d love to see in future versions. This is one tough product that delivers on its promises.

About Milwaukee Tools:
Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation is an industry leading manufacturer and marketer of heavy-duty, portable electric power tools and accessories for professional users worldwide.

Specs

• Voltage: 120VAC to 7.2-28VDC
• Radio: AM, FM & NOAA Weather
• Presets: 20 total
• Clock: Included
• Input: 1/8 mini jack
• Weight: 21.2 Lbs
• Warranty: Limited Five Year