Milwaukee M18

[imagineer]

Talk me into or out of a Milwaukee M18 Fuel Impact Driver and Drill.

My 14-year-old Porter Cable 20v impact finally expired in a small, anticlimactic puff of blue smoke so I’m going to pry some cash from my miserly grip and buy a new cordless impact.

I’m looking at a kit that has the ¼” impact, cordless drill, charger and 2 batteries. Down the road, I might also pick up the 3/8” impact.

Whereas I’ve got several other Porter Cable 20v tools (drill, angle grinder, Sawzall, oscillating multi-tool), I absolutely hate the drill. It gets crazy hot and the tool-less chuck loosens while in use.

 

[finn]

All I can tell you is that my Dewalt Atomic compact 3/8” and 1/2” impacts blow the doors off my Milwaukee M18 Fuel equivalents.

 

[toyotadriver]

Do it. The battery commonality is awesome. Good tools. The batteries are overpriced but I just use a lot of aftermarket batteries. They do have a higher failure rate but they work well aside from an occasional failure.

 

[dnschmidt]

Finn is right about the impacts but that doesn't seem to be your question. Nothing wrong with the Milwaukee impact driver. What I don't like about the Dewalt DCF850 (impact driver and not impact wrench) is the ergonomics don't work for my large hands. Is it tiny, does it have a boatload of power - YES. Do I like it as much as my Milwaukee impact driver NO. If you have tiny hands your mileage may vary. With respect to an impact wrench the most comfortable and best balanced by far is the Milwaukee Mid-Torque. Unless you're working on farm equipment it has sufficient power to do just about anything car related and it's small. The Milwaukee compact impact is nothing to write home about and it's not that much smaller than the mid-torque. Get the mid-torque.

 

[housewolf]

There was a time Milwaukee had a clear advantage with the early LI batteries. As I understand it, the playing field has evened with the batteries. Yellow vs Red has been beat to death everywhere and there’s really no clear cut “best” across the entire lineup. It’s give & take. That said; I have the (red) tools you are considering, my 1/4” impact is ~5 years old and my 3/8” drill older. They’ve both been used in a professional/construction environment and are both still functioning fine. I think you’ll be very happy with either an upgrade to Red, or Yellow.

 

[engineer2]

Consider Makita too like the XT288T kit. Mine have been trouble free and they make more kinds of tools than anybody. Still family owned.
Most tool companies offer good-better-best models.
Kits may contain the lower-end models to meet price points. Research the specs for what is in the kit.
A good 1/4 hex impact driver should have multiple speed settings. Milwaukee has a killer model with 166 ft-lbs of torque.
A drill should have a good all-metal chuck and a detachable handle.
A detachable handle is a must with large diameter bits or mixing concrete.
A good Milwaukee kit would be the M18 FUEL 2-Tool Combo Kit w/ ONE-KEY. Bonus if you can get the third battery.

 

[Imatk]

2 years old, but I always look this guy's videos up first

I have the Milwaukee

 

[pbon]

I have all Milwaukee at my house. Think about which family you want to marry into. Ryobi is inexpensive, has many tools, and is at every HD. I have Ryobi at another property. Toss the old PC. Ridgid, Dewalt and Makita are also good if they offer all the tools you may need.

 

[428PI]

I don't get the need for the 1/4 impact. What can it do that the drill won't do? I'd go for a 1/2 inch hammer drill and jump to a 3/8 impact. Love my Milwaukee stuff. Need to buy a 1/2 impact someday. Have the framing nailer, weed eater, and chainsaw.

 

[imagineer]

I don't get the need for the 1/4 impact. What can it do that the drill won't do?

For my projects, the 1/4" impact is invaluable for driving longer lumber screws, especially the older Philips head ones. When trying to drive Philips head screws with a standard cordless drill, the bit tends to walk out of the screw head and strip out.

When using a 1/4" impact, the intermittent action seems to allow the bit to reset into the screw head and not strip out.

 

[G1GRANDEUR]

if you are just starting to collect tools, look into their whole line up to see if it's worth investing.

I stated with milwaukee and i don't regret it. but there are other brands that does well too.

 

[theoldwizard1]

I’m looking at a kit that has the ¼” impact, cordless drill, charger and 2 batteries. Down the road, I might also pick up the 3/8” impact.

I started with M12 (old man, can't handle the weight of the bigger battery pack)

I bought a 3/8" drill and a 3/8" impact. Added a 3/8" to 1/4" hex adapter. I am glad I did this as I use both the 3/8" square drive and 1/4" hex a LOT ! Using a 1/4" hex driver with a 3/8" square adapter loses a lot of torque in the adapter.

If you are going to go with an M18 1/2" drill, spend the extra money and get the one with the hammer function (2804). I broke down and bought one of them and an M18 1/2" mid-torque impact (2962) mainly for rotating tires.

I think my son will "inherit" the M18 tools "early" !

 

[nadogail]

Consider Makita too like the XT288T kit. Mine have been trouble free and they make more kinds of tools than anybody. Still family owned.
Most tool companies offer good-better-best models.
Kits may contain the lower-end models to meet price points. Research the specs for what is in the kit.
A good 1/4 hex impact driver should have multiple speed settings. Milwaukee has a killer model with 166 ft-lbs of torque.
A drill should have a good all-metal chuck and a detachable handle.
A detachable handle is a must with large diameter bits or mixing concrete.
A good Milwaukee kit would be the M18 FUEL 2-Tool Combo Kit w/ ONE-KEY. Bonus if you can get the third battery.

I am a Makita fan, of all the people to whom I have recommended Makita tools to, none have told me I steered them wrong.

 

[imagineer]

spend the extra money and get the one with the hammer function

I already have a (older) Milwaukee cordless hammer drill, I believe it's a 14.4v.

It's really old and the battery isn't the best, but it was free. Found on the side of the road; a well used drill, charger and 1 battery in a badly scuffed case. I assumed it had fallen out of a truck.

 

[428PI]

I am a Makita fan, of all the people to whom I have recommended Makita tools to, none have told me I steered them wrong.

I have 2 sets of Makita drills, flashlights, with chargers, case, batteries that I can't get rid of for 5 bucks for the whole lot.

 

[nadogail]

I have 2 sets of Makita drills, flashlights, with chargers, case, batteries that I can't get rid of for 5 bucks for the whole lot.

Differences of opinion are why we have Horse Races and not everybody drives a Ford; if you lived close to me I would be at your door with CASH in my hand. Good luck in finding forever homes for your Makita stuff.

 

[428PI]

Good luck in finding forever homes for your Makita stuff.

I reposted it yesterday and I have 3 clicks on ad. I posted some adds for barn wood and barn doors and have 35 clicks on barn doors from yesterday and 200 on wood from a week ago (which I sold this afternoon). Not looking good. Forever home may be mine or the local dump.

 

[nadogail]

I reposted it yesterday and I have 3 clicks on ad. I posted some adds for barn wood and barn doors and have 35 clicks on barn doors from yesterday and 200 on wood from a week ago (which I sold this afternoon). Not looking good. Forever home may be mine or the local dump.

Can you possibly see your way clear to donate your obviously valuable stuff to a Charity or a Vocational Education Program?

When I was a boy I would have walked miles for a working Cordless Tool, but they were unknown when I was a kid. My first electric drill had the Toastmaster name on it.

 

[428PI]

Can you possibly see your way clear to donate your obviously valuable stuff to a Charity or a Vocational Education Program?

I could still get 2 of the 9.6 volt batteries new on ebay for 18 bucks. I used the 7.2 volt one for dash work on cars for years. Must have had it over 26 years now. Yea, maybe just take it to local religious charity shop.

 

[M635_Guy]

For drill and impact driver, there are lots of good options out there. Few mistakes to be made IMHO.

Personally, I'm a Milwaukee guy, a decision that was mainly driven by the impacts wrenches I wanted. I'd choose Milwaukee again - DeWalt has some good stuff, but I'm not a fan of their handling/usability for some reason.

Anyway, I wound up with the brushless 2803 drill and the Surge impact driver. I'd 100% buy these again, though the options for drill are even better, so I might step into the FUEL line if I was starting over.

The Surge is fantastic - very good power, but delivered very differently than regular impact drivers. It is much gentler on my hand and far quieter. In it's low-modes it does a nice job on smaller fasteners (in and out) without breaking them. In full-power mode it's everything I want.

My main current impact wrench is the M18 Gen2 Mid, and it's been fantastic for me.

 

[jar944]

I don't get the need for the 1/4 impact. What can it do that the drill won't do?

Drive screws with any real length efficiently. Drills are for drilling.

 

[housewolf]

I don't get the need for the 1/4 impact. What can it do that the drill won't do? I'd go for a 1/2 inch hammer drill and jump to a 3/8 impact. Love my Milwaukee stuff. Need to buy a 1/2 impact someday. Have the framing nailer, weed eater, and chainsaw.

I used to tell this to the guys at work, I didn’t understand until I bought a 1/4” impact. Now I seldom pick up the drill anymore. I even have some common drill bits with the hex end for the impact.

I know I didn’t explain it at all. I can’t

 

[Dagny]

surge is great and easy on your ears.

 

[engineer2]

I don't get the need for the 1/4 impact. What can it do that the drill won't do?

They are more compact and lighter than a drill which makes them more useable in tight areas.
A drill won't remove lug nuts or drive 6" long lag bolts.

 

[428PI]

A drill won't remove lug nuts or drive 6" long lag bolts.

I started using my Makita drill over 25 years ago for underdash work and really didn't have any problem with it taking apart 1/4th size nuts etc. I could just twist the drill to make it turn loose. We actaully used a Dewalt drill the last 5 years at cmax in my position. I preferred it over the impact driver (which other boxes had in their kits). Now at home if I need to drive a bigger structural screw or such I just get out my 3/8 impact and use that.

 

[engineer2]

Agree a 3/8 impact will do the heavy duty stuff better and will undo rusty truck lug nuts.
I remember putting deck boards down with a cordless drill because impact drivers weren't invented yet.

 

[M635_Guy]

surge is great and easy on your ears.

My (M12) Surge is one of my absolute favorite power tools.

 

[goldtang]

With cordless I started with Makita at home and still have only a just a drill and driver I swapped over to Milwaukee when I needed a impact wrench, I buy a kit with drill and impact wrench, when I looked around what other trades (mechanical) were using on site all had Milwaukee they were all happy and could borrow or lend battery’s. My collection has grown both 18v and 12v

 

[tyyost]

Buy whatever you like. I have had several brands over the years, until recently I tried to stay with one battery platform. I’ve had an issue with my 6 1/2 fuel saw that let out the magic smoke in the middle of a job, as well as a dead G2 fuel hammer drill so I bought the hypoid Makita saw and a jigsaw on a deal at HD. I had Makita stuff when Li Ion come on the scene, and it was good stuff. It’s even better now, just wish it got the top billing Dewalt and Milwaukee get.

I don’t think there is a downside to any of the brushless tools from DeWalt, Milwaukee, or Makita. Buy what suits your needs and is the best deal with decent batteries at the time.

 

[david3921]

You could keep using your PC batteries and by a brushless impact at TSC.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/porter-cable-20v-max-impact-driver-kit-pcck647lb?cm_vc=-10005

You might also be able to find this elsewhere in a 'tool only' package.

 

[KnurledNut]

100k+ trigger/impact cycles on my 7 year old brushless Japan Makita. Still performs like new. Absolute beast. Used professionally. Most recent marathon was around 4k 3-4” screws in 90° heat without as much as a hiccup.

 

[jar944]

Depending on what you are driving the m12 (fuel) impact will do 95% of what the m18 will do in a lighter package, at the expense of run time.

I bought my dad the gen 2 m12 impact/drill set to replace his pile of 19v craftsman impacts he had. He was less than enthusiastic about the 12v until he used it and realized it had more power than the craftsman. He loves that thing now.

Also you can never have too many impacts/drivers

 

[jonshonda]

I have both the M12 Surge and M18 Fuel (non-surge) impact drivers, and agree that the Surge is the way to go. I love the M18 for driving longer, bigger stuff, and the M12 for smaller items.

I DON'T like the balance with the M18 5ah batteries though, and suggest the HO CP3.0 batteries with them.

 

[imagineer]

You could keep using your PC batteries and by a brushless impact at TSC.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/porter-cable-20v-max-impact-driver-kit-pcck647lb?cm_vc=-10005

You might also be able to find this elsewhere in a 'tool only' package.

Thanks for the suggestion, but it's time to upgrade. There's a hidden agenda in my quest to replace the impact driver . . . I absolutely hate the keyless chuck on the Porter Cable 20v drill. Because it loosens in use, it's f-ed up far too many drill bit shanks (creates a small burr that needs to be filed off). The hex bolt securing the chuck to the drill is also worn down to a nub, so there little chance of removing it without drilling it out.

 

[Poolshark314]

I have mostly Milwaukee tools and while I do agree that Dewalt and other competitors have narrowed the gap and in some cases surpassed Milwaukee performance levels...Milwaukee has a lot better deals so I'll continue to buy them. The Home Depot deals that come out are really good

 

[tak1313]

I'm Red because when I first started gathering cordless, Milwaukee was the cat's balls when it came to auto related tools - especially impacts.

I admit other's have slightly taken the lead (notably Dewalt) as far as power, but the differences have not been enough to validate switching systems. Plus, one thing Milwaukee still has over Dewalt (and Makita) is the DIVERSITY in the M18/M12 line.

For example, I already had M12 stuff, and it was a no brainer to pick up the pex expander (tool only) when I needed to do some repiping.

 

[alinc100]

I believe the modern offerings in brushless tools from Makita ,Milwaukee and Dewalt are fairly even in the common tools. I have all 3 ,in various tools/voltages/platforms depending on the tools,deals and usage. One platform I don't have is Milwaukee M18 ,I have been very happy with the Milwaukee M12 platform Fuel tools especially the surge Impact driver .It is a great tool for driving screws daily. You don't say what your expected usage/frequency is but as others have said don't overlook M12 when shopping.
EDIT : I went and looked at HD site and the M12 Surge doesn't have many combo options ,none with the 1/2" Fuel drill/hammer drill anyhow , and this isn't the greatest multi-tool BUT if looking at M12 surge this is a good value IMHO:https://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwauk...with-M12-Multi-Tool-2551-22-2426-20/312752565 The 1/2 drill/hammer drill can be found bare tool/promo/breaking up sets for around $75. I've been happy using the hammerdrill on 5/32"/3/16" masonry bits for tapcons. What happens with folks like us is we switch platforms, find deals ,and start all new slippery slopes in true GJ fashion.

 

[engineer2]

100k+ trigger/impact cycles on my 7 year old brushless Japan Makita.

My Makita impact driver is 12 years old, get used and sometimes abused almost daily, still uses the original 18V battery, and still works perfectly. I see the tool testing video guy using a Milwaukee that kept stopping when it got worked hard, but he never mentioned it in his review. Don't get me wrong, Milwaukee and Dewalt make good tools too.

 

[alinc100]

I don't get the need for the 1/4 impact. What can it do that the drill won't do? I'd go for a 1/2 inch hammer drill and jump to a 3/8 impact. Love my Milwaukee stuff. Need to buy a 1/2 impact someday. Have the framing nailer, weed eater, and chainsaw.

I believe the OP (and the rest of us) are referring to 1/4" impact DRIVERS. If one was to only buy 1 impact WRENCH I could see 3/8" being the best all around. If you haven't used a 1/4" impact DRIVER when driving screws,lags,etc you've missed out on some very good tools of the last couple decades.

 

[M635_Guy]

I have both the M12 Surge and M18 Fuel (non-surge) impact drivers, and agree that the Surge is the way to go. I love the M18 for driving longer, bigger stuff, and the M12 for smaller items.

I DON'T like the balance with the M18 5ah batteries though, and suggest the HO CP3.0 batteries with them.

I wound up with two M12 Surges - lol. (Strictly-speaking, three, but I gave one to my spawn as part of the first-apartment kit)