Customer Reviews

Milwaukee 2602-22 M18 18-Volt Cordless 1/2-Inch Hammer Drill/Driver Kit

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

I recently purchased the Milwaukee M18 Hammer/Drill/Driver mainly because of the Brand integrity but also because I was tired of carrying many extra batteries that ran out of juice too soon. This one surprised me, completely. I'm more of a weekend project warrior and this one completed many tasks that I normally would use my old Black & Decker in combination with an electric drill. I actually used this drill for 3 days before I broke out the second battery for the first time. And the available power and torque is amazing, far surpassing the capabilities of even my electric drill. One should note that two hands should be used when you know it will be a tough job because the torque of this lightweight monster could put a serious hurt on your wrist. Now I'm looking to replace ALL my cordless tools with the M18 Family. The M18 6.5 inch circular saw is next on my list. Yeah, they cost more than most of your average tools, but the benefits far outweigh and are totally worth it.

I also have the M18 2601 drill/driver, which is sufficient and preferable for many applications. It's a compact drill and a great one at that, but it isn't for all jobs. So for those times I need a little bit more, I compared the 2611 and the 2602 and went with this one and I'll tell you why. The 550 in/lbs of torque this produces will be enough for anything I am ever going to foreseabley be involved with, and this drill is smaller, lighter and runs longer (not to mention a shorter head length than its competitors). I purchased it with the XC batteries and when used with them it runs FOREVER and gives out it's full 550 in/lbs of torque. This drill will also accept the compact batteries (the 2611 will not), and when running on the compact batteries puts out 450 in/lbs of torque - it's a smart drill that knows which battery is in use and cuts down on power to give you a longer run time on the smaller battery.

This drill is very well built - all metal gears and all metal chuck. The chuck grips very well and tightens nicely. It is well balanced, and you can add a bit holder and/or belt hook. The forward/reverse/lock switch is easy to reach and easy to push. The LED light is always a nice feature, I'm quickly becoming accustomed to them and it's hard to imagine that drills didn't used to have them.

update 10/21/10: This drill has been performing great. It's size really is decieving, this drill has tore through everything I've put it up to. Recently had 2 XC batteries at about 80% charge each and mixed 20 gallons of mortar and still had 2 bars on the second battery.

Bottom line: If I could only own one drill, this would be it. Small and compact, metal parts where it counts and enough power to pull your shoulder out, and batteries that last to do it all day long. (but since I can own more than one, I have the even smaller and lighter, plenty powerful 2601 as well :)

I've waited for about 3 months of use before writing this review. After looking at Lowes and Home Depot getting hands on with the drills and touching for quality, grip, ergonomics, weight, features, soft/hard/no case, etc... I narrowed it down pretty easily to Milwaukee or the Home Depot's Rigid brand. The Rigid has a LIFETIME warranty so it was really, really tempting for my practical side. However, even though Milwaukee only had a 5-year warranty, I loved the quality of craftmanship from just looking at and feeling the drill. Quality materials, great rubber grip, damn sexy of a drill. Dewalt looks/feels like Harbor Freight quality, I would NEVER buy a DeWalt, nor would I buy a Kawasaki. Now, Makita is made in Japan, and was impressed with the power of it and it rated pretty high, but didn't like the cheaper plastic, nor its looks, nor its case. ANYWAY, back to Milwaukee vs. Rigid. I've already discussed the warranty differences, but I need to mention that Milwaukee came with a nice hard plastic case which is fabulous!! What does Rigid offer? A cheap nylon bag?? Really? Like I want my drill clinking around in a bag banging against my charger, etc... I made my choice with the Milwaukee and boy am I glad I did! I LOVE LOVE LOVE this drill! :) This is the 2602-22 with the larger battery. I think the 2601-22 has the smaller battery, but why on Earth would you do that? Would it make the drill too heavy for you? Man up you wimp! Its really not that heavy and it feels great in your hand, a nice weight distribution and it fits like a glove! It really set this drill apart. The charges last a very long time, with two batteries, your set for any professional project. Anyway, I love this drill so much that I'm on Amazon again (writing this review for you) and to find ANOTHER Milwaukee drill that is much more compact for those tight spaced jobs where this drill may be too big. So, I'm going to get a compact, 12V probably tiny little Milwaukee junior to be my little brother to this 2602-22 drill of mine. I just get so exited when there is a project that uses this drill. Can't wait to fire it up and check off some item's on my "honey-do" list. Sweet Power Tool Love!! :)

I purchased the milwaukee 2602-22 from home depot. I really loved the drill, It is a good weight, balanced and has plenty of power for every task. My first time of disapointment was when i was putting a 3 inch deck screw in my front stairs and on the highest torque setting which is 24 the clutch would give before the screw went all the way through. My next attempt was to put a screw in on the drill setting to see if it would go all the way down, of course it went in and then the next 20 screws went in just fine. I returned my drill to home depot becuase it was only 2 weeks old and the first time using it. I thought maybe i just got a lemon and that i would try the drill one more time. The next task wasnt deck screws, just simple blind screws into the top plate of the window, same thing happend, it got so bad that i could hold the drill from spinning with 2 fingers on the highest torque setting 24. Just to make sure i wasnt being and idiot i put it on the lowest setting 2 and it was even worse, thats when i went back to home depot. Every part of this drill i would say is perfect except the clutch design. I have moved on to the dewalt dcd970kl, It is a little heavier than the milwaukee but better in everyway, it has more power, better battery, better clutch and offers more BPM for masonry applications. Pay the extra money and go with the dewalt. Milwaukee used to make awesome products because they were more commercial based, now they are geared to the average DIYselfer and not the same quality of the older products. keep you all updated on the dewalt.

This is not a heavy duty 18 volt drill that can be used anywhere a cord drill would be used, but for general drilling and screw driving it is a very good drill and the kit is the designed of any on the market. It starts when you open the Milwaukee carry case that is very well built and has a nook for every item, nothing bounces around as with other cases, and there is even a small place to put commonly used drills and screw driving extensions. The drill has the graduations marked as part of the collar and recessed so they will never wear off and are easy to see. The clutch adjustment for screw driving is very smooth and the graduations work well for getting the right setting for whatever size screw is being used. The chuck does a good job of holding small bits but when boring where there is a lot of vibration it will loosen and need to be re-tightened (true with Makita and Hitachi chucks as well).

The half size battery cartridge keeps the weight down of the drill but it is also part of what limits the drill to light to medium duty use. Drilling a difficult hole in a tough material like MDF will quickly deplete the battery charge in just a few holes. The half size battery provides half the power for half as long as a full size battery on a drill like the Milwaukee 2611 (which I also own and use).

Hammer action is good and will get the job done for holes in concrete within its rated size range but the drill does not come with a side handle or a way to attach one later and Milwaukee does not make side handles that hold a depth rod. Again this is a drill designed for DIY projects the average homeowner is likely to take on.

Having a LED light is a big plus and it is odd that all drills made today do not include this as a standard item, cord and cordless alike. It not only helps to spot the area to be drilled or a screw head but can be used to check a measurement or a level when the lighting is not great, as in an attic or crawspace or in a closet or cupboard.

The charger works well and is easy to figure out - red when charging and green when it is done. Why all the drill manufacturers cannot make it this simple is something I cannot understand. Milwaukee has a cord that can accept another plug so one outlet can be used for the charger and can still be used for another tool.

For most purposes this kit is all anyone will ever need and the lithium-ion batteries will provide many recharge cycles and they hold a charge for a very long time. When you use a drill infrequently it is great to not have to recharge the battery first every time. This is the real advantage to lithium-ion batteries and makes up for the problems with the overload protection that restricts their ability to power drills.

Truly a class act all the way. But if you do want a drill to put in a new deck or similar projects you will be happier with drills like the Milwaukee 2611 or the DeWalt DCD970 which are in another performance class altogether.

Great cordless drill, but not a Hilti substitute. Used mine quite heavily, brushes are about 50% used. Had it apart many times now, not worth waiting for warranty work.

Latest failure was the gear box brake. The gear box brake stops the drill from turning while you are doing up or undoing the keyless chuck. I removed the locking mechanism and replaced the chuck with a keyed jacobs chuck.

Also noticed not enough grease was packed into the gearbox. Most had flown off and was not lubricating any of the gears properly. Fine swarf has migrated into the gearbox via gaps between the clutch's plastic adjuster rings.

Positive points:
Metal gears everywhere.
Two cartridge bearings in the front gearbox. Still unable to find the tool that will allow the disassembly of the front shaft. The gearbox parts are not available separately. Still, few cordless drills have TWO cartridge bearings supporting the output shaft of the gearbox, let alone a roller bearing.
Very little wear of spur gear teeth. All gears appear to have recieved very good hardening, had to attack a burr with an eze-lap file to make any headway.

For the most part, it isn't a bad drill. The battery life seems great compared to the beat up old Milwaukee 18v NiCad battery drill I traded in. However, with 3 of these new drill in our company, all 3 have the same problem- the chuck loosens itself when drilling. It just seems to be a bad design. You cannot seem to get it tight enough to hold the bit or hole saw for more than a minute. It really is frustrating.

What can i say, this drill is the best, I do A/C work it's a tool I can't do without. Great torque That I can adjust not to strip nuts.

I purchased this as a gift for my boyfriend in September. He was using it to drill into concrete and put up hooks in the garage the first weekend, and he raved about it. The battery lasts forever, and the drill holds up to tough jobs, but also completes small jobs like putting up curtains or shelves with ease. The case and extra battery are a plus. His only complaint is that I routinely "borrow" it from him for my own handy tasks. You can't go wrong with a time-tested brand with a good reputation.

I am a long time Milwaukee fan and user. I just bought the 2602 today from a big box store. Haven't used it yet, but I am already dissappointed. First, let's clarify something. Milwaukee has had a history of alot of change in there cordless stuff. I own a majority of there V18 series stuff and some of there old school top of the line 14v and like it alot. I also have quite of few of the M12 stuff and love it. I was very dissappointed that the V18 line was short lived and they changed to the M18 line. I'm assuming the M18 stuff came about along with the china takeover. Even the M18 stuff has changed a few times too, such as the battery going to red lithium, and most recently on the 2602, the specs changed very quietly. I went to get it today, I noticed first all that there are many different packaging types because of the change not only to the lithium batteries to "red Lithium", but specifications also to the exact same tool! The newest 2602 has a Drill Speed of 0-550/0-1,700 (opposed to what it used to be 0-450/0-1,700)and Max Torque of 525 in-lbs (opposed to it used to be 550). I called Milwaukee directly about this to ask why, but unfortunately the techs are all on vacation until after New Years (I thought the Chinese celebrate New Years another time...lol). Well I bought it anyways (the newest version that is)...(also note the cases are smaller now and there is and exclusion of the clip on handle grip)...and when I got into the truck I opened it in a little excitement to look it over. The first thing I noticed was the profound amount of chuck wobble....horrible. So I marched right back into the store to exchange it. Before leaving the store, I went through no less than 4 boxes, all drills with chuck wobble, I took the one with the least wobble. I even took each Milwaukee drill over with an employee to the seasonal table they had setup for demos and put a bit in each one. I even tested the bit out on a dewalt and makita to make sure the bit was true. I am still unsatisfied with the wobble, but want to stay with Milwauke, as I have also bout the M18 sawzall and impact driver too. The chuck wobble is almost enough for me to convert to the dewalt 20v system.....and I still may. The only reason I give this Milwaukee 3 stars is because of its reputation and feel, as I have no did any real world work with it yet.