Over at Home Depot, a 2017 Milwaukee M12 special buy has returned, or at least this is the first time we’ve seen this deal since around Black Friday 2017. For $99, you get an M12 cordless 3/8″ impact wrench kit, plus a 3/8″ drive ratchet and metric socket set.
While the M12 cordless impact wrench doesn’t have a brushless motor, it can still deliver up to 1200 in-lbs (100 ft lbs) of max torque, which should be enough for the type of tasks you might want a compact impact for.
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The bundle also comes with Milwaukee’s swivel-head ratchet and metric deep socket set. Ben discusses and shows off Milwaukee’s socket set in more detail here. Milwaukee’s mechanics hand tools are pretty decent, and although this is a small set, it gives you a good balance between drive tools and sockets. The socket set is typically priced at $69 by itself.
Milwaukee’s 2463-20 3/8″ ratchet bare tool is typically $109 by itself, and the two-battery kit is typically $169.
This special bundle, 2463-21P, comes with the impact wrench, M12 charger, 1.5Ah battery, tool bag, and the metric socket set.
It’s a good deal for the price.
Price: $99
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Thank you Tom for the heads-up!
If you want something with a brushless motor and a little more power, consider this deal featuring Dewalt’s 12V Max brushless impact wrench.
Also, please note that the sockets in the set are not impact-rated, and as such we don’t believe they’re intended to be used with the impact wrench.
According to my 2017 deal post, this special buy was actually a “deal of the day.” Right now, this Milwaukee M12 impact wrench and socket set bundle is a special buy, and not a deal of the day, but there’s no indication as to when it might expire or if supplies are limited (they probably are). If you’re on the fence about the deal you probably have some time to think it over, but you might not want to take too long.
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fred
A bit off topic – but I got an email this morning from MaxTool :
http://www.maxtool.com
they are offering $25 off on $100 sitewide (excludes Honda) – without a lot of restrictions – using code MAX25
Redford
Tried to stack this with PayPal 5% cash back on my chase Freedom to get the Drill/driver installation kit 2505-22 PayPal was showing the total as $304 instead of $204 and didn’t want to risk it. Maybe I’ll try on my pc instead of my phone after work.
Adam
It is working exactly like it supposed to. They have a big banner explaining why you are getting the amount you are in the cart (sort of nice actually). You can not combine the $25 off with other promos, such as the free 6ah battery you are getting. Most sites are similar to this, but great if you can find when the miss something to exclude.
Bill
I’m just getting into the diy home mechanic and I’m looking to build a tool collection. This looks like a very good deal not to pass up but I’m curious to know what would this impact wrench be good to use for and what it shouldn’t?
Jared
100ft/lbs isn’t bad for a compact 3/8″ impact. It would be handy for lots of automotive fasteners, but not suited for really heavy work like removing lug nuts or suspension bolts.
Lots of cars have lug nuts torqued to 80-90ft/lbs for context, but using the upper range of the torque spec isn’t great – plus if they’ve been sitting for a while it can take a greater force to get them moving. I’d take a guess it would generally work for bolts ~17mm or smaller if that helps you imagine what types of tasks you might use it for – bigger if it’s something you would break loose with a breaker bar/finish with a torque wrench.
You could use it for lag bolts in wood too.
Bill
What would be suitable for lug nuts?
PB
Matt is correct,
For lugs you should get a 1/2″ impact.
You get more impact force transmission (less shock dampening) when you go straight from the driver to the socket with fewer to no pieces in between.
Trucks now a days are torqued to 150 ft-lbs. So you should try to get something over that number.
The 6-point deep sockets are good for impact removable of lugs. 12-points will get stuck on the lug nut and round the sides.
As far as this set goes. The sockets are nice but I wasn’t able to read anywhere if they were impact rated. So I wouldn’t recommend using the impact included in the kit with them. This is because the material of non-impact sockets is typically stronger (which is good normally), but in turn more brittle (which is bad for impacts).
The result is that it can put more wear on the tool because of the harder surface. I just ignore this aspect because by the time I wear the thing out if I do, I’d like some new tech. But it is noted in the tool user manual.
And the other main concern is that the socket could blow up in your face. To prevent this, I wrap the socket in gorilla or other gaffer’s tape, as the fabric would contain the pieces.
For an at home mechanic, I’d buy a nice deep impact socket for the lugs and in the rare occasion you need to impact with a different socket just wrap some fabric reinforced tape around it.
Stuart
A mid-torque or heavy duty 18V/20V Max-class 1/2″ drive impact.
It’s not enough to buy an impact that meets installation torque specs, you really have to exceed it.
I know that the M18 Fuel is robust enough to handle lug nuts. Their mid-torque impact *might* be, I haven’t tried it with them or heard enough to confidently say so.
Bill
I saw the Rigid Octane 3 speed IW for $100 more, that alone should handle lug nuts/suspension alongside general automotive work, right?
Adam
I’d say PB is sort of right. While 1/2″ is the most common, 3/8″ can take care of lugs no problem, as long as it is capable. It’s why I bought mine. I do 80% of the work on my truck with a M12 Fuel Stubby 3/8″. It won’t take off my calipers (maybe it would if I had a lack of rust), but fine for most everything else.
With a 3/8″ I don’t mind keeping a set of impacts sockets in my truck, but I wouldn’t want a 1/2″ set that’s for sure. My Gearwrench set goes to 21mm which is what my lugs are.
Fuel Mid-Torque is enough for 95% of car work, including lugs. Have to pull out the High-Torque if you have a couple extensions or adapters though.
That is one thing you notice on the m12 fuel, is the loss in power with extensions. and adapters.
Matt
The 3/8’s impacts are nice for the small things. I agree though on lug nuts and the rest, they really don’t cut it. Regardless of specs, every 3/8’s impact I’ve tried for lug nuts would just hammer away. Sometimes eventually breaking one loose, most of the time not. If not for having a 1/2 inch impact, I’d probably just use a breaker bar.
John
Exactly, a 24” breaker bar and a single deep socket to fit your lugs is all that’s needed to crack them free. After that, any drill, impact it doesn’t matter what with a socket adapter will quickly finish removing them all with speed.
Stuart
That works too.
Mike
Would like to get into more Milwaukee, but that dewalt seems to be a better deal, since the 2463-20 is an older model? I dont have any 12v anymore. I sold my old 12v dewalt set(impact driver, drill, reciprocating saw) awhile back and got a Milwaukee brushless m18 bundle (Hammer drill, impact driver, Hackzall) for 225 a few months back. I dont mind having a rainbow tool box, if the tools are good they are good, just for battery sanity lol. That’s why I have a corded dewalt oscillating tool, how often I need to use it dont have to worry about a few batteries being ready to go
aerodawg
Can’t pass this up since I got the M12 ratchet recently. Guess I’m dewalt for 20v and Milwaukee for 12v now.
Evadman
I’m in the same club. It’s the best option I have found for tool choices across the spectrum. I made the decision about 2 years ago, and it has worked great so far.
I got in on this deal for the impact and ratchet because I got a fantastic deal on the dewalt DCF890 3/8 impact and M12 2554-20 3/8″ fuel impact that were recommended by users here: Brett & Big Richard. They ended up being so cheap I got both. the users here are awesome, so I figure I can throw together a comparison or something of the impact guns I use on a daily basis. I don’t have anything in the 50 to 150 ft/lb range, and this one fits that gap.
Well, impact wenches anyway. Impact drivers all seem to be between 75 and 175 ft/lbs, but using an adapter to put a socket on makes most of them too long, and they don’t seem to transfer the full torque to the bolt; the assembly seems to absorb a good chunk.
Bill
I’m kicking myself for not getting that ratchet deal last week! It’s what I had originally wanted.
Dave
I have the original version of the little 3/8” impact-had it for a long time- I think since 2011 but I could be proven wrong on that…. Just recently the anvil wore out on it and I was quoted around $55 for a replacement anvil. The one I’ve had has been great and the most-used impact I’ve had. It’s great for mechanic work on cars and pickups, driving lags and even wood screws as it originally came with an adapter that I used for a few years until I got an actual hex-type impact.
I have the newish M-12 3/8” drive Fuel stubby (up to 250 ft pounds in reverse) and I like it. A lot.
I also have the M-18 high-torque 1/2” fuel and I rarely use it as it’s just too big, bulky and heavy, but when I need it, I need it ( LARGE (20,000 lb and on up equipment repairs).
I have the low-torque M-18 1/2” Fuel (precursor to the new 1/2 M-12 stubby, sort of…) and it’s by far the most versatile of the lot. It will do one-ton pickup lug nuts. Whoever thinks you need the high -torque or even the medium-torque M-18’s for pickup lug nuts is guessing, and guessing incorrectly. The low-torque model is slim, light, and easy to handle-plus it fits in places the larger ones won’t.
For anyone working on pickups on down, do yourself a favor and DON’T buy the bulky, heavy M-18 mid or high toque 1/2” impacts- you’ll be disappointed -just too big and heavy to fit in almost anyplace other than on a lug nut, and there way too strong for lug nuts anyway.
Buy the M-18 fuel low-torque (230 ft lbs I believe) if you’re into M-18, or better yet, if you’re into M-12, buy the newish Fuel stubby. Trust me, the others are too darned big and bulky. (Not to mention too strong for most uses and you’ll snap stuff off with them).
The only place you can use the word “light” with those mid and high-torque models are how much your wallet weighs after you buy them. And that’s a bad deal since they’ll mostly set on your workbench gathering dust.
Tom D
Looks like this ends “tomorrow” or so it says.
PJB
I saw this deal on Saturday and scooped it up. It arrives today. I also got that inflator kit from acme, but its gonna take a minute to get here. This blog is awesome. Thanks for sharing all of this knowledge.