Professional Tool Reviews for Pros
The original Milwaukee M12 Fuel hammer drill was an excellent tool, so much so that its second-generation update was primarily about shrinking the size. Now we’re seeing the third generation and there’s a lot to talk about.
One of the big deals about this update is a big increase in torque. Gaining 50 in-lbs, the Milwaukee 3404 now has 400 in-lbs and exceeds what you can find on some compact 18V/20V Max drills.
This version sacrifices a little speed for the additional muscle, though. Low speed is still 450 RPM, but high speed drops 150 RPM down to 1550 RPM. Along with that, the hammering rate drops on the hammer drill, shedding 3000 BPM and dropping to 22,500 BPM.
None of those numbers are bad, it just means you’ll see a little slower drilling and driving speed with smaller bits and fasteners. On the other hand, you’ll pick up some capabilities thanks to the extra muscle in low gear.
Having already dropped more than an inch in size from Gen 1 to Gen 2, Gen 3 couldn’t be that much smaller, right? Guess again. The design team managed to shrink another 0.7 inches off the length, bringing it down to just 5.9 inches.
The weight doesn’t change a whole lot, but there is a slight 0.1-pound reduction as the Milwaukee 3404 is just 2.2 pounds bare and 2.6 pounds with the smaller 2.0Ah battery.
As a bare tool, the 3403-20 drill driver runs $129 and the 3404-20 hammer drill is $149. If you want a kit, those come with the tool, a 2.0Ah battery, a 4.0Ah battery, charger, and soft case. With the drill driver kit at $169 and the hammer drill kit at $179, the increase of just $30 makes them solid in the value department.
Discover more at Milwaukee’s website!
On the clock, Kenny dives deep to discover the practical limits and comparative differences for all kinds of tools. Off the clock, his faith and love for his family are his top priorities, and you'll typically find him in the kitchen, on his bike (he's an Ironman), or taking folks out for a day of fishing on Tampa Bay.
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These are powerful and have great batteries but you should measure the runout tolerances. I went through seven of these m12 hammer drills. Each one had such extreme chuck wobble they were useless for applications requiring any bit of precision. Milwaukee even sent me a hand selected one and guaranteed it was within factory specs. Well, their factory specs aren’t very good.
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Professional Tool Reviews for Pros