At this year’s New Product Symposium, NPS19, Milwaukee finally introduced an M12 version of their Surge hydraulic driver. They say that this is the first 12V-class sub-compact hydraulic driver in the market, and I cannot find any evidence to the contrary.
As a reminder, we attended Milwaukee NPS19 at their expense; our travel, hotel accommodations, and scheduled meals were provided for. In our experience, this is typical practice for hosted media events.
Milwaukee’s M12 Fuel Surge is designed to drive small to medium diameter fasteners and is targeted at maintenance and service workers who work in occupied spaces and cramped locations where a louder driver would be disruptive or require them to wear hearing protection.
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Essentially, the M12 Surge will complete most of the tasks you would use a common cordless impact driver for, but it’ll do it without jarring your ears.
The M12 Fuel Surge 1/4″ hex hydraulic driver delivers the same 450 in-lbs of torque as their M18 Fuel Surge driver while maintaining approximately the same length and weight as their M12 Gen 2 impact driver (2553-20).
Milwaukee says the Fluid-Drive hydraulic power train in the M12 Fuel Surge is 2X quieter than competing impact drivers that use a standard hammer and anvil design.
Here’s a quick look at its specs:
- 5.2″ Long
- 450 in-lbs (of longer sustained torque)
- 3,200 RPM
- 3,400 IPM (impacts per minute)
- 4 modes, including a self-tapping screw mode
- LED worklight
Above, you can see the electronic mode selector switch on top of the Surge. Pressing the button in the middle cycles through the four modes. The Rotational direction is controlled by a traditional forward/reverse switch by the trigger.
The M12 Fuel Surge will be available as a bare tool (2551-20) or as a kit (2551-22) including a 2.0 Ah battery, M12 charger, belt clip, and carrying case.
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Price: $149 bare tool, $199 kit
ETA: August 2019
Buy Now (Bare Tool via Acme Tools)
Buy Now (Bare Tool via Tool Nut)
Buy Now (Kit via Acme tools)
Buy Now (Kit via Tool Nut)
The M12 Fuel Surge will also be available in an M12 combo kit (2582-22), which includes the M12 Fuel 1/2″ hammer drill, 2.0 Ah battery, 4.0 Ah battery, belt clips for both tools, M12 charger, and contractor bag.
Price: $299
ETA: August 2019
Buy Now (M12 Hammer Drill and Surge Combo Kit via Tool Nut)
Buy Now (M12 Hammer Drill and Surge Combo Kit via Acme Tools)
Discussion
So how does the Surge hydraulic impact driver work you ask? The following Milwaukee M12 Surge promo video explains it. I queued it up to the part where they show how a regular impact driver works, and the Surge’s hydraulic drive mechanism is shown and discussed after that. The whole part is only 30 seconds.
One of the claims that Milwaukee makes about both the M12 and M18 Surge driver is that their hydraulic power train delivers “smooth consistent torque.” This is how they can perform like impact drivers even though their on-paper torque specs are much lower.
Here is a graphic from when the M18 Fuel Surge was first introduced, showing how the M18 Fuel Surge driver delivers lower toque than a standard impact driver but for longer duration. I’d love to see a graph comparing the real-world torque output of a standard impact and the Surge, but that requires a dynamometer and is unfortunately far beyond our testing capabilities.
Milwaukee says that the M12 Surge is 2X quieter than competing impact drivers.
There was a sound level demo at NPS19, but it did not show Milwaukee’s 2X quieter claims, which would correspond to a 10dB difference in noise level.
Our initial reaction was to question the fairness of the test, as the operator did not drive the fastener to the same depth with the M12 Surge as with the competing tool. Following NPS19, we reviewed video coverage of the test and found that this was repeated during 3 separate presentations. We typically advise that media event tests and comparisons be taken with a grain of salt, but in this case we called foul on the demo and have discussed our criticisms with Milwaukee.
In talking to Milwaukee, the 2X quieter claim comes from internal testing that they say is conducted based on UL-certified methods and with specialized equipment.
Still, while we did not see direct proof of their 2X quieter claim, the M12 Surge is undoubtedly quieter than standard impact drivers, just like the M18 Surge.
Once the M12 Surge hits the market we will conduct our own testing to see how much quieter it is compared to standard cordless impact drivers.
I tried the self-tapping screw mode and I still wasn’t comfortable with it after driving a dozen screws. The feedback felt wrong to me. I ended up stripping out at least one screw and not fully driving others. This is probably something that takes a while to get used to.
Stuart’s Note: The same happened to me. In self-tapping screw mode, the M12 Surge stopped itself shortly after tip penetration, and I had to release the trigger and re-engage to fully drive the fastener. The tool might have been a prototype, or test conditions imperfect. We’ll try again once Surge production models start shipping.
Finally, I understand that it’s a cost-saving measure, but I dislike that they include an M12-only charger in these kits. Milwaukee’s M18 cordless power tool kits come with a M12/M18 charger. I suppose it’s fine if you only have a M12 batteries, but I end up donating them to Savers because they are redundant if you have any M18 tools.
Doresoom
I thought their sound level test at NPS19 was a little silly. Reviewing my own video footage, the Surge was clearly much quieter than the competing impact driver they put it up against. I feel like their attempt to quantify the difference by using a sound meter made it a less effective demo, since it wasn’t a lab environment. There was a lot of noise in the warehouse from other loud tools being run nearby that could have affected the accuracy of their sound meter readings one way or the other.
Corey Moore
“2x quieter” just reads as illogical to me lol
Blocky
When less is 2X MORE.
Joseph
Can someone explain how “2x quieter” works? Do they mean half as loud, as in the competitor is 2x louder?
I’m sure that there was a whole marketing team involved in coming up with that tag line, but it doesn’t make sense. I can’t think of any unit of measure for quietness.
Corey Moore
I believe, as Ben described it above, that they’re implying it’s 10db less than the standard impact, as db effectively doubles with every 10, much like seismic activity in earthquakes-a 6 is twice the energy released as a 5 and so on. I agree with you 100% though, they could have chosen any number of other ways to express that, which would have made more sense.
Benjamen
It’s a tricky subject. On a log scale 3dB is actually doubling power.
Take 85dB, to double it you have to:
Divide it by 10 (it is a deciBel) = 8.5
Raise 10 to the 8.5 power = 316227766
DOUBLE that = 632455532
take the log of that: = 8.8
multiply by 10 = 88dB
But, you will barely notice the difference between 85dB and 88dB. Since you hear on a logarithmic scale, to perceive a doubling in sound you have to increase by 10dB or 10X the power.
So when they say something is 2x quieter it’s -10dB, when they say something is 2x louder, it’s +10dB.
fred
Before electronic calculators and computers logarithms made math much easier – and slide rules plus log tables and Monroe mechanical calculators sent the first rockets into space. Adding logarithms together – then looking up the anti-log – is much easier than multiplying large strings of numbers.
We fabricated heat exchangers – and as I recall log-mean delta-T was used in calculating their approximate heat transfer. But that was a base e log – not a base 10 log.
Jeremy Neill
I think that in 2006 George Bush would have been stoked on the surge.
Lance
Everything about this tool is right on the money, except the price. It’s the same price as the M18 version, which is already an expensive tool. A small premium over the standard impact is all I was willing to do.
Benjamen
It’s a new tool, a premium tool, and the only one in it’s class. Why would Milwaukee introduce it at only a slightly higher price than a standard impact?
It’s a lot easier to drop the price for promotions and to match the competitors if they ever come out with an equivalent tool, than to raise the price if they need to.
We’ve seen many of these tools come out at a higher price, then a few years later retail for lower or come with extra stuff for the same price.
I’m with you that this isn’t cheap compared to some other M12 tools, but if this is something that would make your work day suck less, it’s probably worth the premium price.
Matt J
It’s $149 (M12 Surge) vs. $119 (M12 Fuel Impact) for the bare tool. $199 (Surge) vs. $169 (Fuel Impact) for a kit with 2 compact batteries and a charger.
To me, $30 is a small price premium, particularly when you’re talking about a brand new tool versus one that’s been around for a while.
I know that you can get the impact for effectively cheaper than that if you get it in a combo kit or from an unauthorized dealer, but comparing MSRP to MSRP, there’s not much difference.
Nathan
surprised it’s not more compact or maybe i expected too much.
meanwhile I’ve tried one or to hydraulic impacts and I have to say I wish dewalt made one. I would probably have to pick between a hydraulic impact and a screw driver. I like the idea of the standard clutch screwdriver too.
But I wouldn’t have just an hydraulic impacter I would have to have both types.
Stephen
Compared to all other 12V impact drivers, the M12 design is already very compact. There’s only one other 12V impact driver with a shorter overall length, and it’s the weird Ridgid palm impact.
In terms of height, the M12 is sorta middle of the road.
L
Surprised too after looking into it more. In regards to length, the latest Gen 2 M18 Impact (2853) is over 1/2″ shorter (4.59″ vs 5.2″ according to Milwaukee). Even the M18 Surge is 0.2″ shorter (5.0″ vs 5.2″).
I expected more compact.
Stephen
Quieter compared to the competition, but how much quieter compared to the existing M12 impact driver?
I’m surprised they were able to keep the length practically the same as the already very compact non-fluid model.
Satnam
And torque. Need a M12 GEN2 vs M12 Surge shootout..
Eric
VCG did an M12 gen 2 vs M18 surge test. The M12 was slightly faster across the board. Screws were pretty close, bigger lag bolts showed more of a gap, the surge just didn’t have the peak torque to fully drive what looked to be a 3/8″x 6″ lag. They both did fine with spade bits, with the surge being a little slower. And for some reason they put a 3″ hole saw on them. They both struggled a lot, the M12 finished in about half the time as the surge.
The way I’m seeing things then is the surge will be great for everyday use. The standard impact was a hair faster, but not enough for me to put up with the extra noise. And if I’m going to try and drive large lag bolts then I’m not going to care if the standard impact could do it a little faster. Or maybe finish where the surge wouldn’t. Both would struggle a lot. I would just grab my M12 stubby or M18 mid torque impact wrench depending on the size of lag. Then I wouldn’t have to worry about putting a lot of unnecessary strain on a tool.
Gregg >
I’ll wait till Christmas to pick one up. Maybe they’ll do a free battery with a purchase type promotion or something along those lines
Diamond Dave
I haven’t used a hydraulic driver as of yet. I am happy with my m12 brushless impact and although some new Milwaukee M12 tools I jump on when introduced, this is a tool I would have to personally demo before buying.
The What?
Driving in fasteners is typically a very brief process with the majority of fasteners used for building materials rarely exceeding 3½” aside from lags and timberloks. What is sustainable torque and when is it used in the process of fastening? What benefits does sustainable torque offer vs peak torque? And how is any type of hydraulic surge going on if there’s no pump to start & stop or valve opening & closing or hydraulic line size reduction present in this tool? How can they call it a hydraulic surge if there’s nothing influencing fluid velocity or pressure? Where and how is this mysterious hydraulic surge occurring inside of this tool? Milwaukee must have invented the world’s smallest hydraulic pump along with the valves that control the velocity and pressure and made it all battery powered. Very highly unlikely. There is a big difference between impulse fluid contraction & expansion inside of a fixed metal collar with a small amount of fluid spinning around and a hydraulic surge or surge impulse.
Brian A
Yes the Surge makes you relearn a whole different way of driving screws. After getting the M18 Surge it took me a bit to figure out that highest speed setting is not always best, if your not careful you can bury screws in wood too far, using the self tapping mode for metal screws, and it is very tricky to pull a gap in wood with a screw. Cant wait to get the M12 Surge, have to say I am at least 1% responsible for this being made as I have been begging for one since getting my hands on the M18 2 years ago LOL
Derek
I own, and use daily the M12 brush-less impact, its a pretty good driver. But I don’t grasp the sustained torque thing.
My impact has 1300 inch pounds of torque, while this has 450!?
Why would I prefer this?
Will it have less power for breaking free old rusty bolts, or what about driving a self tapping screw in ¼ thick steel?
\I’m really looking forward to seeing some reviews on this.
Eric
You would prefer this if you want something quieter and with a smoother feel.
It’s not going to break free old bolts like a standard impact. A standard impacts hammers deliver all of their power at once. So you get that 1300 inch pounds all at once and then wait for the hammer to come back around and hit again. With the hydraulic mechanism it spreads that power out over a longer duration. You don’t get the peak power, but your in the power for longer periods of time.
If your current impact does fine with the self tappers then the surge should be fine too, I’ve never seen anyone use a self tapper in anything that thick. But It’s not an application that should require lots of peak torque.
If your interested in it there are tons of videos and reviews on the M18 version, and from what Milwaukee says the performance should be very similar, same torque rating and the M12 will actually have slight higher speeds.
Matt J
I think understanding “sustained” torque comes down to a difference in an “impact” driver versus a “pulse” driver.
An impact driver uses an anvil to apply a very brief high amount of torque to a fastener. As Eric notes above, this is very useful when trying to loosen fasteners that are seized or rusted. The best comparison to me is to think of it as a punching motion. You apply a lot of force over a very short period of time, and you cause a short, but rapid reaction in the screw. Just as when one punches someone you only end up moving the punch receiver’s body maybe a foot or two, but it hurts a lot.
A pulse driver, like the Surge, works by having a mechanism that pushes the collet around rather than punching it around. As a result, you get fewer “pulses” over a period of time, but each of those “pulses” takes a lot longer than an impact on a standard driver. If an impact is a brief, high powered punch, a pulse is a longer, lower powered push.
Christos X
I have the M18 version of this tool and it is excellent. I use it mostly for driving screws into wood to mount various electrical components. One thing that has not been mentioned is the requirement for longer drive bits. Unless using a 3-4″+ bit, the user’s knuckles may hit the surface before the screw is fully driven. Mounting a 4″ square box, electrical panel, or meter socket can be even more of an issue. Both Milwaukee and DeWalt make very good longer drive bits, but they seem to be difficult to find around here. My local Home Depot does not always stock them.
TJ Cornish
I have both the M18 Surge and the M18 impact. I love, Love, LOVE the Surge for the work envelope it was designed for. The difference in noise is really significant – the standard impact is right on the edge of requiring hearing protection. The Surge is very comfortable.
I recently built a project using 2×4 lumber fastened with 3 1/2” Philips Square Drive screws that I believe are #8 size. Due to the Surge being out of reach at the moment, I started with the standard impact but then grabbed the Surge later in the project. For this particular job size, the Surge was actually FASTER than the standard impact.
There are probably a few cases where the standard impact is faster than the Surge, but for the fastener sizes I use, the Surge is perfect. Now that I’m used to the Surge, every time I grab the standard impact driver the noise is jarring. I’ll be grabbing the M12 Surge when it comes out.
xtsallad
This is a definite buy for me. I own a lot of drivers and my surges are faster than 1600-1800 in lb impacts in the majority of applications, especially anything that isn’t ⅜” and over, such as larger lags. It’s more quiet than any normal impact regardless of application. With many applications, it only sounds as loud as a drill and it’s hard to hear the surges/impacts.
Chris Fyfe
Do want ,the M18 iteration is great , the M12 will be way better for me !
Ct
Oh good grief! Us poor guys and our delicate frail bodies… when did men stop being men? Maybe Milwaukee needs to build a tool that operates for us so won’t don’t even have to put our baby soft fragile lil girly hands on the tool in the 1st place!
How about expanding the tool line and stop wasting time redesigning the wheel!
TJ Cornish
I have two friends with tinnitus so severe that anything louder than a quiet conversation causes them physical pain. One got it from playing electric guitar too loud, the other got it from carpentry. Both now wear earplugs much of the time during normal life – during parties, sporting events, etc. It’s not fun.
10 years ago I bought the Dewalt 36v tool set. The circ saw and sawzall were pretty revolutionary compared to the 18v stuff at the time. The drill was great but enormous and heavy. A decade later, modern drills from several manufacturers are literally half the size for the same or more power and run longer on a smaller battery pack.
The concept of being a “job site athlete” has been discussed several times on this site, and it’s an important one. Body parts – hearing included – don’t grow back. Any tool that helps someone stay in their career longer is a good thing, just like excavators and pneumatic nailers have largely replaced hand shoveling and swinging a hammer, both activities that are hard on the body. Maybe those are redesigning the wheel to you as well, but I am grateful for them.
PHILIP JOHN
The 12v battery is a real issue and huge mistake.
I wonder why we don’t hear more about it. Milwaukee should be working on a recall not more tools.
No tool should rely on the memory of plastic. The battery clips break too easily.