My next power tool purchase is definitely going to be the new m12 surge impact driver. It has enough power for 99% of my daily tasks and the size/weight/dcb level are all better for working inside occupied residential spaces. Love your content, keep it going 🤙
Hey Matt, love it when you do reviews like this! As a third year sparky apprentice I have been wanting to jump over to the m12 range but didn't know which to go for, you really cleared that up for me! Now it's just a matter of finding the money .... but thanks for all your videos they have really helped me with tool selection and ideas for work. And wouldn't mind seeing those new diablo bits in my next week either 😁 Cheers!
Can you do a video on the m12 impact wrench with an adaptor for the 1/4 inch hex I've seen a few people on sites do this and wonder if it works better.
Hi mate not to let you down but there is too much power in an impact wrench to do what a impact driver does and on the flip side there is too little power on a impact driver to do what a impact wrench does
I have the M18 Surge, M12 Surge, and used to have the M12 Fuel impact driver. The M12 Fuel impact is considerably faster than the M12 Surge, but the M18 Surge was just as fast (maybe faster?) And quieter. I bought the M12 impact and drill combo and sold it because the M12 Surge does what I need with a lot less damage to my hearing and almost as fast as the impact. Lately, I've been reconsidering the M12 impact again just for size, but my Surge drivers get the majority of the work, especially inside.
I’ll be going the normal gen 3, 150 grams is massive is a massive difference in a tool bag. My bag is heavy enough, any weight I can save is valuable. Love to know how much the gen 1 weighed.
I think if you’re on a job site with other tradies the reduced noise would be appreciated. I’ve also seen cabinet makers using them when they are in a cupboard with it and there is no where for the noise to go. They do have less power but.
I work in residential apartment maintenance and between the two drivers the Surge is always much nicer considering how much quieter it is, especially for occupied units. I don't feel like I'm disturbing the whole neighborhood trying to sink screws and fasteners with that surge yet it's still just as efficient as the standard impact in my opinion. Thanks for the great informative content, I'm always looking forward to your new videos!🛠️
How about the M12 Sds ? Looking to get one but not sure between the Makita DHR171Z 18V LXT Li-ion 17mm SDS Plus , I work up ladders so I thinks the lighter the better M12/18v ?
DHR182 is same weight, $20 more, but way more powerful than DHR171. Boltah Downunder has a vid comparing every small rotohammer. DHR171 murdered all of them. th-cam.com/video/21k5Bh09fjQ/w-d-xo.html
The surge is purely for being quieter. It’s never been marketed as the same power. The specs are on they website etc as the surge is around 50nm vs 150-160nm for normal The surge is for light work that’s is noisy with vibration eg roofing or garage door fitting. Anything with light metal gauge that is noisy It will never be a power unit and wasn’t intended for it👍👌
I have to M12 surge. Super uncommon for me to be drilling fixing like those big screws into to timber. It’s unbelievably quiet and the control for fit off is next level too. Great video to 👍
Awesome look at these tools, I hunt for the deals and you’ve shown me that I can’t really go wrong with either lol thanks for the comparison review appreciate it.
I use the M18 everyday but recently got to use my mates M12 gen 2 and is now the next tool to get on the endless list I have 🤣. Keep up the great content!
I have the normal m12 impact and I don’t really use it that often compared to my m18 impact! I hate having the second thought that if I grab the m12 whether it would have the power to drive certain screws into certain materials etc. However, the gen 3 impact looks like a beast so maybe that could be a good comparison in the future Matt! Great vid!
I prefer the normal m12 as you’ve shown in the video it seems it performs a bit better. I was considering on buying the surge glad I got the normal one.
Mech plumber here!! Used my mates m12for the first time last week and I’m absolutely blown away with how durable it is! Will definitely be looking to getting my self a set! Cheers mate
I've been working as a Mech plumber /fitter for 25 years....there's almost nothing my M12 can't do in the trade. I carry the M18 just in case, but I never need it. My partner has full size Dewalt...and he's constantly borrowing it for tight spots or because its light enough to clip on your belt and not even notice the weight. My original gen1 M12 has survived to this day and I'm installing big stuff like School boilers & chillers, miltary base stuff, underground piping where it's getting dirt and mud all over it. I let someone borrow it and they dropped it off a scissor lift about 20' up on to concrete and the battery popped out, but still works exactly the same. I thought for sure it was finally dead after that...nope. Don't get the surge, it's garbage for anything at work...I just leave it at home for projects around the house.
Im a sparky and use the surge for screwing and unscreweing switchgear at fitoff time, great being so quiet and its always hanging off my toolbelt ready to use👌
Absolutely love hydraulic impacts (based off my limited experience with them). I built a decking the other day with a friend and I was blown away by how quiet his M18 Surge was. I really hope they become more common place.
@@RK_Insanityy My line of thinking was if they were to become more popular, there would be more RnD dedicated to the technology which would lead to higher torque hydraulic drivers in the future. Until then I think they're great for plenty of applications that don't require the fastest driving of the largest fasteners.
@@poxneo I personally would never use an m12 impact for anything really. I have all M18 tools and I think it might surprise you how well the 3rd and 4th gen M18 impact drivers can sink a 4-6” lag bolt
I personally have the M12 Impact and been using it for just over year at the job site and love to the compact size and it’s been getting the job done for me 😁
Fully agree mate. Not sure why I did it. But that’s why I use the db reader. As the sound wouldn’t transfer well through TH-cam. Cheers for the feedback
I use the M12 impact which I got recently and am very impressed. It is meaty as capable as a 18v impact but half the weight. Great for overhead work. 👍
Bought the m12 twin pack a few months ago and really loving the power of the impact driver but have been having a bit of buyers remorse this king I should of gone the surge impact. Really loved the video and put my mind at ease seeing not much of a different in the tests you did. Thanks heaps for making it
Hey mate, I’m an apprentice and think after this I’ll get the the gen 3 as my first bit of m12 gear, them spade bits would be awesome to go with it instead of bumming off my tradie
Hi mate. Great video! Have been looking into what bit of kit to get for a lightweight impact to use for work and found this very helpful. Also head good things about those spade bits too 👌
Cool. I have the m12 gen3 regular impact and love it. Just got a set of stubby impact nut setters (Neiko) for mechanical work and they work great on smaller (1/2in and down) fasteners. Also, the Speed Demon bits work much better in an impact driver vs regular drill where they tend to jam up a lot.
Recently found your channel and am loving it. Coming back to the trade after some troubles a few years ago and wish you were around back then as almost all of the sparky channels were from across the pond. Haven't finished this one yet but just in regards to the the 8dB difference, it might not be well known but because of the logarithmic scale of dB, every +10dB equals a sound that is twice as loud. So in the first test that means the standard M12 was just under two times louder than the Surge. Later on with it being a difference of +/-20dB means four times louder. Either way I tend to overpack the ute bag and keep whats on me lighter and more comfortable so I find myself reaching for my Surge more often, but its nice to have the M18 not too far away when it needs to do some work.
I’m a first year and I got the M12 gen 3 impact and driver kit for work. Haven’t looked back, so easy to carry around and competes with workability compared to the M18
I would highly recommend the M18 surge, had it for around 1 1/2 years , so quiet compared to a standard impact , it's also really smooth, a joy to use haven't really found the reduced power to be an issue, would highly recommend pairing it with a 2ah battery, find the 5 ah its too bulky/heavy and not really required, as a 2ah will easily last all day on the surge
You try a 3a ho, use them in both the drill and driver and love them, can see a slight power increase over the 5a along with being a smaller foot print
I’ve only used the m18 drill and impact but after watching this definitely looking to go with a lighter more compact set up Great review keep them coming !!
Love the videos mate. I orefer the m18 over the m12 for most uses but watching this and all your other videos makes me want to give the m12 gear a redhot go. Keep up the great videos
What I'm interested in is how many screws can you shoot with a 2.0ah or 2.5ah HO battery before the battery runs out? There should be a test because I think a lot of people are interested in this issue and so am I
Absolutely love my M12 Normal drill but has recently tapped the matt and died on me, keen on trying the Hydraulic Drill for sure and would love to give it a crack! Love the content mate keep it up! 🤙🏽
Surprisingly great for a small compact drill/impact! Havnt had personal experience with Milwaukee as of yet, but after all your videos and reviews, thinking of changing over! The M12 surge seems like a great day to day small compact range with out having to big guns out all the time! DB ratings are very interesting and great results! Great Job mate, keep it up!
Another great review lad! Havnt had a chance to use and M12 drills yet and I’m running all Makita drill sets but think I’m have to go buy one now to try it myself
Loving the content that you are producing Matt. Great to see comparisons like this in real world situations in different materials. I’ve been interested in the M12 range for a while. Totally agree with you that if I’m wearing hearing protection anyway I’d opt in for the extra power.
Fellow sparky, always been looking to get amongst these smaller Milwaukee drills, they will be super handy for working on my bikes and cars, also just perfect for all those small house jobs when I don’t want a huge mf of an impact on my hip 🤣
David 🥰3 months ago Hey Matt, love it when you do reviews like this! As a third year sparky apprentice I have been wanting to jump over to the m12 range but didn't know which to go for, you really cleared that up for me! Now it's just a matter of finding the money .... but thanks for all your videos they have really helped me with tool selection and ideas for work. And wouldn't mind seeing those new diablo bits in my next week either 😁 Cheers!
No worries mate. I’m glad it helped. Definitely worth it if you have the extra cash. I do feel they are a luxury item if you already have m18 gear and your on a budget. Good luck with the rest of your apprenticeship and let me know how you go🍻
Nice review. Wasn’t too sure what the surge was all about but good to see it clarified and compared to the normal m12. Rocking m18 gear atm but definitely interested in getting an m12 impact down the track
The reason why the normal performed better on the large lag screws than the surge is because the normal has sharper "hits" which breaks the static friction bond into dynamic friction better. The surge is a little gentler on each hit. But this is not why one would get the surge. The surge is unparalleled in control and this is very useful for small fasteners. One would get the surge for the quiet and the control. It is expected that the normal one will be much better at brute force driving.
I was interested to see the difference in power. We do hospital/medical centres fit out from time to time. And they don’t like us using normal impacts. I have heard we are allowed to use the oil/hydraulic impacts as they are a lot quieter. I might pick one up and keep it just for these jobs. And use my normal impact all the rest of the time.
Surge is just so nice! Love it. That’s the gen 2 fuel impact tho they just came out with the gen 3 at pipeline. Has the tri LEDs, and that’s the collet brother 🤘🏻
I grab the surge for installation, assembly, disassembly work as well as anything in a confined space that will amplify noise due to vibration or acoustics and also limit my ability to get my ears away from the tool and still be able to see what I'm doing. Otherwise I just grab a big 20V for driving decking, structural and lag screws. I do like both the m12 impacts for running 1/4" impact sockets also. Been thinking about trying to get a 1/4" square anvil from Milwaukee to swap onto an extra M12 fuel hex driver impact I have.
Hi Matt, The bit holder for impacts are called 1/4" Collets. Speed wobbles are due to using a longish hammer drill bit in an impact which inherently has some play in the collet. It will make the drill wobble regardless. Bear in mind decibels increase exponentially. So depending on where on the graph, 1dB could potentially be double the sound level. (so 20dB could be something like 20 times louder!) The hydraulic design is apparently meant to provide lower torque for longer sustained periods whilst the traditional anvil impact provides a higher but shorter peak torque. Also I find although the traditional impact does get quite hot, the surge also gets hot but stays hot longer due to the fluid inside. I prefer to use my M12 Surge Impact day to day for light 1st/2nd fix (especially in occupied office environments/schools) but in heavy industrial/commerical use I stick to my traditional M18 Gen 3 impact. I honestly loved the surge technology, it's not for everyone and people don't like them due to the price and lack of outright power but I think they're a game changer! Love your work and thanks for providing us with these videos.
+3dB is twice as loud mathematically, and +10dB is perceived as twice as loud to a person. This shows why impacts are not meant for drilling. The wobble will be in every impact, while a drill with a chuck will be solid. Thanks for this video, it was great.
Great video Matt I was so undecided on the wether to go for the surge or the normal M12 impacts but your review on the two just made the decision for me. Can’t wait to see the review on the drills.
I love the surge for how quiet it is compared to the standard version, but it doesn’t have quite enough power at times to make the smaller platform worth it. I love them both!
Good review normal impact looks the clear winner. Would have liked to see the normal impact drive down those screws the surge couldn't. Just as a real comparison of power. Great video well worth the watch
Nice review, been using milwaukee for 10 years now and have always wondered what the difference was and why people were paying more the surge. Ive always been on the m18 bandwagon but have never used m12 gear.. pretty impressed with the performance and am 100% looking to grab a impact
I thoroughly rate the new Hammer drills but the fuel is the way for me as a renovator/homeowner thrashing about in all sorts of places. The best is the install driver in my books but! Love the versatility
Awesome review, definitely rate the normal impact, just because a brand brings out something new or a newer model you just proved doesn’t mean its better and we all need to be aware of stuff like that, cheers!
I have been rocking the m12 surge for a while now and honestly wish I bought the normal impact, it is good for working on boards, gpos and other various light work but anything else it lacks a bit of power
Why play music when you're trying to compare the sound each driver makes? And why drill concrete with an impact driver? The impact gives the impact force in a rotational direction while a hammer drill gives the impacts in the direction you're drilling.
Pretty impressed with how it handles steel . Been contemplating getting the 12v kit for the smaller size . Drill in loads of tek screws into steel( usually use my drill ).
Matt absolutely love the review. Lots of amazing info the video! I personally love my M12 stuff. And now makes me consider picking up the surge. The regular impact is leaps and bounds above what I expected out of it! Keep the amazing content coming brother
Definitely talked me out of buying the surge, it was in the list but not any more. keen to see an installation driver review, iv ordered one just to fuel my addiction
Awesome review. I’d be interested to see the comparison between Gen3 M12 and the latest M18 gear. Personally I think the lighter and more powerful regular M12 outweighs the quieter performance of the M12 surge.
Love your reviews Matt. Im making the switch from M18 to M12 so have been waiting for this review before making the decision on which impact to buy. Really expected more from the Surge, but likely go with the Fuel.
The m12 surge allowed us to work in a store during trading hours, the regular m12 we had was just way too loud for the work being done.
Technically speaking the standard drill/driver tip is called the chuck, whereas on the impact the hex shaped tip is known as a collet.
My next power tool purchase is definitely going to be the new m12 surge impact driver. It has enough power for 99% of my daily tasks and the size/weight/dcb level are all better for working inside occupied residential spaces. Love your content, keep it going 🤙
Hey Matt, love it when you do reviews like this! As a third year sparky apprentice I have been wanting to jump over to the m12 range but didn't know which to go for, you really cleared that up for me! Now it's just a matter of finding the money .... but thanks for all your videos they have really helped me with tool selection and ideas for work. And wouldn't mind seeing those new diablo bits in my next week either 😁
Cheers!
Can you do a video on the m12 impact wrench with an adaptor for the 1/4 inch hex I've seen a few people on sites do this and wonder if it works better.
Hi mate not to let you down but there is too much power in an impact wrench to do what a impact driver does and on the flip side there is too little power on a impact driver to do what a impact wrench does
I use these every day and am look to upgrade my old stuff. Even though I’m a mechanic. You just made my decision so much easier thanks heaps
hi and ty, whichscrewdriver tips are you using ? the best quality
ty.
I have the M18 Surge, M12 Surge, and used to have the M12 Fuel impact driver. The M12 Fuel impact is considerably faster than the M12 Surge, but the M18 Surge was just as fast (maybe faster?) And quieter. I bought the M12 impact and drill combo and sold it because the M12 Surge does what I need with a lot less damage to my hearing and almost as fast as the impact. Lately, I've been reconsidering the M12 impact again just for size, but my Surge drivers get the majority of the work, especially inside.
I’ll be going the normal gen 3, 150 grams is massive is a massive difference in a tool bag. My bag is heavy enough, any weight I can save is valuable. Love to know how much the gen 1 weighed.
I think if you’re on a job site with other tradies the reduced noise would be appreciated. I’ve also seen cabinet makers using them when they are in a cupboard with it and there is no where for the noise to go. They do have less power but.
I work in residential apartment maintenance and between the two drivers the Surge is always much nicer considering how much quieter it is, especially for occupied units. I don't feel like I'm disturbing the whole neighborhood trying to sink screws and fasteners with that surge yet it's still just as efficient as the standard impact in my opinion. Thanks for the great informative content, I'm always looking forward to your new videos!🛠️
How about the M12 Sds ? Looking to get one but not sure between the Makita DHR171Z 18V LXT Li-ion 17mm SDS Plus , I work up ladders so I thinks the lighter the better M12/18v ?
DHR182 is same weight, $20 more, but way more powerful than DHR171. Boltah Downunder has a vid comparing every small rotohammer. DHR171 murdered all of them.
th-cam.com/video/21k5Bh09fjQ/w-d-xo.html
Interesting that the surge doesn’t put perform. I’ve got the m12 kit that you got. Think my impact has the same wobble in the chuck
The surge is purely for being quieter. It’s never been marketed as the same power. The specs are on they website etc as the surge is around 50nm vs 150-160nm for normal
The surge is for light work that’s is noisy with vibration eg roofing or garage door fitting. Anything with light metal gauge that is noisy
It will never be a power unit and wasn’t intended for it👍👌
I have to M12 surge. Super uncommon for me to be drilling fixing like those big screws into to timber. It’s unbelievably quiet and the control for fit off is next level too. Great video to 👍
the m12 surge is nice and quite in comparison and has enough power that you don't fear stripping or rounding screws
I'm going with the surge, less noise and more smooth for small screws
Awesome vid! Definitely going to just get the normal m12 combo kit after watching this!!
Awesome look at these tools, I hunt for the deals and you’ve shown me that I can’t really go wrong with either lol thanks for the comparison review appreciate it.
Thank you for your review. I just got the normal fuel impact. Hoping to put it to use soon 👍
Very cool hat, surge is good for when trying to do stuff at 3 in the morning
Been looking at the M12 range recently, my old 18V drill is about to die so keen for a nice upgrade! Cheers for the video
I just bought the m12 surge and love it, great for fitting off faceplates and finer works
I use the M18 everyday but recently got to use my mates M12 gen 2 and is now the next tool to get on the endless list I have 🤣. Keep up the great content!
I have the normal m12 impact and I don’t really use it that often compared to my m18 impact! I hate having the second thought that if I grab the m12 whether it would have the power to drive certain screws into certain materials etc. However, the gen 3 impact looks like a beast so maybe that could be a good comparison in the future Matt! Great vid!
Kudos to you for @ 11:36. Fools will go deaf and blind! 👍
I prefer the normal m12 as you’ve shown in the video it seems it performs a bit better. I was considering on buying the surge glad I got the normal one.
Mech plumber here!! Used my mates m12for the first time last week and I’m absolutely blown away with how durable it is! Will definitely be looking to getting my self a set! Cheers mate
I've been working as a Mech plumber /fitter for 25 years....there's almost nothing my M12 can't do in the trade. I carry the M18 just in case, but I never need it.
My partner has full size Dewalt...and he's constantly borrowing it for tight spots or because its light enough to clip on your belt and not even notice the weight.
My original gen1 M12 has survived to this day and I'm installing big stuff like School boilers & chillers, miltary base stuff, underground piping where it's getting dirt and mud all over it. I let someone borrow it and they dropped it off a scissor lift about 20' up on to concrete and the battery popped out, but still works exactly the same. I thought for sure it was finally dead after that...nope.
Don't get the surge, it's garbage for anything at work...I just leave it at home for projects around the house.
I love using the smaller version just make my life easier as a appreciate learning the skill ps love the vids man 😊 been a great help with the journey
Over in the U.S. we call it a collet on impacts & chucks are on drill/drivers.
Love my m12 gear. Use it on everything except roofing work. Have used the Diablo bits as well and loved them too!
Im a sparky and use the surge for screwing and unscreweing switchgear at fitoff time, great being so quiet and its always hanging off my toolbelt ready to use👌
Absolutely love hydraulic impacts (based off my limited experience with them). I built a decking the other day with a friend and I was blown away by how quiet his M18 Surge was. I really hope they become more common place.
Do they make a hydraulic hammer drill?
They put down less torque. If they become more common, then work place will become less productive lol
@@dengshomeinvasions1273 Not that I know of!
@@RK_Insanityy My line of thinking was if they were to become more popular, there would be more RnD dedicated to the technology which would lead to higher torque hydraulic drivers in the future. Until then I think they're great for plenty of applications that don't require the fastest driving of the largest fasteners.
@@poxneo I personally would never use an m12 impact for anything really. I have all M18 tools and I think it might surprise you how well the 3rd and 4th gen M18 impact drivers can sink a 4-6” lag bolt
100% going with the m12 normal. Loving these kind of reviews matt
I personally have the M12 Impact and been using it for just over year at the job site and love to the compact size and it’s been getting the job done for me 😁
1:56 let‘s test the noise of the drill but add super loud music in the video so no one can actually hear anything, why? :(
Fully agree mate. Not sure why I did it. But that’s why I use the db reader. As the sound wouldn’t transfer well through TH-cam. Cheers for the feedback
I use the M12 impact which I got recently and am very impressed. It is meaty as capable as a 18v impact but half the weight. Great for overhead work. 👍
Bought the m12 twin pack a few months ago and really loving the power of the impact driver but have been having a bit of buyers remorse this king I should of gone the surge impact.
Really loved the video and put my mind at ease seeing not much of a different in the tests you did.
Thanks heaps for making it
Hey mate, I’m an apprentice and think after this I’ll get the the gen 3 as my first bit of m12 gear, them spade bits would be awesome to go with it instead of bumming off my tradie
Hi mate. Great video!
Have been looking into what bit of kit to get for a lightweight impact to use for work and found this very helpful. Also head good things about those spade bits too 👌
Great video comparison 👍🏼 love my M12 tools. I haven't got the surge yet, but it would be even better if I win it 😉 Keep up the great work 👊
Spot on review Matt.
I’ve recently just got the normal impact. Glad I did I was looking at the surge. Extra power is always a bonus 👊
Great review Mat. I’ve had M12 fuel since it first come out and I can’t kill it.
Cool. I have the m12 gen3 regular impact and love it. Just got a set of stubby impact nut setters (Neiko) for mechanical work and they work great on smaller (1/2in and down) fasteners. Also, the Speed Demon bits work much better in an impact driver vs regular drill where they tend to jam up a lot.
Recently found your channel and am loving it. Coming back to the trade after some troubles a few years ago and wish you were around back then as almost all of the sparky channels were from across the pond.
Haven't finished this one yet but just in regards to the the 8dB difference, it might not be well known but because of the logarithmic scale of dB, every +10dB equals a sound that is twice as loud. So in the first test that means the standard M12 was just under two times louder than the Surge. Later on with it being a difference of +/-20dB means four times louder.
Either way I tend to overpack the ute bag and keep whats on me lighter and more comfortable so I find myself reaching for my Surge more often, but its nice to have the M18 not too far away when it needs to do some work.
I’m a first year and I got the M12 gen 3 impact and driver kit for work. Haven’t looked back, so easy to carry around and competes with workability compared to the M18
Awesome review 👍 I'm about to get some upgraded Milwaukee tools and dunno whether to get M12 or M18
I would highly recommend the M18 surge, had it for around 1 1/2 years , so quiet compared to a standard impact , it's also really smooth, a joy to use haven't really found the reduced power to be an issue, would highly recommend pairing it with a 2ah battery, find the 5 ah its too bulky/heavy and not really required, as a 2ah will easily last all day on the surge
You try a 3a ho, use them in both the drill and driver and love them, can see a slight power increase over the 5a along with being a smaller foot print
I’ve only used the m18 drill and impact but after watching this definitely looking to go with a lighter more compact set up
Great review keep them coming !!
The sound difference between surge and regular is insane. 20dB is HUGE. If you don't have big power needs the surge m12 is amazing
Was thinking about buying the surge but I think I’ll get the regular impact after watching this. Love the content!!
Love the videos mate. I orefer the m18 over the m12 for most uses but watching this and all your other videos makes me want to give the m12 gear a redhot go. Keep up the great videos
What I'm interested in is how many screws can you shoot with a 2.0ah or 2.5ah HO battery before the battery runs out? There should be a test because I think a lot of people are interested in this issue and so am I
Absolutely love my M12 Normal drill but has recently tapped the matt and died on me, keen on trying the Hydraulic Drill for sure and would love to give it a crack! Love the content mate keep it up! 🤙🏽
Surprisingly great for a small compact drill/impact! Havnt had personal experience with Milwaukee as of yet, but after all your videos and reviews, thinking of changing over! The M12 surge seems like a great day to day small compact range with out having to big guns out all the time! DB ratings are very interesting and great results! Great Job mate, keep it up!
Got the surge m18 as my other drill was constantly overheating, ran much cooler for the job that I had on
Good review 👍 I ran the m18 surge until I got the 'normal' m12 impact. Haven't used the m18 since! More power, smaller and lighter, can't beat it.
Another great review lad! Havnt had a chance to use and M12 drills yet and I’m running all Makita drill sets but think I’m have to go buy one now to try it myself
Loving the content that you are producing Matt. Great to see comparisons like this in real world situations in different materials. I’ve been interested in the M12 range for a while. Totally agree with you that if I’m wearing hearing protection anyway I’d opt in for the extra power.
Fellow sparky, always been looking to get amongst these smaller Milwaukee drills, they will be super handy for working on my bikes and cars, also just perfect for all those small house jobs when I don’t want a huge mf of an impact on my hip 🤣
Great vid mate. The normal one is better than the surge I reckon. I think you should do this same vid but with the m18 impacts
David 🥰3 months ago
Hey Matt, love it when you do reviews like this! As a third year sparky apprentice I have been wanting to jump over to the m12 range but didn't know which to go for, you really cleared that up for me! Now it's just a matter of finding the money .... but thanks for all your videos they have really helped me with tool selection and ideas for work. And wouldn't mind seeing those new diablo bits in my next week either 😁
Cheers!
No worries mate. I’m glad it helped. Definitely worth it if you have the extra cash. I do feel they are a luxury item if you already have m18 gear and your on a budget. Good luck with the rest of your apprenticeship and let me know how you go🍻
Love the review. Was looking at getting some Milwaukee gear, so you have given me some great info
Nice review. Wasn’t too sure what the surge was all about but good to see it clarified and compared to the normal m12. Rocking m18 gear atm but definitely interested in getting an m12 impact down the track
The reason why the normal performed better on the large lag screws than the surge is because the normal has sharper "hits" which breaks the static friction bond into dynamic friction better. The surge is a little gentler on each hit.
But this is not why one would get the surge. The surge is unparalleled in control and this is very useful for small fasteners. One would get the surge for the quiet and the control. It is expected that the normal one will be much better at brute force driving.
I was interested to see the difference in power.
We do hospital/medical centres fit out from time to time. And they don’t like us using normal impacts.
I have heard we are allowed to use the oil/hydraulic impacts as they are a lot quieter.
I might pick one up and keep it just for these jobs. And use my normal impact all the rest of the time.
Surge is just so nice! Love it. That’s the gen 2 fuel impact tho they just came out with the gen 3 at pipeline. Has the tri LEDs, and that’s the collet brother 🤘🏻
I grab the surge for installation, assembly, disassembly work as well as anything in a confined space that will amplify noise due to vibration or acoustics and also limit my ability to get my ears away from the tool and still be able to see what I'm doing. Otherwise I just grab a big 20V for driving decking, structural and lag screws. I do like both the m12 impacts for running 1/4" impact sockets also. Been thinking about trying to get a 1/4" square anvil from Milwaukee to swap onto an extra M12 fuel hex driver impact I have.
Hi Matt,
The bit holder for impacts are called 1/4" Collets.
Speed wobbles are due to using a longish hammer drill bit in an impact which inherently has some play in the collet. It will make the drill wobble regardless.
Bear in mind decibels increase exponentially. So depending on where on the graph, 1dB could potentially be double the sound level. (so 20dB could be something like 20 times louder!)
The hydraulic design is apparently meant to provide lower torque for longer sustained periods whilst the traditional anvil impact provides a higher but shorter peak torque.
Also I find although the traditional impact does get quite hot, the surge also gets hot but stays hot longer due to the fluid inside.
I prefer to use my M12 Surge Impact day to day for light 1st/2nd fix (especially in occupied office environments/schools) but in heavy industrial/commerical use I stick to my traditional M18 Gen 3 impact.
I honestly loved the surge technology, it's not for everyone and people don't like them due to the price and lack of outright power but I think they're a game changer!
Love your work and thanks for providing us with these videos.
+3dB is twice as loud mathematically, and +10dB is perceived as twice as loud to a person. This shows why impacts are not meant for drilling. The wobble will be in every impact, while a drill with a chuck will be solid. Thanks for this video, it was great.
Interesting video I run the m18 but the m12 seems so much less bulkier for the work I do
Great review man. It surprised me that the hidraulic one is almost as laud as the regular one
Great video Matt I was so undecided on the wether to go for the surge or the normal M12 impacts but your review on the two just made the decision for me. Can’t wait to see the review on the drills.
Is there much price difference between the surge and standard gen 3
sorry posted before the end of the video
Good review! they definitely have their pros and cons might have to add a surge to the kit 👍🏻
I love the surge for how quiet it is compared to the standard version, but it doesn’t have quite enough power at times to make the smaller platform worth it. I love them both!
Try using the larger 6.0 m12 batteries there amazing a lot more power.
I'm definitely sticking with Milwaukee and my faith in them.
Good to understand surge and loving my M12 drill. So much lighter compared to my M18 drill and impact.
Good review normal impact looks the clear winner. Would have liked to see the normal impact drive down those screws the surge couldn't. Just as a real comparison of power. Great video well worth the watch
Nice review, been using milwaukee for 10 years now and have always wondered what the difference was and why people were paying more the surge.
Ive always been on the m18 bandwagon but have never used m12 gear.. pretty impressed with the performance and am 100% looking to grab a impact
Great info ...woulda thought the surge should have more power than the standard version ...
I thoroughly rate the new Hammer drills but the fuel is the way for me as a renovator/homeowner thrashing about in all sorts of places. The best is the install driver in my books but! Love the versatility
Hey Matt love the reviews haven’t used any of the m12 but think I will buy the kit you bought cheers Chris
Awesome review, definitely rate the normal impact, just because a brand brings out something new or a newer model you just proved doesn’t mean its better and we all need to be aware of stuff like that, cheers!
So crazy that the normal impact could bang them screws in further than the surge
I highly recomened the M12 range as the price, size and performance you get with the Milwaukee range is in the top of it's class
Great video man, really like the compact size of these tools
I have been rocking the m12 surge for a while now and honestly wish I bought the normal impact, it is good for working on boards, gpos and other various light work but anything else it lacks a bit of power
Why play music when you're trying to compare the sound each driver makes? And why drill concrete with an impact driver? The impact gives the impact force in a rotational direction while a hammer drill gives the impacts in the direction you're drilling.
Cheers for the feedback mate. I’m just showing what they are capable of. I showed the sound difference with the db meter. 👍
Pretty impressed with how it handles steel . Been contemplating getting the 12v kit for the smaller size . Drill in loads of tek screws into steel( usually use my drill ).
Matt absolutely love the review. Lots of amazing info the video! I personally love my M12 stuff. And now makes me consider picking up the surge. The regular impact is leaps and bounds above what I expected out of it! Keep the amazing content coming brother
Trainee Electrician, great Video and thanks for the help!
Love TH-camrs that do giveaways!
Never had an M12 but would love to have a smaller one, I got M18 but it's not that handy to use
This is by far the best test on the surge vs the standard
Hey Salvatore. Thanks for the kinds words. I really appreciate it
I use the normal drill and impact would love to get my hands on the hydraulic kit. Good onya mate
Definitely talked me out of buying the surge, it was in the list but not any more. keen to see an installation driver review, iv ordered one just to fuel my addiction
Awesome review. I’d be interested to see the comparison between Gen3 M12 and the latest M18 gear.
Personally I think the lighter and more powerful regular M12 outweighs the quieter performance of the M12 surge.
Love your reviews Matt. Im making the switch from M18 to M12 so have been waiting for this review before making the decision on which impact to buy. Really expected more from the Surge, but likely go with the Fuel.
Just sold my Ryobi set to grab these m12 platforms. No regret 😍