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.
Common Questions
Should I get the 3602 or step up to the M18 Fuel 2904?
Which M18 batteries should I run in it?
How does it handle concrete?
Does it have kickback protection?
What do you actually get over the cheaper non-Fuel M18 drills?
Compare the Milwaukee 3602 M18 Compact Brushless Hammer Drill
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Milwaukee M18 Fuel 2904 Hammer Drill
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The XPH12 has been Makita's volume-selling 18V hammer drill since late 2016: 530 in-lbs and 30,000 BPM in a 7-1/8 inch body that weighs just 3.6 lbs with a compact 2.0Ah pack. It sits well below the 1,250 in-lb XPH14 flagship, trading top-end grunt for the class-leading power-to-weight ratio and glass-smooth trigger control Makita is known for. Nearly a decade in production with a 4.4-star record makes it the known quantity of the compact class - even if the spec sheet now reads dated.
The R861152 replaced the discontinued Octane R8611506 in late 2022 as the flagship of Ridgid's 18V hammer drill lineup, sitting above the mid-range R86115 and SubCompact R87112. It pairs a brushless motor making 1,250 in-lbs of torque with a 2-speed gearbox (0-550/0-2,000 RPM), 32,000 BPM hammer mode, anti-kickback technology, and a 24-position clutch behind a 1/2-inch all-metal ratcheting chuck. Pro Tool Reviews called it a legitimate contender among professional drills at a price well below the premium brands.
The DCD1007 is DeWalt's flagship 20V Max XR hammer drill, replacing the DCD999 with a shorter 7.5 in head, a 3-speed all-metal transmission, and 1,530 MWO of output (up to 2,100 in-lbs rated max brake torque). It pairs a torque-sensing anti-rotation system with a pivoting 3-position LED and a 1/2 in nitro-carburized metal chuck with carbide jaws. Pro Tool Reviews scored it 9.7/10, finding it outperformed the DCD999 in nearly every metric.
The XPH14 is Makita's flagship 18V LXT hammer driver-drill, released in 2021 as the XPH07's successor with 1,250 in-lbs of max torque in a body 14% shorter (7.0 in). It runs a 2-speed all-metal transmission (0-550/0-2,100 RPM, up to 31,500 BPM) with an all-metal self-ratcheting 1/2 in chuck. It remains the torque king of the LXT drill lineup, though it predates the newer 40V XGT models.
Launched in April 2022 as the hammer-drill twin of the DCD800, the DCD805 is the compact XR that DeWalt actually sells by the pallet - it packs 850 UWO and 796 in-lbs into a 7-inch, 2.95 lb body, up 40% on the DCD796 it replaced. It sits one tier below the flagship DCD999/DCD1007, trading their anti-kickback E-Clutch and top-end torque for a smaller, lighter package that handles 90% of the same work. The adjustable 3-position, 70-lumen spotlight LED is the party trick no other brand's compact matches.