Review: Milwaukee’s Most Compact Drill and Impact Driver Ever!

Over the last few years, several companies have pushed their 12V power tool lineups out of the limelight and focused primarily on developing the 18V and 20V offerings—but not Milwaukee! The M12 Subcompact Brushless Drill and Impact Driver are hitting the shelves, and they’re smaller and lighter than ever. Today, we’re taking a closer look at this two-tool combo kit to see what it has to offer and find out if it’s the right option for you.

Pros

• Lightweight design
• Confident light-duty drilling and driving
• Comfortable ergonomics
• Excellent kit value

Cons

• No significant drawbacks

Milwaukee M12 Subcompact Drill and Impact Driver Performance

Getting into the DNA of these tools is pretty interesting because they are really designed to fill a specific gap in Milwaukee’s lineup. They both feature brushless motors, and the drill driver sports a 2-speed gearbox and a handful of clutch settings for light-duty drilling and fastening applications.

Other than that, they’re both very straightforward and don’t include any extraneous frills that we’ve seen on the higher-performing M12 Fuel models.

Using the Drill

But don’t let their modest feature set fool you into thinking that these tools don’t mean business, though. Here are the drilling and driving capacities Milwaukee recommends for the 3401.

	Max Capacity
Steel Drilling	1/2 in.
Paddle Bits (wood)	1 1/4 in.
Auger Bit (wood)	1 in.
Hole Saws (wood)	2 in.
Max Fastener Diameter	1/2 in.

I put this tool to the test here in our shop, and I can confidently say that these ratings are spot on. The one that surprised me the most was the hole saw. For my testing, I chucked up a 2-inch Milwaukee Hole Dozer, dropped it into low gear, and went to work on a piece of pine 2×4.

It did take about a minute to get through the board, but the important thing is that we got there in the end. That said, if you regularly use larger bits and fasteners, you’ll want something like the M18 Fuel Hammer Drill (2904) to punch through faster and get longer runtime.

Using the Impact Driver

Shifting over to the Subcompact Impact Driver, Milwaukee doesn’t give us any specific bit or fastener capacities, but given its torque specs, we are able to nail it down pretty easily. During my testing, I didn’t have any issues driving 3-inch deck screws or setting self-tapping screws so we stepped up the intensity.

This impact driver produces up to 1,100 in-lbs (91.6 ft-lbs) of torque, so I wanted to know if it could remove the lug nuts on my 2010 Honda Ridgeline (yeah…I know). The lug nuts are torqued to 94 ft-lbs, just outside the 3450’s specs, but to my delight, it could loosen them without breaking a sweat. Again, this isn’t the ideal tool for that job, but it gives us an idea of the capabilities.

If you are looking for a compact tool for this application, I highly recommend the Milwaukee M12 Fuel Stubby Impact Wrench (2562).

Milwaukee M12 Subcompact Drill and Impact Driver Design Notes

Size and Weight

Tools in the M12 lineup are already revered for their compact form factor, but the folks over at Milwaukee doubled down and made them even smaller. The M12 drill driver (3401) weighs a modest 1.6 pounds as a bare tool and 1.9 pounds with the kitted CP2.0Ah battery, while the impact driver (3450) weighs 1.3 pounds and 1.7 pounds, respectively. Additionally, the 3401 measures 5.3 inches from tip to tail, and the 3450 is only 4.3 inches long.

To give some added perspective, here’s a quick comparison to other drills and impacts from the M12 Fuel and M18 Fuel platforms.

Model	Bare Weight	Working Weight	Head Length
M12 Drill Driver (3401)	1.6 lbs	1.9 lbs (CP2.0Ah)	5.3 in.
M12 Impact Driver (3450)	1.3 lbs	1.7 lbs (CP2.0Ah)	4.3 in.
M12 Fuel Hammer Drill (3404)	2.1 lbs	2.6 lbs (CP2.0Ah)	5.9 in.
M12 Fuel Impact Driver (3453)	1.6 lbs	2 lbs (CP2.0Ah)	4.9 in.
M18 Fuel Hammer Drill (2904)	3.25 lbs	4.8 lbs (XC5.0Ah)	7 in.
M18 Fuel Impact Driver (2953)	2.25 lbs	3.8 lbs (XC5.0Ah)	4.4 in.

As you can see, the new Subcompact models aren’t dramatically lighter than their M12 Fuel counterparts, but they do shave more than 1/2 an inch of length off.

This really is the magic of the M12 tools. Yes, you will miss out on that top-end power, but the lighter weight is much easier to use, and the smaller profile gets you into so many tight spaces more easily when doing smaller jobs that don’t require so much brute strength.

Ergonomics

Milwaukee didn’t stray from the formula when looking at the ergonomics. In addition to keeping the standard M12 pistol grip handles, both tools feature a generous amount of rubber overmold, they’re very well-balanced, and easy to maneuver.

Additional Features

• LED work light
• 2-position belt hook
• Compatible with all M12 batteries
• Battery-life indicator

Milwaukee M12 Subcompact Drill and Impact Driver Price

The Milwaukee 3494 kit retails for $199 and comes with two tools, two CP2.0Ah batteries, a charger, and a storage bag. As far as two-tool combo kits go these days, that’s an awfully attractive price point.

Of course, these tools are available separately if you only need one or the other. They both retail for $119 as a bare tool or $149 as a two-battery kit.

Milwaukee backs the tools with a 5-year warranty and the batteries with a 2-year warranty.

The Bottom Line

So where do these tools fit in? Well, they certainly have a home in the automotive sector, but I think they’ll really shine in the HVAC and electrical industries. Their compact, lightweight design makes them easy to manipulate in tight spaces, and they don’t take up as much room in a small tool kit. They have plenty of power for most light-duty drilling and driving applications, and the simple feature set makes them approachable at any skill level.

Moreover, their price point makes them an attractive option for budget-minded Pros and even serious DIYers who are looking for a capable combo kit for household projects. Of course, these tools have their limitations, so if your needs trend towards medium-duty applications, you may want to consider an M12 Fuel or M18 Fuel alternative.