Milwaukee vs DeWalt Hammer Drill - Flexvolt DCD999 vs M18 Fuel 2904 

Amen to this! Find a battery platform that has all the tools and equipment you use, and all you need is one battery, one charger, and you're up and running.

Yeah but Milwaukee is better

@@AndresDPGMilwaukee has more powerful tools but you can’t tell me how you weren’t impressed by Dewalts flexvolt battery💪🏼

​@@carlosf9278I run red and yellow, neither brand trumps all the other brands tools in power, that's specifically why I use both. As far as drills go, I'd take a Dewalt any day over a milwaukee simply because the chucks are better.

@@InuranusBrokoff I run Milwaukee and Dewalt brands tools as well with some Makita power tools. Personally for me, Dewalt is the best overall because of the kits. Milwaukee has some tools that deliver more performance for certain tasks but in the real world when you’re either getting paid by the day or the hour, it hardly matters. What’s important is having batteries. Which is why I have a few adapters with me to use my Dewalt batteries on Milwaukee and Makita power tools. Legit every one of my work buds is always impressed by my $15 adapter… more so than a tool that can drill a second faster 😂🍺

Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it! 😂 Thanks for watching!

I use my DCD777, a lot, for just drilling holes in the wall.

They all do. Even the hella overpriced Japanese made Makitas have a lot of runout in the chuck.

Latest gen Milwaukee definitely has more power but has vastly less quality than their older tools imo. The batteries match dewalt now where they aren’t supported fully by their lock in mechanism in the rear, leaving part of the battery hanging down instead of being flush.

i have the dewalt, for anything thinner than 10 mm i don't even use my mag drill anymore

😂

Sorry,but Milwaukee is better

Thanks for watching, Mike!

I started buying DeWalt about 30 years ago. They were the best back then (18v), and have served me well. Once I got committed to all those batteries, I never had a reason to change. That transitioned to the 20v systems when the 18v's started giving out after 25-years. My boys are in the trades and they all went with Milwaukee. Nothing wrong with that, since they are just starting out and didn't have anything invested in batteries yet. I must confess, I did retire my DeWalt ToughSystem boxes after I saw the boys' Milwaukee Packout system. There were a bunch of things I didn't like about my ToughSystem, like the tabs to lock them together (very hard to unhook tabs, and tabs breaking from putting them in & out of my pickup bed), and the latches that were falling apart. The Packout is by far a highly superior system, with lots of options available. Looks kinda funny when you open it up and see all that yellow & black in there! 😆

As a team red electrician you are certainly right, 99% of electricians use dewalt. I like that though, my shit doesn’t get mixed up with theirs. I am happy team red going on 12 years now.

It's a huge improvement over the dcd796 and I honestly use it more than my dcd999

It's a great drill, let us know your thoughts once you've got some experience with it!

Well said, Rob! Thanks for watching!

I searched online and there is a dewalt DCB to milwaukee M18 battery adapter and vice versa, it's a shame there is no CAS system in North America like in Europe.

Agree, I used M18,m12 and almost of my tools are Dewalt. It’s depends on your job and which ones adapt to your requirement.

After working in japan the Japanese made makita tools are by far way better then the Chinese made makita that America gets.

I use DeWalt 20v for all my battery powered tools, and Milwaukee industrial stuff for the plug ins. 20v's seemed better than the Milwaukees at the time, and once you're into the batteries, there's no reason to change unless someone comes out with a REALLY good reason to change.....

Glad to hear that! Thanks for watching!

@@Protoolreviews I'm going to watch all your videos. Son of Iraq 🇮🇶

Foi uma comparação injusta, deveria usar o turbo, já que faz parte da ferramenta!

@@lfs0111 No I shouldn’t use the turbo because I wanted to compare apples to apples. The other drills don’t have turbo and are more comfortable to use. Also, anyone who actually uses the Flex on a regular basis will tell you that the turbo makes the drill get hot much faster.

Yet its supposed to be used with flex volt, its like removing a wheel off a car and comparing it to another with 4

@@GampyBamblor I used the flex volt battery when I did my test. That’s exactly why I posted this comment Some RU-vid channels do what they do for the sole purpose of gaining views. That’s why I feel it’s important to do your own comparisons, and see what tool works best for you. It’s not always about power or speed, but being able to use something comfortably all day long it’s just as important. Quality is also a big factor. The second time I tested the DCD 999, something inside made a clacking noise when I was tightening a bit down in the chuck. The Milwaukee is strong and fast, but it wasn’t that comfortable for me to use on a regular basis. It tends to lean forward in my hand, and I end up drilling crooked. I ultimately went with Ridgid, because it seemed to check all the boxes for me.

You can find info on the flagship hammer drills from all three of those brands in our Best Cordless Drill article, check it out! www.protoolreviews.com/best-cordless-drill-reviews/

Wow! We can't believe you found it for $87! Definitely be careful buying from 3rd parties on Amazon, especially when it comes to Milwaukee (they don't sell directly on Amazon), but sounds like you may have lucked into a deal on that one!

The Forge batteries have been incredible with all of the M18 tools I've tried. The most insane is the rotary hammer, I can't believe how fast I can get stuff done with it using the Forge batteries.

@@ProtoolreviewsI’m always skeptical but I figured I could return it. It was sealed in the original box I took it out to check it for fake or repaired. It is brand new. Even has the camera sticker that takes you to Milwaukee site to the manual. It was a deal for 3days. Still had it yesterday.

@@Sainte305I’m thinking about getting the deal with the new charger .

@@shanerogers787 I’ve heard that M18 batteries get loose over time. Have you experienced that?

The m18 5.0 batteries are trash. I wouldn't buy them for $20.

@@operator8014 The Milwaukee I got also bogged down with the 6.0. I think I just got a dud.

Great way to put it! Thanks for watching!

Avoid Rigid. Best tool brands are DeWalt, Milwaukee and Makita. Pick a battery platform, and stick with that brand. If you are really bent on going lower grade, prosumer level, Kobalt is good to standardize on. If you really want to go low cost, Hercules at Harbor Freight is the pick there.

@@robk1310 What makes you dislike Ridgid? I actually have the Ridgid mid torque impact wrench and the 3/8 drive ratchet. Both seem to be good quality, and the LSA is really nice. I am debating on the Dewalt 998 or 999, though, because I don’t like the ergonomics of Milwaukee. If I go with Dewalt, I’ll get the 845 as my choice of impact driver.

Truly depends on what type of work you'll be doing, what voltage battery line you're looking to buy into, and what other performance and ease of life features you find important. Check out our Best Combo Kit article, we detail all the best available combo kits from a wide variety of brands: www.protoolreviews.com/best-power-tool-combo-kit/

@@Protoolreviews Yeah, let me clarify that. I mostly work with Douglas fir 2x4’s and 4x4’s, so I don’t absolutely need a hammer drill. I need enough power to be able to use a decent sized spade or bore bit. It seems like the only drills in that category are hammer drills, so that’s why I said hammer drill. I currently have a Dewalt DCD777 and DCF787, so I can build on the 20v platform. I will keep using the 777 for lighter tasks, but I definitely want to replace the 787 with something that has better performance. I also have a couple of 18v Ridgid tools, so I can also build on that. The DCD998 and 999 seem to have great power to weight ratio, so I was thinking about pairing one of those with a DCF845. The new Ridgid combo that is part of the Black Friday sale also seems to be a solid choice, especially with the LSA. I’m not opposed to starting a third platform, though, if necessary. I don’t work in the trades, so I don’t need to limit platforms like trades people do.

@@Protoolreviews I also need to be able to drive 3” to 6” timber or ledger locks into the wood.

Unless u consider one key version if the milwaukee then u get more speeds then that. Or choose the flex turbo drill which will smoke both of these lol

If Anti Kickback is high on your priority list, Milwaukee would be the way to go.

@@Protoolreviews I’m taking several things into consideration. The warranty is also important. The Dewalt is, no doubt, a great drill, but the warranty is a little sketchy. There is a video on RU-vid where they charged a guy over $100 to replace a board that went bad in his impact driver in just over a year.

You make solid points, we include our insight on ergonomics in our written individual reviews, but leave it out of the head to heads because, as you mentioned, it really comes down to personal opinion.

Correct, we didn't have our hands on the Forge battery in time for this round of testing, but we're going to be releasing new videos that feature tests from the M18 Forge batteries very soon! Stay tuned!

Check out the Torque Test Channel review on all these, the 998 actually outperforms the 999. They also get the most power from 20V Max 6ah, even compared to the 8ah and flexvolt 60ah. All very scientific tests.

@@robhardy1109 I wouldn’t go completely by the results on one channel. No offense, but TTC has been called out for not being as realistic as a real world scenario. I would also like to add that other channels have shown the 999 to be stronger in actual use.

No 998 does 999 does best with 6 flexvolt or maybe 9 can't remember

​@@DiligentDave1966 I've seen the opposite on most channels but I think one was 999 stronger

@@theone-ou3gd The Milwaukee is stronger than Dewalt in raw torque (speed one). However, I found that it bogs down more, in speed two, than Ridgid and Dewalt. It could also just be that I got a weak 2904. I’ve seen similar things on other channels.

I’m always jealous seeing speed 3 on the top of my bosses dewalt but I love my tools.

Can't argue with that logic! 😂

That is intentionally because it keeps your fingers warm while working in the cold. Makes sense?😂

🤣🤣

They are adding new touch buttons instead of the slider switch for the led light and the e clutch for auto stop in bind up situations

Interesting.. we'll be sure to keep our eyes out for it and share our experience once we get our hands on a new model!

First, the 999 is way more powerful than the 996 that it has replaced. The big body definitely allows for a bigger fan to prevent overheating. Second, the gen 4 Milwaukee has several more safety features than the gen 3, including better communication to help the endurance of the tool. It’s also slightly larger than the gen 3, which allows for better heat dispersion. Both drills are really good, and that’s why I need to do my own test.

That Dewalt drill line up ,be it the 999,996 are probably the most powerful drills out there ,they aren't weak!!!! It's just time Dewalt brought out a replacement that is more compact imo.

@@interman7715 First Flex and Milwaukee hammer drills are stronger than Dewalt in most cases, but Dewalt is definitely not weak. I don’t think that Dewalt should go too compact, though. Both Flex and Milwaukee have been known to get a little hot. It would only make sense that a larger body allows for a bigger fan and better heat dispersion. I had a DCD800, and it got pretty hot too. The other thing I’ve noticed about the Dewalt compact drills is that they are more inconsistent in terms of performance compared with their bigger drills. Case in point, my DCD777 outperforms the DCD708 all day long, despite having the same specs. The 777 is considered big and outdated by today’s standards, but it’s a pretty dependable drill.

And Metabo. They are big in Europe. Not so much the USA.

@@robk1310 Yeah I'm from Sweden. Don't see much Metabo in my little town though. A shop in town sell some Metabo stuff. Pro brand? Or like Ryobi or Skil?

I'm the opposite, flexvolt and 20v Dewalt, and m12 milwaukee

@@BigZ971 Good on you! M12 would have been a no brainer but I just can't get over the m12 grip

@bjornblomkvist4600 yeah I can understand that. I just can't justify the Dewalt 12 v line because the batteries are almost identical to the 20v stuff. No real advantage there

What do you like more about Dewalt batteries? I’ve heard mixed opinions about them and, now that Milwaukee finally released a stacked lithium battery, I think they are going to be more popular than ever.

@@DiligentDave1966 it’s the history of never having issues with them - that & how damn powerful the 9AH flexvolt is. I picked up some of the 5AH power stacks too - just solid batteries that can take a beating

@@LorenzKamo I’ve heard that the Milwaukee batteries are better, but I don’t have firsthand experience with Milwaukee batteries. Wednesday night, I ran a three way test between the 999, the Flex and the Milwaukee 2904. The Flex just wasn’t very comfortable to hold for very long. The Dewalt is a little heavy and bulky, but very comfortable and runs smoothly. I’ve Milwaukee is the most comfortable, but I still need to decide. I might also test the Ridgid.

@@LorenzKamo Do you have the DCF891 impact wrench?

Or the 9 ah flexvolt.

Oum

That's a great point!

Milwaukee also has a 12ah battery. What's your point?

Great feedback! Thanks for watching!

Yeah man…. Back then dewalt had the better hammer drill easily no question. I remember desired Milwaukee to upgrade their stuff lol.

💯

Ryobi and Milwaukee are made in the same factory. Let that sink in 😉

Exactly, it was sabotaged from the start. The 999 can use the other batteries if really needed but is meant to used with the flex volts thats how it was made to work. Given a handicap with the universal battery.

You can definitely feel the chine when holding the Milwaukee

Actually dewalt is owned by Stanley black and Decker who manufactures their tools in the us AS WELL AS Mexico, Brazil, and CHINA. That’s according to their support website. Unless you are buying mikita tools from Japan or something like festool, you are hard pressed to find a company that isn’t involved with china in some kind of way.

Dewalt is made in china

That's a perfectly valid reason to stay with DeWalt! Buying into and keeping up with two battery systems can definitely be a pain if you don't absolutely have to.

I fibbed a little bit...I do have a few Ryobi tools, mostly from before I plunged into Dewalt. For some infrequent ;less-demanding, uses they have some decent tools that cost half of Dewalt. So they're worth keeping. But the 'big change' is I used to have all-corded tools and over time I switched over to 90% cordless.

That's great feedback Jason, thanks for sharing!