# Disappointed in milwaukee aluminum squares



## SMP (Aug 29, 2018)

I saw these at the big box store recently and was excited. Looked like Woodpecker squares for a tenth of the price. Bought the large and small and took it home and did the flip test on card stock. Not even close. Checked it with my 3 combination squares not even close. Returned and swapped, same issue. Took my starrett square to the store and compared to a Empire combi square and that was fine. Used that to compare every single aluminum square and they were all way off. I also checked the Empire aluminum squares and they were all off as well. Yet all of the plastic/resin ones were square. Makes me wonder about all the good reviews. Maybe from the builders of my house which would explain why its so hard to install baseboards or crown molding in my house.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwaukee-7-in-Rafter-Square-MLSQ070/309863275

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwaukee-4-1-2-in-Trim-Square-MLSQ040/310363529


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## therealSteveN (Oct 29, 2016)

Somewhere I read if it's a low priced item, and it measures, buy the plastic before metal for accuracy.

That said I was at my local WoodCraft and they were having a special on Starrett rafter squares. They were the perfect size 24×16.5, and 8 bux. They have some plastic speed squares that I know to be true, and on the 3rd Starrett I checked it was dead nutz 90. Took that cheap metal square home. The first 2 I checked were wayyyy off, just like your Milwaukee. The moral of this is that Starrett is the name I think of for measuring. Milwaukee I don't think of measuring, more of drills, saws, stuff like that.

I have had 2 of those plastic speed squares for a long time, no breakage, bending, and still square, just stick with what works.


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## AMZ (Jan 27, 2020)

I bought a Starret framing square about a dozen years ago, from Amazon, despite the many negative reviews. I decided to take a chance, reasoning that if the square was out, I remembered being taught how to true it. Fortunately, it was acceptable as is.

For the life of me, I don't understand why Starrett would venture into this level of tools, without the level of quality usually associated with their name.


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## tvrgeek (Nov 19, 2013)

My speed squares are Swanson and they are all more than good enough for construction. They are not intended as a substitute for a try square, though if you put two back to back, they still should be within a papers width of true. I do have a HF plastic one and had to take a tiny swipe on sandpaper to make it dead on.

Milwaukee is rebranding everything under the sun to capitalize on their name. Some good, some crap.

Seems Starrett is not what it used to be in all cases. I have two of their tools and am quite disappointed. Tap handle and marking gauge. Both US made. Starrett framing squares? Zoro catalog lists country of origin as China.

Not a single combo square at my Home Depot was square. Empire or Stanley. Bought an iGang from Amazon. Steel head and no light gap next to my steel machinist square.


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## Redoak49 (Dec 15, 2012)

I recently bought the iGaging set of double square from Amazon. Both the 4" and 6" we're right on and price reasonable .


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## OldBull (Apr 30, 2020)

I think milwaukee purchased empire not long ago.


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## SMP (Aug 29, 2018)

> Somewhere I read if it s a low priced item, and it measures, buy the plastic before metal for accuracy.
> 
> Milwaukee I don t think of measuring, more of drills, saws, stuff like that.
> 
> ...


I guess my thinking is that in this point in time, any DIYer with some extra money can make or buy their own CNC machine. I would expect a company like Milwaukee to own or at least have access to a milling machine that costs more than my house. Precision machining isn't rocket science. So I guess I am wondering why they can't do it. And the Empire ones had the same defect, so maybe made by same company?

And as you mentioned my plastic fiberglass looking square I bought 30 years ago is perfectly square, but looks like I found it under the ocean. I like having decent looking hand tools, ones that I want to hold and use. Which for looks these are a 10/10 whereas the plastic ones look like garbage. Just a pride thing I suppose, but its what I enjoy. Just disappointed is all.


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## pintodeluxe (Sep 12, 2010)

This is one market segment that is pitiful at the low to middle end products. Only the expensive squares seem to be accurate, which is mind boggling with such a simple tool. 
Especially with fixed squares. They only do one thing! No moving parts! How hard is that to get right?


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## SMP (Aug 29, 2018)

> This is one market segment that is pitiful at the low to middle end products. Only the expensive squares seem to be accurate, which is mind boggling with such a simple tool.
> Especially with fixed squares. They only do one thing! No moving parts! How hard is that to get right?
> 
> - pintodeluxe


Exactly! Woodworkers for hundreds of years could make dead square wooden squares, with primitive wooden hand planes. But the most technologically advanced CNC machine controlled by computers that can count to infinity cant grind 2 sides of a chunk of aluminum to be perpendicular? Mind boggling.


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