Milwaukee M12 Fuel Installation Drill Driver Kit 2505-22 Review

Drilling

This metric accounts for 35 percent of each drill's overall score and is divided into three real-world test scenarios. The initial test assessed the speed at which each drill was able to bore a 5-inch hole in a solid 1 ¾ inch wooden door using a hole saw. The Milwaukee M12 Fuel Installation Drill Driver finished the task in a less than impressive one minute and 35 seconds, 55 seconds longer than the top performing 12 v 5-in-1. Our second test measured the time to drill a 1-inch hole in a 2x12 using a spade bit, and this model offered another less than impressive performance, struggling from the start to make a complete hole.

Finally, we used a 16-gauge steel sheet with both ¼" and ½" spiral drill bits to test drilling performance. And again, the Milwaukee M12 Fuel was outperformed by another 12-volt model in half the tasks, only rising to the occasion to outperform other 12-volt models by one second when drilling a ½ hole in 16 gauge steel — a task completed in 6 seconds. All around, the M12 Fuel's mediocre drilling performance wasn't the best and an unpleasant surprise to our test team.

Driving

Our second evaluation metric, accounting for 35 percent of each model's total score, assesses their driving capabilities. For this, we used the drills to drive five-inch lag bolts through a 2x4 placed on a 4x4. We recorded the exposed portion of each lag bolt when each model ceased driving. Additionally, we used the drills to secure 3-inch number 9 Torx T25 flat head deck screws into the same material to evaluate their ability to drive screws flush with the materials's surface.

The Milwaukee M12 Fuel Installation Drill Driver continued a lackluster performance, trailing the top 12-volt 5-in-1 model. It left twice as much of the lag bolt exposed as compared to the top performer and struggled to drive deck screws completely flush. The M12 Fuel Installation Drill Driver left our team expecting more.

Battery Life

Our testing used real-world applications to provide an accurate account of how long these batteries last. We drive deck screws and drill one-inch holes until each drill runs out of battery. Our team repeated these rounds of testing until the drills could no longer perform drilling or driving tasks.

Unfortunately, the Milwaukee M12 Fuel exhibited one of the worst performances we've seen from a 12 volt system, failing to finish three full rounds of testing. Fortunately, poor battery life is somewhat offset by one of the fastest chagrin times, meaning you'll be able to return to your task more quickly than with other models.

Convenience

In our last evaluation metric, we assessed the convenience aspect of each model, which accounted for 10 percent of the overall score for each drill. Convenience factors include the ease of changing heads, tool belt clips, bit holders, the presence of work lights, straightforward operation of chucks, buttons, and triggers, as well as compactness and the ability to swap batteries, all of which significantly influence the overall convenience of a drill. Like other compact 5-in-1s our team tested, the Milwaukee M12 Fuel Installation Drill scored well, but our team did take issue with its goofy, 'brass knuckle-like' design, that detracts from compactness and provides a strange location to secure extra bits with a magnetic strip. While not our favorite design, as it increases the size of this otherwise compact model, the magnetic strip is useful. Angle-changing attachments are also easy to swap and stack, and a 1/4 inch hex shank makes changing drivers and drill bits a breeze.

Should You Buy the Milwaukee M12 Fuel Installation Drill?

The Milwaukee M12 Fuel Installation Drill was a surprisingly underwhelming 12-volt 5-in-1 drill driver compared to its competition, and it is also more expensive than other better-performing models in the 12-volt lineup. It is not what we expected ahead of our testing, but data cuts through bias, and we have to recommend better performing and cheaper 5-in-1 options and suggest passing on the Milwaukee unless you are already heavily invested in Milwaukee's M12 Fuel line of tools.

What Other Drill Should You Consider?

The Milwaukee M12 Fuel Installation Drill is only an average drill. As such, if you are dead set on a 12-volt compact system, take a good look at the best performing 5-in-1 12-volt drill we tested, the Dewalt Xtreme 12V 5-in-1. It is a very capable 12-volt drill, offering lots of convenience in a compact package. For greater power and performance, you should consider the Milwaukee M18 Fuel 1/2 Drill Driver. If your budget allows for it, the Milwaukee M18 Fuel offers the best overall performance of all the models we've tested and won't let you down, but it isn't as compact or convenient as the 12-volt models. If the top-tier models we tested are too cost-prohibitive, you should explore the more budget-friendly Craftsman V20 1/2-In. Drill/Driver, which delivers good performance at a more affordable price point.