Milwaukee sent over one of their new M12 Fuel brushless hammer drill and impact driver combo kits for review, model 2598-22.
I’ve used these tools for a couple of projects so far – hanging cabinets, building a temporary lifting gantry with wood studs, hanging more cabinets, and for an assortment of tasks that have come up.
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For the most part, I used them as I would my usual 18V-class drill and driver, or whatever 18V-class tools I’m currently testing out.
They’re more than enough for light duty tasks, and up to heavier applications, such as driving in 3″ lag screws into wood studs.
So far, I’m not finding anything to complain about.
As discussed last month, the new Milwaukee M12 Fuel drills are substantially shorter than previous generation drills. The drill’s E-chuck works well, the tool feels great in-hand, and everything was peachy.
I found myself using the impact driver a bit more than the drill. In general, I’ve taken a liking to impact-rated drill bits, and have not had issues with Milwaukee’s bits. Actually, I really like Milwaukee Shockwave drill bits. They have one-piece construction and have performed better than I expected. This means a lot, coming from someone who usually detests hex-shanked drill bits.
Will I use them on precision projects? No. But for drilling some holes for drywall anchors? Sure. Pilot holes for larger drill bits? Maybe.
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I know a lot of users have made the switch to using impact drivers for everything. The marred drawer pull screws on our kitchen cabinets and stripped hinge screws in my parent’s kitchen cabinets are proof that an impact driver isn’t always the best choice of tool.
But with the newest M12 Fuel impact sporting additional speed and torque settings, it’s easier to drive fasteners with greater control, helping to reduce such damage.
I didn’t use the self-tapping screw mode yet, at least not intentionally, but I have used the impact driver’s 3 other speed and torque modes. Usually I’m in the 2 smaller modes, switching to top speed when dealing with longer or larger fasteners.
I forgot to switch back once, and wondered why it was taking so long to drive in a 3″ lag screw. That’s happened before with other impact drivers. Switching between a single-speed impact and multi-speed impacts will do that to you. I hunt for the switch on single-speed impacts and forget that multi-speed impacts have them. I digress.
While I cannot say that these are my favorite cordless tools ever, they do seem to be the most capable 12V-class tools I have ever used. If there were ever 18V replacements, these would be it. They’re powerful, speedy, fairly compact for tools of their capabilities, and comfortable to use.
The kit comes with a compact battery pack, XC battery pack (which is quite handy for setting tools down upright), an M12 charger, and carrying case.
Price: $229
Buy Now(via Acme Tools)
Who should buy this combo kit? Someone interested in using high-performing 12V-sized hammer drill and impact driver for light to medium duty tasks. They’re capable of smaller tasks, as well as jobs that used to be reserved for 18V-sized tools.
I hope to have a “more formal” review soon. In the meantime, please let me know if you have any questions or test scenario requests.
Thank you to Milwaukee for providing the test samples!
Bob
What about noise levels of these new products? Milwaukee’s M18 Fuel tools have been touted as producing less noise than those of other manufacturers’—what about the M12 products? Thanks!
Stuart
I won’t use the impact without hearing protection.
Jim Felt
Good on you.
You’re smarter then most of us. Or as I say frequently from my long ago R&R daze “huh”?
Stuart
I’ll try to remember that when I need to do “just one more thing” inside a small cabinet and leave my earmuffs on the table.
Pete
One of a favorite purchases has been ryobi’s quiet strike impact that i needed for a install at an art gallery. It takes sime getting use to but it sure makes using the impact much more pleasant.
Bob
Thanks but that doesn’t answer my question, does it?
Stuart
Aside from the Surge, I don’t think I’ve ever seen claims about M18 Fuel tools being quieter than the competition.
Subjectively, the M12 Fuel impact isn’t louder or quieter than other impact drivers I’ve used, except for maybe the smoother-sounding Hitachi 18V Triple-Hammer.
Frankly, I don’t know how to answer your question, so I tried to make it clear that this isn’t like the oil impulse driver, and that it’s noisy enough to warrant hearing protection.
If hearing protection is required little differences become somewhat indiscernible.
Bob
Thanks!
Chris
I find Milwaukee’s previous gen m12 fuel hammer drill to be irritatingly loud. Much more so than my 20v impact driver. Doesn’t affect the performance at all so meh. And I don’t use the hammer function much so meh. Still a great tool.
Jim Felt
Stuart. Do you have any of the 6 Ah Milwaukee batteries to determine if these too run a bit faster with this larger battery? Let alone a lot longer.
Stuart
I don’t.
With the M18 tools, going to XC is said to provide a 10% power boost to drills and drivers. Even then, I don’t think it’s a “speed” benefit, but one of current and torque delivery.
Jeremy
They DO! Actually I was going to write a message on that subject to you Stuart, though I don’t have Gen 2, and almost my entire shop(enough tools for up to 5 guys) was robbed, I found my gen 1 impact someone had left out on a job and decided to do a comparison with the new set I bought. I bought it when they first came out, and it has been the favorite impact in the shop since, so you can imagine the hours and abuse it has taken. I ran them side by side and noticed the only difference between it and a brand new one was the batteries, switch the batteries, and the old one ran faster.
The difference was between a 1.5Ah and a XC6.0 but there was a difference still between the 1.5 and 3.0(smaller) . As a result of the testing I run the xc 6.0 in my drill and the 3.0 in the impact. This is less about speed, and more about ease of grabbing them from the toolbag, I can always tell what I’m grabbing by feel.
Side note: Stuart, do you find that the impact with drill bit is as fast as the drill? I notice on small bits it is faster in soft material but anything bigger(say 1/4) or a deep drill into tougher material it slows down enough that running both a drill and impact becomes worthwhile again.
glenn
I can say from personal use there is a noticeable increase in power using the 6.0ah battery over the 1.5ah or the 3.0ah with the M12 circular saw, the band saw and the brushed rotary hammer but I can’t feel any discernible difference with the drills, impact driver, sawzall or multi tool.
Jonathan
Personally, I haven’t been able to perceive a difference in power using the 6Ah XC batteries in my tools.
Last spring I bought 3 or 4″ wax and polish pad kit with spindled velco backer and some extra chemical guys pads from Amazon, I would have bought the M12 polish/sander kit if I needed the higher RPMs for sanding as that unit delivers much higher RPMs over the M12 Fuel drill (7k if I recall).
That said it did make the cutting, polishing, and waxing of my personal vehicles and work rig , the easiest, fastest and did the best job over any tool, I’ve tried.
The 6 Ah batteries did allow me to get more panels done before having to swap in the next battery, (on a side note, while I haven’t used the dedicated sander/polisher Milwaukee sells, only the gen 1 Fuel drill, perhaps it has a different gearing ratio, and delivers better battery life), Its hard to imagine in a Commercial retail detail setup if all they used were the M12 with 3-4″ pads (which are really better suited for your a, b and c pillars mirrors and other tight places where dealing with trim, than on larger body panels (but they will do the job with more control, but take longer). It also great for polishing metal, takes Aluminum from dull to glossy. (Didn’t mean to get off an a M12 polishing tanget).
The smaller pads are not Ideal size for detailing most cars larger than a Mini or a Miata a VS 6-10″ polisher is more ideal for larger body panels. That said dragging a cord around and sometimes against/on panels is the biggest hassle with corded VS polishers.
That said of this digression (my M12 Fuel drill and Hackzalls are the only tools that have I’ve used in a continuous drain manner), my other M12 tools get more intermittent use, and I’ve yet to use them on a larger project like a deck. The smaller batteries do have a place at times, I prefer the 2ah bullets in the 3/8 ratchet (no hose is awesome) also I prefer the 2ah for the longer overhead jobs with the impact/drill.
I have a couple 9Ah M18 batteries, I know they are advertised to provide more power, the 9Ah on my 7 1/4 circular definitely adds bulk and weight, again if I was a framer I might still opt to use the 5ah over the 9ah, the same is true with the 15ga angled finish nailer the 2ah is perfect size if your installing crown molding or trim work (other than being more noticeable) but extra power doesn’t seem needed with any of the TTi nailers (2 are ryobis).
That said we sure have come light years in battery life and tool power since the NiCD days in the 90s.
AJ
Wow, great review!
Pete
That is one down side to the gen1 m12 impact is the head is pretty long. For small spaces i have to use my makita impact or dewalts right angle 1/4” adapter.
Tom
So what would be the limitation of these tools vs. a 18v model? I’ve been using 12v tools for years and never found a need for anything bigger. If you are sinking 3 inch lag bolts with these, why would you ever need more power?
Stuart
Power ceiling/specs. Cost. Comfort (battery in insert vs. slide-pack).
1/4″ x 3″ lag screws are one thing. 3/8″ x 6″?
12V cordless drills can do a lot of things that 18V drills can do. The same with impact drivers. And they can often do them as good.
This drill has a 1/2″ chuck. Most others have 3/8″ chucks.
These are class-leading 12V brushless tools. But there’s a limit as to what they can do before 18V tools are better options.
Tom
That’s a good point about comfort and battery shape.
My 12v does have a 3/8 chuck which has forced me to pull out my old, corded hammer drill a couple of times (to mix thinset most recently).
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Jim Felt
Maybe consistent speed and power? I use both and if there’s any resistance I move to 18v. Even now with so many great 12v options. And interestingly none of my contractors or subs, literally none, use any 12v. Some have even migrated to what I see as retro sized Hilti. And yes they can twist your arm nearly off (said by a one half hour user… me).
fred
In one business we made and installed custom cabinetry. Our installers were the ones who first wanted the M12 lineup. The carpenters in our general contracting business preferred staying with their Makita 18V – but I hear they have been doing some migrating to M18 as well. In a third business – the plumbers sorta grudgingly moved to M12 for many small tools – and some M18 Force Logic and Ridgid crimpers etc.
KenZ
My reasoning would be if you wanted to standardize on one battery type/size and also needed other tools which only come in/work well with 18V.
Curtis
For a drill or impact driver the capabilities aren’t that much different. For a circular saw or angle grinder though, they’re huge. Some tools are just too power intensive to work well in 12V.
Jonathan
I use my 1st gen M12 impact about 95% of the time and only use my drill like Stuart for the precision holes, the impacts pretty good on drywall esp. with a drywall bit if your installing more than 5-6 screws.
I may upgrade but I think I’ll still wait a year, unless the right Milwaukee deal comes along.
Joe
I like M12 tools, but just because the tool can do something ,like driving 1/4”x3” lags . Doesn’t mean it should do so repeatedly..I find using a 12v tool for repetition of larger tasks wears the tool down, usually jambs the collar or it will stick after.
For limited use on lags it’s fine and of course all screws…if I was a cabinet guy I’d probably use Makita drills and impacts because they are quite compact ( even though I personally don’t like Makita tools) ..I see dozens of HVAC guys using M12…
sstephan
i have this set and gen 2 m18 set .
i was hoping those tools will be much smaller , they’re not.
the impact (front to back) is almost the same length as my m18 impact . and makita 18v impact is much shorter .
and the handles , oh the hideous handles on those m12 tools , the’re so fat! much fatter then m18 tools .
Stuart
They’re smaller than the 1st generation M12 Fuel drills and impact driver. =)
I have medium-sized hands, and the grips on these are at the upper limit of what I find comfortable.
Chris
I have both 18 volt and 12 volt tools , I much prefer the 12’s , small , lighter, get into tight places more easily . What’s not to like .
RC WARD
I have a couple of 12 volt Milwaukee tools and I’m not sold on the platform compared to 18 volt. I still tend to grab the 18 volts.
Jeremy
Where I use M18:
Mixing filler(like drywall mud but much harder to mix).
Drilling holes with a holesaw over 3″ into fiberglass.
Drill holes with a 1″ twist drill into metal.
Driving lags bigger than 3/8″(but only if I’m driving a lot of them, and then I use the m18 fuel with the 3/8″ square drive for sockets)
Where I use M12: Everwhere else.
Ktash
Drilling lots of pocket holes. 12v will do but a struggle and so much better with 18v and now I usually pulll out a fairly cheap corded mastercraft drill. Way better. Not specifically Milwaukee,but any of my makita Bosch craftsman etc.
Cleaner holes. Cuts like butter w corded. So yes you can use 12v for most things but not optimally.
fred
Picking the right tool for the job is sort of like the Goldilocks fable.
You can make do sometimes with an underpowered tool – but productivity and perhaps safety might be challenged. Too big is not always the way to go either. We could bring a hoe-ram or excavator in to break up a few flags of walkway – but a pneumatic jackhammer was much more practical. Cutting out a few bricks in a wall working from staging – and then a cordless rotohammer would be the choice.
BTW – mixing mud can be challenging for a cordless drill – but I see that Milwaukee is offering a dedicated M18 mud mixer.
http://www.acmetools.com/shop/tools/milwaukee-2810-20
KeithinKC
I have several non fuel m12 tools including impact driver and drill. The only time I used the drill is for something really small that is tough to get my m18 hammer drill into. I do use the impact driver for almost everything around the house.
The m12 drill/driver are perfect for small jobs and their smaller stature helps with getting my wife or some to help out. Anything other than light household tasks and I’m grabbed my m18 fuel drill or driver.
My setup has a much wider variation in power, which makes it easy for me to make the choice on whether to use the regular non fuel m12 or the far beefier m18 fuel stuff.
Todd
Anyone concerned about noise I strongly recommend Milwaukee’s Fuel Surge impact driver. It isn’t silent but is significantly less noisy and harsh. It is every bit as powerful as any of my Makita brushless impact drivers, if not more and also offers (IMO) a bit more control for light duty/precision work. I also bought a DeWalt 1/4″ hex 3/8″ toolless chuck for using my expensive brad point bits and it functions much better as a regular drill/driver then a standard impact driver. I haven’t touched any of my other impacts since I bought it (my first/only Milwakee tool aside from the cordless miter saw) and only break out the regular drills when I need to have a countersink and driver on me at the same time or for hole sawing.
Brian
I really want to upgrade to the gen 2, there are a couple things I don’t like though…mainly, I wish they kept the mode select collar.
Nathan L
Nice to hear some more about the next gen m12. I’ve never thought of my gen1 impact as loud, so that’s interesting. I’d be interested to know if the new one is quieter, and any other direct comparison between the two gens.
I almost exclusively use the impact and love it for its lightness, finesse (ie power settings) and compactness (although it could definitely be shorter).
Dominque
I have both of these and they are perfect for me. I use them all the time and I’m very happy with them. I am thinking about an led light next. Just the right size, weight, and power for me.
ACC
Any idea if Milwaukee plans for a M12 Surge driver? Seems like that would be the next tool for me.
David
Nice preview. So what are your favorite cordless tools? I have the Gen 1 Fuel and like them. I’m sure there’s something better, but I decided to only deal with 1 set of batteries for now the M12s are it.
Good point about using a driver for everything. Seems like overkill for small stuff. Guessing that’s why practically every hinge screw in my house was over-driven and loose.
Ryan
I just bought this 2nd Gen M12 Fuel kit because my 1st Gen got stolen. I do facilities maintenance and commercial finish work of multiple trades – meaning I cover a huge gamut of work. My 1st Gen was perfect. It made my M18 hammer drill obsolete. I didn’t even think about replacing it after it was stolen along with my 1st Gen. The smaller size of the new is going to be very helpful because I often have to work in tight spaces. The one thing I hated about my 1st gen drill was the mode selector. It would constantly get knocked out of position if i laid it down on it side or handled it awkwardly (like while trying to drive screws into something heavy by yourself on a ladder and shoving the drill between your knees for brief second…) an would be a pain to reset while on a screw head because you couldn’t have any pressure on the drill while tried to change modes. I’m also interested in how the new vent type and locations fare with dust. My 1st gen drill used to eat drywall dust like cookie monster(I generally took compressed air to it at least once a month because I hate dirty tools and often worked around or in contact with gross or hazardous stuff that prompts regular cleaning as well) and would occasionally belch it out somewhere it doesn’t belong. I look forward to using the new drill and impact as it should continue to cover my bases very well. But like it has been mentioned above, it is to each’s own on tool selection. I just hope my words will help someone make a solid decision for themselves
Lucas
Ehh i like my gen 1 m-12 impact the fluid motor is quiter than brushless models only it shuts itself off under too much stress to protect the motor from damage or overheating though id love to upgrade to the m-18 one key so ill always have precise torque and speed for any job