Milwaukee M12 Fuel Stubby Impact Wrench Review

The new Milwaukee M12 Fuel Stubby Impact Wrench model is making waves in the PTR office and industry. It's not just the fact that these impact wrenches come on the M12 battery platform.

Milwaukee claims these are the most powerful 12V impact wrenches available. Not only that, but they are the industry's first cordless stubby impact wrenches. So what qualifies them to be the strongest?

The 3/8″ and 1/2″ models have a nut breaking torque of 250 foot-pounds. 1/4" models are available down to 100 foot-pounds to protect smaller drive sizes.

4-Mode Drive Control is not complicated to understand, but very useful. You have 3 standard modes that increase speed and torque as you move up. The 4th mode shuts off the tool before you overtighten the fastener and risk cutting off your head.

Ditching the hose to use the battery is part of the appeal. The other side of this coin is a chunky design. At 4.8 inches to 5.1 inches, you'll be able to easily use the Milwaukee M12 Fuel Stubby Impact Wrench for those tighter areas — which is the whole reason to get a stubby wrench in the first place.

Stubby impact wrenches live in the automotive world most of the time, but I'll let Tim Johnson apply his expertise at Shop Tool Reviews. What I'm wondering is if the M12 Fuel Stubby has a foothold on a construction site.

We got the 2555 – 1/2" friction ring model. But this part of the review also applies to the 3/8" version as it has the same power.

I really like the M12 Fuel Stubby Impact Wrench as an alternative to the 18V 3/8" impact wrench. It will give you more power than a socket applied impact driver while keeping the weight and profile smaller than a standard 18V impact wrench much.

In my book, it's best suited for fasteners such as wood screws and lag screws – jobs that might make your impact driver heavier than you should be, but don't really need a medium torque impact All the power a wrench provides. Of course, you'll come across all sorts of other specifics throughout your day. Similar to how a 12V drill handles 80% of your drilling and driving needs, this stubby impact wrench can handle a surprising amount of socket work on the board. It also has great potential for MRO personnel.

Price

The 2555 we're testing costs $159 bare-bones and $249 kit. This is the same as the 2554 (3/8″) and 2555P (1/2″ pin retainer). Something like the M18 Fuel Compact Impact Wrench (2754) will have similar power, but with a larger footprint and heavier weight. This particular model is priced the same as the bare metal, but the 2.0 Ah battery kit is $10 more and the 5.0 Ah battery is $329 more.

The value proposition really comes down to whether the weight and size savings are important to you, and whether you don't mind using the M12 battery in addition to the M18 battery pack. If you already own some M12 tools this is a great addition to your system. If you're not, it'll bring a new battery platform, but there's a lot of great stuff in the M12 lineup that's worth plunging into.

the bottom line

The Milwaukee M12 Fuel Stubby Impact Wrench packs a lot of power in a relatively small package. It will work best in an automotive environment, but it is also well suited for MRO personnel and many tasks on construction sites.

Milwaukee M12 Fuel Stubby Impact Wrench Lineup

M12 FUEL 1/4″ Stubby Impact Wrench with Friction Ring Kit (2552-22) – $269

• 100 foot-pounds of breakaway torque
• RPM: 1,300; 1,900; 3,200; 1,500 – 3,200
• IPM: 1,300; 2,000; 4,300
• 4 Mode Drive Control
• Dimensions (L x H x W): 5.1 x 6.75 x 2.25 inches
• Weight (with XC4.0 battery): 2.0 lbs

Includes: M12 FUEL Stubby 1/4″ Impact Wrench, (1) M12 REDLITHIUM XC 4.0 Battery Pack, (1) M12 REDLITHIUM 2.0 Battery Pack, Multi-Voltage Charger and Case.

Also available as a bare tool (2552-20) – $179.00

M12 FUEL 3/8” Stubby Impact Wrench with Friction Ring Kit (2554-22) – $269

• 250 foot-pounds of breakaway torque
• RPM: 1,200; 1,800; 2,700; 1,500 – 2,700
• IPM: 1,100; 2,100; 3,200
• 4 Mode Drive Control
• Dimensions (L x H x W): 4.8 x 7 x 2.4 inches
• Weight (with XC4.0 battery): 2.92 lbs

INCLUDES: M12 FUEL Stubby 3/8″ Impact Wrench, (1) M12 REDLITHIUM XC 4.0 Battery Pack, (1) M12 REDLITHIUM 2.0 Battery Pack, Multi-Voltage Charger and Case.

Also available as a bare tool (2554-20) – $179.00

M12 FUEL 1/2” Stubby Impact Wrench with Friction Ring Kit (2555-22) – $269

• 250 foot-pounds of breakaway torque
• RPM: 1,200; 1,800; 2,700; 1,500 – 2,700
• IPM: 1,100; 2,100; 3,200
• 4 Mode Drive Control
• Dimensions (L x H x W): 4.9 x 7 x 2.4 inches
• Weight (with XC4.0 battery): 2.93 lbs

Includes: M12 FUEL Stubby 1/2″ Impact Wrench, (1) M12 REDLITHIUM XC 4.0 Battery Pack, (1) M12 REDLITHIUM 2.0 Battery Pack, Multi-Voltage Charger and Case.

Also available as a bare tool (2555-20) – $179.00

M12 FUEL 1/2” Stubby Impact Wrench w/ Pin Detent Kit (2555P-22) – $269

• 250 foot-pounds of breakaway torque
• RPM: 1,200; 1,800; 2,700; 1,500 – 2,700
• IPM: 1,100; 2,100; 3,200
• 4 Mode Drive Control
• Dimensions (L x H x W): 4.9 x 7 x 2.4 inches
• Weight (with XC4.0 battery): 2.93 lbs

INCLUDES: M12 FUEL Stubby 1/2″ Pin Locating Impact Wrench, (1) M12 REDLITHIUM XC 4.0 Battery Pack, (1) M12 REDLITHIUM 2.0 Battery Pack, Multi-Voltage Charger and Case.

Also available as a bare tool (2555P-20) – $179.00