Milwaukee M12 FUEL™ SURGE™ 1/4" Hex Hydraulic Driver 2551-20
Quick Takes
2x quieter than standard impact drivers
Reduced vibrations
Compact design and compact batteries allow easier use in tight spaces
Multiple speed options
Brushless motor
Real Talk
The first time I put my hands on the Milwaukee M12 Fuel Surge Impact Driver was nearly a year ago when an HVAC Technician pulled it out of his tool bag as he was working on a rooftop unit at one of my buildings. I had to try it for myself! He was kind enough to let me give it a few zaps on some self-tapping screws holding the covers on the air handler and I knew right away I was going to buy one!
One of the greatest, and also most prominent features of this impact driver is how much quieter it is compared to a standard impact, even when compared to another 12-volt impact this is remarkably quieter. The reduced noise when driving/impacting a fastener is perfect for situations like the ones I find myself in often as a building maintenance engineer, where I am inside of an occupied office or commercial space with the tenant’s employees around me doing their jobs, all while I try not to run them out of the room due to the noise my impact is making. The way this impact driver manages to be so noticeably quiet compared to other impacts is through it’s use of a hydraulic powertrain (AKA: oil impulse technology) instead of the traditional metal-to-metal impacting.
Immediately after buying myself this impact driver it began a permanent residence in my own tool bag not only for its quiet operation, but for it’s compact design and portability. This impact driver is the perfect size at just over 5 inches long (5.2” to be exact) and under 7 inches tall (again, to be exact 6.8”) meaning it easily slips into a shoulder carried tool bag and won’t weigh you down like a traditional 18 volt impact would. The M12 Fuel Surge impact driver comes in well underweight compared to an 18 volt impact driver you pick up in the multi-tool combo kits, yet will be ever so slightly heavier than a few other 12 volt models.
This tool delivers 450-in/lbs. of torque consistently, which is more than enough for the small to medium sized fasteners it’s intended for use on.
As if you need any more reasons to want this impact driver, I’ll name a huge one for you: the M12 battery platform. While other manufacturers are focused entirely on “bigger is better” and ramping up the battery lines to 36V, 40V Max, 60V Max, or even higher, Milwaukee is surging (ha, get it?!) ahead in the compact tool range, and pulling leaps and bounds ahead of their competition. The majority of the tools on the M12 platform perform just as well as most of their 18-volt competitors, all while retaining the lightweight and compact designs you love to carry.
Lastly, the 4-mode control on this driver is wonderful, it’s selector is located on top of the tool with a bright LED backlight that shows clearly even on a sunny day. You have multiple speed/torque settings as well as a self-tapping screw mode intended to reduce stripping or over tightening fasteners.
Additional Features
Bright LED light to illuminate work piece
Belt hook
One-handed bit insertion
Protective boot built onto nose of tool
Pricing
As of writing this, you can pick up the bare tool for $149.99, or as a kit with a bag, charger and (2) 2.0 Ah batteries included for $199.99.
What’s Missing
The only thing I can come up with is the lack of a protective boot being available for purchase. While it has the protective bumper on the nose, Milwaukee does not offer a full-cover protective boot for this model as they do for many other M12 tools.
Final Takeaways
The Milwaukee M12 FUEL™ SURGE™ 1/4" Hex Hydraulic Driver is an excellent choice for maintenance technicians, HVAC, electricians or anyone who may need to work in tight spaces or occupied buildings. If your job (or hobby) calls for lots of overhead work, working in tight spaces, repetitive small to medium fasteners or working as quietly as possible, I highly recommend you buy this.
