Milwaukee Drill/Driver/Hammer/Impact 12V vs. 18V????

[Steve Goetz]

So, I've got the rare opportunity to pick out my own Christmas present this year and I'm looking at replacing my drill/impact drivers with new ones. I currently have Hitachi 18V Lithium ion units now and am looking at the Milwaukee "Fuel" drill/driver combos. Anyone have insight on 12V vs. 18V?

There is a considerable difference in price and would like to know your opinions on which is better for "all around" use. I will likely use them mostly in woodworking, but they will also be used around the house as needed for repairs and odd jobs.

I like the power and torque of the 18V, but like the lighter weight and size of the 12V. Any recommendations?

[Rick Potter]

I have an 18V Makita and a 12 V Milwaukee. In reality I rarely use the 18V except for HD jobs, like drilling concrete. The 12V covers well over 90% of my use. I cannot remember the last time I needed 18V for woodworking or general around the house.

Home Depot has a 12V fuel hammer drill on sale for $99 right now. Only one 2.0 battery and a charger.`

[Larry Frank]

I have the 12v and very happy with it. I like the weight and how it feels to hold.

[Rich Engelhardt]

I just picked up a Makita 18V sub compact drill/driver & impact driver set.
It's pretty much the same size as my old 12 V Milwaukee set.

There is no comparison. 12Vsize and 18V power & run time.

[Josh Molaver]

Big Milwaukee fan / user here. I use 12v impact all the time for woodworking - it’s plenty powerful in a small form factor. Only break out the 18v for heavy duty work (recently drilled through 1/4 plate steel).

[Richard Hart]

If you're spending the money anyway, do the M18 Fuel and have the best, also it would be power in reserve. Happy with mine!

[ChrisA Edwards]

I bought the M18 Fuel cordless trim router first, love this tool, which started the transition to other Milwaukee cordless tools.

I have two Ryobi 18V drill/drivers, that have served me for 6+ years, usually one setup to pilot hole drill and the other to screw. Both still work fine, but I bought the M18 Fuel 2803-20 drill driver, about 6 months ago, and now reach for the M18 the most of the time.

All my future cordless tools will be Milwaukee.

[Jim Becker]

For general woodworking, I like the lighter tools. I use a different brand than being discussed, but the comfort of less weight and smaller size is really nice in the shop. I only pull out the heavier stuff for home improvement/construction where the extra power is really required. (Even there, I use the smaller tool when I can for the same reasons as in the shop)

Since you have Hitachi now, check the Metabo offerings as you may or may not find battery compatibility. Hitachi is now rebranded to Metabo. Their "triple hammer" is one of the best impact drivers going for speed and power. But you can't go wrong with the Milwaukee offerings for sure.

[Jack Frederick]

I have two sets of the 12V Mil. Drill/drivers and the 18v as well. I reach for the 12 first. The 18 is a beast, a very capable machine, but bigger/heavier. As I am finding out as I add tools I’d suggest you look at the rest of the line. What other tools would you opt for and at what power level. Don’t laugh and say that you are only looking at the DD combination. You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile. I think Jim’s first paragraph mimics my thinking as well.

[Frederick Skelly]

I have 2 of the 12v Fuel drills. They work great!

I have noticed that some other tools I'd like to have, like the wet/dry vac and a nailer I want, are only available in 18v. That will drive me to have both 12v and 18v at some point. Which in turn costs more. So, if you want to stay with one voltage, you might also want to look at what you expect to buy in the future. YMMV.

[Steve Goetz]

Thank you all for the advise!! Sounds like I need BOTH 12V and 18V ;). You are all stating what I've been thinking! Think I will go with the 18V for now as a certain orange company has the combo unit on sale and when you buy it, you get another tool for free! (I have been eyeballing the cordless router they have) Thanks again!

[George Yetka]

My current setup is an 18volt set(bosch, but dont think it matters to much at this point) and a festool CXS. I grab the cxs for 95%. The drill does holes in things the DP cant reach and pocket holes occasionally. The impactor does screws 2" and longer.

Im not a fanboy but I love the CXS. Bosch and Milwaukee have similar at this point as well, havent used them yet though.

[Thomas Colson]

The Milwuakee M12 is the most used tool in my shop. I got the ratchet adapters, once I get a bolt/nut cracked, I use it for all my vehicle maintenance too. It's not the fastest thing in the world, but it gets the carpal-tunnel survivor award from me. And I can get weeks off on charge. It helps that I have the Milwaukee heated jacket which also uses M12. And the Pex expander tool...

[Darrell Bade]

I have M12 & M18 both fuel and non fuel in stuff from drills to a chainsaw. Different tools for different jobs. Milwaukee seems to be getting great performance out of their 18v tools, I figured the chainsaw would be a joke but it is what I reach for unless the job requires the Stihl. I have gotten way longer battery life from Milwaukee than others, i have a few batteries that are over 10 years old. I like the chargers because most of the new 18v ones will charge a 12v & 18v at the same time.

[Mike Wilkins]

I have had the 18v Fuel drill and driver combo for about 5 years and they have been a workhorse. Both platforms have numerous tools available. The impact gets used the most; even driving concrete screws into brick. You won't be disappointed.

[Ronald Blue]

I've only got the 18 volt stuff. The impact driver has 2.0 amp batteries which reduces the weight but not the performance except for how long a battery will last. I find their tools to be top notch but there are others who only run yellow stuff. I will say this though. In cordless impact wrenches Milwaukee put's the other's to shame. This is based on real world experience on heavy equipment. They are a close second to only air powered tools. Battery powered tools aren't the answer in every situation but they continue to get better and better all the time.

[Derek Arita]

Guess I'll add in here...I have and love the 12V Milwaukee Fuel drill and impact and I used to be a Makita guy. That said, if you're truly looking for one all around drill/driver, I'd go 18v Fuel. I have both and find size and weight aren't really that much different.

[Dan Rude]

I have both M12 & M18, Love them especially the lights. Mostly use the M12 day to day as a DIY person. The one M12 that I thought would be a once in awhile is the M12 Air Station, it will inflate anything you need done and you can set the PSI. I also have the M12 Staple gun, it is great shoots T50 staples all day long. Have not used it yet but picked up the M12 Pin Nailer, expect the same performance. I have a few Rigid as well, the 18v Brad Nailer (having an issue with it now though) I will see if the LSA works or not. The router is great, Grinder and a Caulk gun round that one out. If the LSA holds true a good buy, but may go bye-bye due to the Licensing of the name by Milwaukee's parent company. I am trying to decide on more Milwaukee Cordless Nail Guns or just buy the M18 Compressor ($325) for the same as one M18 Nail gun. Batteries last I have only had some old ones die that came with my first kit 20 years ago. M12 batteries in kits are standard 2 AH now, but I have liked the 3AH, 4AH and one 6 AH one's I have. I have to install new cases on 2 or them that I broke in ladder drops. They still work though. I would suggest getting a rapid charger or the super charger, it makes a difference with the larger batteries. For now I am a big Milwaukee fan. Dan

[Rod Wolfy]

I had DeWalt, even the Flexvolt worm drive style. I then got the Milwaukee Fuel. I have a lot of them. The ones I like the most are the Surge Impact (oil based, so quieter thwacking), the cordless router and the lights are very handy. I have the Surge 12v, which is as powerful as the 18v, but I have small hands and the 18v profile fits better. I bought the right angle multi head 12v, but I hate it.

Get yourself a deal right now & get the two 5amp hr battery kit at HD for $200 and then get a free Surge. Buy another one & get the free cordless router. The one handed Fuel hack saw is nice, too.

[David Buchhauser]

I've got the Milwaukee 18V Fuel drills and drivers, along with the angle grinders, jig saw, sawzall, hackzall, angle drills, and some others I can't think of at the moment. I've also got some of the Ryobi 18V drills and a angle grinder. I like both systems, but the Milwaukee is pretty much my "go-to" stuff for most of my work. I bought most of these at Home Depot around 4 years ago. Before that I was using the Milwaukee 14.4 V drills which I still use. I've had those for over 20 years now and they still work great. I bought my Milwaukee 18V Fuel drills and drivers as the combo drill/driver package with charger and batteries. I seem to remember they were around $300 or so at the time. I think the prices have gone up a bit, but they do come on sale from time to time.
David

[Jim Dwight]

I like my M12 drill driver combo but I broke the drill's low speed gears shortly after getting it. I was using an irwin spade bit to put a hole in a 2x4 and the drill broke. It still works in high speed and I still use it. No issue with the impact driver, I use it a lot. I really like the 4 torque settings.

My only 18V drills and 1/4 impact are Ryobi. The impact driver is a pretty crude tool but works. The drills are surprisingly durable. I've used the drills a lot with the irwin spade bits and they still work fine. I've drilled 1/2 inch holes in steel with them too.

My favorite 12V is my Bosch with multi heads. Light duty but does a lot of different things well.

I also have the 12V Milwaukee oscillating saw which is a great tool and several Milwaukee 18V tools. Even the batteries for the 18V line seem to be big and robust. The M12 line is definitely the smaller lighter line but for some tools that is all I need. But I don't think the M12 drill is a good all around tool. Too light in my opinion. A M18 drill with a M12 impact would be nice.

[Justin Rapp]

I went from hitachi to Milwaukee a number of years ago. I started with 18v and have a hammer drill, a slightly lighter 18v drill, an impact, Sawzall. I also have the lighter 18v battery, which I don't know if they still make. I also grabbed a 12v drill kit on sale and it's my go-to in my workshop for the type or woodworking I am usually doing. When I need to dog a 1/2" hole through construction lumber, that is still woodworking but grab an 18v drill.

[Rick Potter]

I forgot to mention in my other post.....Like Rod, I also have the right angle multi head, installers tool, and I hate it also. I don't like the way you have to hit two different switches to make it run, but the biggest drawback, which I didn't notice, was that the impact driver function is not there.

I highly recommend against it. My 2 cents.

[Lee Ludden]

The M12 installation drill is my most used driver on any woodworking project. I almost never use my CSX anymore. The non-mechanical reverse switch is a drawback, but it didn’t take long to get used to it.

[Clifford McGuire]

I'm lucky enought to have both. For me, the 12V Milwaukee is really only used with the drill. I have a multitool, but I can't remember the last time I used it.

I bought the 18V fuel sytem because I wanted to add a few tools over time. I bought the hedge trimmer a few years ago. It's amazing. I just bought the brad nailer and so far, it's been very good. I'm waiting for the long-rumored 18V track saw so I can break down sheet goods in the big box store parking lot.

And the 18V drill is a beast. I've been making a lot of shop furniture using pocket screws. The 18V drill with the Kreg drill and the 12V with the square drive is an awesome combination.

Edit to add: I forgot about the Mikwaukee trim router. That's a great 18V tool.

[Lisa Starr]

I have the 12V and like them. I originally chose them when my old Hitachi 12V Li-ion started not holding a charge. It had been used and abused beyond anything that should have been expected of it and just kept going. I still use it as a backup in my shop. The new 12V Milwaukee seems way stronger torque wise and I like the lightweight, smaller grip and balance.

[Steve Goetz]

I have not heard about the 18V track saw! Going to have to look into that for sure!

[Ronnie Hurst]

I use 12v for my Milwakee drill and impact driver. I started out using it with my Milwaukee 7 inch circular saw but found the power lacking when breaking down plywood. When I switched to an 18v it made a big difference. I have multiple batteries on hand and charged ready to switch out when needed.