Don’t let the tiny price tag of the Milwaukee M18 System 2702-20M 18 1/2 compact hammer drill/driver fool you.

This mini workhorse of a drill is just the thing for light to medium applications, whether you’re drilling holes for cables and wires or using it with a hole saw.

This is the perfect tool for overhead work and hard-to-get-at spaces

Let’s get one thing out of the way: this is the most compact 18-volt hammer drill available on today’s market, bar none.

No hammer drill is smaller, but why is smaller a good thing, at least sometimes?

Smaller and more compact means that the hammer drill gives you lots of control and balance, so you can wield it like an extension of your arm when you’re working in tight spaces.

What’s more, if you’re doing overhead work, such as drilling a hole for wiring for a new light fixture or a ceiling fan, you want to have a compact drill in hand (for obvious reasons). For this feature alone, this Milwaukee drill is worth owning, even if you have a larger drill that works for most jobs.

Weight

Just how small is this drill? It tips the scales at 3.9 pounds, and that’s with the battery pack on board. It measures just 7 3/8 inches in length. When it comes to shrinking a powerhorse drill down into a small package, we think Milwaukee is spot on with this model.

Now let’s talk motor. This unit’s motor is a brushless model, so it’s more than 50 percent more efficient than similar drills with brushed motors – and it runs up to 50 percent longer and has up to twice the useful service life. Couple that with the drill’s Redlithium battery and what do you have? Reduced trips to the included charger, so you can keep on working when similar drills have already made their last fading rotation.

Redlithium batteries

And speaking of the REDLINK battery – this is not your grandpa’s battery, not by a long shot. This smart battery offers advanced overload protection, which is important when it comes to shoring up the life of the battery and your tool overall. It monitors the temperature of the battery, so there’s no overheating or overcharging, both of which can result in shortened battery life and added (unnecessary) expense.

These batteries are built for the long haul, which is why Milwaukee made them available in this package. When it comes to pack life, these batteries stand down any current batter on the market, so you can have confidence that your tool is going to be ready to work when you are.

Now you may be thinking that reduced power consumption from the battery pack may also equal less powerful delivery and lessened torque.

Not true of this Milwaukee drill, which offers up to 500 pounds of torque and runs at up to 1,800 rpms. The drill’s all-metal gear case is another big draw for this model. It’s super durable and tough, so it can handle the rough-and-tumble use you put it through without breaking a sweat. The 1/2-inch meta chuck ensures maximum shock and impact resistance. Concrete, masonry, wood…it handles it all.

The package that this Milwaukee drill comes in leaves nothing wanting. You get the drill, two batteries, a charger, and a hard-side carrying case, which is a nice touch to help you stay organized or for taking the show on the road when the occasion calls for it.

One last thing. This drill is part of the M18 System from Milwaukee. If you’re not familiar, this line has more than 125 tools to choose from, many of which use the same battery packs, so you can interchange them if you need to – or build a collection.

 

Verdict

A gift for overhead work. At around $100 this is a great addition to the tool kit for those tight, difficult-to-work-in spaces.