Milwaukee M12 Fuel 1/2" Hammer Drill/Driver Kit $89 YMMV

Really don't get the milwakee hype. I own several tools and I am simply underwhelmed by them. Dewalt performs significantly better and at a fraction of the price. That being said, Milwaukee does have some very cool and unique tools that no one else does.

I would like to get a Milwaukee 1/2" Impact and Drill(driver?) combo with batteries. Maybe I have missed the better deals before Xmas. Also, not sure if "Fuel" or "Surge" is better and why.

When comparing to DeWalt/Ryobi/Ridgid... It's difficult to choose best option and value.

What do you feel is the best combo deal I can get now?

Quote from schucster : I would like to get a Milwaukee 1/2" Impact and Drill(driver?) combo with batteries. Maybe I have missed the better deals before Xmas. Also, not sure if "Fuel" or "Surge" is better and why. When comparing to DeWalt/Ryobi/Ridgid... It's difficult to choose best option and value. What do you feel is the best combo deal I can get now?

What are you trying to do with it? Imagine you just asked which car is the best value but don't know which brand, size, you want and maybe a truck or a school bus. Is this for professional or home use? Have you owned or used one in the past?

Quote from windwalker : Hmmm My power tools are the standard Milwaukee-12(not fuel) I do have 1 Ryobi an 18V-One+ 1/2" impact that I picked up recently HD has Ryobi 18V One+ 1/2" Hammer Drill for 49 bucks(tool only) that I was thinking of picking up it's 600 in./lbs and 1600rpm vs 1700 RPM, 350in.lbs for Milwaukee Seems kinda of a no brainer for me to go with the Ryobi Big deck project coming up this spring Thoughts....

Depends on how hard you're gonna work the tool. The milwaukee fuel will be able to handle being pushed hard all day, every day. Good luck on the ryobi holding up to that. Ryobi makes light use homeowner tools, but a few of their tools are really good.

Quote from windwalker : Hmmm My power tools are the standard Milwaukee-12(not fuel) I do have 1 Ryobi an 18V-One+ 1/2" impact that I picked up recently HD has Ryobi 18V One+ 1/2" Hammer Drill for 49 bucks(tool only) that I was thinking of picking up it's 600 in./lbs and 1600rpm vs 1700 RPM, 350in.lbs for Milwaukee Seems kinda of a no brainer for me to go with the Ryobi Big deck project coming up this spring Thoughts....

If you aren't using your tools to make a living the most likely failure isn't wear or damage but battery failure over time. Once the batteries die you have to decide whether to replace the battery or the whole system. On this front Ryobi actually fares pretty well. They use a higher quality cell than some of the other prosumer tool brands, and default to a pretty good charger bundled with any tool. If you expect long term to buy just a few mainstay tools then I actually recommend Ridgid. They have very strong value proposition with the downside of smaller tool variety. If you expect to get 5-10 tools for home use them Ryobi. The most compelling part of Ryobi's line is their 18v cordless nailers. For $100 you can get a perfectly adequate nailer that will get you through years of remodeling work. If you expect to get 5 or more tools for daily use earning money then Milwaukee, dewalt, or Makita (maybe bosch in Europe)

Quote from ArbitrageIA : What are you trying to do with it? Imagine you just asked which car is the best value but don't know which brand, size, you want and maybe a truck or a school bus. Is this for professional or home use? Have you owned or used one in the past?

Good point. It will definitely be DIY/Home use. I got my last 18V Dewalt kit about 15yrs ago and I would like my next kit to last at least that long...and I've never owned an impact (wrench/driver) before. So even though my use is DIY/Home, I want to make sure it holds up over time.

I hope this helps make a recommendation and I appreciate it.

Quote from schucster : Good point. It will definitely be DIY/Home use. I got my last 18V Dewalt kit about 15yrs ago and I would like my next kit to last at least that long...and I've never owned an impact (wrench/driver) before. So even though my use is DIY/Home, I want to make sure it holds up over time. I hope this helps make a recommendation and I appreciate it.

Li-ion batteries that you get in decent tools nowadays are a bit different than the nicads you had before. They don't need as much periodic maintenance and they hooked charger better so you can come back a year later and they still have charge. Which is great for diy use case. Don't let them freeze if you can help it. I am bought into Ryobi and m12 and m18 for most of my stuff. Initially Ryobi was my at home kit, m12 was my primary kit in my vehicle, m18 was for when I needed more oomph. For breadth of tools on a single system at good prices nobody competes with Ryobi. Cleaning and outdoor tools can all run on the 18v platform. When you look at the Ryobi brushless and new high end stuff the prices get awfully close to Milwaukee or dewalt though. If your primary vendor is home depot Ryobi should be a good fit. If primary vendor is lowes then maybe getting into the low end of dewalt is a better bet. I love m12, especially m12 fuel and the drill in this deal is one of my short list of favorites. But that doesn't mean it actually makes sense for everyone. The grip size is an issue. My wife wont pick these up because the handle is too wide for comfort. I like that I can put a whole kit into a single tstack box and know that I'm prepared for 70% of what I might run into on a service call.

Quote from PADutch : I'd stay with the same m12 battery system and get the fuel ( they are brushless ) impact driver for a deck project...

Quote from ArbitrageIA : If you aren't using your tools to make a living the most likely failure isn't wear or damage but battery failure over time...

Quote from polyspecific : Depends on how hard you're gonna work the tool...

Thanks all

and poly isn't that always the case

I have some good news!

I went to HD today and based on suggestions here was looking at Ryobi/Ridgid/Milwaukee... I passed on Ryobi kinda quick (looked/felt cheap but tool selection w/same battery was pretty impressive). For the Ridgid, after discussing a bit w/Employee#1, I was going to get the 18v SubCompact kit that came w/2 batteries for $199(pics attached). Was very comfortable in hand and seemed like a great deal.

Then I spoke with a different tool area employee and he was telling me that the Christmas sales are still valid until end of January. I asked him to show me the various kits that included an impact driver and we got to the Milwaukee... He couldn't find it on the shelf but said there was an M12 kit that included both impact driver and hammer drill and two batteries and bag for $199. We ended up finding only one left hiiiigh above ground in the restock shelf. I confirmed it was FUEL and not the regular and sure enough! He also said the Milwaukee driver bit kit was still on sale so I got that too(pic attached).

So in the end, I got the Milwaukee kit(2598-22) for $199 and I'm feeling good about it. What do you all think about this?

BTW, I do appreciate the advise I received from you here..both in response to my question and also as I read through the entire thread. Very helpful and appreciated.

Quote from schucster : I have some good news! I went to HD today and based on suggestions here was looking at Ryobi/Ridgid/Milwaukee... I passed on Ryobi kinda quick (looked/felt cheap but tool selection w/same battery was pretty impressive). For the Ridgid, after discussing a bit w/Employee#1, I was going to get the 18v SubCompact kit that came w/2 batteries for $199(pics attached). Was very comfortable in hand and seemed like a great deal. Then I spoke with a different tool area employee and he was telling me that the Christmas sales are still valid until end of January. I asked him to show me the various kits that included an impact driver and we got to the Milwaukee... He couldn't find it on the shelf but said there was an M12 kit that included both impact driver and hammer drill and two batteries and bag for $199. We ended up finding only one left hiiiigh above ground in the restock shelf. I confirmed it was FUEL and not the regular and sure enough! He also said the Milwaukee driver bit kit was still on sale so I got that too(pic attached). So in the end, I got the Milwaukee kit(2598-22) for $199 and I'm feeling good about it. What do you all think about this? BTW, I do appreciate the advise I received from you here..both in response to my question and also as I read through the entire thread. Very helpful and appreciated.

I paid more than that when I bought 2598-22 a couple years ago and it is one of my favorite kits. It has gotten down to about 140 a couple times since then using return of free bonus tool. Did you make an excellent tool purchase? Yes. Is it a shock deal at that price? I don't regret my purchase even though I paid full price at $229. I'm happier about that purchase than I am with some tools I've bought at 90%off

Quote from ArbitrageIA : ...it is one of my favorite kits. It has gotten down to about 140 a couple times since then using return of free bonus tool. Did you make an excellent tool purchase? Yes. Is it a shock deal at that price? I don't regret my purchase even though I paid full price at $229. I'm happier about that purchase than I am with some tools I've bought at 90%off

Thanks for your reply @ArbitrageIA. Couple points below:

1. $140?! Wow. Are you saying you had to actually return one of the tools for that? I want both the impact driver and hammer drill.

2. Ah, full price is only $30 more..I gotcha..so I got a 13% discount. Glad to hear you have been happy with it even at full price. That's great to hear, actually.

3. And the grip/handle size...yes... it is quite large indeed. I found the Ridgid sub-compact I almost bought to have a thinner handle and be more comfortable.

4. The warranty on the Ridgid looked amazing. The employee told me it's lifetime(if registered) and that includes replacing batteries for free... that is saying a LOT. I believe he told me the Milwaukee has like 2 years warranty... so that is a HUGE difference.

Quote from schucster : I have some good news! I went to HD today and based on suggestions here was looking at Ryobi/Ridgid/Milwaukee... I passed on Ryobi kinda quick (looked/felt cheap but tool selection w/same battery was pretty impressive). For the Ridgid, after discussing a bit w/Employee#1, I was going to get the 18v SubCompact kit that came w/2 batteries for $199(pics attached). Was very comfortable in hand and seemed like a great deal. Then I spoke with a different tool area employee and he was telling me that the Christmas sales are still valid until end of January. I asked him to show me the various kits that included an impact driver and we got to the Milwaukee... He couldn't find it on the shelf but said there was an M12 kit that included both impact driver and hammer drill and two batteries and bag for $199. We ended up finding only one left hiiiigh above ground in the restock shelf. I confirmed it was FUEL and not the regular and sure enough! He also said the Milwaukee driver bit kit was still on sale so I got that too(pic attached). So in the end, I got the Milwaukee kit(2598-22) for $199 and I'm feeling good about it. What do you all think about this? BTW, I do appreciate the advise I received from you here..both in response to my question and also as I read through the entire thread. Very helpful and appreciated.

This was the same kit people got for 115 a few months ago at Home depot because of a price mistake. I think overall its not a bad deal if you need it, i just got the fue hammer drill from this website i found from slickdeals for 60 bucks shipped no tax, called https://www.significantservices.com/

$140? $115?! Dooohhhhh... Lol. Yea, I guess I am FAR from getting the best deal around for it.

Quote from Ruslan09 : Really don't get the milwakee hype. I own several tools and I am simply underwhelmed by them. Dewalt performs significantly better and at a fraction of the price. That being said, Milwaukee does have some very cool and unique tools that no one else does.

I'm fond of the Milwaukee brand having grown up around classics like the Sawzall (metal box and all), however, my personal collection is primarily Bosch. Bosch makes a good product, but their selection, availability, and "deals" are limited compared to DeWalt and Milwaukee.

In prep for an upcoming project, I picked up an M18 Fuel Brad Nailer (8ah battery Slickdeal) and the M18 Fuel 1/4" Impact Driver (Packout deal). While I haven't worked with the Brad Nailer yet, I will say they the Impact Driver is impressive.

I've used various manner of drills and drivers over the years including DeWalt, Makita, B&D, Bosch, Ryobi, etc. and the Milwaukee is as good or better than any I have used. I will admit I haven't tried the latest gen of DeWalt, but I doubt it would change my mind about the Milwaukee.

FWIW-I picked this up for $159 with 2 batteries and a Packout case which makes the overall value even more impressive.

Quote from ginuwinqbin : The impact driver is also on sale for $89/99... If you are going to get both, might be better to wait for the package deal which often comes with an extra free tool such as the 3/8 ratchet for $189/199

Let me know when that deal comes! Ive been looking for a deal on the 3/8 ratchet for some time now..