The other day, when we posted about the new Ryobi Quiet Strike cordless pulse driver, Noah asked in a comment: So when does the Milwaukee version come out?
Just because Ridgid came out with a Stealth Force quiet pulse driver, and then Ryobi, it doesn’t mean Milwaukee will too. Right?
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But over at Home Depot, a search for hydraulic impact driver, which someone mentioned as being around for a long time before Makita and Ridgid models came along, turned up something interesting – the Milwaukee M18 Fuel SURGE hydraulic impact driver, model 2760-20.
Yep, Milwaukee is also coming out with an oil pulse driver. And it’s brushless. And more compact than the other models on the market, except for maybe the Makita. And it’s got 4 power and speed modes.
It’s not too expensive either – $149 for the bare tool.
Shoot, I want one, like now.
Milwaukee SURGE Features
- Fluid-drive hydraulic power train
- Powerstate brushless motor “outperforms all leading competitors”
- 4-mode drive control
- Self-tapping screw mode for reduced walking and reduced overdriving
- 0-3,000 RPM
- 450 in-lbs max torque
- LED worklight
Milwaukee says that their new fluid-drive hydraulic powertrain, aka oil pulse driver, results in up to 50% quieter operation, 3x less vibration for smoother operation, and faster driving speeds compared to standard impact drivers.
This is all because you have less metal-on-metal impact contact within the tool, and a faster gearbox ratio.
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Here’s the trade-off: the max torque spec is 450 in-lbs.
Price: $149
Buy Now(via Home Depot, in stock… soon?)
First Thoughts
So why not just use a drill? Well, for one, an oil pulse driver, while not as reactionless as a traditional impact driver, twists far less than a drill/driver when a drill or bit jams up. And there’s the quick-change chuck, not to mention the shorter length of the tool, allowing it to fit in tighter spaces.
Compared to a standard impact driver, you should experience quieter operation, and faster application speeds, at least when working with low to medium torque fasteners. This isn’t the tool to sink giant lag bolts.
I think that a LOT of users can benefit from a tool like this, especially in residential and commercial work. Impact drivers are loud, and can be very disruptive. Drills are longer and slower.
We don’t really see cordless screwdrivers as much these days, at least not in 18V product families. 12V-class cordless screwdrivers are still reasonably popular, although far less so than drills or impacts.
This Milwaukee M18 Fuel Surge driver, and other oil pulse drivers, are in a weird gray area, but I think they’ll catch on really quickly.
As mentioned earlier in the post, I want one, like RIGHT NOW.
There are tradeoffs with tools like this, but I can live with 450 in-lbs of max torque, which is still quite a bit. The faster application speeds isn’t a big deal for me, but it will be for pros tasked with driving in dozens or hundreds of fasteners. It’s the quieter operation and small (impact driver-like) size that I am most after.
How many of you will be buying a Milwaukee SURGE once it’s released?
Travis
I absolutely love my Makita XST01M Oil-Impulse driver. I use it 90% of the time for my fastening tasks. This is great news for Milwaukee users. I am looking forward to a head to head comparison.
Nathan
wonder when dewalt will make one. That’s looks like a nice tool – and it makes me sort of want one – hydraulic pulse driver that is.
honestly that same setup with a touch more torque wouldn’t be so bad for automotive application in say a 3/8 or 1/4 square drive. quick – but small fasteners for things like lights, interior R/R and the like. sub 50 ft/lb – smooth motion – compact body – decent speed control.
...Steve
I will buy this I mean everyone who screws in screws or does metal siding or metal to metal applications Need One!
thanks Stuart for the review.
Stuart
Agreed, but this wasn’t a review.
Bremon
More of a preview.
...Steve
ahh thanks for the correction, I also wonder if its going to have 450 lb in torque? and if they would eventually get one of these in the One-Key category then they would be set
Derek
One key was a flop…oops sorry, my future buddies said that I shouldn’t tell you people that, they said it would tear the space time continuum.
Oh, also Trump Wins! lol jk ….or am I?!
K2
You aren’t!
avi
what i am most curious to know is how it will compare in size to milwaukee’s fuel impact driver, specifically the length of the head – for in how tight quarters it can drive a screw,
and the radius of the head – for how close to a wall it drive a screw parallel to said wall, specifically a phillips head who always like to cam out if you’re not directly lined up behind it.
Adam
Get a bit adapter that swivels. Dewalt makes a set for 1/4 to 1/2 sizes. And you can throw a bit into the 1/4 size
Adam
I was about ready to drop the $ for the ‘standard’ fuel impact driver (2753), but I think this will be a better option. I rarely drive large fasteners, and the quieter operation really appeals to me.
Travis
You will absolutely love this. The quieter operation is amazing. I have not put down my Makita oil-impulse driver since I got it. They are absolutely worth the loss in torque for the noise reduction. Honestly, I don’t even notice a loss in torque. I feel it is just as powerful as my other impacts and it never has trouble with and fasteners.
Drew M
Something I was wondering this weekend is just how much torque do impact drivers have when it is just the motor spinning the screw. I got a Bosch 25618 impactor and it seems to have MUCH more torque even without impact when compared to my IDS181.
So, with the announcement of this tool, I wonder if my new Bosch has 450in*lb directly from the motor and then maybe hits the full 1500in*lb when it starts impact driving.
James C
I just commented the other day in the Ryobi Quite Strike post about how a driver like this would be a deciding factor for me when I soon begin investing in 18v tools. I was leaning towards the orange brand, but it looks like I may be staying red!
Matt
No clue in release date?
Stuart
Working on it.
Seb
I can’t really make my mind on this one, I have a m12 impact driver and the numbers seems wrong, my m12 is rated at 135nm and that oil striker after conversion seems to be rated at around 50nm.
I could have messed up my conversion but if that’s not the case the weight to power ratio means this one is out for me. Anyone could confirm my conversion from in-lbs to nm?
Those imperial measures makes no sense to me (as am sure the opposite is true for you guys).
Nathan
I get the following.
450 in/lbf – 37.5 ft/lbf – 50.8 Nm
so yes that’s about right.
Koko the Talking Ape
You did the conversion correctly. But as another commenter points out, that rating might be of the motor’s torque in continuous drive, not the torque created when it impacts.
Guy
I saw a review somewhere of a pulse impact where it was rated low but blew the doors off competitors (might have been the Ridgid unit?). Very interested to see how they compare in actual performance outside of specs.
In other news, I’m worried about the new marketing spin to come “Torque Strength” like “Horsepower Strength” or HPS that my new garage door opener has. Doesn’t say the HP anymore, but the HP equivalent or something.
Jonathan
I was talking with our local Milwaukee rep back in early November , he said something to the same effect, that it wasn’t apples to apples more like coconut to equal sized block of wood, the liquid in a coconut retains residual energy of intial impact and but pulses with slower continuesous energy i.e. crashing wave on a beach vs a branch crashing down from a tree onto the sand below higher impact energy.
Perhaps a better analogy is a plate compactor (pulse) on soil vs a sledge hammer (impact) to compact soil, the sledge will have higher energy in a smaller spot.
I digress , he brought in a personal demo unit in from his rig and I got to run a few screws and some lags bolts in some wood at one of the demo stations, I was quite impressed,
I hope that they bring it out in the M12 Fuel line (now that I’ve abandoned all hope and my DeWalt 12V max tools in favor of the M12 series- if it wasn’t for the recent Sawzall/hole Dozer saw blades with the free M12 Sawzall promo I doubt I would have invested in the M12 FUEL combo with Hammer, Impact and free bare tool (got the 3/8th cordless rachet).
Its heavier than the DeWalt but packs more power, is brushless and has hi/low settings and batteries have on tool fuel gauge.
The 3/8th is a little under powered but will be nice for R&R of nuts , screws and bolts.
Matt
I believe, and correct me when if I’m wrong, that these impulse drivers are built for speed fastening. Not power/torque.
Upping the rpms in a sense makes them seem more powerful than the actual torque rating as they drive quicker.
I wouldn’t pay attention to torque on any oil impulse guy. Unless you plan on pushing lags all day
Davidaa1
I clicked on the link and HD says “This product is not available”. I searched their website for “Milwaukee surge” and some random products show up. I’m wondering if it’s my browser or the whole thing was a mistake and wasn’t supposed to be on their website yet?.
Stuart
Judging from the email I received from Milwaukee earlier today, Home Depot’s product listing went live a few weeks early.
Satch
Well, follow the leader is alive and well in the power tool market! I commented in the Ryobi thread that this would likely be a popular option and it looks like it may be so. As many here have noted it is usually not necessary to have maximum torque. Particularly for guys driving Tek screws, removing fasteners from hardware and appliances. Now automotive? Well that is a more demanding animal and different parameters will surely apply. Still, I think there is a huge potential for this type of devise in the skilled mechanical trades like HVAC, electrical, structured wiring installers, and anyone(like me) who does maintenance work that can entail removing anything from motor control cabinets to commercial appliances. Good catch Stuart.
Sam
I’m getting one. I’ll keep my reg m18 gen 2 impact around for a mule an big fasteners. I do alot of steel to steel an steel to wood an sounds awesome. Will be my 3rd impact I own. Lol.
André
Makitas new oil impulse driver is “only” 0-2700 rpm and 40nm, compared to this one so on paper this one should be better…
André
edit:
Milwaukee – 450 in-lbs max torque
Makita – 355 in-lbs max torque
Nathan
the whole purpose of the “oil impact” or “hydrolyic impact” systems is to reduce noise and vibration in the hammer/anvil torque box – they do this by absorbing some of that shock. IE just like a shock absorber on your car but in rotation. Similar idea to lovejoy couplers or the like.
therefore they take away energy from the system and disperse it in the oil – again that’s the point. so it will by nature have less applied torque to the bit – than a hard impact system. It can however tolerate spinning faster because you lose the risk of fracturing the torque box – and they run cooler.
the torque and rpm values seem about in line if not purposely cut down a tick to have more impressive speed.
DGriffin
Strangely the Rigid Stealth Force Oil Impulse driver may be FAR stronger than this one and is only $50.00 more. The Rigid Stealth force blows the Makita Oil Impulse out of the water…. so A Milwaukee will release a higher end Impulse Driver later or they just want something to compete with the Makita and there daughter brand Ryobi and sister brand Rigid.
Matt
Just curious how much money does Milwaukee pay you to write this stuff?
Adam
Milwaukee doesn’t pay him anything, and neither does any other manufacturer.
If you’re complaining that there are too many Milwaukee related stories, I’m not sure what you’re talking about, as exactly two of the last thirty posts have been about their tools.
Stuart
What part of my non-paid-for opinions do you have disagree with?
Thomas
I would like to see an M12 version of this…..?
William
That I would buy
Mike
Only new to retail level customers. Panasonic, Hitachi, Bosch, Makita and others I’m sure have been selling this to industrial and manufacturing sector companies for years and years. As an end-user consumer from the USA I’m in a similar position to many who post here regarding Bosch tools seeming scant and slow, EC motors, battery voltage etc…but just want to point out that the USA and Home Depot are not the whole world. Example Bosch(Rexroth) 36v brushless tools have been available to commercial users for quite a few years. Makita is similar, offering advanced tools to other corporations first, consumers later. Most technology and R and D is done for the state sector, US DoD especially, then applied commercially at a later date. Lasers, batteries, satellites, polymers, medicines, GPS, internet, and countless others all stem from subsidized high tech projects.
Marketing is not always…honest. FlexVolt for example is not really the “first”. In Germany/EU Metabo sells 36v brushless grinders that will likely remain performance leaders even against Big Yellow and Big Red “innovation”. Of course, Metabo 36v tools are not on the shelves at the local Home Despot.
Nick
Home Depot took off the M18 surge as of 9/1 . Why ? It is no longer available.
Stuart
My guess is that the listing was put up too early, so they took it down?
K2
Any news on a one key variant?
Tony lupo
What about Maintinence?
Don’t you have to change the fluid like other hydraulic systems? Will this be covered by Milwaukee? Will it last forever?
Stuart
https://toolguyd.com/milwaukee-m18-fuel-surge-hydraulic-driver-things-you-should-know/
No maintenance required.
Gregg
The surge is junk it will not stand up to one after another type work, I blew the seals out of 3 surges in 60 days, it’s a better fit HVAC work or the guy that uses it on limited basis