Customer Reviews

Milwaukee 2450-22 12-volt Impact Driver Kit

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I love this tool. There are so many great things and so few bad. Let's start with the great.

It's small. It has a nice weight to it. It has a quality build. It's both fast and powerful. It has a little LED on the front to illuminate your workarea. And of course it uses lithium batteries, which are far superior to the NiCd batteries you would get in 18v tools. That's the basics. I will delve more into this later. Now onto the bad.

The only bad thing about this drill is that there is no where to store your extra bits on the drill. Most larger drills have something for that. This one doesn't. Other than that, this tool is definitely louder than normal, non-impact drivers. But that's the price you pay for power.

I suppose the lack of a chuck is a negative. However, it's also a positive because it's far easier to switch bits using the bit-holder on this tool. But if you have legacy drill bits, you will need to either go get new drill bits that have a hex on the end, or you will need to buy the chuck attachment, which is probably a good idea anyway. Having a chuck vs having a hex bit-holder is really a matter of preference, so that's up to you.

This tool comes with few accessories. You get a hard plastic case with plenty of additional compartments for additional components. You get 2 batteries and a quality charger. A word about the charger... I was pleasantly surprised with the charger for this tool. Other drills I have owned give you a very generic charger. This tool comes with a charger that has some intelligence built-in as well as dual indicators that tell you what's going on with the charging. For example, it will blink when it notices the battery is too hot. It will then wait until it's the correct temperature to continue charging. This is a very nice feature that will prolong the life of your batteries (because they're expensive).

Other than those (mandatory) accessories, you get 2 bits -- a Philips head and a flat head. That's it.

As I said, this driver is both fast and powerful. It's fast enough to use it as a drill, and it's powerful enough to cause a screw to strip the wood you're screwing it into, so be careful. The impact mechanism is fantastic. It provides increased torque while also almost completely eliminating the possibility of cam-out (when the bit pops out of the screw and strips it a little bit). Compared to other drivers in its class, this one is much faster, and the impact mechanism gives it tremendous power.

The size and weight make it possible to hold the little guy under your armpit when not using it. Plus, the handle is very comfortable and the batteries are easily removed.

This really is a fantastic tool. I own a Skil 18v driver as well (paid $100 for it). That one uses NiCd batteries that need to constantly be on the charger (and cost $45 a piece). Those batteries have the worst shelf life. They will be dead by morning if you leave them there sitting overnight off the charger. Plus, they take 3-6 hours to charge. The batteries on this tool have excellent shelf life, excellent usage life and charge in 30 minutes. That's incredible. Plus, they have a 2 year warranty. Absolutely fantastic. I really couldn't ask for more.

Compared to other drivers in it's class, I have used a Rigid 12v lithium with a chuck and a Ryobi 12v with the bit-holder. Both of those were fine tools, but didn't compare in speed or power to this Milwaukee. But this Milwaukee is slightly more expensive probably do to the impact mechanism, which as far as I'm concerned is a must-have after having used this tool.

A note about the ~850lb torque specification. Another reviewer has complained that this is inaccurate. He is both right and wrong. Because this is an impact drill, whatever the device used to measure torque would probably register ~850lb maximum, but it comes in bursts. It's not constant because of the impact mechanism. I'm not exactly sure what the term for this phenomenon is in physics, but it has to do with friction. A still body must overcome some threshold of friction in order to begin moving. But a moving body experiences less friction. It's like when your tires spin out. So, when a screw binds up in the wood, much of the energy of the impact is lost overcoming the greater force of friction needed to begin the screw moving again. Because of that, the actual "effective torque" of this tool is probably lower than the ~850lb in the spec. But if the screw doesn't bind up, it will drive in like butter.

UPDATE: There was a free tool rebate offer that went along with this drill at the time I ordered it. It said 8-10 weeks for delivery. Well I received it within 2 weeks. That's very impressive for a rebate offer. Way to go Milwaukee! You guys are awesome.

Also, my dad, a professional contractor, is very impressed with the 12-volt impact driver as well.

Few things grind my gears like a negative review for a tool in which the reviewer describes using a tool INCORRECTLY ea: I read a review (or two) where the person descibes using this with a forstner bit & another with spade bits. This is a 12v impactor it's not meant for boring, nor is an 18V model, it is predominantly a "fastening" tool, not so much drilling, much less boring holes. Yes as an impactor it has high torque but only in short bursts when it's impacting, for boring, a continuous rotational torque tool is in order (drill/driver, hammer drill, hole hawg etc) It's "beefy" heavy (that's a good thing). It has a built in, trigger activated battery gauge & LED light. Other 12v impact drivers have higher RPMs, advertise more torque, are more compact, have a better work light, but none combines all of those things like this tool. It's superiority is seen when tapping light metal, or smaller lags. Upgrade the battery to a Milwaukee "XC" M12 battery and the competition is toast. The kit: Tool, tough plastic case with plenty of space for glasses, gloves, bits & attachments, 2 standard M12 batteries + charger.

Alright, so i got this m12 impact driver after about two months of researching and looking around at different brands and voltages of impact drivers. I ended up getting this one at a certain "orange" home improvement warehouse for about 99 bucks on a great sale. Brought this bad boy home and immediately charged the batteries and went on to trying it out. Got this for its lightweight, power, and usefulness. Love the small size of this, and will be using this for driving hex sheet metal screws in various gauge sheet metal. So that is exactly what I did.

I proceeded to drive about 30 sheet metal screws, in sheet metal obviously. I was blown away, because it cut through like a hot knife through butter. I then began to drive 3'' torx head screws and 3'' phillips head screws through pressure treated 2x4 wood in our mancave, and that too was very impressive with no effort. I more than likely won't be using this for drilling, as this is not its intended purpose, but you never know. Mainly, I will be using this as my main HVAC power tool.

Battery life seems great and provides more than enough power to this amazing tool. I am so glad that I ended up getting this one, but will be returning it to the store to get the combo kit of this impact driver and the hammer drill for an extra 50 dollars. Now i will probably get the shockwave magnetic nut drivers to go with it, since they are impact-rated. Oh, and by the way this was my first Milwaukee power tool and I am beyond happy with it. Please vote as to the helpfulness of my review, and if you have any questions just ask.

Ray

There are some great reviews about this from others so I won't repeat some of the obvious. For less than 3 lbs and under $100, this is a little workhorse impact driver. If you need bigger more powerful tool, then you have to use the right one for the job. Just don't ask this little guy to do more then it's made for and you'll be a happy camper. When it comes to hanging drywall (especially on a ceiling), having a small lightweight driver in the pocket of your tool belt on a ladder or roof, securing fasteners in steel studs or screws in backerboard why would you want to drag around the 18v monster. That is why a bought this tool and I'd go and get another tomorrow if I lost this one. Which is a slight concern because it is so small and easy to stash. I got the "red lithium" batteries with mine and wish that it was a little clearer with some of the M12 series tools which battery was included. Maybe some older stock has the 1.4 not the 1.6 AH units. This is one of my most used tools and I'm very happy with my purchase.

This is a very high quality tool with extremely good battery life. Good light suty tool, not as powerful as a 3/8" cordless impact, but very lighweight. Overall I use the tool everyday in the shop as a Volvo Technician and am satisfied with the performance and value.

I originally purchased this tool due to the large M12 selection and the 5 year warranty. In the end, i got a Bosch PS41 and returned the Milwaukee. I feel the Bosch is a better quality tool, more powerful, and worth the extra price you pay. See my Bosch review for the full details on that tool.

On the Milwaukee... The best i ever managed was to break free a bolt tightened to 35 ft-lb or 420 in-lb. Oh, but the Milwaukee is rated at 850 in-lb. Well, as another reviewer mentioned, this tool does not deliver its rated torque. Neither does the Bosch, actually. The Bosch's best was 45-50 ft-lb. Since neither tool seems to deliver its rated torque, let's accept the fact marketing people are all lying to us.

Pros:
-Led fuel gauge. Nice to know you're not starting on a dead battery. The Bosch has one also.
-Plastic storage case. Has extra room for accessories. Will hold the tool with battery, a charger, and two extra batteries. Pretty nice. The Bosch has a fabric soft case which is OK, but i do prefer the Milwaukee's case.
-Comes with two batteries and a 30-minute charger. Bosch is the same.
-LED light under the tool provides decent light of the work area while doing some impact drivin' :) Bosch has stronger lighting, but not really in great reason to buy the Bosch. Both tools provide adequate light for the job.
-Instant power when trigger pulled. Bosch has a slight delay.

Cons:
-Trigger works reasonably well, but not the smoothest. Bosch is a clear winner here.
-Much weaker than its rating.
-A bit on the cheap side with the housing. It's decent, but Bosch has a great feel in the hand.

Overall, i'd consider the Milwaukee average. It works reasonably well and I like the storage case. Looks to me like Milwaukee chose to cut a lot more cost than Bosch by going to China with their manufacturing (Bosch is made in Malaysia). It shows in the little details. Even the Milwaukee logo loses its white paint very easily. Bosch has the logo molded in from red plastic. Not that logo durability is a key feature, but it shows the level of attention to detail between the two companies. Take a look at both tools at your local hardware store. You'll see what i'm talking about. The fit and finish on the Bosch is superb.

So, if price is a key factor, I think the Milwaukee will do the job for most folks. It certainly kills all those cheapo powered screw drivers with its torque. If you want a more powerful tool with better quality AND willing to pay a bit more, it's the Bosch all the way...

I added this to my M-12 tool collections and am thrilled with the versatility it has added to the Milwaukee M-12 series. For my needs, it's perfect. I would certainly recommend this item to anyone needing an impact driver in this category of tools.

i'm a fan of milwaukee tools in general, so i should say that up front.
i have a 0881-22 impact driver and it has plenty of power, but it lacks controlability. it is at times too fast and therefore cams out of the screwhead too easily. this new subcompact impact driver has a smooth start and doesn't go so fast that you lose control. this, i think, is the same reason that the makita 18v impact driver is better than that old model 18v milwaukee that i have.
this tool is suitable for most applications so i think it's going to all but replace my larger impact driver. this is lighter, fits in more places and has adequate power. there has been one time when i didn't have enough power to fully drive a 2 1/2" screw in a tough spot.
battery life is pretty good, though it goes down to one bar pretty quickly it lasts long in that position. it's kinda like the fuel gauge on my car which can go many miles on "empty."
carrying case is fine. nice that it comes with a second battery. good item. i think $140 would make this a no-brainer purchase, at $160 it's a little much but still worth it in my book.
updated: 12/11/10 - still working well.

This driver does a great job. I really like the feel of the driver in my hand, much better then hauling around my Dewalt 18v. I have not come across anything it can't handle. I have used it to drive 3 inch screws and also to tighten down 5/16 nuts. However on the longer screws the battery power is quickly used up. I would give it 5 stars if the battery lasted a little longer

I've been using this tool everyday for three months in an autobody shop. I used to use my craftsman 19.2v 1/2 in. drill with a 1/4 in. socket adapter for removing nuts and bolts and for screws where it would fit, and my 1/4 in. Snap-On air ratchet for everything else. This little tool has completely replaced these two tools, saving my ears from the noise of the air ratchet, and saving the weight of the big drill. I use an angle adapter with a 1/4 in. socket adapter for areas that the tool won't fit. I wish it had a place to store extra bits on the tool as I switch from socket adapter to phillips bit quite often. I get 5-6 hours out of a battery with regular use sometimes go all day without changing batteries. My teammate loved it too and eventually bought a Bosch 12v impact tool which I would say is very comparable. The Bosch is about 3/4 in. shorter and the lighting is a little better. I like the quick release chuck, although they should make a locking chuck, so easier one handed bit changes would be possible. I plan on getting the 3/8 in. craftsman 19.2v impact for a compliment to this tool, for more power.