18 Volt Lithium Hammer Drills – Milwaukee M18 vs. Bosch
Recently both Bosch and Milwaukee came out with new 18 volt lithium ion tools. Milwaukee Tools first 18v lithium line was one of the first to market with the V18 tools however after these tools were release other brands had a chance to copy their designs. Bosch Tools on the other hand stuck with the 18v NiCd tools and focused on thier 10.8v and 36v lithium tools. Both these new lines of 18v tools put them head and shoulders above the competition but which of the two is on top?
Today we are just looking at the 18v Cordless Hammer Drills, in this comparison specifically the Milwaukee M18 2611-24 and the Bosch 17618-01. Each product was laboratory tested against the other competition available at the time (a few months ago) so both tools are making the same claims of best in class torque, battery life and construction. Unfortunately I don’t have a lab in the back to redo all these tests comparing the two against each other but hopefully I can provide a little more insight.
Both units have 650 in/lbs torque (above any other brand on the market) although the Bosch unit has 2050 RPM rating vs. Milwaukee at 1700 RPM. Both units also have free battery mail-in rebate offers until the end of the year however Milwaukee is giving away the larger XC battery while Bosch is giving away their smaller Slim Pack battery. Both have a two battery system but on the M18 tools the smaller battery will not fit on the hammer drill or saws. On price, overall the Bosch 17618-01 is cheaper at $305 while the Milwaukee 2611-24 is $349. Milwaukee is including a free impact driver 2650-20 ($179) with the hammer drill, for a limited time, so big points there. Warranties are also pretty similar with 2 year battery replacement on each.
In size comparison the Milwaukee is slightly smaller which you can see in the pictures. The weight for the M18 is also lighter at 5.55 lbs vs Bosch at 5.75. If weight is a big factor the Bosch can use the slim pack batteries which will reduce the weight below the Milwaukee but battery life will be half. Both units feature a LED light but Bosch has the light on the base which illuminates the work surface a little better.
The biggest problem I discovered in looking at these two drills side by side was with the Bosch. There is no power gauge on their batteries. I’m not sure why this was left off, perhaps it makes the battery smaller but it is an extremely useful feature I can’t believe was left off. Bosch has the feature on their 36v tools so I am really baffled why they would leave it off the 18v. The charger is a 30 minute charge which works with 14.4v as well but even the charger only gives a simple charging or full indication not a power level.
For my money I am buying the Milwaukee M18 with free Impact and mail-in rebate for a 3rd XC battery. The deal is right and I just can’t see not having a power gauge on my lithium ion tools. If you have 3 batteries and 1 charger how are you going to keep track of which battery has power and which doesn’t? I really like the Bosch as well, it still has more power and longer run time than any other competitor but when they are so close like that a free M18 Impact Driver will make all the difference.
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Comments
Li-ion batteries have a very flat discharge curve making it very expensive to build an accurate charge gauge. Battery meters in milwaukee are very inaccurate and primitive. If you drain the battery heavily and then press the battery gauge it will show it half-full due to voltage sag. If you wait 5 minutes again it will show it full again.
Posted by: Wartex | November 1, 2008 11:04 PM
It's nice to have even a rough idea though. I don't think you can afford to leave out a feature that effects your entire system as a whole as people are unlikely to mix an match lith ion tools from different brands given the cost of batteries.
Posted by: Erik R | November 6, 2008 03:29 PM
One of the most important parts of a drill is the chuck. The Milwaukee M18 outer chuck cover is plastic. The Bosch chuck cover is solid steel. This vulnerable part is subject to much abuse when the drill is used in tight spaces. The plastic outer chuck cover can get damaged or actually destroyed by rubbing against objects when drilling. Steel outer chuck covers like the Bosch has are indestructible. Milwaukee should put the steel chuck on a drill that's this expensive. I owned a drill with the plastic cover that got damaged . To me this is the factor that tilts the balance in favor of the Bosch. I like the charge meter the Milwaukee has but with 3 batteries it is of little importance because I can recharge faster than I use the batteries.
Posted by: robert | November 22, 2008 09:44 AM
Robert, great point, plastic chucks really have no place on heavy duty hammer drills. The good news is the M18 and Bosch 18v both have metal chucks. The Milwaukee chuck does look plastic in the pictures above but they are both metal. Sorry I didn't mention anything in the review.
Posted by: Jay A | November 24, 2008 08:53 AM
Jay, Thanks for pointing out the mistake I made in the above post where I said the Milwaukee chuck cover is plastic. You're right it is metal. I checked it out for myself and it is indeed metal. Well, now I'm leaning toward the Milwaukee with it's free impact driver,battery meter, and third battery rebate offer. I think Milwaukee would be well served by pointing out that their chuck cover is metal because the black finish sure can be confused with the many plastic chucks on the market.
Posted by: robert | November 24, 2008 08:19 PM
I read that if li-ion batteries stand unused for a length of time they should be left at half-charge. Left at full or empty charge will cause premature failure. This makes the battery gauge very necessary for the occasional user.
Posted by: mike | December 23, 2008 11:15 PM
Lithium ion batteries should be fully charged after use and before they are stored for any period of time. This is the standard recommendation from numerous manufacturers including those producing supplemental power packs.
I have the M18 but most of the time reach for the Makita which is a couple pounds lighter, works fine even driving long screws into decking. The Makita Li-Ion has LED lights as does the M18 and evidently not the Bosch. Once you have used a drill with a LED light you realize how much better it is than trying to hold a flashlight in your mouth or aim one from a headstrap that is blocked by the drill. I would never buy a cordless drill that did not have a LED light.
Posted by: Bruce | July 8, 2009 10:52 PM
I was reading comments above about a plastic chuck on the Milwaukee vs the Bosch's steel chuck. This is totally false I have this drill and the chuck is steel same as the Bosch, the plastic part on the Milwaukee does not spin, therfore it would not get damaged while drilling in tight spaces, It may get scratched if you squeeze it between two pipes to get to a ceiling or something but that would be true with any drill. And additionally my bosses Bosch has a gauge on the battery, matter of fact there are 3 on this present job site and all of them are identical. People like my drill so much they will buy me lunch to let them use it for the day. It cannot be broken, if it could then why would they give a 5 year warranty?
Posted by: Brian L. (Commercial Electrician) Tradesmen International | October 30, 2009 06:18 PM