Well it looks like Gen 3 in both impact and hammer drill are equally as good if not slightly better than Gen 4. It’s why we need these VCG construction tests! Cannot wait for the M12 comparisons.

I’ll stay with Gen 3, after seeing this Comparison. I was so excited about getting gen 4, but not anymore after seeing this video. Thank you for not being biased and keeping it real.

Try the gen4 again while cancelling the anti kickback feature. (Just put the reverse/forward switch in lock, the press the trigger 5 times : a red light will blink telling you that you have cancelled the anti kick back) I’m sure that it will perform even better on that kind of test.

I have the gen 3.5 combo kit and just purchased the gen 4. I didn’t buy it for more power, I bought it for the Tri lights, huge difference in light coverage and color. In my opinion I’ll never need more power than what either generation offers. Both are amazing tools.

The Gen 4 is not REALLY running hotter. Vince was putting much more ass into it. Thats why the battery was hotter too. More amps went thru the tool. But like I've suspected there is very little difference in performance. Milwaukee is usually very honest about their specs. In an ideal scenario this tool may output 200 more inch lbs. but in everyday usage it would be hard to differentiate.

Seriously...you guys are a gift to the internet. Thanks for what you do! I'd be embarrassed if I was milwaukee

Honestly love the reviews. Never biased and always honest. I’m a huge Milwaukee fan and have a bunch of their tools but the m18 gen 4 has been a little disappointing. Watching your vids since I was a teen! Love to watch.

Jimmy looking good. Looks like you lost a little bit of weight. Always good to hear from Jimmy on the show. Hope all is well with the VCG Family. God bless everyone 🙏

Hey Vince , As electrician, on residential. I drill ton of holes and I like to use the gen 3 only when I’m drilling overhead on Heights for the anti kick back .(one key) And for my experience only the 8.0 batteries are the best for this drill. But after some amount of holes the drill overhead. And it won’t work until cold down . So I normally use my super hawg But for what I saw 👀 the 4 gen was kicking with the 5.0 . I’m assuming that with the 8.0 , is a beast .

With most drill bits and especially one that long you should be backing it out to get the sawdust off the bit. Even if you were using an electric drill. If you don't it causes the bit to get hot and packed with sawdust,burning it over time

Thank you for the review! Love to see the honest and true testing

I think the clutch is where it feels different. The gen 3 has the electronic clutch vs the mechanical in the gen 4.

i am very happy that i got gen 3 before i even know that a gen 4 is comming

What's up Vince and the VCG gang members. Picked up the new Milwaukee protective arm sleeves last night. There cut level five but look really nice for doing work when having short sleeves. Only cost $20 dollars bought them as a birthday gift for myself. Have a good day.😎👍🇺🇸

We all expected Milwaukee to bring it with this one because Flex’s hammer drill is a little more powerful. Apparently all they tried to do was add a little technology and didn’t do a good job. They failed big time here

Gen 3 already produces a good amount of heat for the work load it's given, I've had mine thermo out a few times on high demand jobs. If gen 4 runs even hotter and underperforms it's predecessor, then why even bother with it. Between price and performance of all the Pipeline 2022 tools, it leaves something to be desired for me. Great video!

Basically, Flex Turbo with SL batteries, Dewalt Flexvolt, and Makita XGT are all more powerful...got it!

Considering they're using regular xc 5.0 batteries and these are newer fuel tools that can take advantage of the newer 3.0 and 6.0 high output batteries I wonder if using these batteries would yield different results. I would think the gen 4 would take more advantage of the better battery cells since they've had more time to adopt and optimize the better battery tech

Can you measure the temps of each drill immediately after the run? Running the Gen3, then running the Gen4, then measuring both for temp at the same time gives the Gen3 time to cool down while you’re running Gen4. I suspect the actual temps are much closer if not the same. 🤔

That was a well done test. I think they should have an override to turn off the auto-shutdown in case you need the torque. Or maybe have it turn off when the auxiliary handle is attached.

I ❤️ this Channel !

Vince hardest working man in the business. Thanks Vince & Jimmy I won't be upgrading to Gen 4 I am happy with both my Gen 3 impact & Hammer drill

TTI may not like it, but the VCG Crew would LOVE to see this extend to testing the new M18 drills using their High Output 21700 M18 batteries to see if they perform as close as the XC5.0 18650 batteries for VCG...and please do this with M12 as well now that we also have HO 21700 M12 batteries.

Great comparison and honest assessment of those 2 products.

Are those weight specs accurate? Is the gen4 really 4.9 lbs compared to 3.2 lbs for gen3? That seems like a drastic difference for such a similar tool. That's a 55% increase.

My my.. not sure what to think about this. How about trying a high output batt? I wonder If milwaukee is leaning towards a new line of battery

Excellent, real review. Thank you. It proves newer is not always better.

love the real test thanks for showing us the truth about these so called better tools

I can’t wait for all the gin three still go on sale so I can snatch them all up…Team Milwaukee…

This is why I said there should be a override button if you add safety to a tool. I noticed the same problem with the M18 SDS Plus I got. I would like to see an override button. Gen3 drill only tell I see override button added. Maybe gen4 on impact driver if the collet is any better.

The gen 3 is well known for trigger issues, and is even seen in this video. I’ll take gen 4 simply to avoid that.

In Bosch GSR 18V-150C you can turn of kickback control.

I was thinking about buying the 2904 and selling off my 2804 as used but this video convinced me to just hang on to my third gen

We need that triple light on the hammer drill Milwaukee please

The last test, the gen 4 drove the drill bit deeper and that alone took more work time and therefore had more time to develop that temperature differential

I would get the impact driver. Having the tri lights is a huge help!!!!

Love your testing processes! It gives me better information to make my decision when choosing tools when you do your thing. I am usually cautious abouf trusting marketing from manufacturers and 5 star reviews by people who don't provide detailed info like you guys do. Keep it up.

I just picked up the gen 4 (2904-20), I’m 69 and like the autostop wrist savor, I’ve had wrist injuries from drills (mostly corded) before. When you get old you try hard to avoid injuries as they take a long time to heal.

Its more better if you test also the clutch.. Gen3 clutch has an issue of overpower even on the lowest setting difficult to use on a soft wood.. I read that gen4 has mechanical clutch compare to electronic clutch of gen3.

Looks like Dewalt for the Win!!

I hope that gen IV hammer drill you guys tested, is a pre-production model.

I would like to see, if those tools would benefit from a High Output Battery. And if they do, what kind: like 6Ah/12Ah

I think it's kinda getting to the point that aslong as it dosent break I don't really car which one I have because both are amazing drills

Haven't used gen4 but these gen3 results are what I've seen in field. She's still a beast

Vince, I can appreciate going balls out with the auger bit, but- you got to clear out the hole every so often, the chips are building up and slowing the cutting of the bit- not so necessary when drilling a standard joist but for the app you were using it for- got to clear the hole

@VCG Construction Kind of disappointed after seeing both the impact and hammer drill in action on the non-staged tests at the NPS. Not sure they are even worth the upgrade. I would expect a noticeable difference between generations considering they had a few years to do so but looks like this is just minor improvements. Appreciate these videos though keep up the good work!

Vance seems a little angry. Jimmy must not have brought him a cheesesteak. Cmon cuz!

If it wasn’t for this test I’d probably would’ve already placed my order for a gen 4 drill set

"lets not let a few facts get in the way of a good story" lmao im gonna steal that little bit from you and put in my toolbox

Whether you get the Gen 3 or 4 it doesn't matter, why?? because life is always easier with Milwaukee!!!

Not noticeable enough for me to want to go out and get the gen 4. But being an electrician I use my M12 drill driver more often. And comparison of those models would be much help!

I notice with some of the newer tools, it seems maybe the old style batteries can’t handle the current draw and shut down.

How come you guys are not running the drills with with high output m18 batteries that’s all I run on my stuff for my m18 tools, fuel models or brushed models and it makes a big difference in how the tools perform with running the high output batteries

Recently upgraded from Gen 2 to Gen 3. I’ll use it till a Gen 5 is available then I’ll upgrade to Gen 4 😂

Best thing about gen4? Gen3s are gonna have some hellacious deals!!

You can turn off the auto stop put the Direction selecter switch in the trigger lock position and pull the trigger 5 to 6 times

I thought you could turn off the protection mode in the drill? If you turn that off would you get a better comparison?

I don’t know if any body knows but there’s a secret setting, you can turn off the anti kickback by putting the selector in the middle position and pulling the trigger 5 times and watching the led turn on and fade out, or turn it back on by watching it blink 5 times.

Please do this with the M12 impact and hammer drills Gen 2 And Gen 3

I just pick up the 2997-22 with Gen 3 Hammer Drill and Gen 3.5 Impact Driver and it was a great deal. Wouldn’t even be disappointed if the Gen 4 took it up another step.

i was gonna wait to upgrade my hammer drill for gen 4 but after watching this i’ll just buy a gen 3 on offer up for $85 lol thanks vince saved me money

Putting a lot of stress and heat on that gun and to have the anti-kick is good not to break your wrist but if it's going to constantly stop you from going all the way through the wood then it's no good. That's why I just use the whole hog with the adjustable head so you're not limited to the shaft of the bit. You should grab one of your Milwaukee M12 screw guns and see what it can do. How far can you drill in with the M12 fuel.

Vince are you okay buddy seems like you were getting a little annoyed by your boy 😂😂

Gen 3 and Gen 4 look so close. if do side by side test, I hope you guys can put some color tape on the batteries 🤓🤓

Not trying to nitpick, but i think the 4.9lb weight listed for the 2904-20 is w/ battery whereas the 2804-20 is listed without. I noticed this on Milwaukee's website which is where i'm assuming you guys got the weight numbers from. I think the actual weight (bare tool) for the 2904-20 is 3.3lbs or so it said when i did a google search. It felt heavier than that to me but it could be a balance thing, idk. I have both, but unfortunately can't weigh them right now because the scales i have can only weigh a lot less or a lot more than that amount of weight.

Maybe should have tried the hardest drilling things with 6 or 8 ah High output batteries, maybe it would have made a difference especially for the gen 4, I can imagine new tools being sold with those as a requirement at some point. But great test, I am in need of a new drill, and i want it to be powerful, willing to move battery platforms from Milwaukee if necessary to get it! I am hoping flex gets a gen 2 soon.

my gen 2 just died, so i was on the hunt for a new one, didn't even know there was a gen4, i've watched about one terabite of tests between them, on a avarage the gen 4 seem to outperform the gen 3, but they seem to be really similar, i went with the gen 4 just because its the newest, but in all honesty, i would have bought a new gen2 if they where still making them, to this day the power of that thing amazed me

Jimmy, your channel is really coming along brother. I still ha e no idea who this Vance guy is, but its your channel bro, Invite who you want I guess 🤷

I really like the Gen 3 drill. The Gen 4 is nice, unfortunately I think with Gen 4 Milwaukee is over thinking the tool with to much technology. If Milwaukee would just build a well constructed tool with a minimum amount of technology that gets the job done in a reasonable amount of time Milwaukee would be better off. German Metabo does just that, a strong will built tool. But I really do like the Milwaukee Gen 3 drill.

For some odd reason straight out the box that gen 4 wouldn't drill a 2 9/16 hole with that bit in speed 2. It seems like it needs a break in or something. It still stalls occasionally though but a lot less .....weird

Vince, can you re-weigh the bare tools for comparison? The listed 4.91lbs for Gen 4 2:03 calculates as 53% heavier than Gen 3. If true that’s a deal breaker!

6.0/8.0 High Output batteries can do 1620W (2 Rows x 45A * 18V) while the none high output such as the XC5.0 can only do 720W (2 Rows * 20A * 18V). That is why the high output batteries are worth their cost. If you compare to the High Output 3.0 you still get 810W output (1 Row * 45 * 18V).

I’ll get the close out gen 3, all day long.

You can disable the safety feature by putting it in neutral and tapping the trigger 5 times.

Milwaukee needs to give us a reason to upgrade and I think they failed this time. Just my opinion

Solid tests. Thank you sir. I'd say it's obvious why the gen 4 was running much hotter with Vince putting his weight behind it in speed 1 a lot more than with the gen 3. I like my gen 3 but the chuck locked up after only a couple months. Rather than having Milwaukee replace it with another chuck that will likely do the same I just grabbed a $40 Jacobs and it's a lot better.

Only thing I don't like about the fuel drills is that when under heavy use they seem like the plastic casing is going to fall apart. I can feel the flex and the seams of the plastic opening up when I'm doing rough ins on electrical work.

I'd like to see the difference a High Output battery would make in this test !

2:57 Dude I was just looking at these things last night! I’d love a test between those Diablo Demodemons and Bosch Nailstrikes!

Cannot believe this video is already a month old

Both of these are impressive. These two, gen 2 and 3, are approaching what the old standard - 1/2" chuck corded holdshooter has been doing for decades. The holdshooter will destroy your wrist before it will stop turning.

Спасибо мужики!!! Вы помогли мне с выбором!

Thanks for the test really looking forward to the m12 gen2 vs gen3 tests

How do these drills drill on 1/4” plate? & schedule 40 pipe?

If the trigger and chuck are improved like Milwaukee says they are then I’m buying them both tomorrow (if HD doesn’t sell out of them by tomorrow).

Nice One Vince 🤭😎

Imagine how its getting harder and harder to beat your own tools when they already excel at pretty much anything lol

please do the m12 gen 4s hammer and impact drill plz

Can we switch off Auto stop like Bosch latest hammer drill

If I don’t own either one, should I just get the gen 4?

Super Tools★★★★★

A lot of gen 3's to shift and this vid helps, but truth be told the gen 4 is equal or superior in all respects except weight, and you don't notice that because the tool is so well balanced

I'll Stick To Gen3 👍 Gets The Job Done ✔ As We All Know Heat Is A Tool And Battery Killer 👎

great test. wow that last long drill bit was tough.

My thing was you guys didn’t give the M4 full chance to see what it does compared to the Gen3 full throttle by turning off the Gen 4 wrist saver by the button… This need a re-run.. Real tool guys like us don’t really care about the feature since they say you can turn that feature off and run full throttle n bend your wrist like the Gen 3!!! I say give a re-run with wrist mode off!!!! Real review for me & others who noticed ….

Funny how often he takes the drill out of the guys hand 😂

I know a guy who accidentally dropped his Milwaukee 3rd gen off the ledge of a balcony on a highrise. It fell 10 stories and killed somebody on impact. The drill broke into 2 piece. I was able to find the bigger peice (over 50%) and send it in for warranty but I was denied because I didn't have the other part of the drill.

I have the Gen 3 M18 Fuel impact I will be keeping it for a while Especially after Milwaukee just sent me a brand new one-key replacement Double bearing updated version of the Gen 3 and its not much different In power compared to gen 4

Overhead drilling is good test

Thanks for Keeping it real. Milwaukee fix your gen 4 impact and drill 😡🤦