Professional Tool Reviews for Pros

First, there was the Milwaukee M18 Fuel Hammer Drill. In its second edition, it got stronger. In its third, it got more compact. Now we have the 4th generation of this impressive drilling and driving tool, and it’s not only gaining power, there are also new features to talk about.

Milwaukee is making some upgrades under the hood of its flagship hammer drill and drill driver. It’s still a 2-speed system with low gear running up to 500 RPM and high gear topping out at 2100 RPM. It also boosts the torque to a monstrous 1400 in-lbs.

If you’re going with the hammer drill version, the hammering rate is 33,000 BPM.

All told, that should result in very fast drilling with about as much low-speed torque as you can hope for in a handheld drill. So how does that compare to Gen 3?

First of all, low gear is 50 RPM slower while high gear picks up an extra 100 RPM for a faster overall top speed. It also shows up in the hammering rate where the updated model has an extra 1000 BPM to blast through concrete. In terms of muscle, the Gen 4 models gain another 200 in-lbs of torque.

The combination promises to produce a noticeable difference in your drilling speed and power. Additionally, there’s an increase in the thermal range of the motor, allowing it to do more high-demand work before reaching its protective shutdown temperature.

When you’re drilling near the top of the tool’s range, a new feature for Milwaukee comes into play: AutoStop mode. At first glance, this might seem like another kickback control technology, and to an extent, it is.

The difference is that Milwaukee’s Autostop digs deeper. Its algorithm helps reduce the number of unnecessary shutdowns that lower your productivity while still reducing the risk of injury in true over-rotation bind-ups. According to Milwaukee’s data, it has the smallest amount of tool travel before stopping compared to other drills with a kickback control feature.

What’s also unusual is that you can turn AutoStop mode on and off. The tool ships with the mode on. If you want to turn it off, push the forward/reverse control switch to the center position and pull the trigger 5 times. The AutoStop light turns on and then dims until it is off. That’s your indicator that you’ve successfully turned the mode off.

To turn it back on, just reverse the process. The only difference is the AutoStop light will flash to let you know it’s engaged again.

The mode defaults to whatever state it was in last, even if you remove the battery.

On the surface, there’s not much that looks different about these tools. Both the drill driver and hammer drill maintain the 6.9-inch length of the previous editions. There’s only a slight increase in weight from 3.2 pounds up to 3.3 pounds. With a 5.0Ah battery, you’re looking at about 4.9 pounds total.

At the moment, there’s no One-Key option for either the drill driver or hammer drill. That’s typical for Milwaukee, though, and we’re likely to see that feature become available sometime in the next year or so.

Both the drill driver and hammer drill kits come with two 5.0Ah batteries and a charger. The Milwaukee 2903-22 drill driver kit is $289 and the 2904-22 kit is $299. As bare tools, the 2903-20 drill driver is $189 and the 2904-20 hammer drill is $199.

Also, there will be a Milwaukee M18 Fuel Hammer Drill and Impact Driver combo kit (model 3697-22) that includes the Gen 4 hammer drill and Gen 4 impact driver.

Look for all of these options at your favorite Milwaukee retailer beginning in August 2022.

On the clock, Kenny dives deep to discover the practical limits and comparative differences for all kinds of tools. Off the clock, his faith and love for his family are his top priorities, and you'll typically find him in the kitchen, on his bike (he's an Ironman), or taking folks out for a day of fishing on Tampa Bay.

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Professional Tool Reviews for Pros