MILWAUKEE M12 12V Combo Kit (2494-22)

MILWAUKEE’s cordless combo includes a drill/driver as well as an impact driver.  At 1000 lbs of torque, the driver is no slouch.  The quick-change chuck system is leading the industry pack so we like that MILWAUKEE included this in the impact driver.

The drill employs a standard twist chuck to tighten bits.  It works just fine, but we like the quick-change chuck.  You’d be well served by including this chuck adapter from Bosch to make your workflow faster.  It’s definitely not a deal-breaker, but a nice-to-have feature.  It delivers an impressive 270 lbs of torque to the bit along with a two-speed switch.  Soft and hard materials shouldn’t present any problem for the 2494 combo kit.

The size is very compact and both tools fit comfortably in our hands.  The handles are balanced well with the tool bodies; unbalanced tools are more difficult to maneuver but this system felt particularly comfortable in both open and tight spaces.

Speaking of tighter spaces, the integrated LEDs helped tremendously in darker recesses like in cabinets or behind closet doors.  There are a bunch of competitors that only include a light in the impact driver but MILWAUKEE has seen fit to include illumination in both tools.  The lights are located directly under the chucks so the beams are aimed directly at your workpiece.

The two standard batteries are very slim and slide into the handle as opposed to hanging off the end.  This is just our preference, but we greatly prefer this style of battery as opposed to the bulkier style that extends beyond the handle.

The batteries are charged with the included charger that smartly communicates with the batteries to ensure optimal load.  Charging cycles that are not optimized in voltage and amperage can damage batteries or at best decrease their life cycle.  MILWAUKEE’s charger remedies this with intelligent charge management.  An indicator light onboard the charger gives charging status throughout the cycle.  A full charge from zero is accomplished in less than an hour.

While most manufacturers include two batteries with a two-tool combo (and some only one), MILWAUKEE threw in another battery.  That’s three batteries!  We were pretty stoked to find an extra M12 XC3.0 battery thrown in for good measure.  This is a bulkier unit but packs twice the power than the other two batteries.  At 3.0 amp-hours, this extra unit will deliver more voltage and run-time than most other 12v units on the market.

Also very useful: the battery indicators on each tool.  A series of LEDs on both drill and driver give an indication of remaining juice.  This is particularly helpful when planning battery swaps since you’ll always know when you’ve just about depleted all the gravy on any battery.

The included bag is sturdy and fit all of the individual pieces in this combo kit.  It’s compact enough to be unobtrusive but roomy enough for everything included.