I’m an electrician and I have both, the surge is better for me I don’t generally need the extra power and the trigger feels like it gives more precise power control. I bought the surge after the other one broke internally so less internal friction seems like a great idea. Milwaukee fixed my 2953-20 under warranty and I just keep it now as a backup
My old Milwaukee impact driver died in the middle of a project. In a hurry, I ran to my local Milwaukee retailer and bought the surge. Brought it home and started driving 10 inch lags into 6x6 landscape timbers and was surprised to see that it really struggled. What the heck? Well, that's what I get for not doing my homework. I guess I'll keep it and buy a standard impact as well. I'm an extreme DIY person and can probably find use for it. Appreciate the video ! Certainly cleared up my confusion.
@@1960DAVIDNC Stronger in my opinion is not the best for my wrist in the long term if I'm going to keep doing this type of work. Carpentry work is repetitive and hard on the body. I have coworkers who use fuel regular impact and there is little difference on the output of work. One of the things I can say about the surge that is really awesome is that it has a very easy start when you squeeze the trigger. I do a lot of remodel work so all of the framing is done with fast tap screws.
@@1960DAVIDNCmore precise for a lot of applications where more power can really mess you up, the trigger control on the surge can really help with speed control if you need it also.
I have both the M18 and M12 Surges, as well as the regular impacts in both lines. For the remodeling/handyman work we do most of the time the reduced noise is great. We've worked in homes with small children that were terrified of the impacts but didn't flinch when the Surge was used. Also, it's so much nicer when you have to work in an enclosed space like cabinets, crawlspaces and attics.
I took a chance on the Surge a few years ago. But, I did my homework and knew what to expect. I build decks and other builds with 2" dimension lumber. I drive 3" deck screws all day, every day, week after week. It has never failed to deliver. If I required 2000 Ft/lb torque, I would use my full sized impact wrench. I never thought it was mis-represented in ads. It's for wood screws and sheet metal screws. It says that in the ads. One ad did show it driving a lag screw, but it was no more than 1/4" diameter. The decreased noise and vibration is worth every penny. Thanks. PS - Safety Source is now Way Source.
HVAC technician here. Its perfect for us. Enough power for driving, gentle when working electrical. Also the less noise when my head is in a reach in cooler box, the better.
@BitnerBuilt thanks for your well thought out review, I have been using my Surge for over a year now and it has become my most used tool. I especially love the precision when in setting 1 at very low speed..... it's awesome. I also thought I'd mention, I have not had any of the stalling cut-outs that I saw you had. Once I get to my unit's limit, it just keeps hammering. At that point I grab a more powerful big brother tool. I'm suspicious that you have a faulty unit. Thanks
Thanks for the feedback! My big focus is on the lack of marketing for it, it’s a great tool but not the “big daddy powerhouse” people assume it is which then cause problems
@BitnerBuilt wrong actually, not in a doosh bag way either. They behave very differently with different batteries. With milwaukee being such a monster powerhouse all pro brand we need many diff batteries for many different tools, using the tiny little compacts you know the single stack 18650-21700 cells all gen 3 and up will cit out at times. Jumping to the double stack batteries and even larger you do not choke the tool of all required current basically, as the compact single stacks do. We have absolutely every single drill and impact out of the fuel line EXCEPT the surge. I have been meaning to grab us atleast one but I held off as I ha e heard running many decking screws for example the get severely hot, meaning she's simply over worked. But I do believe much like the older gen 1 and 2 fuel impacts on low they're actually practical for setting lockets, hinges and many small short screw uses Your video wad actually well done, very good video even for actual professionals
2000 inch pounds of torque not 2000 pounds of torque which equals to 166 foot pounds of torque. the surge is 450 inch pounds which equals to 38 foot pounds. the surge is an amazing tool for people who work in confined spaces and people who work indoors. like electricians and plumbers they don't want to make a lot of noise at service calls especially if the customer has a sleeping baby or dogs or children or on a phone call or working from home.
Totally agree, that’s why I said in the video I wish their marketing reflected that more, many people go in thinking this is the top power impact and then are surprised when first using. Great for noise reduction
Main takeaways, the surge is going to be quieter, easier on the body, and at the cost of reduced torque. Standard impact is going to be the loud powerhouse. For me, I work on Hvac and often times end up on a roof top with people sleeping below. Considering I'm not driving lags, but rather simple sheet metal self tappers. I am going to buy a surge and give it a go! Great review and thank you for the video and explanation.
The surge isn’t easier on the body, it does vibrate more in the hand than the normal one, only noticeable if you use it a lot but you definitely the difference. This is the m12 surge I’m talking about, no experience with m18 hands on but have heard the same thing
The surge is good for quiet precision. I'm an electrician who recently got the surge after using the regular impact for a long time. It's great for the work I do, especially when it comes to finishing, and you have to be gentle with the fixtures or plugs/switches you are installing. Definitely will not be using it to drill through 2x4s or anything like that, but that's what regular drills are for, lol.
Interesting, I bought the 2760-20 at an auction and I am almost finished building a 24x48 pole barn, its been performing extremely well and I havent noticed any lack of power with 6 inch structural screws. On setting two it rips the head off sometimes of 1 1/2 hex screws, setting one is too weak. Its a champ and has exceeded my expectations. Thank you for the comparison.
Glad to hear it’s working out for you. It definitely isn’t a bad tool. (Poorly marketed) It performs very well for specific tasks. In particular metal like you’re doing a lot of people have commented it does really well at.
I agree on the marketing. This thing got a bad rep fast because they went off the shelves to construction workers looking for power and speed. My experience is that it has better speed control and smoother driving on small fasteners and regular screws too. And it doesn't run away on you and strip screws or snap em' These big lag bolts are for the regular impact. I really prefer the Surge for regular screws. It drives large screws no problem and great control and sound refuction. I also believe it will stall less with a better battery. Great review! Honest and calm and to the point. Also electricians and the like seem to love it, since it's a gentle impact and go easy on sensitive stuff.
Both tools are Great but what make me like a little more on the Surge is that when your installing hinges or handles with brass screws or finish screws on cabinets the surge when set on low eases the screw into the wood & doesn't cam out the screw if you half to bump up to setting 2 & you ease the trigger you can still set the screw without damaging the screw & if there's anything you want to avoid is a screw with any kind of sharp voids that can attach there selves to soft Garment's like ladies high fashion cloths.. So i think the Surge is Great for this type of installation's... I've got both of the tools in your Video & M18 Drill Milwaukee makes some Great stuff i wished i had these tools back in the 80's when i was in highschool.. In Wood working i did 3 years & my senior year helped build a Home in Vo-tech.. Allen D
You missed one of its key advantages, it can do slow fine torque control for things like sheetmetal grill's without crushing it. You have way more low end speed control while still doing its job well. Try it out
This was a nice review. It answered many questions I had last week (lol) before I purchased the M12 Fuel Surge to replace a 1st gen M12. I have a couple of M18 impact drivers but I enjoy the weight and compactness of an M12 sometimes. The M12 Installation Driver is one of my favorite Milwaukee tools hands down (just bought a 2nd one on a crazy deal). I will say the trigger control with the Surge is outstanding and the fact that the hydraulics keep the same level of torque throughout the entire drive cycle is super nice. And yeah it’s a bit quieter which is nice if you’ve got your head and body contorted in some crazy position. Keep up the terrific channel and stay safe.
Thanks! Yes the m12 installation drive is one of my favs too! If you haven’t tried the m12 detail sander you need to it’s my fav! I like how the hydraulics keep the same amount of torque throughout as well, my big beef there was it just stalling out very frequently on stuff that it should be able to handle / a reg hex would be able to handle.
@@BitnerBuilt I am actually a Milwaukee FanBoy. I have more Milwaukee than I like to admit. That being said, if you’re ever on the fence about a tool, feel free to hit me up with some questions.
@@BitnerBuilt I hear what you’re saying about the lags. I would probably max the M18 Surge out with a GRK 1/4-3 1/8” “lag”. But normal deck type screws all day long with that tool.
I thought your first video under this title was a teaser. If it was, it worked, because I sat waiting for this one to be posted. As usual, another great video, and solid review. I liked the concept of the dancing sawdust. It was an inventive, novel approach, even if it didn't turn out as you'd hoped. Keep up the great work. 👍👍👍
Very timely video for me to send to my brother. He is agonizing over which to buy. I have the M18 Surge. He is attracted to the power of the 2953. So, this video will help him choose.
One thing to add if the surge gets excessively hot they can leak gear fluid from the seals. And the drill will not function with full power. You can fill the compression chamber back up with gear oil but it’s a pain.
As an electrician I love the surge. Noticeably easier on my wrist, much more comfortable to hold for hours at a time. Way more fine adjustment for torquing down any fine fasteners that can crush down flex or wires. Really like it 🤙
I find there isn’t too big of a gap between the surge’s capabilities and stuff that tends to break 1/4 bits and adapters. I use a 3/8 impact for big lags and bolts. The surge is great up to 3” #12 lags. I don’t often need the noise reduction, but it’s nice.
I'm a home builder, I just bought the surge and I love it. The control you get with it is phenomenal, it feels like cheating because the drill basically does all the work and all you have to do is pull the trigger. My ears thank me every day for my purchase and if you're using an impact driver for lags, maybe you should consider using a drill instead. I honestly see no downsides to it and I have used it for lots of framing.
My experience, YMMV. I've used my surge for a couple years off an on, it works OK, recently did some deck work and it was suitable for the task. Community project on a boat dock yesterday, was ready to throw it in the water. 3 1/2" 316 stainless screws attaching 2x8's into 4x's. Was slow and lacked the power to smoothly drive the screws (1/8" pre-drilled for the 2x8's). Frequently I had to remove the screws because they were visibly overheating and getting 'soft', some snapping. Most of the screws I could not drive below the decking, countersinking. I'll keep it. but I will get another driver before I go back down to the dock. My buddy using his package deal dewalt driver was running screws in with zero issues. I eventually switched to my over 5 year old M18 Fuel 1/2" drill and finished the day's job with no more issues. Only 3000 more screws to go.
Oh, that’s a big project! Yeah, that was very much my experience. Which prompted the video. It is a good tool for certain applications, but it is definitely not a powerful driver But a lot of the marketing makes it seem that way, which was my main issue
I've found the surge to be much better go-to for majority of jobs, like roof screwing, and floor screwing. Outside on the roof I do not even need earmuffs, and in the heat that is awesome!
I have been using it for about 50 hours building and installing cabinets. The reason to buy this is PRECISION. You can run those finish screws really slowly. I also works as a general impact driver, much nicer to use. I think I'll be looking for hydrolic impacts from now on.
Using my impact driver or wrench in my garage, was enough to sometimes startle and wake up my newborn son. I now own the M12 Surge (the only M tool I own!) and that problem has gone away. I think the M12 version is the way to go with this one, as it's smaller & lighter which also helps when working overhead (holding your arms up for awhile is tiring). It's now what I reach for first.
Nice video and I think you brought up some good points and you’re right that the regular driver is probably the best option for most people. But I have some additional specific scenarios where after using both I strongly prefer the surge. First is with the use of soft fasteners. Where I work we have to custom order all of our fasteners in 316 stainless with no. 2 sq drive heads. These are very soft screws that will strip incredibly easily. The surge driver is able to run these screws so much more easily than any other driver I’ve ran because it applies its torque gently and gradually vs the instant max torque application with a traditional driver. This means that when putting in screws from weird positions across your body reached out and over equipment, you don’t need anywhere near the amount of pressure on the driver to successfully run a screw. You’re less likely to strip a screw and you much less likely to cam out of the head of a screw. Second application is I have to remove a lot of very rusted deteriorated fasteners that have been exposed to years of salt water and chemical conditions and often times the screws have already been stripped out before. Often my coworkers will come and ask me to use my driver to remove out very stripped out screw heads that are rusted in place because the gentle toque application that all of their drivers will cam out in.
As a garage door tech I have found that the 2953 tends to destroy its because of the amount of torque it has. I was picking up a new impact ever 3-6 months. I have now owned a surge for roughly a year now and it’s still going strong. The extra torque is nice but when you purchase your own tools and money plays a part, the surge is the better impact in my opinion. It would be interesting to see someone make a video on the longevity of each.
I have the M12 and M18 (non-fuel) impact drivers, but I grabbed one of these on sale a few months ago because: 1) I hate the sound impact drivers make, so I rarely used the one's I owned. 2) the full power and torque are never needed and will likely damage my woodworking projects. 3) I really wanted something that would accept hex head bits -- as opposed to my drills that I was using for drivers that still have the chuck. . It's been my go-to driver since I picked it up. I have the benefit of having the full-power versions when I need them, but that all falls into the handyman and repair realm, and I am almost always working on woodworking applications.
Sounds like you have it figured out for you! That’s great! Everyone’s different. For me I only pick up my m12s when woodworking and hell most things, light and still has adjustable power. When I pick up a m18 since it’s big with big heavy batteries it’s because I want the power. Put 3 new latches on my fence this morning so went right for that m18 as I was sinking big lags!
In Germany, the surge is double the price you mentioned. That is quite hefty, but whatever. I wonder what makes this tool better suited for its field than a smaller sized drill. You would use the surge on smaller fasteners, so your wrist isn’t going to get smacked anyway, especially when using it one handed. The hammering is a good solution for creating a lot of torque without torquing you wrist. But since the surge isn’t meant for those torque heavy applications, and it’s still louder than a drill, what makes you grab the surge over a small drill with a clutch?
So I think you and I are of the same opinion. There are lots of comments on this video where people love it so I can’t knock that. Perhaps it could be placed into the “right tool for the specific job” category where yes there are easy alternatives but for people where this is the exact action they are doing all the time, it’s a good fit. I personally would rather have a higher powered driver that I can always turn down the power on with the push of a button, but have the flexibility to go back up when I want to or switch over to a drill.
I think stats may be wrong on battery life . Touque runs 100% until dead . I’ve had both I love my hydro. Steel studs save you’re hearing, extremely satisfying putting in lags or big screw , monotone throughout. Only negative is you can’t hear when it’s failing to run out of power witch it doesn’t. 100% great tool
Hydraulic is a great tool for heavy duty use. For driving screws in wood or tightening 3/8 bolts, it's amazing. It's absolutely horrendous for anything delicate because it lacks feeling. I'm an electrician, and I use my regular cheap $90 brushed M18 most of the time simply because it has more feeling to it. Regular impact can be used for tightening screw terminals that are typically 6-32 threaded (small screws that could be stripped if over tightened). I can feel when something is getting tight and then stop, or I can impact it with 1 click before stopping. The hydraulic one has no feeling at all; it's super easy to overtighten things and strip out sheet metal screws because it doesn't slow down and stop before impacting like a regular impact does. I carry both a conventional impact and a hydraulic impact. They're both great but have their own special purposes. I once made the mistake of handing my hydraulic impact to an apprentice. He was unfamiliar with hydraulic, so he massively overtightened the screws and stripped them out. He had no idea that he was applying so much force to those screws. The lack of sound makes you think you're just gently tightening something, but you're really tearing things apart.
It’s a professional light-medium duty tool. It has a perfect use for interior work on vehicles and recreational vehicles with lighter materials. They engineer chainsaws the same way for different types of trees.
Love my m12 surge for 99% of stuff I encounter. I've had to pull out the m18 gen3 fuel driver when doing steel to steel though. the m18 fuel always reminded me of that little gun in men in black, too much power and not much finesse but it does come in handy to have all that power.
My buddy I work with has the more powerful one, I have the surge, sure his is faster but his impact gets so hot he can't even use it after 5 mins. But the surge stays cool
I bought the surge when it was frost release. I used to do loft conversions and compared to my dewalts I had previously thought it was very underpowered and hated it. But when in confined spaces, The quietness was appreciated. However I do feel it was very mis marketed really. It also takes some getting used to, handles differently to standard impacts.
Yeah, it definitely has its uses and benefits. I just agree there and my big beef that was marketed, I got it for the video with the specific idea that it was going to be very high-powered so you’re shocked when you first use it.
I like mine, I have the M12. I always misplace it. My understanding is it has a setting for starting self tapping screws in metal studs and sheet metal. I also like that the less torque settings tend not to cam out my phillips screws. On the heavy stuff using landscape lags I use my M18 hex impact. I have started though using my RIDGID Impact wrench more and more for those both the mid torque 3/8" & 1/2" models. I just had to buy a hex adapter or the right size socket bits.
Thanks for the feedback on yours! Big point of my video was that the marketing behind it seems to imply that it’s the most powerful high-end unit, when, as you said, you pull out your M1 hex when you need to drive heavier stuff it’s definitely a well-made tool and has its place for certain tasks
I’ve had the M12 surge over 3 years and I love it. I build theater sets several days a week and it has driven hundreds of 3” construction screws a day and I have no complaints. The quieter impacts and less vibration sets it apart from everyone else I work with, all who use its 20v yellow competitor. I’ve even seen them stroking it when they think I’m not looking. Plus the small size is a big plus for me. Thousands of screws later, if it broke today I’d replace it with the exact same tool tomorrow.
Noise and fatigue are NOT the only advantages of the Surge. I’m curious who the Milwaukee Rep. was that was spoken with because there are a ton of key points missing here. Just one example; if you are in any industry that involves sheet metal (HVAC, etc.), the Surge is the only way to go because of its speed control.
Well, this just kind of circles back to the whole overarching point of the video is that they have a marketing problem with the surge in clearly stating its use / capability and not positioning it as their top power unit
Quieter, less impact vibration on your hands mostly - there are lots of comments from pros below who love it for their specific use the main issue was their lack of clear marketing on it
@BitnerBuilt i have actually used it for one project and liked it, just dont see that it can do anything a regular drill cant while a drill is more versatile and probably as quiet if not more so. Only advantage i truly see is in prolonged use where you dont get as fatigued using it but i didnt use it for a long period so hard to gauge.
This Hydraulic Impact 2760-20 stops working when it's +5 degrees outside and when it's minus outside, it won't tighten a single screw. The instructions say that you need to warm it up for 10 sec. but this doesn't help. I don't recommend it for those who need to work outside
Good review. I was considering the surge but I can use that money elsewhere. I do jobs in occupied commercial settings from time to time but I just use my drill instead of impact. Milwaukee also makes a m12 installers drill.
I don't have either of these, but my thought is wouldn't the higher torque model make less noise if only used to the 450 inch pounds the surge makes? Maybe not as low but comparing both at full power when one makes over 4 times the power it would make sense it would be louder without even considering the different mechanisms used to make that power.
Well, one way to think about it is if you take something like a hammer, a hard surface and bang on a pipe really loud or even really lightly that noise is going to travel far away, so the surge removes the really loud hammer action and replaces it with a fluid filled Drop if that makes sense to create a similar pushing mechanism, so that noise isn’t gonna travel as far. In the end, you could always just use a drill for the same function and not have to worry about the noise.
I have XGT and LXT sub-compact. Now that I have M12 tools and I could swap my LXT, I’d get this as my 2nd driver for neighbors, shop dog, and maybe not having to wear ear protection for the one off drive. But if only had one, it’d be the XGT.
It is capable but you shouldn’t. As someone who has stripped the threads on his wheel studs can tell you, use a breaker bar to initial loosen, you can then use the 2953 to remove it faster after it’s loose. Also always hand start a lug (again easy to strip if you don’t)
" silent" is what sold for me .... we have jobs that are multi family or apartments where poeple are already moved in and we cant be too loud , or the clubhouse where the property manager is in the other room , so a bit more quiet for me at least ... we are not using 4 inch lag bolts for my application .
Thanks this helped me a bunch. Getting into sheet metal and HVAC install and service. Thinking the quite in home services would be a big deal. Have had more than one person tell me some one has an over night job and they need to sleep.
it's not always about torque. I think a quieter tool is very valuable. Especially when it comes to your hearing. For most things the surge is the more valuable tool, I install windows and doors, and find that the surge is a perfect fit for that kind of work. And really, if your doing allot of lags, you should be using an impact wrench. Allot less wear on the tool. I have used impact drivers for lags and have found that you're abusing the tool. They get overheated,, and thereby you're increasing the rate of wear. Just because a tool can do something doesn't mean you should, especially if you're using it everyday. It's kind of like the difference between a hammer drill and a rotary hammer. And if you're using it all day for a task. And what the material you're drilling. Sucks using a hammer drill in high strength concrete. But a rotary hammer,, easy poesy. It all depends. Using the right tool always makes the job more pleasurable.
Everything you said I totally agree with, I just wish they explained that more in their marketing they label it at the store like it’s the most powerful tool that you can buy and then when you come home with it, you’re surprised and disappointed they need to specifically market it as the quiet tool
@@BitnerBuilt I was just wondering if a drill/driver would drive the screws that the fluid one wouldn't. Besides, if you want quiet screw driving a drill would be way more than any impact driver.
I have a family member with autism. When I use the hydraulic surge, the family member is fine. When I use a regular hammer, the family member is agitated. Big difference to family member.
Your specs are wrong, You said Surge 450ft lbs of torque, and Fuel 2000ft lbs of torque. These are "Inch Pound" numbers. The real foot pounds numbers are Surge = 37.5 ft lbs and Fuel = 166.67 ft lbs...
Yes I did misspeak there - all of the hand impacts of this range in all brands are rated in inch pounds - 450 inch pounds for the surge and 2,000 inch pounds for the fuel. Unfortunately didn’t catch it till after posting!
I bought the Surge shortly after it was released. One of my favorite tools. Wouldn't mind getting the M12. There is dust on my regular impacts. More than enough power for typical fasteners. What I like the most is the smoothness. Feels like you have better control. If you want to see a low torque impact check out Milwaukee's right angle impacts. Very handy but kinda weak.
That's absolutely not more quiet ENOUGH that office workers wouldn't bítch about the noise. And unless ALL your other tools were also quiet enough it's a moot point.
So this is a RipOff From AEG/Ridgid OilPulse. AEG nas lower torque (on paper) but longer "pull" so it's better for long screws (300mm and more) because of tosion forces in screws.
interesting I will have to check the oil pulse out. As a fyi though TTI the parent company makes milwaukee and AEG so im sure there is a lot of carry over tech between their properties
This nice and powerful tool in USA you get five years warranty but Europe you only get one year warranty after one year if breaks down you can’t fix it because you Can’t buy the part individually you have to buy the whole controller switch all together cost you about £70to£80 pound get some one put it on for you it will cost you £40 pound so it’s not really worth it that’s why very unpopular in Europe it’s ok DIY it
Thank you for the insight!! Great work. I will never buy Milwaukee after the M12 drill/driver fail. It was the first time I actually threw out a drill/driver as it never set in at 1 or 2 speed switch and kicked out while using. I replaced a 20 yr old Dewalt. Donated it because it was usable. And for there hand tools, I just tried a pair of lineman pliers and the piers were not tight enough so the jaws stayed aligned. I hope they are working on better not cheaper as I cannot go out and buy Festool willy-nilly.
Hmm great insight! I personally have really come to believe that every brand has some winners and losers regardless of who they are. Hell I have been using a ryobi Brad nailer for two years now and it’s perfect after my 3x cost Makita misfired and miss sank every third nail. I love milwaukees m12 oscillating tool, installation driver and detail sander, those 3 I won’t ever part with!
my Milwaukee Skill saw I will not part with. Just like the 15 yr old Makita Miter saw. But it is nice when you try a tool and it works. #Sawstop. Hitachi and Metabo have great form and are light weight, but the Dewalt kit does most of what I need. I hope Milwaukee fills the Dewalt (builder homeowner gap.) Kinda like filling the Craftsman void that has not been filled or the Delta power tool legacy. I so appreciate that you can explain the tools need and use. I have been chasing woodworking videos for insight and understanding and find your approach to great and insightful. As a mechanical engineer, I strive to learn and grow and now want more of that in my new shop.
Thanks Don, yea sometimes I get the comments that i'm too wordy and the videos are long but hey that's me, there's too much info most of the time to get out lol, glad i'm able to help out!
Yeah, but I get it. If you read a lot of the comments on here, there’s lots of guys too that do stuff like ducting installation and so if you’re using a typical driver that’s making the pounding motion it makes that metal super loud so just for their own hearing sake.
The surge isn't suppose to die out like it does. Mine doesn't even remove a cover plate screw on any power level. Brand new out of the box. It's a piece of trash and Milwaukee should be embarrassed to sell it to any person whatsoever. It should be marketed for a dumpster fire!!! It's for a construction worker that's around people and needs to be quiet? It certainly will because that worker won't be doing any work at all. The vibration from an impact is not of any this significant. Junk junk junk junk!
I’m interested to try some of the new 40 V Makita and see how they perform, I personally replaced all of my Makita drills and drivers with Milwaukee but a lot of those were aging so it might be the new tech
@@BitnerBuilt if the power is what you are looking for, then you made a right choice with Milwaukee. 40v isn't necessarily more powerful when it comes to smaller tools, plus they don't make compact batteries
I’m an electrician and I have both, the surge is better for me I don’t generally need the extra power and the trigger feels like it gives more precise power control. I bought the surge after the other one broke internally so less internal friction seems like a great idea. Milwaukee fixed my 2953-20 under warranty and I just keep it now as a backup
Good to hear from a tradesman on this thank you!
Mine broke internally as well.
My old Milwaukee impact driver died in the middle of a project. In a hurry, I ran to my local Milwaukee retailer and bought the surge. Brought it home and started driving 10 inch lags into 6x6 landscape timbers and was surprised to see that it really struggled. What the heck? Well, that's what I get for not doing my homework. I guess I'll keep it and buy a standard impact as well. I'm an extreme DIY person and can probably find use for it. Appreciate the video ! Certainly cleared up my confusion.
👍
The Surge is great in my opinion on a majority of tasks. For big lags I used my standard impact. Surge is my overall go to.
Good to know 👍
Why use surge when fuel is stronger
@@1960DAVIDNC Stronger in my opinion is not the best for my wrist in the long term if I'm going to keep doing this type of work. Carpentry work is repetitive and hard on the body. I have coworkers who use fuel regular impact and there is little difference on the output of work. One of the things I can say about the surge that is really awesome is that it has a very easy start when you squeeze the trigger.
I do a lot of remodel work so all of the framing is done with fast tap screws.
@@1960DAVIDNCmore precise for a lot of applications where more power can really mess you up, the trigger control on the surge can really help with speed control if you need it also.
@@1960DAVIDNCsurge is a fuel...lol
I have both the M18 and M12 Surges, as well as the regular impacts in both lines. For the remodeling/handyman work we do most of the time the reduced noise is great. We've worked in homes with small children that were terrified of the impacts but didn't flinch when the Surge was used. Also, it's so much nicer when you have to work in an enclosed space like cabinets, crawlspaces and attics.
Good feedback!
I took a chance on the Surge a few years ago. But, I did my homework and knew what to expect. I build decks and other builds with 2" dimension lumber. I drive 3" deck screws all day, every day, week after week. It has never failed to deliver. If I required 2000 Ft/lb torque, I would use my full sized impact wrench. I never thought it was mis-represented in ads. It's for wood screws and sheet metal screws. It says that in the ads. One ad did show it driving a lag screw, but it was no more than 1/4" diameter. The decreased noise and vibration is worth every penny. Thanks. PS - Safety Source is now Way Source.
Thanks - yea they recently changed names, bit more catchy
HVAC technician here. Its perfect for us. Enough power for driving, gentle when working electrical. Also the less noise when my head is in a reach in cooler box, the better.
Good to know, yes totally get great for hvac!
m12 surge in the main toolbag and a regular m18 in the van. the best combo
👍
@BitnerBuilt thanks for your well thought out review, I have been using my Surge for over a year now and it has become my most used tool. I especially love the precision when in setting 1 at very low speed..... it's awesome.
I also thought I'd mention, I have not had any of the stalling cut-outs that I saw you had. Once I get to my unit's limit, it just keeps hammering. At that point I grab a more powerful big brother tool. I'm suspicious that you have a faulty unit. Thanks
Thanks for the feedback! My big focus is on the lack of marketing for it, it’s a great tool but not the “big daddy powerhouse” people assume it is which then cause problems
@BitnerBuilt wrong actually, not in a doosh bag way either. They behave very differently with different batteries. With milwaukee being such a monster powerhouse all pro brand we need many diff batteries for many different tools, using the tiny little compacts you know the single stack 18650-21700 cells all gen 3 and up will cit out at times. Jumping to the double stack batteries and even larger you do not choke the tool of all required current basically, as the compact single stacks do.
We have absolutely every single drill and impact out of the fuel line EXCEPT the surge. I have been meaning to grab us atleast one but I held off as I ha e heard running many decking screws for example the get severely hot, meaning she's simply over worked. But I do believe much like the older gen 1 and 2 fuel impacts on low they're actually practical for setting lockets, hinges and many small short screw uses
Your video wad actually well done, very good video even for actual professionals
2000 inch pounds of torque not 2000 pounds of torque which equals to 166 foot pounds of torque. the surge is 450 inch pounds which equals to 38 foot pounds. the surge is an amazing tool for people who work in confined spaces and people who work indoors. like electricians and plumbers they don't want to make a lot of noise at service calls especially if the customer has a sleeping baby or dogs or children or on a phone call or working from home.
Totally agree, that’s why I said in the video I wish their marketing reflected that more, many people go in thinking this is the top power impact and then are surprised when first using. Great for noise reduction
Main takeaways, the surge is going to be quieter, easier on the body, and at the cost of reduced torque. Standard impact is going to be the loud powerhouse. For me, I work on Hvac and often times end up on a roof top with people sleeping below. Considering I'm not driving lags, but rather simple sheet metal self tappers. I am going to buy a surge and give it a go! Great review and thank you for the video and explanation.
Thanks! Yea definitely for hvac the surge is a winner!
The surge isn’t easier on the body, it does vibrate more in the hand than the normal one, only noticeable if you use it a lot but you definitely the difference. This is the m12 surge I’m talking about, no experience with m18 hands on but have heard the same thing
The surge is good for quiet precision. I'm an electrician who recently got the surge after using the regular impact for a long time. It's great for the work I do, especially when it comes to finishing, and you have to be gentle with the fixtures or plugs/switches you are installing. Definitely will not be using it to drill through 2x4s or anything like that, but that's what regular drills are for, lol.
👍
Interesting, I bought the 2760-20 at an auction and I am almost finished building a 24x48 pole barn, its been performing extremely well and I havent noticed any lack of power with 6 inch structural screws. On setting two it rips the head off sometimes of 1 1/2 hex screws, setting one is too weak. Its a champ and has exceeded my expectations. Thank you for the comparison.
Glad to hear it’s working out for you. It definitely isn’t a bad tool. (Poorly marketed) It performs very well for specific tasks. In particular metal like you’re doing a lot of people have commented it does really well at.
I agree on the marketing. This thing got a bad rep fast because they went off the shelves to construction workers looking for power and speed.
My experience is that it has better speed control and smoother driving on small fasteners and regular screws too. And it doesn't run away on you and strip screws or snap em' These big lag bolts are for the regular impact.
I really prefer the Surge for regular screws. It drives large screws no problem and great control and sound refuction. I also believe it will stall less with a better battery.
Great review! Honest and calm and to the point.
Also electricians and the like seem to love it, since it's a gentle impact and go easy on sensitive stuff.
Thanks! Great points, I totally agree!
Both tools are Great but what make me like a little more on the Surge is that when your installing hinges or handles with brass screws or finish screws on cabinets the surge when set on low eases the screw into the wood & doesn't cam out the screw if you half to bump up to setting 2 & you ease the trigger you can still set the screw without damaging the screw & if there's anything you want to avoid is a screw with any kind of sharp voids that can attach there selves to soft Garment's like ladies high fashion cloths..
So i think the Surge is Great for this type of installation's... I've got both of the tools in your Video & M18 Drill Milwaukee makes some Great stuff i wished i had these tools back in the 80's when i was in highschool.. In Wood working i did 3 years & my senior year helped build a Home in Vo-tech..
Allen D
Good feedback Allen thanks!
You missed one of its key advantages, it can do slow fine torque control for things like sheetmetal grill's without crushing it. You have way more low end speed control while still doing its job well. Try it out
Thanks for the tip!
This was a nice review. It answered many questions I had last week (lol) before I purchased the M12 Fuel Surge to replace a 1st gen M12. I have a couple of M18 impact drivers but I enjoy the weight and compactness of an M12 sometimes. The M12 Installation Driver is one of my favorite Milwaukee tools hands down (just bought a 2nd one on a crazy deal). I will say the trigger control with the Surge is outstanding and the fact that the hydraulics keep the same level of torque throughout the entire drive cycle is super nice. And yeah it’s a bit quieter which is nice if you’ve got your head and body contorted in some crazy position. Keep up the terrific channel and stay safe.
Thanks! Yes the m12 installation drive is one of my favs too! If you haven’t tried the m12 detail sander you need to it’s my fav! I like how the hydraulics keep the same amount of torque throughout as well, my big beef there was it just stalling out very frequently on stuff that it should be able to handle / a reg hex would be able to handle.
@@BitnerBuilt I am actually a Milwaukee FanBoy. I have more Milwaukee than I like to admit. That being said, if you’re ever on the fence about a tool, feel free to hit me up with some questions.
@@BitnerBuilt I hear what you’re saying about the lags. I would probably max the M18 Surge out with a GRK 1/4-3 1/8” “lag”. But normal deck type screws all day long with that tool.
Great video, been trying to figure out what the difference was between these two models for a week now. Much appreciated
No problem 👍
I thought your first video under this title was a teaser. If it was, it worked, because I sat waiting for this one to be posted. As usual, another great video, and solid review. I liked the concept of the dancing sawdust. It was an inventive, novel approach, even if it didn't turn out as you'd hoped. Keep up the great work. 👍👍👍
Haha no that was called uploading at 2am when I’m falling asleep and put the wrong file up 😂 but yes yes teaser!
Very timely video for me to send to my brother. He is agonizing over which to buy. I have the M18 Surge. He is attracted to the power of the 2953. So, this video will help him choose.
Awesome glad it will be helpful!
Thanks.@@BitnerBuilt
One thing to add if the surge gets excessively hot they can leak gear fluid from the seals. And the drill will not function with full power. You can fill the compression chamber back up with gear oil but it’s a pain.
Ooo interesting to know!
As an electrician I love the surge. Noticeably easier on my wrist, much more comfortable to hold for hours at a time. Way more fine adjustment for torquing down any fine fasteners that can crush down flex or wires. Really like it 🤙
👍
I find there isn’t too big of a gap between the surge’s capabilities and stuff that tends to break 1/4 bits and adapters. I use a 3/8 impact for big lags and bolts. The surge is great up to 3” #12 lags. I don’t often need the noise reduction, but it’s nice.
👍
I'm a home builder, I just bought the surge and I love it. The control you get with it is phenomenal, it feels like cheating because the drill basically does all the work and all you have to do is pull the trigger. My ears thank me every day for my purchase and if you're using an impact driver for lags, maybe you should consider using a drill instead. I honestly see no downsides to it and I have used it for lots of framing.
✌️
My experience, YMMV. I've used my surge for a couple years off an on, it works OK, recently did some deck work and it was suitable for the task. Community project on a boat dock yesterday, was ready to throw it in the water. 3 1/2" 316 stainless screws attaching 2x8's into 4x's. Was slow and lacked the power to smoothly drive the screws (1/8" pre-drilled for the 2x8's). Frequently I had to remove the screws because they were visibly overheating and getting 'soft', some snapping. Most of the screws I could not drive below the decking, countersinking. I'll keep it. but I will get another driver before I go back down to the dock.
My buddy using his package deal dewalt driver was running screws in with zero issues. I eventually switched to my over 5 year old M18 Fuel 1/2" drill and finished the day's job with no more issues. Only 3000 more screws to go.
Oh, that’s a big project! Yeah, that was very much my experience. Which prompted the video. It is a good tool for certain applications, but it is definitely not a powerful driver But a lot of the marketing makes it seem that way, which was my main issue
The surge for me. You are alot less likely to strip he head of a screw. The fastners go in with such ease I love it
👍
I've found the surge to be much better go-to for majority of jobs, like roof screwing, and floor screwing. Outside on the roof I do not even need earmuffs, and in the heat that is awesome!
Good feedback!
I have been using it for about 50 hours building and installing cabinets. The reason to buy this is PRECISION. You can run those finish screws really slowly. I also works as a general impact driver, much nicer to use. I think I'll be looking for hydrolic impacts from now on.
👍
Using my impact driver or wrench in my garage, was enough to sometimes startle and wake up my newborn son. I now own the M12 Surge (the only M tool I own!) and that problem has gone away. I think the M12 version is the way to go with this one, as it's smaller & lighter which also helps when working overhead (holding your arms up for awhile is tiring). It's now what I reach for first.
Oh good stuff! Yeast never wake those babies!
As a residential plumber it’s the best for me lightweigh,t I carry just to screw holdrites and p tape in the crawler and screw tubs.
Nice
Nice video and I think you brought up some good points and you’re right that the regular driver is probably the best option for most people. But I have some additional specific scenarios where after using both I strongly prefer the surge. First is with the use of soft fasteners. Where I work we have to custom order all of our fasteners in 316 stainless with no. 2 sq drive heads. These are very soft screws that will strip incredibly easily. The surge driver is able to run these screws so much more easily than any other driver I’ve ran because it applies its torque gently and gradually vs the instant max torque application with a traditional driver. This means that when putting in screws from weird positions across your body reached out and over equipment, you don’t need anywhere near the amount of pressure on the driver to successfully run a screw. You’re less likely to strip a screw and you much less likely to cam out of the head of a screw. Second application is I have to remove a lot of very rusted deteriorated fasteners that have been exposed to years of salt water and chemical conditions and often times the screws have already been stripped out before. Often my coworkers will come and ask me to use my driver to remove out very stripped out screw heads that are rusted in place because the gentle toque application that all of their drivers will cam out in.
Thanks for sharing all the great use cases!
As a garage door tech I have found that the 2953 tends to destroy its because of the amount of torque it has. I was picking up a new impact ever 3-6 months. I have now owned a surge for roughly a year now and it’s still going strong. The extra torque is nice but when you purchase your own tools and money plays a part, the surge is the better impact in my opinion. It would be interesting to see someone make a video on the longevity of each.
Good info thanks!
I have the M12 and M18 (non-fuel) impact drivers, but I grabbed one of these on sale a few months ago because: 1) I hate the sound impact drivers make, so I rarely used the one's I owned. 2) the full power and torque are never needed and will likely damage my woodworking projects. 3) I really wanted something that would accept hex head bits -- as opposed to my drills that I was using for drivers that still have the chuck. .
It's been my go-to driver since I picked it up. I have the benefit of having the full-power versions when I need them, but that all falls into the handyman and repair realm, and I am almost always working on woodworking applications.
Sounds like you have it figured out for you! That’s great! Everyone’s different. For me I only pick up my m12s when woodworking and hell most things, light and still has adjustable power. When I pick up a m18 since it’s big with big heavy batteries it’s because I want the power. Put 3 new latches on my fence this morning so went right for that m18 as I was sinking big lags!
In Germany, the surge is double the price you mentioned. That is quite hefty, but whatever. I wonder what makes this tool better suited for its field than a smaller sized drill. You would use the surge on smaller fasteners, so your wrist isn’t going to get smacked anyway, especially when using it one handed. The hammering is a good solution for creating a lot of torque without torquing you wrist. But since the surge isn’t meant for those torque heavy applications, and it’s still louder than a drill, what makes you grab the surge over a small drill with a clutch?
So I think you and I are of the same opinion. There are lots of comments on this video where people love it so I can’t knock that. Perhaps it could be placed into the “right tool for the specific job” category where yes there are easy alternatives but for people where this is the exact action they are doing all the time, it’s a good fit. I personally would rather have a higher powered driver that I can always turn down the power on with the push of a button, but have the flexibility to go back up when I want to or switch over to a drill.
It’s for metal framers mostly for interior construction. Decreases sound by a lot, enough to not get the security shutting down your job fir the day
👍
I think stats may be wrong on battery life . Touque runs 100% until dead .
I’ve had both I love my hydro. Steel studs save you’re hearing, extremely satisfying putting in lags or big screw , monotone throughout. Only negative is you can’t hear when it’s failing to run out of power witch it doesn’t.
100% great tool
👍
Hydraulic is a great tool for heavy duty use. For driving screws in wood or tightening 3/8 bolts, it's amazing. It's absolutely horrendous for anything delicate because it lacks feeling. I'm an electrician, and I use my regular cheap $90 brushed M18 most of the time simply because it has more feeling to it. Regular impact can be used for tightening screw terminals that are typically 6-32 threaded (small screws that could be stripped if over tightened). I can feel when something is getting tight and then stop, or I can impact it with 1 click before stopping. The hydraulic one has no feeling at all; it's super easy to overtighten things and strip out sheet metal screws because it doesn't slow down and stop before impacting like a regular impact does.
I carry both a conventional impact and a hydraulic impact. They're both great but have their own special purposes.
I once made the mistake of handing my hydraulic impact to an apprentice. He was unfamiliar with hydraulic, so he massively overtightened the screws and stripped them out. He had no idea that he was applying so much force to those screws. The lack of sound makes you think you're just gently tightening something, but you're really tearing things apart.
Thanks for the Good feedback 👍
It’s a professional light-medium duty tool. It has a perfect use for interior work on vehicles and recreational vehicles with lighter materials. They engineer chainsaws the same way for different types of trees.
✌️
Love my m12 surge for 99% of stuff I encounter.
I've had to pull out the m18 gen3 fuel driver when doing steel to steel though. the m18 fuel always reminded me of that little gun in men in black, too much power and not much finesse but it does come in handy to have all that power.
✌️
Helps the residential tradesman, most small home repairs don’t need 2000 lbs of force where on a construction sites loud noise is expected
✌️
My buddy I work with has the more powerful one, I have the surge, sure his is faster but his impact gets so hot he can't even use it after 5 mins. But the surge stays cool
👍
I install blinds all day. M12 surge works for me, also use installation driver but surge is a little better. Lighter less fatigue and quieter.
Thanks for the feedback!
I bought the surge when it was frost release. I used to do loft conversions and compared to my dewalts I had previously thought it was very underpowered and hated it. But when in confined spaces, The quietness was appreciated. However I do feel it was very mis marketed really.
It also takes some getting used to, handles differently to standard impacts.
Yeah, it definitely has its uses and benefits. I just agree there and my big beef that was marketed, I got it for the video with the specific idea that it was going to be very high-powered so you’re shocked when you first use it.
I like mine, I have the M12. I always misplace it. My understanding is it has a setting for starting self tapping screws in metal studs and sheet metal. I also like that the less torque settings tend not to cam out my phillips screws. On the heavy stuff using landscape lags I use my M18 hex impact. I have started though using my RIDGID Impact wrench more and more for those both the mid torque 3/8" & 1/2" models. I just had to buy a hex adapter or the right size socket bits.
Thanks for the feedback on yours! Big point of my video was that the marketing behind it seems to imply that it’s the most powerful high-end unit, when, as you said, you pull out your M1 hex when you need to drive heavier stuff it’s definitely a well-made tool and has its place for certain tasks
I’ve had the M12 surge over 3 years and I love it. I build theater sets several days a week and it has driven hundreds of 3” construction screws a day and I have no complaints. The quieter impacts and less vibration sets it apart from everyone else I work with, all who use its 20v yellow competitor. I’ve even seen them stroking it when they think I’m not looking. Plus the small size is a big plus for me. Thousands of screws later, if it broke today I’d replace it with the exact same tool tomorrow.
i got the surger because i dont want to loose my hearing when I get old
otherwise If i have to use a regular one i have to use ear protectors
Good reason!
Noise and fatigue are NOT the only advantages of the Surge. I’m curious who the Milwaukee Rep. was that was spoken with because there are a ton of key points missing here. Just one example; if you are in any industry that involves sheet metal (HVAC, etc.), the Surge is the only way to go because of its speed control.
Well, this just kind of circles back to the whole overarching point of the video is that they have a marketing problem with the surge in clearly stating its use / capability and not positioning it as their top power unit
The Ridgid stealth is one of the best hydraulic impacts
I will have to take a look!
Great review and comparison thanks
Thanks for watching!
I had the m12 surge. Its good, i have no gripe about it.
Good to know
So what advantage does the surge have against a regular compact drill?
Is it quieter? Less torque into the arms? ...?
Quieter, less impact vibration on your hands mostly - there are lots of comments from pros below who love it for their specific use the main issue was their lack of clear marketing on it
@BitnerBuilt i have actually used it for one project and liked it, just dont see that it can do anything a regular drill cant while a drill is more versatile and probably as quiet if not more so.
Only advantage i truly see is in prolonged use where you dont get as fatigued using it but i didnt use it for a long period so hard to gauge.
I have both the surge 18volt and the m12 surge I have used the m18 surge a couple times but I use the m12 surge on a daily basis
What’s your feeling in the difference between the two? Just more compact light?
@@BitnerBuilt really just the size I didn’t feel any sizable difference in power
Totally agree. I also bought this thinking it was the top end impact and it was a disappointment. I should have done my research
It is a good tool as many have pointed out,for particular things, it’s the error in marketing that’s the problem.
This Hydraulic Impact 2760-20 stops working when it's +5 degrees outside and when it's minus outside, it won't tighten a single screw. The instructions say that you need to warm it up for 10 sec. but this doesn't help. I don't recommend it for those who need to work outside
Oh wow haven’t heard that one
I got the surge because i basically use this thing as a screwdriver, and it’s more pleasant to use. It’s enough power for the jobs I expect of it.
✌️
I do fencing where we use impacts on large sheets of metal, the surge saves my ears and wrists from a lot of pain
Good use case!
Good review. I was considering the surge but I can use that money elsewhere. I do jobs in occupied commercial settings from time to time but I just use my drill instead of impact.
Milwaukee also makes a m12 installers drill.
I own the installers drill, and I love that thing, fantastic for woodworking, getting in tight spaces, highly recommend that tool
I don't have either of these, but my thought is wouldn't the higher torque model make less noise if only used to the 450 inch pounds the surge makes? Maybe not as low but comparing both at full power when one makes over 4 times the power it would make sense it would be louder without even considering the different mechanisms used to make that power.
Well, one way to think about it is if you take something like a hammer, a hard surface and bang on a pipe really loud or even really lightly that noise is going to travel far away, so the surge removes the really loud hammer action and replaces it with a fluid filled Drop if that makes sense to create a similar pushing mechanism, so that noise isn’t gonna travel as far. In the end, you could always just use a drill for the same function and not have to worry about the noise.
I have XGT and LXT sub-compact. Now that I have M12 tools and I could swap my LXT, I’d get this as my 2nd driver for neighbors, shop dog, and maybe not having to wear ear protection for the one off drive.
But if only had one, it’d be the XGT.
👍
Thanks for all the details 👍😃
No problem 👍
I wish I had watched this video yesterday. Not what I’m looking for, but it’s in the mail…
Well, hopefully you can return if it’s not what you’re looking for, they have a little bit of a marketing problem on this particular item
Could you use the 2953 Gen 4 driver to remove lug nuts for a DIY'er to get the tires off quicker for doing brake work?
It is capable but you shouldn’t. As someone who has stripped the threads on his wheel studs can tell you, use a breaker bar to initial loosen, you can then use the 2953 to remove it faster after it’s loose. Also always hand start a lug (again easy to strip if you don’t)
Did you notice if it had more control in the trigger?
Not that I noticed
great explanation. I thought it would be the opposite on torque becuase of the hydraulics.
Yea that was my general assumption too before using! The hydraulics does give it more consistent torque but still just way lower on the power meter
@@BitnerBuiltthe surge is great for service technicians, especially the m12 surge because it’s so compact.
" silent" is what sold for me .... we have jobs that are multi family or apartments where poeple are already moved in and we cant be too loud , or the clubhouse where the property manager is in the other room , so a bit more quiet for me at least ... we are not using 4 inch lag bolts for my application .
Great for your application for sure!
So the surge is like the new 870 by Dewalt?
Yes both hydraulic
If y’all use small screws the surge is much better than the gen 4 (have both)
Good to know! Thanks for the feedback
from what ive come up with the surge is good for self tapping metal to metal. effortless compared tro a norma impact.
👍
Thanks this helped me a bunch. Getting into sheet metal and HVAC install and service. Thinking the quite in home services would be a big deal. Have had more than one person tell me some one has an over night job and they need to sleep.
Yes! This is a great tool for you then! Quiet and has the metal screw function!
I love my surge!
👍
it's not always about torque. I think a quieter tool is very valuable. Especially when it comes to your hearing. For most things the surge is the more valuable tool, I install windows and doors, and find that the surge is a perfect fit for that kind of work. And really, if your doing allot of lags, you should be using an impact wrench. Allot less wear on the tool. I have used impact drivers for lags and have found that you're abusing the tool. They get overheated,, and thereby you're increasing the rate of wear. Just because a tool can do something doesn't mean you should, especially if you're using it everyday. It's kind of like the difference between a hammer drill and a rotary hammer. And if you're using it all day for a task. And what the material you're drilling. Sucks using a hammer drill in high strength concrete. But a rotary hammer,, easy poesy. It all depends. Using the right tool always makes the job more pleasurable.
Everything you said I totally agree with, I just wish they explained that more in their marketing they label it at the store like it’s the most powerful tool that you can buy and then when you come home with it, you’re surprised and disappointed they need to specifically market it as the quiet tool
I would like to see that against a VSR drill. How much torque does a drill have while driving screws?
would be interesting but of course very different applications. The hydraulic drive though does make for consistent output more like a drill
@@BitnerBuilt I was just wondering if a drill/driver would drive the screws that the fluid one wouldn't. Besides, if you want quiet screw driving a drill would be way more than any impact driver.
I have a family member with autism. When I use the hydraulic surge, the family member is fine. When I use a regular hammer, the family member is agitated. Big difference to family member.
Hey good use case. Like I said in the video when you need to keep it quiet that’s what the tools made for.
Do they ship it in their original packaging or do they do it like Amazon and just bag it up and ship it?
They just bag it and ship it. I’ve heard that now the seller of that tool has it in a box, then shipped in a bag.
Your specs are wrong, You said Surge 450ft lbs of torque, and Fuel 2000ft lbs of torque. These are "Inch Pound" numbers. The real foot pounds numbers are Surge = 37.5 ft lbs and Fuel = 166.67 ft lbs...
Yes I did misspeak there - all of the hand impacts of this range in all brands are rated in inch pounds - 450 inch pounds for the surge and 2,000 inch pounds for the fuel. Unfortunately didn’t catch it till after posting!
I bought the Surge shortly after it was released. One of my favorite tools. Wouldn't mind getting the M12. There is dust on my regular impacts.
More than enough power for typical fasteners. What I like the most is the smoothness. Feels like you have better control.
If you want to see a low torque impact check out Milwaukee's right angle impacts. Very handy but kinda weak.
Good to hear your input. Yea I made a video on the right angle, ultra low power consumer grade in a pro form factor.
I'd recommend a regular drill-driver if you really need to work quietly.
I definitely agree, but this does have a lot of torque in comparison.
For the most quiet of operations, just use a cordless screwdriver.
Sure and of course a standard drill as it doesn’t have the hammer / impact action that travels in a building
It’s rated at 2,000 INCH pounds of torque, not foot pounds. You should specify that as it’s misleading. And maybe you didn’t realize it’s inch pounds?
At the top of the description it states this, missed the flub during editing
That's absolutely not more quiet ENOUGH that office workers wouldn't bítch about the noise. And unless ALL your other tools were also quiet enough it's a moot point.
✌️
It’s really for your ears, and those near you. Not for people’s pleasure.
Why not drive stuff with a drill if sound is such an issue?
I agree, those some applications do require more torque, it’s probably few and far between
For commercial work i'd reccomend the Fuel and for residential its the surge for sure
Thanks for the feedback!
Good video, save me money.
👍
So the answer to which one? Both.
All depends on your used case.
2000 in-lbs vs 450 in-lbs I think I’ll go with the higher torque
Yea it’s a big difference
@@BitnerBuilt I bought the M12 surge by mistake returned it and got the regular impact driver
25 percent of the power of the Fuel? 20 dollar price difference?? The math aint adding up. Doesn't make sense to get the Surge
✌️
So this is a RipOff From AEG/Ridgid OilPulse. AEG nas lower torque (on paper) but longer "pull" so it's better for long screws (300mm and more) because of tosion forces in screws.
interesting I will have to check the oil pulse out. As a fyi though TTI the parent company makes milwaukee and AEG so im sure there is a lot of carry over tech between their properties
Ridgid is a rip off from makita oil impulse
This nice and powerful tool in USA you get five years warranty but Europe you only get one year warranty after one year if breaks down you can’t fix it because you Can’t buy the part individually you have to buy the whole controller switch all together cost you about £70to£80 pound get some one put it on for you it will cost you £40 pound so it’s not really worth it that’s why very unpopular in Europe it’s ok DIY
it
Good to know
Milwaukee really failed on the marketing with this tool. It's honestly amazing but EVERYONE thinks its use is something it's not.
👍
Thank you for the insight!! Great work.
I will never buy Milwaukee after the M12 drill/driver fail. It was the first time I actually threw out a drill/driver as it never set in at 1 or 2 speed switch and kicked out while using. I replaced a 20 yr old Dewalt. Donated it because it was usable. And for there hand tools, I just tried a pair of lineman pliers and the piers were not tight enough so the jaws stayed aligned. I hope they are working on better not cheaper as I cannot go out and buy Festool willy-nilly.
Hmm great insight! I personally have really come to believe that every brand has some winners and losers regardless of who they are. Hell I have been using a ryobi Brad nailer for two years now and it’s perfect after my 3x cost Makita misfired and miss sank every third nail. I love milwaukees m12 oscillating tool, installation driver and detail sander, those 3 I won’t ever part with!
my Milwaukee Skill saw I will not part with. Just like the 15 yr old Makita Miter saw. But it is nice when you try a tool and it works. #Sawstop. Hitachi and Metabo have great form and are light weight, but the Dewalt kit does most of what I need. I hope Milwaukee fills the Dewalt (builder homeowner gap.) Kinda like filling the Craftsman void that has not been filled or the Delta power tool legacy.
I so appreciate that you can explain the tools need and use. I have been chasing woodworking videos for insight and understanding and find your approach to great and insightful. As a mechanical engineer, I strive to learn and grow and now want more of that in my new shop.
Thanks Don, yea sometimes I get the comments that i'm too wordy and the videos are long but hey that's me, there's too much info most of the time to get out lol, glad i'm able to help out!
made for construction workers who "need to not make noise". sounds pretty silly when you say it outloud
Yeah, but I get it. If you read a lot of the comments on here, there’s lots of guys too that do stuff like ducting installation and so if you’re using a typical driver that’s making the pounding motion it makes that metal super loud so just for their own hearing sake.
I feel like its like dewalt
how so?
The surge isn't suppose to die out like it does. Mine doesn't even remove a cover plate screw on any power level. Brand new out of the box. It's a piece of trash and Milwaukee should be embarrassed to sell it to any person whatsoever. It should be marketed for a dumpster fire!!! It's for a construction worker that's around people and needs to be quiet? It certainly will because that worker won't be doing any work at all. The vibration from an impact is not of any this significant. Junk junk junk junk!
✌️
Definitely a mismarketed tool, if they marketed it for precision control and light workloads it would have been much better received.
👍👍
They really do market those things for everyone, so then a buch of people who don't need it end up wasting their money.
Yeah, a little more obvious pointed marketing on this would be better
2,000 pounds????? 1:59
* 2000 inch pounds of torque, my apologies. All of these tools are measured in inch pounds of torque.
Makita is better, i have tried both Milwaukees ...as for the price - Milwaukee is a better choice
I’m interested to try some of the new 40 V Makita and see how they perform, I personally replaced all of my Makita drills and drivers with Milwaukee but a lot of those were aging so it might be the new tech
@@BitnerBuilt everyone has their own preferences, but makita is known for their impacts . Don't think 40v was made for woodworking though 😁
@@UncleIvan1 🤣there's always room for more power ✌
@@BitnerBuilt if the power is what you are looking for, then you made a right choice with Milwaukee. 40v isn't necessarily more powerful when it comes to smaller tools, plus they don't make compact batteries