Milwaukee Hole Hawg handle replacement

art lookup at Milwaukee shows the handle as obsolete. As is the next newer variation in the late 70s... Current model is of course available and less than six bucks. Took the least broken half of my handle into a local Home D epot today and it appears as if the bolt pattern has remained identical all these years. Trigger switch has changed a bit so I'm going to price a new switch verses modifying new handle to fit old switch. Mine has a trigger lo ck and losing that 'feature' is no big deal. Cord comes out in a different place now but I'm sure that can be dealt with. Any one else been down this road and have any tips? Alternate sources other than official parts? -- Wil liam

There's always JB Weld and a can of black epoxy paint...

Stan

Sort of what I did fifteen years ago when it broke the first time. Minus the spray paint. Just got the new handle today and I think it is going to work out well. Both the forward / reverse and trigger switch will fit their respective holes with no modification. New handle has a molded ring marking where to drill for the trigger lock, so some engineer at Milwaukee deserves a big thank you for that.

Four screws that attach the handle to the drill remain usable. However the two that hold the halves of the handle together will now need to be three with a different thread. New handles no longer have brass inserts, nor do they come with screws :-( Did remember the rubber cord protector but failed to order the inner metal strain relief. Think I can find one on a more modern dead tool...

It looks to me that the cord should get clamped between the two sides of the handle. I expect the inside of the other half of the handle sticks out and presses the cord into the void between the two holes about 3/4 inch above the bottom of the handle.

The above would explain the additional screw being added to the assembly (though I would have expected them to be placed higher up).

Actually there are three more screws, one extra holding the handle together and two more just for the tiny metal bracket I did not order... One from a dead Black & Decker router and a tiny bit of filing did the trick.

BTW, the direction the cord exits the handle has changed since the 70s. Originally exited at the top of the handle pointing rearward. (With half the hole in the aluminum body and half in the plastic handle) Current modals all have the cord exiting the bottom of the handle pointing down.

Amazing that a new handle still fits at all!

As Paul Harvey used to say, the rest of the story...

Reason for the sudden need to repair a tool that broke (the second time) several years ago is my son needed to borrow it. (Long, OT and little to no metal working content) Got the handle and *cord* replaced a few days ago and handed it to son. Today the little joker walks in toting 'my' drill with the new cord now half its former length and wrapped in electrical tape. "Sorry dad I ran over it" "With what?" "The car..."

Staring at it going uh, uh, uh, when I notice the plug is different. OK, had reused an ancient brittle replacement plug and had already striped one thread so very unlikely he could have reused it yet again... Then I noticed the chuck seemed larger... Then noticed plastic where it should have been metal! Ah, the blasted little trickster scored him a used ~$300 drill today for $30.

Chuck is larger (5/8 I think...) and his is single speed 900 RPM verses my 300 / 1200 two speed. Think I paid $35 for mine way back when a new one was around $200. Guess he out bargained me!