I recently had my Milwaukee M18 Fuel 7 1/4" circular saw and a 12 amp-hour battery stolen from my truck while I was loading tools at a job site. It's really disheartening because I can't afford to keep replacing tools. I'm thinking that Milwaukee should include some kind of tracking feature in their products, similar to Tile. I'm just tired of losing tools when I'm trying to build up my collection.
4 Answers
Milwaukee actually makes a tracker called the Tick, but it’s not perfect for tracking your tools. Just keep in mind that for both Tile and Tick, the other person needs to have the app installed to detect it, which could be an issue if you’re relying on it out in the field.
Wait, just to clarify—were your tools stolen while you were unloading them? Did you leave your truck unlocked or something? I'm trying to understand the situation better.
Honestly, the best approach is to keep your tools locked up. Whenever I’m at a job site, I lock my vehicle and keep everything as secure as possible. When I’m carrying tools from my truck, I try to only have what I need nearby and lock up the rest. It's just the way the world is nowadays.
Exactly! I always lock my tools up when I leave my truck alone. It's not foolproof, but it at least minimizes the risk.
Have you thought about using Apple AirTags? You can open up your tools and find a small space to fit them inside, then use a hot glue gun to secure them. This setup can help you track your tools for at least a year, and you just need to swap out the coin battery when it dies.
I think Tile is actually better for tracking than AirTags. With Tile, you can see a path where your tool has been, while the AirTag only shows the current location, and it has a tendency to die unexpectedly. I've put them in my tools too, and it’s usually easier to hide a Tile in a tool compared to an AirTag.
But AirTags have become pretty useless for thieves now since anyone can get a notification if they're being tracked. It lets you know to ditch the stolen item before you even realize what's going on.
Yeah, and that's why Apple's AirTags are generally more effective since there's a bigger user base. If you decide to go for it, make sure you buy a good housing and plan for battery changes regularly.