Scheduled for release in Europe in August 2014 this new cordless driver has the kind of interchangeable chucks or heads currently found on certain Festool, Fein, and Metabo models. There’s a 10mm (3/8”) three-jaw chuck, a right angle driver head, and an offset driver head.
Interchangeable heads allow the tradesman to use a single tool for operations that in the past might have required multiple tools. He can come at the work head-on with the standard chuck, at various angles with the right angle head, and access tight corners with the offset head. A fourth possibility would be to work without a chuck or head and put bits directly into the end of the shaft. If the heads work the way others do then users will have the option to attach the three-jaw chuck to the end of the right angle head or insert bits directly into it.
The 4-in-1 drill has yet to be posted to the manufacturer’s EU (European) website but some of the specs can be found on vendor websites. According to a vendor in the U.K., the driver produces up to 32 newton-meters (283 inch-pounds) of torque and has a top speed of 1,500 rpm. Based on these numbers the tool appears to be roughly equivalent (but with interchangeable chucks) to the model 2406 M12 screwdriver currently sold in the U.S. The 2406 goes 0-400 and 0-1,500 rpm and produces 275 inch-pounds of torque.
The 4-in-One Drill will be attractive to any tradesman who works in tight quarters. It won’t drive large augers and hole saw but should have more than enough power for the tasks typically performed by the trades that build and install cabinets or install and service electrical and HVAC equipment.
The kit will include the tool, three chucks, a charger, and two 2.0 Ah batteries. Milwaukee has given no indication that it plans to sell the 4-in-1 Drill Driver outside of Europe, but it seems likely they will—given that the U.S. is the company’s “home” market. It is not uncommon for new power tools to debut outside of the U.S., though this is the first time I can recall that happening with Milwaukee. But in this case it makes sense; drills with interchangeable chucks are already popular in Europe and almost unknown in the U.S.
In the EU this tool is referred to as the BDDXKIT-202C; if it comes to the U.S. it will have a different model number and charger. An online vendor in the U.K. is offering the tool for £159. At the current exchange rate that would be $270—though there’s no guarantee the 4-in-1 driver will sell for that amount if Milwaukee decides to release it to the U.S. market because tools are priced (and taxed) differently in Europe than they are here.
Kudos to the guys at Tools in Action for being the first to post on this tool in the U.S.
