The drill is class-leading, the impact driver is merely very good, and the batteries are the real reason to buy in.
Why you can trust us. Tools Soko earns a commission when you buy through links on this page. It never changes what we recommend, and it never changes the price you pay.
The Verdict
Our highest-scoring kit of the year. If you are choosing a cordless platform from scratch and budget allows, this is the one that will still be right in five years.
Tools Soko score: 9.7 / 10
Pros and Cons
What we liked
- 2904 drill out-torques everything in the class
- ONE-KEY tracking genuinely useful on shared sites
- HIGH OUTPUT packs hold voltage under heavy load
- Fifteen years of backward battery compatibility
What we didn’t
- Heaviest drill in the comparison at 1.9 kg
- Most expensive entry point of any platform here
- Impact driver is out-performed by the DeWalt equivalent
The Full Review
There is a version of this review that is just a table of torque figures, and Milwaukee wins most of the rows. The 2904 hammer drill produced 158 Nm on our brake dynamometer, the highest we have recorded from an 18V-class drill, and it did it without the thermal cutout that stopped two competitors.
But torque is not why people stay on M18. It is the batteries. HIGH OUTPUT packs held their voltage under a sustained 40 A draw far better than any other platform in the test, which is what you actually feel when a 65 mm hole saw is halfway through a stud.
The impact driver is the weak link, and it is worth saying plainly. It is a good tool that the DeWalt DCF850 beats on speed and on control in the fastener sizes most trades use daily.
Where this kit earns its score is the ten-year view. Milwaukee has kept M18 backward compatible since 2008. Nothing else in the category has that record, and on a platform purchase that history is the specification that matters most.
Scorecard
| Criterion | Score |
|---|---|
| Drill performance | 10.0 / 10 |
| Driver performance | 9.0 / 10 |
| Runtime | 10.0 / 10 |
| Build quality | 9.5 / 10 |
| Value | 9.0 / 10 |
Specifications
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Kit contents | 2904 drill, 2953 impact driver, 2× 5.0 Ah, charger, bag |
| Drill max torque | 158 Nm |
| Driver max torque | 226 Nm |
| Drill weight, bare | 1.9 kg |
| Battery platform | Milwaukee M18 |
| Warranty | 5 years tool, 3 years battery |
Where to Buy
| Retailer | Price | Availability | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon | $249 | In stock | Check price |
| Jumia | $268 | In stock | Check price |
| Kilimall | $275 | In stock | Check price |
