Milwaukee
Milwaukee 3602 M18 Compact Brushless Hammer Drill
Launched in August 2023, the 3602 is the volume mid-tier of Milwaukee's M18 drill lineup: their first compact brushless hammer drill, slotting between the entry cordless line and the M18 Fuel 2904/2905 flagship. It packs 550 in-lbs and 25,500 BPM into a 5.8-inch, 2.3 lb body - more torque than the old 2801-class compact in a body over 12% shorter, replacing the larger 725 in-lb 2902 as the sensible-money pick. What you give up versus the Fuel is top-end torque and speed, not build quality: the all-metal chuck and gear case carry over.
Specifications
Features
Pros
- ✓Dramatic downsizing - at 5.8 inches it's over 12% shorter than the previous generation while raising compact-class torque from 500 to 550 in-lbs.
- ✓2.3 lbs bare and 3.2 lbs with a CP2.0 battery makes overhead and in-cabinet work genuinely comfortable.
- ✓All-metal ratcheting chuck and all-metal gear case - flagship-grade construction points at a mid-tier price.
- ✓New mechanical clutch that ToolGuyd readers and owners praise for consistent, repeatable fastening depth.
- ✓25,500 BPM hammer mode handles Tapcons and light masonry, which the drill-only 3601 sibling can't.
- ✓REDLINK intelligence plus compatibility with every M18 pack since 2008 - the 250+ tool ecosystem is the platform's superpower.
- ✓4.5-star average across 59 Home Depot reviews, with owners calling out the torque-for-size ratio as the standout.
- ✓$159 bare / $219 kit undercuts the Fuel 2904-class hammer drill by $60-100 while covering most of the same daily work.
Cons
- ✗550 in-lbs is well under half the Fuel flagship's rated torque - big self-feed bits, long augers, and large hole saws are the wrong job for it.
- ✗1,700 RPM top speed is the slowest of the big-three compacts (DeWalt's DCD805 turns 2,000), costing real speed with twist bits.
- ✗On paper it's a torque step down from the 725 in-lb 2902 it replaced, which rubs spec-sheet shoppers the wrong way.
- ✗Lower RPM plus 25,500 BPM makes concrete drilling noticeably slower than rivals' 34,000 BPM compacts.
- ✗No kickback/bind-up protection at this tier - a safety feature that is spreading through flagship drills.
- ✗The CT kit's CP2.0 compact batteries are the platform's weakest packs; the drill wants a 5.0Ah to show its best.
- ✗Milwaukee holds street pricing far firmer than DeWalt - the deep $75-100 promo cycles DeWalt compacts see rarely happen in red.
- ✗Only on the market since late 2023 with a modest review base, so the long-term reliability record is still thin.
Compare the Milwaukee 3602 M18 Compact Brushless Hammer Drill
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