The Milwaukee M12 3/8″ Drill Driver 2410-22 packs a lot of features into a compact and light weight package. Milwaukee sent us this drill to check out and then put into the busy hands of one of our pro tradesmen, George of G Prewett Electric in San Diego, CA. Before handing the M12 driver off to George, we gave it a little look ourselves. I’ll dive into our initial impressions, which will then be followed by George’s in-the-field feedback.
Like many of the tools in the Milwaukee M12 lineup, the 3/8″ drill driver sports a nice LED light for illuminating your work when you’ve crawled into a light-forsaken recess of your home. Why LED’s didn’t exist on power tools sooner, we will never know. The drill also features an LED “fuel gauge”, handy for avoiding unexpectedly running out of battery power. Rather than call it a “fuel gauge”, we like to refer to it as the “juice-o-meter.” I’m sure Milwaukee will immediately change the name once they read this.
The M12 3/8″ drill driver sports really nice ergonomics. It has a compact but still beefy feel in your hand, and the forward / reverse switch is nicely situated. The drill also has some rubber bumpers around the frame of the tool to help protect it from mild to moderate abuse on the job. The M12 features two speeds, and the second speed really cranks! And with 250 in-lbs of torque, it’s surprisingly capable given it’s compact stature.
Tradesman On-The-Job Feedback:
George was happy to report that after several weeks on the job, the M12 Drill Driver still worked. This was cause for celebration because, frankly, many of George’s tools don’t survive that long. In fact, power tools have a shorter life expectancy with George, than they would in the relatively docile environment found in many DIY’ers garages. George attributes the short tool life span to “endless drops off tall ladders, skidding in and out of the tool bag, mud & rain, and being thrown in and out of the truck.” Like many tradesmen, George is known for his skills, not for being gentle.
George rated torque as “good for its size”, battery life as “excellent” and the LED light as working better than other similar models. Like us, he also liked the battery monitoring lights. He also found, “The chuck stayed when it was supposed to, and released with very little trouble.” George felt the addition of an impact feature would make this the dream driver. Â But, we can’t always have it all in one tool. Â George, whom Milwaukee agreed to let keep the tool after testing, was very happy to add the 2410-22 M12 drill driver to his tool box, especially since it “didn’t fry” during his gauntlet of electrical tasks and on-the-job torture.
The Milwaukee M12 3/8″ drill driver comes in a very nice protective hard case and includes 2 batteries and a charger. You can find the Milwaukee M12 2410-22 Drill Driver kit from our sponsor, Ohio Power Tool for a bargain $149.02.
The new ones have a hammer-drill function, so that’s what i bought! it’s actually the kit with the hammerdrill and 1/4″ hex impact driver, two batteries, etc. Very nice! and much lighter and easier to handle than the 10-year-old 14.4V DeWALT that it replaces – that thing had power, but much too hefty and cumbersome for regular indoors work! if i need THAT much power (and more run-time than the old NiCd batteries), i reach for my air tools 😉
It’s about time the power tool companies smartened up and got back to reality with smaller tools. Yrs ago I had a Dewalt 12 or 14.4 volt with a pistol grip handle that was the sweetest thing Ive ever used.
John Wayne, Clint Eastwood & Yosemite Sam would of loved the feel of that drill. Know you cant get them. Instead Dewalt comes out with the DCF895C2 that looks like a PUG FACED dog that doesnt have the reach and ability for tight spaces when needed.
Looks like they are forcing us to use extended lenght bits with these tools……..
Awesome site guys! I stumbled on it by accident. So much stuff to check out here!
When I first saw the M12 kit that I subsequently ended up buying there were a couple of thoughts I immediately had. First was at how stout the tiny tools felt, and the sense of torque, both of which made it look to be a good purchase option for someone hoping to escape the weight and bulk of full-sized cordless tools.
Ever since their inception, cordless tools were supposed to free us, and they did very well, but now along comes a newer generation of compact cordless designs which offer not only to free us from cords, but also to carry more compactly.
I’ve now had my Drill/Screwdriver/Hacksall kit for about a month and while using it on my house renovation, they are constantly fought over and used more than any of the cordless tools that no-one else brings to the site anymore.
We still use a 1/2″ corded Milwaukee drill for the heavy stuff, but there has been no full-sized Sawzall on site and the Drill has done far more work than I would have hoped it could.
If you ever use a drill at all, this is a great tool that will see a lot of usage, regardless of whether you’re a pro who makes their living by power tools, or a homeowner who wants something powerful and easy to use.
Just to be sure, the M12 series will not deliver the same power as modern full-sized power tools, but they are incredible when you take into account the size and the torque you feel the first time you try is very impressive.
A couple features that made me choose the M12 over the competitors, all of which were also very impressive, was the handy 4-LED battery meter that lights for a couple seconds each time you press the trigger, the smoother chuck grip which offers good enough purchase not to slip, but doesn’t tear at your hand while tightening a bit. The 2-speed switch and torque selector rounded it out to be a no-regret purchase.
Hey Pete, I think I’m going to give you the “most thorough comment of the month” award right here and now! Unfortunately, the only thing that award gets you is bragging rights (and a chance to win this month’s prize). We really do appreciate your taking the time to provide your thoughts on the Milwaukee M12 tool lineup. . . . your comments/mini-reviews are welcome here anytime. Thanks Pete!
Amazing tool !! Delivers the torque….more than you expect. Compact AND powerfull…what an exciting combination. I could not be more satisfied with this tool. Buy this NOW, if you are looking to have an electric screwdriver/drill…nothing can beat the powersurge…the torque…the speed (and the light and the fuel guage make this ONE COOL TOOL!). I am more than satisfied…this is one pumped-up powertool.
I am so pleased with the drill driver and impact driver….they will make my job day less painfull…I know, I work with my tools!!