Milwaukee M12 Drill choice

[Green2020]

Hi all 

First post and looking for a bit of help!

I’m a diy user and invested in the Milwaukee m18 range. I have the m18 fuel drill/impact driver, but want to purchase something a little lighter/more compact for light duty use around the house, totally unnecessary, but I have a bit of an addiction! 

I’ve had a look at the m12 range and there seems to be so much choice, I’m only going to be drilling/screwing in to softwood, so I don’t need an enormous amount of power/torque, what would you guys recommend? At the minute I’ve got my eye on the m12 fuel impact driver (as I can use hex drill bits with it). Would this be the lightest/most compact drill In the m12 range? 

Thanks in advance

[Eric - TIA]

I think that is a great choice.  I have it also and love it.  Small, lightweight and powerful for the size.

[Der_Dachs]

Ive got the M12 Fuel hammer drill and its pretty awesome.  You could also look at the M12 Fuel impact driver.  I work in an auto plant where I shoot little screws all day long and I use an M12 impact driver all day long and theyre awesome.  Most of the guns we have are the brushed version which is very good and powerful but one of our guns is an M12 Fuel and the Fuel is amazing.  It has so much power and the battery lasts forever, even with just the 2ah battery.

[Biggie]

I have almost every m12 and m18 impact driver made and what I've found is at home I still use my old brushed m12 drill the most.  Obviously everyone has different needs but at home I find myself putting up blinds, pictures, and assembling cheap furniture for my wife.  For these small fasteners I just don't like using an impact because they strip too easily.  Even with all the power modes on the fuel impacts I still prefer the old school mechanical clutch on my drill. 

 

The one impact driver I don't have is the m12 surge which I think would be a pretty sweet for around the house.  I have the m18 surge and it's really quiet compared to a traditional impact, but I suspect the drilling would be pretty limited with it.

[nuttinshowing]

Hard to beat the small M12 drill & impact driver. Small jobs around the house I seem to grab my compact brushed M12 drill as first choice. Most small jobs drapes, blinds, shelving etc the m12 handles with ease. Glad I didn't give up that small one yet.

[fm2176]

I have both the regular M12 drill/impact kit and the Gen 2 Fuel.  For the price, the former is hard to beat, especially when Milwaukee includes it in their free battery promos.  Depending on your level of patience, you can get the kit and a free battery for just over $100 with tax.  That said, after using my M12 Fuel and 18v class drills, the non-Fuel is almost maddeningly slow and underpowered (much the same way I feel about my old DeWalt 12v Max tools).  Also, you'll get a 3/8" chuck versus 1/2" on the Fuel model.

[Der_Dachs]

7 hours ago, fm2176 said:

I have both the regular M12 drill/impact kit and the Gen 2 Fuel.  For the price, the former is hard to beat, especially when Milwaukee includes it in their free battery promos.  Depending on your level of patience, you can get the kit and a free battery for just over $100 with tax.  That said, after using my M12 Fuel and 18v class drills, the non-Fuel is almost maddeningly slow and underpowered (much the same way I feel about my old DeWalt 12v Max tools).  Also, you'll get a 3/8" chuck versus 1/2" on the Fuel model.

I picked up my M12 Fuel hammer drill back in November for $99 and it came with a charger and a 3ah battery.  At the time, I had just moved into a brick house and needed a hammer drill and I jumped on it.

Its a great little drill and as long as youre patient with it, the drill will do whatever you want.  Its just not going to drill or drive screws like an 18v will.