I have both of these products on my website. The 18 v milwaukee only comes with one battery. It is a 1/2 in chuck,with slip clutch.Has a slide battery which works in either direction for balance. Has 30 day oc warranty,1 yr parts, labor. The 18 v Dewalt has 2 battery,charger, case, Same warranty. The 18v model Dw987k-2 I currently have promo at 269.94 plus a mail in certificate for a free battery valued at 80.00. The Milwaukee is currently 299.97 with charger, case, and battery. I am authorized warranty station for either. See my website www.toolcentral.com

I'm looking at the 4 piece kits
drill/hammer drill
sawzall
skill saw
flashlight

both kits come with radio charger

Looking at the 2 kits what I can see is:

1) Drills - Dewalt has a ratcheting chuck milwaukee not.
2) Milwaukee's drill has 495 lbs of torque as compared to dewalt's 450.
3) Skill saw - Dewalt plastic guard Milwaukee titanium
4) Sawzall - Milwaukee's appears to be more functional with the 6 posistion handle.

This is what I can see.
Which set performs better under daily usage in temps -30c to +30c throughout the year.

I own neither of these,but live in N. MN and I am on alot of job sites as I own a small painting company I see both of these brands working in extreme cold 20 below zero and the hot months of july and august.
The contractors I work for use the 2 brands you mentioned and being around alot of sites if they didn't work well under heavy use they wouldn't have them.
So I would say the choice is really up to you on how they feel and look for your own use.If anything else flip a coin because you will get Dewalt people here and Mil. users so I am unbiased opinion.

milwaukee model milw9012 is a 1/2 in,slip clutch hammer drill comb. has a 5 1/2 skillsaw,flashlight,and a hatchet sawzall. it comes with 1 hr nicad fast charge charger,2 batteries,and a bag. at current, there is promo for free mdse which is (extra battery, multi bay charger, or jobsite radio. one year warranty,.30 days over counter . current pricing is 499.94.

Dewalt is 1/2 inch slip clutch hammer drill,5 3/8 skill saw,standard sawzall, and flashlight. 1 hr fast charge nicad battery,charger and case. model is dw4cpk2 current pricing is 399.99 one year warranty 30 day oc.

Ok - but which out performs the other? Does one have a higher breakdown rate? I want this to last thats why I;m looking for as much info as possible.

Thanks

I don't think you will get a clear answer on that one they both are top brands.I don't think 1 will out last the other you will get alot of debate on this.

I have the 18v DeWalt combo. I love the drill, but frankly wish I had gone corded and put those extra bucks towards something else. The saws go through batteries very quckly. I guess if you look on them as a convenience for small cutting jobs in remote locations only, they're fine, but that's a lot to spend for convenience. A recip saw especially needs lots of power and no cordless can match even a cheap corded recip.

You can find slightly better deals on DeWalt combos on Ebay, but I wouldn't sweat the differences too long, either will serve you fine.