Milwaukee M18 Fuel 1/2" Drill Driver Review

Performance Comparison

Drilling

We started by testing the power of each of these top-ranked drills head-to-head in a trio of tests. We compared performance at drilling a 5-inch hole through a solid door using a hole saw, drilling a 1-inch hole using a spade bit through double stacked 2x lumber, and using standard twist drills through a steel sheet. The M18 FUEL delivered some top-tier results, earning one of the top scores of the bunch.

This drill easily drilled the hole saw to its full depth in the solid door in around 15 seconds. It stalled and caught a few times when we tried this in the high gear but showed absolutely zero issues when in low gear and still made short work of the task.

This drill continued its stellar performance with the 1-inch spade bit. It showed no sign of a struggle at all until the battery was essentially completely dead. We like that this drill never really caught or stalled, even when breaking through to the other side of the 2x12s.

The M18 FUEL finished this metric with another solid performance with the twist drills and the steel sheet. We used both a ¼-inch and ½-inch drill to make holes in a 16-gauge steel sheet.

This drill took 1.1 seconds to make a ¼-inch hole and about 3-4 seconds to make a ½-inch hole — some of the fastest times of the group. This drill effortlessly cut through the steel without stalling or catching, even when cutting through the last burr.

Driving

Our next set of assessments for each tool focused on comparing their performance at driving in fasteners. For this metric, we focused on a large lag screw and standard wood screws — a 3-inch length — to compare performance. The M18 FUEL absolutely crushed the competition in this metric, tying for the top spot overall.

The M18 FUEL drove the 5" lag screw to the full depth without too much issue. We used the high gear to drive the screw past the threads, then swapped to the low gear to sink the screw completely.

The clutch on this drill has 14 different settings, giving you a wide range of adjustability if you want to limit the torque to prevent overdriving the screws. This drill also did very well with the standard wood screws. It easily drives the countersunk screws to the full depth and offers more than enough control to set the heads flush with the surface or just slightly under.

Battery Life

Our next round of tests compared and scored how these cordless tools did with common batteries. We used a 2 amp-hour battery with the M18 FUEL, comparing how efficiently it could use this battery and how long it took to recharge compared to other models. This drill did very well, meriting a top-tier score.

To test how efficiently each tool used its battery power, we alternated between drilling three holes with a 1" spade bit through a piece of 2x lumber and then sinking 16 wood screws to their full depth through a pair of stacked 2x12 boards. We started each drill with a full battery and then kept track of the number of cycles completed.

The M18 FUEL completed nine full cycles and a partial 10th cycle before completely dying. It drove all the screws in for the 10th cycle but only completed about half of one of the holes before the battery died. We did have to shift down to the lower gear setting partway through the 9th cycle to finish drilling the holes, as the battery was so depleted that it couldn't source enough power while in the higher gear setting.

We also liked how quickly this battery charged, only taking around 25 minutes to complete charge with the stock charger — much much faster than comparable batteries.

Convenience

Our last metric for each of these cordless tools focused on how convenient and easy to use they are. We based our scores on the weight of each tool, max chuck size, LED lights, different operating speeds, battery indicator, and ease of swapping batteries. The M18 FUEL finished our tests with a decent performance, earning an above-average score.

This drill is a little heavier, tipping the scales at just over four pounds. It has the option for the belt clip to be attached near the batter. This model is fairly typical when it comes to swapping the batteries, though we do like the presence of a battery indicator on the batteries.

This drill has two different operating speeds, and the chuck can hold up to a ½" shank. The M18 FUEL has an integrated LED light above the battery. This light usually provides ample light and stays on for about 11 seconds, but we didn't like that you need to start the drill to have the light turn on.

Should You Buy the M18 FUEL?

If you are searching for a premium cordless drill and aren't looking for an introductory kit with batteries and charger included, then the M18 FUEL is a great option. It has tons of drilling and driving power and great battery performance. It's a heavy-duty tool for heavy-duty projects, earning one of the best scores of the entire group. While this drill is a top-tier product, it can be a bit on the expensive side if you are shopping on a budget, particularly if you don't need a particularly heavy-duty drill. If you are trying to build up a fleet of cordless tools, the M18 Fuel line is a great one with professional-grade performance. However, each tool in this line is generally at the upper end of the price range for any given tool category, which is important to consider before diving into this set of Milwaukee tools.

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