While Milwaukee has always offered rotary hammer drills in SDS-Plus sizes they have not been serious players in the category. Bosch and Hilti have been the leaders with Dewalt and Makita taking their share of the pie as well. Up to this point 18V cordless SDS-Plus drills have been more of a lower powered niche product. Things look like they are about to shake up however as Milwaukee is working to prove their M18 FUEL cordless rotary drills can not only outperform any 18V or 36V but corded drills as well.
At the recent Milwaukee New Product Launch event we watch the Milwaukee folks test these new drills against the top corded SDS-Plus hammer drills from Bosch & Hilti. In the video we can see the M18 FUEL 2715-22 ($549) drill take on the Hilti TE-30 ($600-900) as well as the Bosch Bulldog Xtreme Max RH228VC ($259) which are all rated up to 1-1/8” solid bit capacity. Not in the video they also test the M18 FUEL 1” 2712-22 against the 1” versions of both the Hilti and Bosch with similar results in favor of the cordless Milwaukee.
We also spent some time on our own drilling with various models as well as using the new M18 tools in chipping model to verify these results. With the long runtime of the 4.0Ah batteries and M18 5.0Ah batteries here shortly there are very few reasons we could not see going to going cordless with one of these new SDS-Plus drills.
HAMMERVAC HEPA Add-ons
One thing we did not get to see at the event and what can be a very beneficial feature is the new M18 FUEL drills both have the option for attachable/detachable HAMMERVAC HEPA vacuum systems which will collect the majority of silica dust created from drilling in concrete. For more and more jobs especially anywhere near food prep or medical these types of vacuums are required. For many situations of course you may not need a HEPA vacuum attachment so you may opt to not get the option or it can be easily removed and used without. Either way it is always better to know at least the tool is HEPA vac ready so if that situation comes you will be ready, even if you need to run out and buy it. It is almost 40% less expensive to get the HAMMERVAC units in the kits upfront but they are available as standalone items as well, 1” 2712-DE ($139) and 1—1/8” 2715-DE ($139).
Milwaukee M18 FUEL SDS-Plus 1” Rotary Hammer Drill 2712-22 ($499)
Length 12.48″
Weight 7 lbs
No Load Speed 0-1,400
BPM 0-4900
Blow Energy 1.7 ft-lbs
Trigger Lock No
Solid Bit Capacity 1″
Thin Wall Core Bit Capacity 2-1/2″
Drilling Mode 3-Mode: Rotary Hammer, Hammer Only, Rotation Only
Vibration 8.9 m/s²
With HAMMERVAC 2712-22DE ($599)
HEPA Filters 99.97% of all particles greater than 0.3 μm.
Milwaukee M18 FUEL SDS-Plus 1-1/8” Rotary Hammer Drill 2715-22 ($549)
Length 12.8″
Weight 7.7 lbs
No Load Speed 0-1,350
BPM 0-5000
Blow Energy 3.3 ft-lbs
Trigger Lock No
Solid Bit Capacity 1-1/8″
Thin Wall Core Bit Capacity 3″
Drilling Mode 3-Mode: Rotary Hammer, Hammer Only, Rotation Only
Vibration 8.6 m/s²
With HAMMERVAC 2715-22DE ($649)
HEPA Filters 99.97% of all particles greater than 0.3 μm.
Certainly time will tell if Milwaukee can take a chunk of the SDS-Plus market but it is clear all power tools are moving towards cordless and these rotary hammers look to be out front at least for the time being. If you have any questions on Milwaukee M18 Standard or M18 FUEL cordless tools contact the experts at Ohio Power Tool 800-242-4424 they would be more than happy to help you find the right tool for the job. Read more in the full Milwaukee press release below.
MILWAUKEE, WI – Milwaukee Tool redefines the cordless SDS Plus rotary hammer market with the addition of two new M18 FUEL™ models that will round out the line and deliver the market’s first and only full SDS Plus solution powered by one battery system.
The SDS Plus rotary hammer market is divided into three product segments that satisfy varying user needs: compact, medium and large. The market is currently trending away from corded and into cordless, as users look for increased productivity. Manufacturers have developed tools for the compact segment on 12V-18V platforms and in the medium to large segments on 18V-36V platforms, but none offered the complete range of solutions on a single battery platform. The technology did not exist to use a single battery platform that was small enough for use on compact tools but powerful enough for medium and large tools.
“Users don’t want to manage multiple battery platforms, it’s a productivity killer,” said Andrew Plowman, Director of Product Management for Milwaukee Tool. “By utilizing proprietary M18 and M18 FUEL™ technologies, we’ve developed a single battery system solution that meets the full range of user needs in each distinct SDS Plus rotary hammer market segment. Our full solution now includes a lightweight M18 5/8” for the compact segment, a M18 7/8” and M18 FUEL 1” for the medium segment which makes up the majority of the market, and an M18 FUEL 1-1/8” for the most demanding applications in the large segment.”
The new M18 FUEL™ 1” and 1-1/8” SDS+ Rotary Hammers drill faster than their corded counterparts, are built with corded durability, and can deliver a full day of work on one charge. Milwaukee is able to accomplish this level of performance by combining three exclusive innovations, the POWERSTATE™ brushless motor, REDLITHIUM™ battery pack, and REDLINK PLUS™ intelligence.
The POWERSTATE™ Brushless Motor works harder, lives longer, and converts energy into power more efficiently, providing the tools with greater speed and performance than competitive corded units. There are no wearable parts which extends the life of the motor, reduces motor friction and cools more rapidly to deliver years of maintenance-free performance.
Milwaukee REDLITHIUM™ XC4.0 batteries provide a full day of work on one charge, 20% more power and 2X more recharges than standard lithium-Ion batteries. REDLITHIUM™ XC4.0 also delivers best-in-class performance in extreme job-site conditions. With Milwaukee® durability built into each pack, the REDLITHIUM™ XC4.0 battery operates cooler and performs in climates below 0°F/-18°C with fade free power.
REDLINK PLUS™ Intelligence hardware and software is the most advanced system on the market. It integrates full-circle communication between tool, battery and charger to protect them from overloading, overheating and over-discharging. The protections help maintain ideal conditions for maximum application performance.
Available in October of 2014, the new M18 FUEL™ Rotary Hammers are a true testament to Milwaukee’s focus on the user and investment in game changing technology. Full SDS Plus Rotary Hammer Solution:
M18 FUEL™ 1-1/8″ SDS Plus Rotary Hammer Kit (2715-22)
1-1/8″ Max Capacity
0-1,350 RPM
0-5,000 BPM
12.8″ long
7.7 lbs
Includes M18 FUEL™ 1-1/8″ SDS Plus Rotary Hammer, (2) M18™ REDLITHIUM™ XC4.0 Battery Packs, Charger, Side Handle, Depth Rod and Carrying Case
*Also available as a bare tool (2715-20) and with HAMMERVAC™ Dedicated Dust Extractor (2715-22DE)
M18 FUEL™ 1″ SDS Plus Rotary Hammer Kit (2715-22)
1″ Max Capacity
0-1,400 RPM
0-4,900 BPM
12.48” long
7 lbs
Includes M18 FUEL™ 1″ SDS Plus Rotary Hammer, (2) M18™ REDLITHIUM™ XC4.0 Battery Packs, Charger, Side Handle, Depth Rod and Carrying Case
*Also available as a bare tool (2712-20) and with HAMMERVAC™ Dedicated Dust Extractor (2712-22DE)
M18™ 7/8” SDS Plus Rotary Hammer (2605-22)
7/8” Max Capacity
0-1,400 RPM
0-4,800 BPM
11.75” Long
7.2 lbs
Includes 2605-20 M18™ 7/8” SDS Plus Rotary Hammer,(2) M18™ XC High Capacity RED LITHIUM Battery Packs, 1-Hour Charger, Side Handle, Depth Rod and Carrying Case
*Also available as a bare tool (2605-20)
M18™ 5/8” SDS Plus Rotary Hammer (2612-22)
5/8” Max Capacity
0-1,300 RPM
0-7,000 BPM
12” Long
5.5 lbs
Includes M18™ 5/8” SDS Plus Rotary Hammer, (2) M18™ XC High Capacity RED LITHIUM Battery Packs, M18™ and M12™ Multi-Voltage Charger, Side Handle, Depth Rod and Carrying Case
*Also available in a one battery kit (2612-21) or as a bare tool (2612-20)
