About a year ago we reviewed (and gave away) the Milwaukee M12 Cordless Right Angle Driver. We almost shed a tear as it left the shop, but it’s probably living a happy life somewhere. It was a sweet little driver, and its standard chuck made it a bit more versatile than the Bosch PS10 Right Angle Driver we reviewed in 2009. Milwaukee recently decided to kick it up a notch with the M18 Right Angle Driver.
According to Milwaukee:
As the only 18V Right Angle Drill with an adjustable clutch feature, the new tool provides eleven torque settings, plus one drill mode, for complete control in close-quarter fastening applications.
Our sponsor Ohio Power Tool’s unofficial blog Coptool recently covered the new Milwaukee M18 Cordless Right Angle Driver. Check out the full Coptool coverage for additional stats.
Although we haven’t set our paws on one of these personally, two points immediately jump out, one positive, one negative. On the positive front: more power. By beefing things up to M18 level, Milwaukee has definitely made this a more practical tool for powering a spade bit or other wood-boring drill bit through 2x material. If you find yourself working in cramped stud-bays drilling holes for plumbing or electrical, the M18 should be right up your alley.
The one potential negative we see is that what was previously a very svelte M12 tool, now has a little junk in the trunk with the M18 battery. One of the reasons we liked the M12 right angle driver so much was it’s ability to snake itself into very awkward and tight quarters (for example with HVAC work in a crawl space). The M18 version still maintains a very compact profile, but we can imagine some scenarios where that extra battery pack bulk might get in the way a bit. Even so, the overall right angle compactness will make it more usable in tight quarters than your conventional cordless drill.
Similar to the M12 version, a large paddle switch makes activating the tool very do-able, even in awkward positions (like the downward dog, or the one-legged king pigeon pose). It’s also one of the first new products powered by Milwaukee’s RedLithium battery technology. The 2615 also features an integrated LED, which is especially useful on a tight-quarters tool like this.
So, if you ever find yourself squeezing into tight spaces, check out the new Milwaukee 2615 M18 Right Angle Driver. Just remember to stretch before doing anything too awkward. It’s available as a bare tool, with a compact battery, or with the full size battery. Check out Ohio Power Tool’s vast Milwaukee M18 page shortly for whatever version you’re looking for, or give them a ring at 1-800-242-4424.
One of the few times that I can say that smaller is better is when I’m working in a tight space and these days where screws are almost the size of a pin those tight and small places come ’round quite a bit (hah, no pun intended). But sometimes you just gotta bite the bit and get the right tool for the right job and stop trying to makeshift something that in the end will take all the skin off your knuckles and/or melt your skin onto a muffler pipe.