Better drill for hard use? Milwaukee M18 "2904" or ...?

[Sid Post]

I am specifically looking at this kit:
M18 FUEL™ ½” Hammer Drill Driver | Milwaukee Tool

The street price is ~$350 for it. I need a solid drill for mild steel and other hard uses on a farm. I have been told the M18 batteries are the best in the business. I am not impressed with the DeWalt cordless stuff I have generally. It is great for normal homeowner use but, the batteries die early and have short lifespans. The DeWalt tools I have don't work well on my farm. I am looking to start the conversion process to another brand.

While this drill is not required to be cordless, that is preferred for obvious reasons. I need something reliable and durable though so, I question the expense of owning another cordless drill. I have a 3500W generator so, I can power a big plug-in drill if that is better. The problem for me is that the local options are DeWalt and aren't impressive. There is a ~$160 electric drill at Lowes which might be a reasonable choice.

I am not mixing sheetrock mud or grout for tile floors but, 3/8" holes in 1/4" mild steel or anchors into concrete are not that uncommon either. I have a small drill/driver for light tasks so, I am not worried about using my new drill for simple tasks around the house.

What are my better options in the $200~$400 range for a hard heavy-use hammer drill? I'm thinking "buy once, cry once" here.

TIA,
Sid

 

[2manyrocks]

Bosch corded hammer drill

 

[5030]

Bosch corded hammer drill

What I have and it's been 100% without issue and I have core drilled 1" diameter holes for expansion anchors in 6 bag mix before. They ain't cheap but like anything, you get what you pay for. In low gear, it has the balls to wrap you right up in the cord if you don't watch and spin you around. Don't ask how I know...lol

Bosch or Metabo. Both excellent tools.

 

[airbiscuit]

I have had great luck with the M18 tools and batteries. I have the lighter duty 1/2" hammer drill/driver. My only (minor) complaint is that the lowest wetting on the impact driver is kinda high. H have dropped these tools from 10' on concrete way more than I should and they have always survived.
I have their high torque 1/2" impact wrench and I can loosen or twist off anything I've put t up to.

 

[jyoutz]

I am specifically looking at this kit:
M18 FUEL™ ½” Hammer Drill Driver | Milwaukee Tool

The street price is ~$350 for it. I need a solid drill for mild steel and other hard uses on a farm. I have been told the M18 batteries are the best in the business. I am not impressed with the DeWalt cordless stuff I have generally. It is great for normal homeowner use but, the batteries die early and have short lifespans. The DeWalt tools I have don't work well on my farm. I am looking to start the conversion process to another brand.

While this drill is not required to be cordless, that is preferred for obvious reasons. I need something reliable and durable though so, I question the expense of owning another cordless drill. I have a 3500W generator so, I can power a big plug-in drill if that is better. The problem for me is that the local options are DeWalt and aren't impressive. There is a ~$160 electric drill at Lowes which might be a reasonable choice.

I am not mixing sheetrock mud or grout for tile floors but, 3/8" holes in 1/4" mild steel or anchors into concrete are not that uncommon either. I have a small drill/driver for light tasks so, I am not worried about using my new drill for simple tasks around the house.

What are my better options in the $200~$400 range for a hard heavy-use hammer drill? I'm thinking "buy once, cry once" here.

TIA,
Sid

I’ve had a corded Milwaukee 1/2” hammer drill for over 20 y. It’s a beast and will twist your wrist if you don’t have a firm grip. It’s my go to for concrete and heavy steel. But for other jobs, I love my Dewalt 20v battery drills and have never experienced the issues you describe.

 

[spitter]

Cordless drills are a joke compared to a good, corded drill. I have a Milwaukee hole shooter that's 25 years old that I use when drilling repetitive holes through steel. I have a Black and Decker 1/2" drill for mixing concrete and spackle and large diameter holes 3/4" and above that's 35 years old. Bosch bulldog that's 20 years old and a Bosch rotary hammer that's about 20 years old.

In that time, I've had 4 Dewalt cordless ,2 Makati 1 Hilti which I still use and 3 Milwaukee 18's 1 12. That being said you can't beat the convince of the cordless tools. But when the real work comes out, I go back to the corded tools.

 

[DMW]

The 2 piece kit regularly goes on sale for a similar price. The 1/4" hex driver is useful for smaller stuff.
Corded is still better for continuous operation. The tool and battery will heat up with too much use.

M18 FUEL 2-Tool Combo Kit | Milwaukee Tool

MILWAUKEE® M18 FUEL 2-Tool Combo Kit includes an M18 FUEL 1/2" Hammer Drill, M18 FUEL 1/4" Hex Impact Driver, (2) M18 REDLITHIUM™ XC 5.0Ah Battery Pack, with an M18/M12 charger & carrying case

www.milwaukeetool.com

 

[5030]

I will say if I need nut busting power and torque I always go back to my air tools, especially my air impact guns. No cordless tool that can deliver huge torque and do it for a long time exists in my world.

I do a a gob of heavy duty excavation bucket work and replacing plow steels on commercial snow plows and no way any cordless tool (don't care what brand or cost) can cut the mustard on corroded on Class 8 Dome head plow bolts that secure plow steel edges.

It takes big power to bust them loose and usually I wind up twisting them off anyway. I either use my Astro Thor ultra torque 1/2" drive impact (1500 foot pounds continuous breakaway at 150 psi) or the IR 3/4 drive extended anvil impact (1900 foot pounds continuous breakaway at 150 psi) No way any battery powered cordless drill and I don't care how much it costs, can deliver that kind of power.

Why I use HF Bauer 20 volt cordless tools for around the shop, general use. Cheap and reliable. Not gonna ever budge the big stuff so I don't get excited.

Like my daddy always said, you don't use a claw hammer to bust concrete, you use a sledge hammer.

Cordless is handy and cordless is convenient but for long duration high torque or power applications, none of them can cut the cheese. Cost is not a factor.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

I am a believer in Milwaukee M-18 FUEL cordless tools and it all started with ethanol gas, as a lineman I found myself using gas powered drills all the time when there was no truck access and it got to where they failed to start more and more, so we were always looking for something else, we had tried DeWalt stuff at that time and weren't really satisfied with their stuff back then, so a Milwaukee rep rolled in and made some bold claims about battery life , durability and power, I told him if it proved out to be half as good as he said we would want a kit for every crew, after a month of hard use we were convinced and ordered multiple tool sets and I slowly started picking up my personal set of Milwaukee M-18 FUEL tools, I have has ! cordless skill saw quit that I am not sure how old it was, I went online they sent me a shipping label I sent it back to them and 10 days later another one was at my doorstep, they paid the shipping both ways so customer service for the 1 time I needed it was good, I suspect that if your battery powered tools are older then they may be outdated, IMO Milwaukee set the bar in cordless tool technology but I think the others have probably caught up and more than likely make a good product, bottom line we used the drill you are looking at daily and sometimes nightly on the linecrew and if it held up under us it should survive life on the farm. good luck with whatever you go with.

 

[paulsharvey]

So, I have and like the Rigid 18V line. The warranty is great, battery's are good, prices are really good, it's got maybe just a couple fewer tools in the total line up then Dewalt/Milwaukee. Only complaint is the base model drill that comes with the impact is kinda light duty if your going to be using it for mixing, or other extended, hi-torque stuff.

I had the 6 piece kit from ages ago; but they where never registered (bought through company card at a contractor that no longer exists); and bought the 2 piece drill/impact kit for $99; and those new batteries work just fine with the saws from the 15 year old kit. Then I picked up a 4AH and 3AH battery, mostly to use with the Sawzall and circ saw.

 

[5030]

Keep in mind that DeWalt and Milwaukee are made in the same factory in China and are owned by the same company which I believe is domestic but the tools are made offshore.

My issue with DeWalt has always been the batteries (I also have one) and the high replacement cost of the batteries coupled with the short working life. Rechargeable batteries all basically have the same (guts) inside power cells so I think it comes down to the quality of the cells themselves.

With DeWalt, the motors tend to fail for me but mine are brushed and the newer ones are brushless (just like the new Bauer's are). I do know the HF Bauer 20 volt cordless tools run longer on a charge and seem to run better which may be my imagination, not sure.

One thing I don't worry about with my cordless tools and that is the packs overheating and catching on fire (like the EV cars are doing, seem to be shorting out and catching on fire). The Bauer chargers which are pretty cheap, have 100% shutoff when the pack is fully charged so I'm not worried about them catching on fire from a forced over charge and setting my shop on fire. I can leave them in the charger for a protracted amount of time, and I do.

Li-Ion batteries are very touchy when forced to charge past a certain percentage and overheat and/or combust.

Like I said previously, cordless tools for me are about convenience but not about power delivered per charge.

In my humble opinion, Li-Ion battery technology needs to catch up to real world use and then the instances of them catching on fire will be minimal at best.

Like everything else today that involves technology, they (manufacturers) put stuff on the market without doing the necessary homework and exploring ALL possibilities of failure.

 

[5030]

Interestingly, all the battery packs share the same cell technology so the difference must be in the quality of the cells themselves. The old adage applies..... get 'em cheap and stack 'em deep....

 

[Soloz2]

I’ve been very happy with my M18 and M12 tools. That said, for heavy use a corded tool will typically be better assuming there’s an outlet nearby.

 

[5030]

for heavy use a corded tool will typically be better assuming there’s an outlet nearby.

That is the downfall just like air tools are. Gotta be near the power source. I sort of remedy that here at the farm by carrying a 2000 watt Inverter generator in the bed of the side by side as well as a 20 foot HD extension cord. Most of my heavy fabrication is right in front of the shop or inside it so air power isn't an issue at all and with a rotary screw compressor I have an abundance of CFM to work with, plus it's dry air as the screw compressor has a built in condensate dryer. I have an Echo 110 volt pole trimmer I use a lot and it has way more balls than any battery powered trimmer could hope to have. Runs all day with nothing but a refill of bar oil and possibly a new loop if the loop gets dull.

 

[woody]

I switched over to Milwaukee several years ago and just bought my Dad a combo set for fathers day because his old 19.2 craftsmen batteries have bit the dust. Several years ago I was looking for something better and the power plant I was working at bought some Milwaukee tools for us to use during an outage because the shop had been using them for years and they were holding up great. After that outage and seeing first hand how some of the guys treated the tools and they all still worked I switched over and have been satisfied. I will say be aware there are different models so stick with the Fuel branded ones.

 

[5030]

TTC (Torque Test Channel) on you tube usually provides some informative information as to where the tools are made and who owns the companies. Like I said, Milwaukee, DeWalt and I believe Ridgid are all made in the same offshore factory. Makita and Ryobi have their own factories over there. I do know that Makita owned Tanaka (chain saws and gas powered tools) but has since liquidated them and there are 2 very distinct Makita lines. The ones made in Japan and the ones made in China and the prices reflect that.

'World Class Manufacturing' has blurred the exact location of where tools (and lots of other stuff) is produced today.

Kind of like Mahindra tractors, could be made in India but could also be assembled here, Their Roxor vehicle is a prime example. It's produced from parts made everywhere, including India, but final assembly here in Michigan (Farmington Hills) to be exact. All comes in, in overseas containers. I believe Mahindra does that to beat the import tax.

Kubota does the same to a lesser extent. The large tractors are shipped in containers from offshore but the final assembly is done in Georgia. They come in minus wheels and tires and some other parts and are put together here.

 

[chim]

Since I have both the Milwaukee M18 and DeWalt 20V Max, I can comment on the comparison. These live side by side and they don't fight each other. I'm not Project Farm, so I have opinions rather than charts made by using diagnostic equipment.

There really isn't much difference between them. I haven't noticed a difference in battery life. Both drill holes in steel. One point for the Milwaukee is that the speed control can be varied more smoothly. That's something 90% of the people wouldn't notice because they tend to mash the trigger all the way during normal use. Instead of taking advantage of the VS trigger, they jump on and off of it. [Rant over / Pet peeve] As mentioned somewhere else recently, I've been using my 1/4" impacts with a pop-in chuck more than the drill/drivers the last couple years.

The hammerdrill feature is OK for Harry Homeowner installing fasteners in block walls. Not much else. Any serious fastening requires a rotary hammer. For anyone not familiar with the difference, a hammerdrill makes an irritating loud bee sound and isn't great at drilling concrete. A rotary hammer sounds more like a jackhammer and eats into concrete almost as though it is wood. The DeWalt 20V rotary hammer works quite well.

For bunches of bigger holes in concrete the old corded Bosch comes out of retirement. That happens very infrequently.

If something needs some serious turning, like a drywall paddle mixer or large holesaw, the 1970 vintage B&D corded angle drill is the choice. Depending upon the situation, the mag drill or 3/4" drill press help out as well.

 

[finn1]

Dewalt or Bosch. I have probably a half dozen or more Milwaukee M18 and M12 tools and find them disappointing compared to their Dewalt counterparts

 

[LittleBill21]

One point for the Milwaukee is that the speed control can be varied more smoothly. That's something 90% of the people wouldn't notice because they tend to mash the trigger all the way during normal use. Instead of taking advantage of the VS trigger, they jump on and off of it. [Rant over / Pet peeve]

Oh does this drive me insane, I see people do it all the time, I'm like wtf are you doing, after they blow out the screw.

 

[chim]

One thing I failed to bring up with regard to batteries is the significance of DeWalt going from 18V to 20V. We had an opportunity to speak with some engineers from DeWalt and the combination of going from NiCad to LIon batteries and bringing out the brushless line of tools was really a big deal. Anyone going from the old 18V to the new 20V was impressed with the performace. The LIon batteries will hold a charge for a long time. One of the problems with the 18's is that a NiCad battery that was charged and stored for a while was discharged when you went for it.

Both the 18V and 20V provide the same open terminal voltage, but the DeWalt guys said they wanted to differentiate between the NiCad and LIon batteries. Of course, using 20V in lieu of 18V made them sound beefier - wink wink, nod nod.

At one time we thought the 18V platform was THE killer stuff. That was because back then it was pretty good. I was working construction when B&D had battery drills that wouldn't drive a screw into a 2x4. Around '89 or so I remember seeing the first B&D Kodiak, which I think was a 12V. It was so much better than the old (6v?) that it replaced. Since then there has been a whole lot of improvements by different manufacturers.