Milwaukee M18 Fuel Surge Hydraulic Driver

  The last year or so has brought countless new amazing cordless power tools to the market. With battery technology getting more and more advanced, many options are being opened to tool companies to create and run bigger more powerful tools traditionally only available as corded equipment. Miter saws, rotary hammers and table saws are now available as cordless models. As tool companies compete, we are now and will continue to see better technology being available in power tools.

  One of my favorite power tools released in 2016 was definitely the Milwaukee M18 Fuel Surge Hydraulic Driver. But what's all the hype about these new drivers? If you squint a hydraulic driver looks a lot like an impact driver but believe me that these new hydro drivers are totally different beasts. So what is the difference? There are many reasons why this driver is uniquely awesome and would be great for you. Let's consider what this driver offers you.

Less noise then an impact:

  The Surge hydraulic driver won't make you deaf. If you've ever used an impact driver you know that these power tools are dang loud. How loud is dang loud? The average impact driver produces between 85-100 decibels depending on the model and speed they are being used at. This is about the same noise level as a running lawnmower. Considering that noise level would be within three feet of your ears, it's quite loud. According to the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) OSHA Fact sheet an employee must wear hearing protection if they are exposed to noise levels of 85 decibels or above. So the average impact driver produces noise levels that could cause hearing damage to you over long term exposure. Milwaukee claims that the new Surge hydraulic driver produces only 76 decibels. That's 50% less noise than the average impact driver. Interestingly, 76 decibels is comparable to a toilet flushing. Even if you don't mind wearing hearing protection while using your impact driver, you're not the only one affected by the loud noise. In many situations, using an impact driver on the job could be unthoughtful or possibly just not acceptable. Noise on a construction site is to be expected, but contractors and service technicians that work in condos, stores, offices and hospitals often times can't or shouldn't make excessive amounts of noise. This includes home-owners and DIYers. I have to say that although this tool is quieter, it's not quiet. It produces less noise than an impact driver but much more than say, a drill. Regardless, wouldn't it make more sense to use a tool that made less noise? The answer is yes. 

  How is this reduced noise output possible? An impact driver uses a metal hammer-like mechanism that slams against another metal piece to produce the impact, which basically spins the bit. This metal on metal hammering causes -as discussed above- very loud noise levels and a fair amount of vibration to your hand. The Surge hydraulic driver on the other hand uses Milwaukee's Fluid-Drive™ hydraulic powertrain. In simple terms, this driver uses a oil impulse mechanism that rapidly expands and compresses hydraulic fluid to create torque. This reduces the metal on metal contact which produces higher noise and vibration to your hand.

Compact, lightweight design:

  The Milwaukee Surge is compact, lightweight and should last longer than an impact driver. While there are many hydraulic drivers on the market, the Surge is by far the most compact. The length of this tool is a tiny 5 inches compared to the bulky 6.2 inches of the Ridgid Stealth Force hydraulic driver. In fact, the Milwaukee Surge is more compact than any other available oil impulse driver as of yet.
  So it's smaller, so what? Tools are getting smaller and smaller these days for a reason. More compact tools fit into tighter places, are lighter and cause less fatigue, and are generally more comfortable to use. The Surge should also last longer than your typical impact driver. Because there is less metal on metal contact and hammering, there is less wear and tear on your tool. The Surge contains Milwaukee's excellent Powerstate™ brushless motor which they claim lasts up to 10x longer than other manufacturers motors. 

The Torque Issue:

  I had a conversation with a fellow tool lover about the new Milwaukee Surge and he said to me that he would never get a hydraulic driver. He expressed that it did not have enough torque. Is this the case? If you looked at the specs on the Surge you would notice that it is rated at 450 in/lbs of torque. Naturally, many were confused by this as the comparable sized Milwaukee M18 impact driver is rated at a beefy 1800 in/lbs of torque - 4 times more!  Why would anyone in their right mind want a driver with such a low torque rating? Two words: sustained torque. While the Milwaukee impact driver produces 1800 in/lbs of torque, that is peak torque. The tool only produces that massive amount of turning power on each impact. So if you think about it, the torque levels would drop immediately after the impact, then jump back up when the next one occurs. This mechanism works but again, produces a tremendous amount of noise! In contrast, the Surge uses its oil impulse mechanism to provide much longer sustained torque. The force that moves the collet is engaged longer than the brief hammer of an impact driver. This sustained torque rating lets this hydro driver keep up and often times outperform a standard impact driver.

Photo by Milwaukee Tool

There are limitations:

  Milwaukee says that 90-95% of fasteners used are small to medium sized and this is what the Surge hydraulic driver was designed for. When I faced off the Surge with the M18 Fuel impact driving small to medium fasteners like deck screws, tapcons and self tapping screws the Surge could not only keep up, it was often times faster and a lot quieter! But sustained torque only gets you so far. When it comes to using larger fasteners like lag bolts, the Surge hydraulic driver slows considerably. Is this a bad thing? No. This driver was designed to drive small to medium sized fasteners, which is what most people use 90-95% of the time. Expecting a tool to be able to perform beyond its designed purpose is unreasonable. 

M18 Surge & M18 Impact

Will the Surge replace your impact?

  Possibly. Unless driving large fasteners is a common occurrence for you, Milwaukee's new hydraulic driver is less noisy, lighter, more compact, and will more than handle the majority of tasks. This truly is an amazing driver, and it is my option that hydraulic drivers are the way of the future for drivers. Need more power for large fasteners? Use your impact, but the other 90% of the time I can bet you'll reach for your Milwaukee Surge hydraulic driver.

Milwaukee M18 Fuel Surge Hydraulic Driver specifications:

Model: 2760 

Torque: 450 in/lbs 

Weight: 2.3 pounds bare tool

Length: 5 inches

RPM: Mode 1 - 900, Mode 2 - 2100, Mode 3 - 3000
IPM: 4000

  The Surge has four driving modes including a self tapping screw mode which ramps up to avoid walking, drives fast and ends with a slower controlled finish to avoid stripping and breaking of fastener. This tool is available as a bare tool or in a kit. Prices vary depending on battery size.

  As tool and battery technology continues to advance we will see more and more new and awesome tools become available for us. Tools and equipment that produce more power and less noise. This new Milwaukee Surge hydraulic driver was so impressive to me that I can confidently say it was my favourite tool release of 2016. Try one out for yourself, I know it will become your favourite too!