REASONS TO BUY
Great drilling performance
Compact
REASONS TO AVOID
Lackluster battery life
Expensive
Milwaukee M12 Fuel 1/2" Drill Driver 2503 Review
This model has the power of a top-tier drill in the compact package of a 12-volt model
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
By David Wise ⋅ Senior Review Editor ⋅ February 14, 2022
Contributions From: Austin Palmer
RELATED: The Best Drills of 2025
Our Verdict
If you love the compact form factor of a 12-volt drill but don't want to make any sacrifices when it comes to power, then you should strongly consider the M12 Fuel by Milwaukee. It held its own against much larger and higher voltage drills in our drilling and driving tests, all while being exceptionally convenient and easy to use. It's definitely our top drill recommendationfor anyone who wants a burly 12-volt drill, but we did wish that it was a little less pricey and had a better battery life with its smaller battery. It does include a larger battery, but it significantly increases the size of the drill, somewhat defeating the purpose of getting a compact 12-volt model for your DIY projects.
Our Analysis and Test Results
The M12 Fuel handles drywall with ease.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Drilling
The main purpose of a drill is, of course, to drill things. In this, the M12 FUEL does not disappoint.
Starting with the 1" spade bit, the M12 FUEL did about average compared to the rest of the drills in the group. It never faltered or stalled, but you could tell it was under some strain. However, this didn't seem to affect it that much, doing better than the other 12-volt models.
1" spade bit testing with the M12 Fuel.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
It did even better with the normal twist drills, drilling holes through a steel plate quickly and easily — enough that you wouldn't even know this drill runs at a lower operating voltage than many of the others. It only took a couple of seconds to make it through the 16 gauge plate with a ¼" drill and about six seconds with the ½" drill. It didn't struggle with the smaller drill and only had the briefest of struggles before punching through with the larger drill.
You can count on the M12 FUEL to get you through a thin sheet of steel.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
The Milwaukee M12 FUEL finished our drilling metric with another excellent showing in our giant hole saw test. It again drilled to the full depth without too much protesting — an impressive performance for a 12-volt drill considering it was using a 5" hole saw in a solid wooden door.
The M12 FUEL can handle tough jobs like a 5" hole saw through a solid core door.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
It never stalled or caught; it just took about three times as long as the best drills. Still, it took less than a minute to complete the task.
The M12 FUEL is our go to 12-volt for small driving projects.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Driving
Following our hole drilling tests, we evaluated how proficient the M12 FUEL is at driving in fasteners. It didn't do as well as in the drilling tests, but still delivered a decent performance.
The M12 FUEL has more than enough power to handle standard wood screws, driving them in quickly and having zero issues with setting the head flush. We basically treated this drill the same as the top-tier drills in this test, setting it apart from the other 12-volt drills that occasionally needed a break to keep from overheating.
This model was eventually able to drive the lag screw all the way in.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Unfortunately, it couldn't quite carry this almost flawless performance when attempting to drive a 5" long, ½" lag bolt to its full depth. You could tell that this drill couldn't match the driving force of the top products. It stalled out a handful of times, but the Milwaukee M12 did eventually drive the screw to the full 5".
The M12 Fuel battery can be a little annoying to remove.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Battery Life
The M12's battery life is a bit disappointing. We used a 2-amp-hour pack to run the tool through a series of repetitive drilling and driving tasks, and the M12 was only able to make it through 4 full cycles, much less than the 10 cycles that some of our favorite drills were able to handle.
The M12 did redeem itself in our recharge test, fully charging the 2 Ah battery in about 40 minutes — one of the faster times of the group.
We liked drills that had good lighting and a belt clip.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Convenience
The M12 good convenience features and is pretty easy to use, which is one of the main reasons to get a 12V model. It has a belt clip that holds the drill in a balanced position and can be put on either side of the body. It has two different speed modes and weighs in at less than three pounds with the 2 Ah battery installed. It has an excellent work light that stays illuminated for about 10 seconds, and the drill chuck doesn't create an annoying shadow over whatever you are working on.
The M12 FUEL has a solid light.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
The chuck on the M12 FUEL can hold up to a ½" bit.
Although 18-volt drills are often considered the workhorse size, even some more modest 12-volt drills can still hold a 1/2" shank in the chuck.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
The drill body itself also has a battery status indicator, but we found it a bit difficult to swap batteries. The locking tabs can be stubborn, and it takes a decent amount of force to install or remove the batteries.
Should You Buy the Milwaukee M12 FUEL?
If you want a heavy-duty cordless drill that can handle all but the toughest projects with ease and still fits easily in a kitchen drawer, then the M12 is a great choice. This 12-volt drill thoroughly impressed us and is by far the best we have seen to date with its operating voltage. It held its own with the higher voltage drills, all while retaining the compact form factor of a 12-volt tool. While the Milwaukee M12 FUEL packs quite a punch for a 12-volt drill, it pairs this with a somewhat premium price, so it is far from being the best value option you can get.
What Other Drill Should You Consider?
While it is a capable option at the size and voltage, it isn't a standout in the group for the brand or otherwise. With a price this high, you have to have a niche project that makes it ideal, or it isn't the best choice. The Milwaukee M18 Fuel 1/2" Drill Driver is significantly less expensive and offers better performance in every testing metric. The battery life is longer and quicker to charge with better drilling and driving. So, unless you need a small drill for tight spots, we think the M18 Fuel is the wiser purchase for various jobs.
—David Wise and Austin Palmer
You Might Also Like
