Over at the ToolGuyd Forum, scottshu13 posted this great deal on Milwaukee’s previous generation M18 Fuel combo kit. It’s the M18 Fuel hammer drill and impact driver kit that was the top of the line when 4Ah batteries were all the rage.
So if you don’t care about One-Key or having the latest and greatest M18 Fuel combo with 5Ah batteries, this is a great choice.
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If you’re wondering whether or not to go with these 1st-generation tools, here’s a look at what’s new:
- New Milwaukee 2nd-Gen M18 Fuel Brushless Drill (2703) and Hammer Drill (2704)
- New 2nd-gen Milwaukee M18 Fuel Impact Drivers and Compact Impact Wrenches
- Milwaukee One-Key – Here is Everything You Want to Know
- Milwaukee One Key Impact Driver and Wrenches DO Have Torque Control
The kit comes with the following:
- M18 Fuel 1/2 in. hammer drill/driver (2604-20)
- M18 Fuel 1/4 in. hex impact driver (2653-20 )
- M18 XC 4.0Ah battery pack (48-11-1840)
- M18 and M12 multi-voltage charger (48-59-1812 )
- Belt clip
- Side handle
- Carrying case
This combo normally sells for $399 at Home Depot, but with the 20% discount, the price is now $320 plus tax. It’s available for shipping, but you can choose the “Pick Up In Store” option to have it shipped to your local HD for free.
It looks like Home Depot is clearancing this combo from their online stores, but they say the deal ends 06/26/2016. Quantities are limited though so there’s no guarantee their stock will last that long.
Amazon (or more likely a 3rd party seller on Amazon) is also selling the combo for $320, but they are currently out of stock. You can still order and they’ll ship when the tools are back in stock.
Buy Now (via Home Depot)
Buy Now (via Amazon)
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If you find that you would instead prefer the latest and greatest 2nd generation M18 Fuel drill and impact driver, that combo is at the full price of $399, but currently being bundled with a free bonus battery pack or bare tool.
The Acme promo periods ends 6/30/2016, and Home Depot’s end date is unknown. At Acme it’s easy to miss the promotion when you use the second link below, so make sure you see the “Free Milwaukee…” text underneath the price. When you add the kit to your cart the free battery or tool will also be added to your cart.
If you follow the Home Depot promo link (third one below), it’ll take you to a list page. The first item isn’t a deal, but the second, third, and fifth are. You’ll notice in the picture there’s a “Special Buy” logo and an additional “+” sign showing the item that you can get for free. For instance, the second item is the combo kit with the additional M18 Hackzall. Also for the deals, the model number will be a concatenation of the combo and the bonus tool numbers.
If you buy a Milwaukee M18 Fuel 2nd generation combo at its full price of $399, you can get a free 5.0Ah battery pack, Hackzall, or LED flood light, all of which are valued higher than the $80 you would save on a 1st gen M18 Fuel combo.
Compare (2nd Gen Kit via Acme Tool)
See Also (2nd Gen kit Promos via Acme Tool)
See Also(2nd Gen Kit Promos via Home Depot)
So if you’re looking to buy a new Milwaukee M18 Fuel brushless tool combo, here’s your choice: buy the 1st generation combo at a great discount, or buy the 2nd generation combo at full price, but get the updated tools and higher capacity kit batteries, plus a free battery, saw, or worklight.
Which deal sounds better to you?
Ben’s Choice: It’s a tough choice, but as a price conscious consumer the first generation kit gets you in the M18 Fuel game cheaper. The 1st generation M18 Fuel tools are still solid workhorses.
Stuart’s Choice: While $320 is a great price for the 1st-gen Milwaukee M18 Fuel hammer drill and impact driver combo, I feel that the promo 2nd-gen kits offer greater bang for the buck. Yes, the investment is higher, but you get the latest and greatest tools, higher capacity battery packs, and at least the price difference in bonus tool value.
If you have a tighter budget, $320 is obviously better than $399, but if you might also need or want one of those bonus tools or an extra 5.0Ah battery pack, a 2nd-gen promo bundle gains even more appeal.
Cr8ondt
2nd gen with promo is simply the best choice, I could only justify 1st gen if the price drop significantly lower.
fred
The 2nd. Generation deal is also the same price at ToolUp – which makes me wonder about how special a buy it is if lots of folks have it at the same price.
Benjamen
I’m wondering if Milwaukee puts these combinations together and sells them to the stores, but they can’t return them. I’m not sure how Milwaukee and Home Depot work, but some merchandise in some stores isn’t actually store inventory so if it doesn’t sell it either goes back to the manufacturer or the manufacturer lowers the price.
I’m starting to get a feel that these special buy items are actually store inventory, thus the super deep discounts after holidays when they don’t sell.
fred
The only thing that I know about Home depot and Milwaukee is that they reportedly had cut some sort of deal to lock Amazon out of selling most Milwaukee tools except via third party vendors.
I wonder if there is something like supermarkets and bookstores where HD demands slotting fees or cooperative advertising allowances from its vendors like Milwaukee ?
Mark
I’ve had my 2nd gen set since Christmas. A few observations. I’ve had it lock up once where the drill stopped responding until I removed the battery and replaced it. That shouldn’t be happening on a nearly new drill. And the forward/reverse switch is too easy to press accidentally. More than a few times I’ve found that that it has changed direction or locked without me intending. I’ve never had that issue on another drill. The LED light doesn’t stay on very long after you let go of the trigger. It wouldn’t bother me except that I read in other reviews that competitor’s products stay on much longer and I definitely wish for that feature.
Oh, and the impact driver seems to have too little torque in setting one or too much in setting two. I find that the head slips out and strips screw heads more than I’ve seen on any other impact. It maybe just has too much power.
Other than that, I like them.
Toolpig
Gen 2 definitely. Too many advantages. Smaller. More power and speed. Better batteries. Those older kits have been sitting for a long time. That is the worst thing that can happen to a lithium ion battery besides overheating.
Michael Quinlan
This kit may have been previously listed at $399 before the Gen 2 kit was introduced, but the price dropped to $299 with the introduction of the Gen 2 kit at $399. At least this was the in-store pricing I was seeing at the time. The Gen 2 kit is still listed at $399 on the site, and I’ve seen it in some stores for $349, so claiming a $319 price on a Gen 1 kit is a 20% discount is absolute BS.
*IF* you can find the Gen 1 kit in a Home Depot store, it’s on clearance for $200, and has been for months. I have yet to find one, even though I’ve been in at least 3 stores that claim to have 1 or 2 in stock.
This is reminiscent of a Macy’s ad from 20 years ago, where the fine print read “intermediate mark downs may have been taken”.
Benjamen
“At least this was the in-store pricing I was seeing at the time.”
That is the problem, each store prices it’s clearance items differently and at different times. I can’t go to my local HD and then post here that they have tool X on clearance because the store down the road or across the country doesn’t. Many times I’ll see tool X on clearance for one price at one Home Depot and see it on the shelves at normal price at another.
Yes at ONE of my stores they were clearancing the 1st gen kits out for $299 a while back, but now they don’t stock it anymore. I don’t ever think I saw them on sale at another, they might have run out of stock and didn’t any more to clearance. If you missed that deal you missed it. This is a deal right now.
Is this the best deal no? Is this a deal that anybody can click on anywhere in the country and buy, yes?
Michael Quinlan
Good point. I know first hand that pricing on clearance items can vary from one store to the next.
You’re right – the deal itself is not that great, but it is available to anyone, and I applaud the sharing of the deal.
Tom
While we are on the slippery slope of pricing and features
Why not go get the new bluetooth One-Key set with a circ saw, recip saw, or additional battery for $50 more than Gen2?
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwaukee-M18-18-Volt-FUEL-with-ONE-KEY-Brushless-Hammer-Drill-Impact-Driver-Combo-Kit-with-Free-M18-FUEL-7-1-4-in-Circular-Saw-2796-22-2731-20/206955669
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwaukee-M18-18-Volt-FUEL-with-ONE-KEY-Brushless-Hammer-Drill-Impact-Driver-Combo-Kit-with-Free-M18-FUEL-Reciprocating-Saw-2796-22-2720-20/206955668
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwaukee-M18-18-Volt-FUEL-with-ONE-KEY-Brushless-Hammer-Drill-Impact-Driver-Combo-Kit-with-Free-M18-5-0Ah-Lithium-Ion-Battery-2796-22-48-11-1850/206955670
PW Yeung
International Tools has a very good deal right now with the Milwaukee 2786-22 at $499. They are offering two bonues 1) choice of M18 Fuel Sawzall or M18 Fuel 7 1/4 inch circular saw 2) Milwaukee Jobsite backpack. If you act fast and use their $20 off coupon (MIL20), you end up paying all three for only $479 with free shipping.
PW Yeung
Sorry, it is the Milwaukee 2796-22 One-Key that is on sale for $499 plus two bonues. And you can also apply the $20 discount with MIL20 at International Tools.