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Milwaukee Tool just launched their first M12 Subcompact cordless power tools, a drill and an impact driver, both featuring brushless motors.
Driven “with a focus on disruptive size reduction,” Milwaukee says that their new M12 Subcompact tools “are the most compact and lightest tools in the industry,” while also “delivering on performance for service and maintenance professionals.”
Basically, they’re designed to be small, lightweight, and still capable of pro work.
The cordless drill (3401) and impact driver (3450) will be available separately and as part of a 2-tool combo kit (3494-22).
In this post we’ll go over the main takeaways, with a focus on the Subcompact aspect, and I’ll follow up with separate posts about the new drill and impact.
Milwaukee M12 Subcompact Drill (3101)
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The new Milwaukee M12 cordless drill features 350 in-lbs max torque, and 2-gearbox settings with 0-450 and 0-1550 RPM speed range.
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Milwaukee says the new Subcompact drill delivers the smallest size and lightest weight.
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It weighs 2 lbs when paired with a 2Ah battery.
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The drill has a 5.4″ length from chuck to rear. As a reminder, their flagship M12 Fuel hammer drill has a 6″ length.
Price: $119 for tool-only (3401-20), $149 for the 2-battery kit (3401-22)
Milwaukee M12 Subcompact Impact Driver (3450)
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The new M12 brushless impact driver is also advertised as delivering the smallest size and lightest weight.
It features 1100 in-lbs max torque and 0-3000 RPM speed range.
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The size and weight savings should be especially noticeable when working overhead.
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When paired with a 2Ah battery, the impact driver weights 1.7 lbs.
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It has a 4.3″ length. As a reminder, the flagship M12 Fuel impact driver has a length of 5″.
Price: $119 for tool-only (3450-20), $149 for the 2-battery kit (3450-22)
M12 Subcompact 2-Tool Combo Kit
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The combo kit comes with both tools, 2x 2Ah batteries, a charger, and tool bag.
Price: $199 (3494-22)
ETA: April 2025
Discussion
At this time, Milwaukee has 3 lines of M18 cordless drills and impact drivers – not including their Surge or specialty models. The M18 line has brushed motor tools, M18 compact brushless models, and M18 Fuel modes.
Technically they also still have a non-compact M18 brushless hammer drill, but it’s not a very visible or popular model.
In the M12 line, until now, they had older brushed motor M12 tools – drills, an impact, driver, and screwdriver, and M12 Fuel models.
The new M12 Subcompact tools fit somewhere in between – they have brushless motors but lack the premium features of M12 Fuel models.
For example, the drill has a 3/8″ chuck, rather than a 1/2″ chuck like the M12 Fuel model, and the impact seems to lack any speed selection settings or special modes.
Here is an excerpt from press materials, to help put the new tools into context (with line breaks added):
Weighing up to a 1/2-lb lighter than the competition, users are able to reduce muscle strain and fatigue from overhead use throughout the day.
Featuring premium metal components, professionals do not need to compromise with this lightweight solution, delivering durability required for the jobsite.
The M12 Subcompact Brushless Drill and Impact deliver performance for the Service Trades, as well as Carpenters, MRO, and HVAC Technicians.
The brushless motor delivers optimal tool performance, providing professionals with faster application speed compared to the current brushed products, to get the job done quickly.
Increased drilling capability in high-speed mode delivers power to complete the most common tasks. Additionally, users will see increased fastening torque to meet the demands of the professional.
Milwaukee says that the new Subcompact brushless tools will be joining “the largest sub-compact system on the market.”
At this time it isn’t clear whether Milwaukee will add other non-Fuel brushless tools to the line, such as a new one-handed Hackzall reciprocating saw.
They have introduced other non-Fuel brushless tools, but these are the first I’ve seen to be given special “Subcompact” designations, rather than sub-compact as a description.
It fits in well with their other naming schemes, such as how the M18 Compact brushless tools fill in the gap between brushed motor and premium brushless M18 models.
I expect to see a shift in Milwaukee’s promotional offerings. For example, it could be difficult for Milwaukee to sell the 2-battery M12 Subcompact drill kit for $149 when retailers still have the Holiday season 1-battery M12 Fuel brushless hammer drill promo kit for $99 right now.
Similarly, retailers are shifting over from holiday season promo pricing on the M12 Fuel hammer drill and impact driver combo kit, which was $179. Most but not all authorized dealers have moved back to $229 pricing after a few months, with the new promo giving buyers a free 5Ah battery.
With M12 Fuel combo kit promo pricing as low as $179, $199 for the M12 Subcompact combo kit seems a bit high.
Additionally, the M18 Compact brushless drill and impact driver combo kit was just $179 for the holiday season and surrounding months. The same combo kit was $189 the previous holiday shopping season, while the standalone kits have traditionally been $99 each including a single battery and charger.
All that is to say that I believe we’ll see lower seasonal pricing on these tools. Either that, or there will be far less promotional flexibility on Milwaukee’s other M12 and M18 Fuel and brushless cordless drill and impact driver offerings, which seems less likely.
This could be the start of a new Subcompact product line, but Milwaukee seems content to have a small range of M18 Compact brushless products. In other words, this could be the spearhead of a new lineup of M12 tools, but there are precedents that argue otherwise.
