I think that we are reaching a point where technology in motor and impact drive have exceeded the capability of the metals that we are using. It's hard to blame the bit, that's a ton of power on a 1/4" piece of metal.

Negative 16 subs on this video so far, we don't make the tools guys, just test 'em! :P We obviously would have preferred it survive through testing so we could have clean data on this one. We purchased a replacement, and we along with others will be trying to find out if its possible to break it again and how. Doing various tasks. We'll post a link here for that. If it's a fluke, that's worth knowing as much as anything else. Torque who started this channel is working for Astro Tools who dont make anything like an impact driver, though it's still worth knowing when watching videos like these. Always look to several sources!

I knew it, I knew I shouldn't buy the new M18 until your video came out. I follow a ton of other channels and no disrespect to them but I wasn't about to buy one without seeing what you found. This channel rocks!

I think it's about time that we switch to 5/16 collets and bits, but I guess it's not as big an issue when you're actually using them to drive screws

I was more excited about the lighting on the nose than improvements in power/speed. I think that when Milwaukee asked the trades guys what they wanted to see in a new impact lighting was the most requested. I know that's what I would have asked for. The older gen stuff already had plenty of power given the 1/4 hex drive. I work in plenty of dark places and the extra light would be helpful

Seeing the prior gen M12 would be interesting!

Bought a M12 impact driver 3/8 drill combo years back. Instantly hooked. With the bitty batteries, my young kids could help out by driving deck screws into the fence and whatnot. At the point now where I think I will have to get into a M18 impact wrench for auto work.

I love my M12 fuel gen 3 drill and impact driver combo kit. It took everything I threw at it. I used that impact driver on 8 inch medium lags in one sitting and used up 2 bars of battery left on an xc3.0 and the anvils only got as warm as a stack of fresh copies from a photocopier at the end. Same thing with driving 100 3 inch coarse thread wood screws with the heads recessed in one sitting.

I got the m12 and m18 drill/driver and I honestly use the m12 impact and the m18 drill for electrical rough in. It's cool having both

It would be nice to see a comparison between the new m12 vs the previous model

I just got the 3453 M12 for under dash work on passenger cars and it’s working very well for that job. Not a screwdriver, I know but this is versatile enough to get the job done.

What's going to happen is they're going to make these drivers too powerful and the supporting hardware wont handle it.i think its time they focus on durability and not outright power.

Interesting stuff! Thanks for showing the pitfalls as well!

I have the gen 3 m12. Its awesome with 1/4 drive sockets. I use it for top engine stuff. I also have the 3/8 stubby m12 impact, and I usually go for the driver for most lighter stuff. Its also awesome for just general stuff around the house. If you want I can lend you the gen 3 m12.

Saturday relaxed, almost buying the ultimate tech from Milwaukee, until I stopped to watch your video, by far, the best choice are the 2018 models MILWAUKEE 2853-20 M18 FUEL & MILWAUKEE 2804-20 M18 FUEL. Both tools are in eBay 89.99 each from many sellers. Thanks bro, I love your channel!

Also, I have a modifiend Ridgid 3.0ah octane battery. Swapped the cells out to make it a 4.2ah pack, and increased the continuous amperage from 35A to 45A. Planning on swapping the cells on one of my m12 batteries soon.

I think what I'm learning is that the M12 offerings are becoming more and more capable. The M18 platform has always had the capability. But, now the light-weight and compactness of the M12 doesn't come with as much of a power loss. You might go through batteries a lot faster with them, but you're not really lacking power anymore.

I have the m12. And let me tell you. It’s my favorite impact. Very light weight and powerful. Just feels good

I have the M18 and LOVE it. It's the most powerful Stubby drill you can get plus tri-led and very lightweight. Very hard to find just walking in a store and won't be on display either. Easy to find on-line. All the guys at work are jealous!!

solidified my thoughts… i’ll be happy to keep my gen3 m12 and picking up gen3 m18’s on sale! good vid!

Im a carpenter and work in a commercial building atm. I have the m12 and love it, so do my coworkers. The main selling point is how light it is. At the end of the day all we are doing is putting small screws in steel framing and drywall screws lol. Get the appropriate tool for the right job.

Keep up the great work, really appreciate all your hard work

This channel is the reason why i havent try to get the Gen 4, awaiting Torques Channel test and input...in conclusion i will hold off for now and use my gen3's

I love it when you break a tool! Manufacturers beware, this tool is going to get tested AND most users of your tools will know everything. Better make them good! Thanks for another great video.

I think they made the m12 gen 2 and 3 so good it's gonna be hard to top it . Like other commenters said they should probably focus more on durability , usability and versatility rather than just sheer power at this point . But then again power claims make tools fly off the shelves so that's what the marketing department is gonna push.

Glad to see what dealing with returns would be like.

Thank you for another fantastic video! 🙏

I have an M12 2551-20 impact driver. I also have Bosch and a Porter Cable impact drivers. Like my recent project where I needed to drive just short of a thousand 3-1/2" #12 deck screws (Torx bits used), the M12 was the one I reached for. Granted, I'm 80 years old, but its light weight, smooth operation with plenty of torque to drive the screws with a handy hook for my pocket so it was where I was when I needed it, was a winning combination. I've zero need for more torque in an impact driver. The ability to twist off adaptors is not a feature. I have the M12 3/8" drive stubby for that, and the 2767-20 (my only M18 tool though the 3/8" drive Mid Torque is at the top of my list) for when I need to remove really stuck stuff.

Wow two videos in 2 days! Nice!

Glad I saw this My gen 3 impact driver is still going strong

I'm a M12 guy. I like the small compactness of it and it fits well in my tool bag. Disappointed in the M12 here!

I have Apex,snap on and proto bit adapters and have not broken or twisted one yet.Although I dont quite use them as hard as you do,I think personally an apex or snap on adapter would be a good idea.Apex EX-370-B-4.It is only 3/8 drive though,not sure if they have 1/2 inch drive.They are extremely rugged though and have a very thick shaft.Once you need 1/2 drive it really makes sense to use an impact wrench anyway.

Thanks this video just saved me some money on buying that new m12 impact driver.

Thanks for GIVING your opinion on picking the Gn3 over the Gn4 I just needed to hear that before going to home depot

I think you have to use the XC battery to get the numbers the manufacturer states, that got noticed on VCG construction, the no power issue will be the solder has melted on one of the joints, i used to get this on the original sawzall all the time, im not overly happy with the milwaukee tools currently, and seeing the new ones are not improved alot if at all on the old is even more of a reason to wait a bit longer for the new shiny tool. Having a better light isnt enough to upgrade.

Wow, some pretty surprising results.

The company that makes those adapters must love you all

Great test to find the weak link, but personally I use a small 1/2 impact for large screws.

My impact of choice is always M12 size, weight, and performance. Then new Gen is worth it imo it feels faster and more powerful. However we are reaching the point where the tool will break themselves unless they use better materials

This is interesting, I haven't experienced many issues with my m18 tools honestly, I've still got my gen 3.0 impact driver going strong and yes it still tries to drop bits but I've known this lol. My go to driver is actually my m12 surge hydraulic impact, I've simply fallen in love with it's portability to power ratio. I would love to see some tests on the hydraulic impacts! This m12 doesn't hesitate when putting in #10 3.5" wood screws, it might be a smidge slower than the m18 but it really is quiet and when you're only putting in 3-5 screws? Who cares.

always appreciate the metric unit , thx

Having such a high torque impact driver seems pointless to me. The fact that it breaks the bits so easily kind of verifies that feeling. I have an M12 Fuel Impact driver (gen 3) that I use for screws and bolts/nuts that I can use with 1/4 drive (generally up to 13mm tops), and an M12 Fuel 3/8” drive impact for bigger stuff. The 1/4 hex driver is good for small stuff that probably needs less then 30ft*lbs, and I use the 3/8” drive for bigger stuff. No bits to break, it’s more compact in actual usage since it doesn’t need the long bit to work. Yes, it’s another tool to buy, but $120 for a tool that you use every day is nothing for a professional.

Thanks for the video

Thumbs up for the tri light! Hell ya

I use impact drivers every day and I think they have become more than powerful enough. What matters to me is ergonomics, weight, reliability and smoothness. In that instance, I think the Dewalt DCF850 takes the cake. The M12 would be my choice for smaller jobs.

Looking forward to the follow up on this one and if the failure can be duplicated. Yikes, new Milwaukee not so reliable, possible....

That m12 one is 99 bucks with a battery and charger at Home Depot I just picked one up. Excited

When Milwaukee tells ya it's too new to warranty tell them you don't have the box to return it. I had the jobsite speaker quit working within a month and they told me the same thing. I told them I didn't have the box because I didn't expect a Milwaukee tool to die that quickly.

I’ve been HUGELY Disappointed with Home Depot’s return/ exchange/ warranty process on a Milwaukee tool also. #(2880) WITH receipt. And UNDER the 90 days specified on said receipt. They told me, “Milwaukee doesn’t let us ‘exchange’ them.. so I have to refund your money, and you just have to buy it again.” 🤯 Hmm.. wonder how many of those sales figures of theirs come from instances like this? 🤔 Sort of a workaround into fudging the numbers if you ask me.

7:09 wow I was considering selling my Milwaukee gen3.5 impact driver and get a gen4 that just confirmed my decision, I’ll stick with the gen3.5!

Basically got my m12 driver for free. Home Depot is running a m12 high speed ratchet and hex driver plus two batteries and charger for $250… that’s cheaper than the ratchet and battery combo alone.

I'm glad I bought the gen-3(2853-20). And if I was buying the M12, it would be the Surge. Quieter, smoother, and still enough to drive screws.

Ahh the Yellow Makita i still love that thing, although it was a pain in the ass to get it to Europe

Since you tried out the latest m12 impact driver, is there anyway you can test out the other two m12 impact drivers that Milwaukee has to offer?

Gen 3 M12 user here. I only use the HO 2.5Ah/30w & 5.0Ah/60w. I feel a very clear difference between my 2.5Ah and 5.0Ah batteries. I also have a m12 3/8" impact wrench and of course notice a very clear difference between the two batteries when applied. I have 100% power on the 2.5Ah batteries until I lose a quarter of battery charge. While the 5.0Ah batteries seem to give 100% power until I lose half of the battery charge. I'd love to see some tests on these new batteries, specifically the 5.0Ah/60w.

Sound like a "right tool for the right job" situation to me. When I bought my m12 Hydraulic Impact, I choose that one over the standard Gen 3 because it was lighter, quieter, and smaller, even though the marketing admitted it made less peak inch pounds over the standard Gen 3 impact. My reasoning was, I was going to use this tool to install coax cable on house eves every day using cable clips with 1 inch screws, the tool was going to be used over my head almost always in uncomfortable spaces and positions and I wanted comfort over power. Trust me when you get draw the short stick and get nothing but old post wire homes and you gotta replace over 1000 feet of cable with a heavy drill, you're going to want to run to your van to cry for a little when you cant steady arm to get that last screw clip in.

The hilti SID 2-A is the nicest impact driver I have used, not the most powerful but that's what I love about it. It offers far more control with better trigger sensitivity and a more consistent trigger. If I want more power I grab an impact wrench. edit: Also it doesn't snap socket adapters nearly as much as my 2853-20.

When are you planning on redoing this test? I'm holding off on upgrading just because of this video. Also eagerly awaiting your M12 5.0 HO battery review before pulling the trigger. Is it a big improvement over the 6.0XC? Thanks for this channel!

This is an appreciation comment for Wendy from Home Depot 😳😍🥰

I've been having the same issues with milwaukee tools and batteries failing on me, but seems to be the newer tools having problems.

I know it's not really what you do, but I would love to see a tear down comparison between the Gen 3 and Gen 4. Whatever they changed for the Gen 4, it breaks down easily and often when used on larger fasteners. Which is weird since the new Hercules impact driver seems to be the same impact as the Gen 4, but it doesn't have any of the same issues.

LET'S GO!!!🏁

Some times it's not all about HP but functionality M12 is a fraction of the weight compared to the M18 so running deck screws all day I would definitely consider the M12

I think you should test out the new Metabo HPT Bolt wh36dc. I have a Japanese import of it. It's a newer 36v, not the original triple hammer.

Went to Summit Racing in Ohio and they have the greatest Milwaukee display I have ever seen.

Love your knife. Good Japanese steel there.

Well then, that settles that. I’ll be going back and grabbing one of the last 3 on clearance at the depot tomorrow

The husky adapters are very strong I would recommend them.

The new M12 hammer drill when I was using it with a nylon wire cupped brush after 3-5 minutes shut off and flashed 4 lights indicating that it over heated. Somewhat disappointed considering I have a 12v Bosch that does not shut off on a lockout. I’m guessing these safety features are for adding more power and presetting the safety temp limit cutoff low enough so warranty claims diminish quite a bit.

My M12 3/8 gun started making a weird noise, I took it apart and one of the planet gears had a broken tooth on the gear. They didn't have one in stock so they gave me a whole new gun.

Nice to see a glimpse of the warranty process and that you can get a refund for it. Nothing sucks more than trying to warranty something and just get silence, or worse get your review censored for being "too negative." *cough* Amazon *cough* *cough*

I guess we will have to wait for a Gen 4.1 or 4.5. So much for quality control

I like my m12 gen 2 and m18 gen 3 and the m18/m12 surge models (my go to actually; especially when do more remodels and inside a home w/ ppl; it does make a difference. Can also tell the “power” is wee bit lower, but like it; as imo, gives more control and don’t cam out Phillips heads so much). Do wonder if a gen 2 surge in coming for m12/m18 fuel models….I’m expecting yes, but not till late q4 2022 or late/mid q2/q3 2023 and will have to wait and see. As for me upgrading any of my current m12 gen 2 and m18 gen 3 tools. No, do love the led Tri-light on both, that imo is biggest “upgrade” to tools themselves, and the m12 does come (or buy Sep) accessories bit holder from Milwaukee themselves; kinda nice; otherwise, untill my current models/generations actually quit and Milwaukee won’t warranty them, will be staying w/ and wont be upgrading to gen 3/Gen 4 models (have tested, but had to return the tools as wasn’t allowed to keep, this time), but not a problem, imo, as nothing wrong w/ current models. Yes, know flex more power; but doesn’t mean need it, and also; w/ Milwaukee getting into stacked lithium battery cells, be interesting to see how the the gen 3 works compared to 18650/21700 cells, which are still good batteries, especially when the Gen 3 w/ ho cp3.0 selling for $129 ya can’t beat that deal, as great deal for a great tool that’s been around the block and back😉 Also, the new 2904-20 hammer drill driver w/ auto-stop safety feature so don’t sprain/break wrist….not a fan of how Milwaukee’s works actually compared to 2804-20 as seems to be less power and the Gen 4 was testing just kept shutting off b/c the auto-stop kept engaging, which is great, but compared to using the Gen 3 (2804-20 model) it seemed to take 2x-3x longer to do the job (actually was around 1.5-1.75x longer b/c of auto-stop) and as been wanting this feature and like on some of the SDS drills been using, I’m not a fan of it being on the 2904-20 Gen 4 model at all, and really like my gen 3. Maybe it needs tweaked w/ a updated model when Milwaukee manufacturers new stock (which will still be a 2904-20 but parts list and diagnostic list will list a a “revision b, & so on” model that every brand does throughout the life of a tool (example, 2853-20’s revision adding 2 ball bearings when collet kept malfunctioning and Milwaukee made a design change w/in same model number….which is normal for a brand). Time will tell, and still glad new tools released because gives competition in space which brings new innovations/features and helping everyone in trades and ppl using the tools “win” in long run, which it is a X country run and not a sprint, imo. Cheers✌🏻

Would love to see a test against the Gen 3 M12 driver, it is probably my most used cordless tool. Great for all my around the house stuff and the lighter stuff in the engine bay. Have no idea what sort of beans it makes though, so for all I know the disappointing numbers on the Gen 4 are still an improvement.

My dewalt shit out finally and just reaks so Bad I was like finally time for the m18 . Got it today and now came across this and was so upset . Like oh no there is a new one , of course ! But other than the lights I’m very very happy with my purchase . Also this thing is so strong compared to the old dewalt I had . Also have the battery lights is great

I'm happy with my gen3 and the last M12 driver they put out. Except the trigger on the m12, sometimes it doesn't go full bean's, u gotta mess with it alittle

Is the answer none of them survive? I’m a big Milwaukee fan, I’ve also had my m12 impact break driving in a sheet rock screw, and my m18 broke when I tried to break free my crank bolt. I was pretty sure it wasn’t going to be stout enough, but for the tool to break simply from trying to loosen a bolt, well, I thought that was the tools job.

I use an m12 surge impact at work because it still getser done and it’s nice on my ears, do you have a video with the m12 vs m18 surge at max battery? And maybe also do a decibel test and show both torque and decibel information on the same graph

You guys need a "for science" segment for those socket adapters you keep breaking. Buy a dozen of all the brands you can find and hopefully not damage any more collets on those drivers

With the power these things are making, i'm suprised that someone hasn't started trying to push 5/16 or 3/8 hex chuck model.

I'd like to see a test with the battery-powered Metabo 1/2" drive. Thanks

I've noticed the new m12 drill set retails for cheaper than the gen 3 which is interesting

Wow! You killed it. Didn't expect that. Yet again another company releasing something that is not ready. To new to replace, that's proof of premature releasing products. Glad I've held off. Going to wait for sure now.

Amazing. All that hype from Milwaukee for this? Now, I'm really curious how the Flex does with 3.5 and 6.0 stacked batteries. Great testing, as usual!

Milwaukee are notorious for overpowering products to beat competition. My mate had a Milwaukee impact driver that constantly broke bits. Even my expensive Wera bits. They only last a day

If it's the M12 that dies, I'm gonna need someone to torture test the M12 drill, the actually compelling part of that duo.

This is going to be good

Did I miss a re-test on the Gen 4 M18? Very curious whether that was just bad luck or whether we have another case of a new design that's got some serious problems.

I wonder if u can change the anvil on this impact to a 1/2. Like the old one. I wonder if it would be better then the gen 3 1/4 m18 1/2 anvil swap.

We'll have to wait and see what the m12 can do with the HO batteries.

I saw the brushless bauer impact in the list but I don't remember seeing that video. Was that a little hint at a video to come?

Thanks for posting this information. The little M12 Surge driver looked interesting but the seriously exaggerated performance claims are a deal breaker. Another thing Milwaukee does is exaggerate the Watt-hour ratings of the M12 battery packs. For power ratings of battery pasks to make sense the manufacturer must use the nominal cell voltage but Milwaukee uses the peak voltage of the M12 pack instead. For the M18 packs they correctly use the nominal cell voltage.

I would be ok with those low numbers of M12 if it price would be tad smaller as its perfect for home garage when you dont use impact driver often or for any heavy work. Of course it will get lower over time but stil... saving 15-20 bucks would be nice.

I sell Milwaukee daily and process tons of warranties for milwaukee. Milwaukee has sent me other peoples tools that were sent in for repair (as in, I've received multiple warranty shipments of tools that have been fixed and they belong to other companies and other people not even in my state). Milwaukee has lost a couple of my customer tools. Milwaukee even sent me a D Ring impact that was still completely in pieces because they said it wasn't covered and customer didn't want to pay $150. It was literally the whole tool disassembled in a box they sent me back. I've had them deny warranty on a 2 speed grease gun with invoice and proof of purchase 3 weeks prior I sent off a chainsaw and got a brand new one box and all 5 days later. I got a 2767-20 that I never claimed. I got a multi-tool that I never claimed. As much as I love Milwaukee, they have issues

All im missing is a 1/4 impact stubby and the 2767 1/2 impact now!

This new little M12 seems like a nice contender to DeWalts newish DCF840. Would like to see how that little buddy does

You guys should test m18 and m12 surges

I'll stick with my DCF850. It doesn't have the punch of the M18, yet it fits in smaller spaces and has proven itself in the time that I've owned it.

I kinda figured that about the m18 honestly. The specs are too similar to the previous generation. The m12 was a surprise that it did so poorly, but again, it’s really out of its league on that particular chart. Mine does great on cabinet hardware, but that’s more of its intended purpose lol.

I picked up the gen 3 18v in a pack out case with 2 3ah high output or whatever the 21700 cells and a charger on clearance for like $150 or $125 I don't remember it was a great deal