I was over at Amazon looking through the trailings of Prime Day, and this deal for a Milwaukee M12 3/8″ cordless drill (bare) popped out at me. As we’ve covered before, Amazon isn’t an authorized dealer for Milwaukee, but as it’s a “Fulfilled by Amazon” deal, it’s more than likely a legit tool.
Mind you this is the same drill that is usually sold in a kit with an impact driver, charger, and two batteries for $99 around the holidays, but if you already have batteries and a charger $35 isn’t too bad for a bare M12 drill.
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Another thing to keep in mind is that Milwaukee plans on releasing their new (2nd generation) M12 Fuel 1/2″ drills starting in December 2017. So if you are looking for a deal on an M12 Fuel drill and can wait that long, you might be rewarded with some better pricing as Milwaukee and retailers look to unload their inventory of first generation models.
Just to review, the 2407 brushed motor M12 drill has a 3/8″ chuck, two speed gearbox with 400 and 1500 max RPM, and delivers up to 275 in-lbs of torque.
The deal is over on Amazon $34.48. You can get free shipping whether you are a Prime member or not, but if you are a Prime member and you add a qualifying item to bring your total up over $35, you can qualify for free one-day or next day shipping.
The deal is offered by a 3rd party seller, and a few others are also offering similar pricing. Since they’re “Fulfilled by Amazon,” there should be little risk.
Price: $35
Buy Now (via Amazon)
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If you are looking for a kit, this deal Stuart posted with a Milwaukee M12 drill and impact driver + 6.0Ah battery combo kit is back for $150 at Home Depot. Unfortunately, it’s no longer at the special holiday price of $99, but $150 isn’t bad if you need a 12V-class kit right now.
Price: $150
Buy Now (via Home Depot)
DaveP
I am sharing this comment for those that are considering the purchase of the 12 volt Milwaukee brushed set.
Last year I received the $99 Milwaukee kit for Father’s Day. I used it several times over the last year and have grown increasingly disappointed with it. The drill is fine as a second drill for pilot holes or small projects, but it is grossly underpowered for anything substantial. I tried drilling a 1/4″ hole in 3/16″ plate steel and it really struggled even with a new cobalt alloy bit. To get any drilling power I also have to switch the bigger and much bulkier battery. Still, drilling is very slow. I switched to my 18 volt compact brushless and the bit went through like it was cutting through pine. The 12 volt drills with the bigger battery aren’t much different in size than the 18 volt compact brushless drills.
As far as the impact driver goes I gave up on it. Last fall I installing some deck boards (maybe 15 or so) and the driver was very slow and kept shutting down (overheating or something). I switched to my 18 volt brushless compact and the screws went in fast and clean.
I realize that maybe I am pushing these 12 volt tools far beyond their intended purpose, but if their use is so limited and there is no longer much of a size savings then what is the value other than they are cheaper than the 18 volt versions? I am now considering selling my 12 volt set. The technology that is available today has really made this set obsolete for many people like me.
My favorite 12 volt tool is the screwdriver because it is effective for that job and is one of the smallest on the market. I haven’t found a better replacement yet.
James C
As an owner of both, I think having 12V and 18V is going to be redundant for many people. With the 18V compacts, there really isn’t much size difference – at least with drills and impact drivers.
I suppose I got hooked on M12 with a good deal on the drill/driver kit years ago. Now I’m finding I’d rather have more power on those two as well as the multitool and recip. The minor size and weight differences VS 18V isn’t important to me. They’re quality tools, but not the best fit for my proposes.
fred
We had a whole bunch of the original M12 tools. Our installers loved them – Our carpenters used Makita 18V LXT tools. Why – because they fit the type of work that they were doing. The installers were mostly drilling pilot or clearance holes, driving small wood screws and adjusting hinges and doing other light duty jobs.
I’ve opined before that you need to match the tool to the job. My mantra was:
don’t use a drill if you need a hammer drill; don’t use a hammer drill if you need a rotohammer,; don’t expect that a rotohammer is a substitute for a pneumatic jackhammer; use a hoe-ram when the jackhammer can’t do the job; call in the rock drillers and blasting crew when the shelf is too much for a hoe-ram.
David
Wrong tool for the job. Of course the 12v with the small battery is going to struggle with 3/16″ steel. For me the big advantage of the 12v is the tools get very small when needed. I’ve moved to the 12v Fuel tools exclusively – more powerful than the brushed 12v. They’re excellent, but still won’t perform like the 18v. I don’t think you can expect them to.
John
Um why would you attempt that?
tried drilling a 1/4″ hole in 3/16″ plate steel and it really struggled even with a new cobalt alloy bit.
DaveP
Well, it seemed reasonable. But, like I said I was likely pushing these too far and they were not a good match for the job. Using the 18v compact brushless was just fine and as others have noted there isn’t much of a size difference anymore. I wonder how the 12 volt Fuel (2nd gen) will compare to the 18 volt compact brushless.
I have noticed (as a homeowner) that I haven’t needed to use either of my two heavy duty corded drills in years. For folks like me, the 18 v systems really are sufficient for most needs and I could easily rent tools for the very rare bigger job.
Travis
I use my M12 drill and impact driver non-stop. Granted I have only used the drill on steel a handful of times but it performed admirably. Mostly I use it on deck stuff, finish work and for electrical work. I not only love the power but also the size/form factor. Highly recommend and very handy to have. I have 18 volt counter parts but I seldom use them. For serious steel work I am more likely to grab a corded drill or use a drill press.
Sam
I have m18 fuel an m12 fuel. I love them both I use my m12 fuel impact more lately than the m18. The m12 fuels are good. The brushed m12s I wouldn’t mess with.
The yeti
Love my 12 volt Bosch stuff . Use it more often than the 18v . I prefer the light weight . If I need a bigger tool I have the big ones . Smaller is better most of the time
Blythe M
I didn’t have a good experience with the brushed set either. I thought by 4 year old Bosch 12v set we’re getting tired, so I bought the set above when I was $99. The new impact had horrible trigger lag and seemingly half the power of my well abused Bosch. I love my m18 fuel stuff, my brother loves his m12 fuel stuff, but I would pass on these
Robert W
The kit was a great deal for $99 with the extra battery. With new products and other accessories I have my eyes on, this was worth the entry price here and I jumped right on it around Father’s day. For $150 that’s encroaching close enough on 18v territory, regardless of manufacturer. The brushed drills are a bit heavier than my Bosch 12v that’s the only thing I have against the Milwaukee.
dcustar
Fred is right (as he almost always is). Match your tool to your job. I have and use Bosch 10.8v drills and impact driver on most jobs, and they do the jobs
fine. I also bought an M12 Fuel set because I expected the Bosch batteries to go out, and the M12 Fuel set was on sale. So far, I am still good to go on the 10.8v Bosch batteries, but the Milwaukee tools are better in all but form factor. I don’t have to pull out the M18 Fuel drills or the Ridgid Pulse driver very often. That said, wait until closer to the gen2 release date to score even better deals unless you need the tools now.
Dave
I don’t have a lot of use for drills now that impacts are common for fastening. I have 6 of the M12 impacts and they are all used daily and never give a moment’s trouble and will easily sink #10×5″ torx screws. I will admit that if you have thousands of such screws to sink, that the M18 will do it a bit faster but you won’t notice the faster speed at all if you’re sinking a few dozen or less of the really long screws. On the more common #8x 3-1/8″ Torx, the M 12 is just as fast.
One truck has an M18 impact but they guys rarely use it as it’s heavier and they don’t need any improvement in performance over the lighter M12’s.
That’s a pretty good little drill and it’s sure cheap,enough if you had a need for it. About the only time we use ours is for pre-drilling stuff that might otherwise split if not pre-drilled. Yesterday we did drill some 3/8 holes clear through 6×6’s and the little M12 drills did that just fine, but we did use brand-new bits.
STEVE
I personally bought the m12 Drill/Driver set to break into the m12 line, which has tons of options, including heated jackets, etc. As far as the drill/driver themselves go, I’d wait until the new ones come out….looks like Milwaukee finally got the form factor down. More and more, I find myself falling back on the Bosch PS22 and PS32 drill/driver set….they are excellent for woodworking and assembly, where a hammer driver might do damage….and there is an adjustable clutch. So, I’ll be looking forward to the new m12 units when released.
Nathan
FWIW, I went with the M12 Fuel brushless because it has more power than the “regular” M12 line. I’m glad I did. I think M12 Fuel is perfect as long-term tools for most homeowners and DIYers. It gives you a nice balance between power and form factor (the small battery is great for the quick jobs around the house). I can see being disappointed in the “regular” M12 — I’ve used the Fuel set in a couple cases now where I could tell that if I had even a bit less power I’d have ended up frustrated.
KL
I’ve used the ORIGINAL 2450 and revised 2462 M12 impact drivers extensively sinking self-drilling sheetmetal screws. Both are workhorses and just won’t quit. Small impacting technology is where lower voltage can still perform well by the very nature of impact(ing). The 12V drills are EXCELLENT to keep loaded w countersinks.