M18 Brushless but not Fuel

[FMC1959]

I thought Fuel and brushless were the same for Milwaukee, but a young kid at HD told me otherwise.

I was looking at a 2799 kit which I saw in the flyer were brushless. He told me he didn't have this kit in stock AND it was not Fuel, but explained to me that the difference between brushless and Fuel is the Fuel products have "REDLINK PLUS Electronic Intelligence", the brushless doesn't.

The drill & impact of the 2799 (2798 also) say brushless but do not say Fuel on them like other Fuel products.

Funny thing is on the HD site, below the overview, the 2nd bullet says it has Redlink Intelligence.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwauke...s-Impact-Combo-Kit-2-Tool-2799-22CX/205846386

Between the 2799 (and similar 2798) versus a Fuel kit like the 2797, the 2797 has to 4.0 batteries, the 2799 has a 1 slim and 1 4.0. Also the drill & impact on the 2797 are marginally beefier specs and also slightly heavier units.

For the Milwaukee gurus, 2 questions;

Is there a Fuel and brushless distinction, and what is it?

Between the 2799 & 2797 it is about $100 difference, is the 2797 worth the extra $100?

 

[oldldh]

I have the 2701 Compact Brushless Drill Driver...

It is $80.00 less than the Fuel Drill Driver...

I, as a old DIY'er, could not justify the difference...

The Fuel Drill does have larger batteries, but I haven't needed them, and the Fuel costs 40% more---$279.99 vs $199.99...

I bought the blower with the difference!!!

I love my drill!!!...(And my "Fuel-less" Free Blower!!!)

 

[jobo1004]

Fuel is always brushless, but brushless isn't always fuel.
http://toolguyd.com/milwaukee-compact-brushless-drills-impact-driver/

 

[Ign]

Eventually everything will transition to brushless, but Milwaukee needs a way to distinguish "regular duty" from "heavy duty." Fuel is the heavy duty/contractor grade.

I've been using my 2701 a little and I'm really impressed. Seems to have good low end torque and trigger modulation.

The Redlink thing, nah. That's gonna be in most if not all Milwaukee tools these days.

 

[JettaGetUpandGo]

The biggest difference is a little more power with the fuel and the larger capacity batteries. For most it's not worth the price premium.

 

[Ign]

The biggest difference is a little more power with the fuel and the larger capacity batteries. For most it's not worth the price premium.

What you mean to say is larger batteries provided in the KITS, but that's just how Milwaukee chooses to package them. Technically "Fuel" and "brushless" refer only to the tools themselves and have nothing to do w the batteries, plus any M18 battery will work with any M18 tool.

Eventually I think we'll see compact brushless kits (the 2701 drill is an example of compact brushless) packaged w XC batteries; in the past such kits have had an XC in the part #, like the old 2697-22XC. It gets a bit muddier as the new compact kits are denoted w CX, so if one is lexdysic this will be very confusing.

 

[Zeke]

I bought Fuel 12v and and very happy with the power they have. So, for the price of a non Fuel 18v you can have all the technology of Fuel (I think).

 

[JettaGetUpandGo]

What you mean to say is larger batteries provided in the KITS, but that's just how Milwaukee chooses to package them. Technically "Fuel" and "brushless" refer only to the tools themselves and have nothing to do w the batteries, plus any M18 battery will work with any M18 tool.

This is correct. I assumed we were discussing the kits given the first post and links to the HD site. When purchasing the kit, having a battery that lasts longer could help justify the difference in price.

 

[abvw]

I believe the Fuel drills are equipped with a hammering function while the 2701 doesn't. There is a 2702 that has hammering but it's also slightly more expensive.

Sent from my Q10 using Tapatalk

 

[FMC1959]

I bought Fuel 12v and and very happy with the power they have. So, for the price of a non Fuel 18v you can have all the technology of Fuel (I think).

I am sure the M12 are great but I already have close to 20 tools in the M12 line, none of them Fuel and all working fine for the moment.

I need to get something in the M18 line specifically because I have an old V18 hammer drill and the batteries are dying. I use the same batteries to run the Milwaukee wet/dry vac which runs only on v18 or M18, so that is my reason to get into the M18, and overall there are many great tools I can get down the road.

 

[FMC1959]

I believe the Fuel drills are equipped with a hammering function while the 2701 doesn't. There is a 2702 that has hammering but it's also slightly more expensive.

Sent from my Q10 using Tapatalk

This is the reason I am looking at the 2799 kit. It has the 2702 hammer drill and it also has one XC4.0 and one slim 2.0 versus two slim 2.0 and non hammer 2701 drill the 2798 kit has.

 

[FMC1959]

I have the 2701 Compact Brushless Drill Driver...

It is $80.00 less than the Fuel Drill Driver...

I, as a old DIY'er, could not justify the difference...

The Fuel Drill does have larger batteries, but I haven't needed them, and the Fuel costs 40% more---$279.99 vs $199.99...

I bought the blower with the difference!!!

I love my drill!!!...(And my "Fuel-less" Free Blower!!!)

Thanks oldldh, after reading Stuey's Toolguyd review, looks like I will probably go with the compacts. Paying an extra $100 for the Fuel kit that gives me two 4.0 batteries versus one 4.0 & one 2.0 and very similar specs/performance, I'll keep the $100 for another tool

 

[oldldh]

Glad I could help...

My drill does everything I need it to, and my Wife loves "her" new blower for cleaning off the patio...

T'was a "win-win" scenario...

 

[Sal Bandini]

All things being equal a larger capacity battery will also source more current so in theory you will supply more of it to the motor, if it can take advantage of it. If not, then maybe they use a modified motor in the beefier one and/or the redlink communicates to the tool as well. Or it limits the current of the lower end one.