Tool Box Buzz

Milwaukee M18 Packout Radio And Charger Model 2950-20

Milwaukee Packout Radio and Charger Model 2950-20

4.5/5

Manufacturer: Milwaukee Tool
Model number: 2950-20
Price: 299.00
Power source: AC / DC
Weight: 25.9

Mr. Bojangles Never Sounded So Good!

I knew a man, Bojangles and he danced for you

In worn-out shoes

Silver hair, a ragged shirt, and baggy pants

The old soft shoe…

I love spending time in my shop, making things. And part of what I like is the ability to have the radio going. Whether it’s the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band singing Bojangles, football on Sunday afternoons, catching the news or country music blaring in the background, having tunes makes the time pass by with style and ease.

Now, granted, some folks wire their shops for sound and have the latest in wireless streaming technology. But that was not the way I rolled. My big purchase in the sound department was a Beats Pill speaker. Man, was I in clover with that device.

That is until I got ahold of the new Milwaukee M18™ Packout™ Radio and Charger. My shop-sound life, as I knew it, had changed forever. To learn more about the pack out system read this Milwaukee Packout Modular Tool Storage System.

Milwaukee M18 Packout Radio And Charger

I have experienced a wide variety of sound equipment in various workshops and job sites. The Milwaukee M18 Packout Radio And Charger makes a seed change to what I have seen. Being fully compatible with the Milwaukee Packout system, in itself, means that the radio is now an integrated part of Milwaukee’s tool storage and transport system. It is no longer a tag-along device that gets kicked around the job site or shop. Couple that with the Charger for M18 batteries, and it raises the value proposition of this device even further.

Milwaukee M18 Packout Radio And Charger Features

• Ultimate job site or workshop sound system
• Ten speakers provide balanced 360° sound for large and outdoor spaces
• Designed for full compatibility with Packout storage system items
• Charges all M18™ batteries and mobile devices with built-in USB 2.1A output jack.
• Equipped with Bluetooth® 4.2 to stream audio wirelessly from over 100 feet away
• AM/FM radio with 18 stations presets
• Built-in Aux for when radio and Bluetooth are not available
• Customizable sound with built-in equalizer, adjustable bass, and treble
• Subwoofer and passive resonator deliver powerful low-end sound
• Four tweeters and four full-range speakers deliver clear mids and highs
• A weather-sealed storage compartment to keep your belongings and mobile devices safe and dry
• Water and debris resistant
• Packout design features rubber over-mold to protect interior components, making this speaker impact resistant
• Controls, battery, cord, and onboard storage are all easily accessible when stacked
• Onboard bottle opener for convenience on and off the job site
• Manufacturer’s Warranty – 1-year limited warranty
• Shipping Weight – 25.9 lbs
• Dimensions – 22L x 16 ¼ W x 6 ¾ H

PACKOUT Sound Quality and Quantity

But does the Milwaukee M18 Packout Radio And Charger have decent sound? Mr. Beau Jangles proved to me that it certainly does. The Model 2950-20  puts out excellent sound quality.

This ten-speaker sound system delivers 360° sound. It certainly filled my shop with enough music that I could hear it well over most of the operating woodworking tools. I tried it out first using a playlist from my iPhone.

I cranked this radio up to its fullest volume setting, and I experienced excellent audio sound with no distortion. It was not as loud as I had anticipated, but I think Milwaukee did a great job maxing out the sound level to a point where the speakers could handle the load with no distortion.

While the volume was certainly sufficient for my shop, I wondered how this unit would perform in a wide-open commercial job site?

Then I switched the Packout™ radio over to the FM radio tuner. The difference in sound intensity was remarkable. On the FM radio, I was actually concerned about blowing the speakers, but, again, they seemed to handle the full settings with no problem. Again, I did not hear any speaker distortion at full settings. I would not want to run it at the total sound level for prolonged periods, but the Packout radio can handle a lot of sound power.

For my curiosity’s sake, I measured the average sound level on the Bluetooth/iPhone settings at 97.2 dB. The FM radio put out substantially more sound an equivalent average measurement of 102.7 dB. I took both of these measurements while playing the same song. (And, yes, I had the volume to the max on my iPhone.)

The Milwaukee M18 Packout Radio And Charger delivers full range connectivity with Bluetooth® 4.2, an auxiliary input, in addition to an AM/FM radio tuner. It also can set the treble/bass at the users’ preferences with a sound equalizer. The adjustment has a wide range in both treble and bass sound.

PACKOUT Charger

The Milwaukee M18 Packout Radio And Charger also features a built-in M18™ charger. The Charger is located on the right side of the case when looking at the front face. The battery fits into the top of the charger space. The first thing I did was to take a 12.0 Amp-hr. Battery to see whether it would fit into that space. The Milwaukee designers provided ample room for the 12.0 size battery and then some. Note, my cell phone fits beside the battery in this compartment.

Packout Radio Charger

The cord that powers the Packout ™ has a convenient cord wrap on the outside of the left side of the unit. I like the cord wrap feature that means I don’t have to disconnect the cord and store it inside of the radio. An additional feature by Milwaukee is the addition of a bottle opener at the top of the cord wrap area. I am not sure how much use I will give that feature, but I know that I will always be traveling with a bottle opener.

Packout Radio Charger

The battery charging compartment is large enough to house both a battery and a smartphone in the same space. This heavy-duty job site radio has a 2.1 AH USB output to keep mobile devices charged all day. The battery compartment door has a seal around its opening to allow for use in maintaining a dry compartment.

The final feature of the battery compartment is the jack to enable the Milwaukee M18 Packout Radio And Charger to connect with an Aux cable for further flexibility and connectivity. The only issue I saw with using the Aux cable is that the battery compartment door will have to be open with the cable is connected. I suppose that was a tradeoff to have the Aux port protected from the elements rather than having it external to the compartment.

Summary

The Packout ™ M18 radio and Charger is a very well designed and well-made device. The sound quality and quantity are excellent. It fits into the Packout™ lineup of storage system solutions. At $299 online, this unit is not inexpensive, but it is an excellent value for these functions in a single package.

No longer will the job site radio be an afterthought and something that gets kicked around the working spaces. My Packout ™ radio charger will be sitting on top of the storage stack of Packout containers.

I will enjoy the capability to charge both my M18 batteries and my USB -powered devices.

But most of all, the Milwaukee Packout radio charger will give me the chance to enjoy Mr. Beau Jangles and his …… Dance.

1 Comment

1. Zelda Ella

   August 3, 2020 at 10:54 pm

   I’m a big fan and user of Milwaukee tools and I was waiting for this one for quite a while but I’m very disappointed with the sound performance. Although the price is quite expensive for each

   Reply

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