Milwaukee 2450-22 Cordless Drill Review

Hi. This is my personal review of the Milwaukee 2450-22 cordless drill that I own and use. I don’t have a comparison table, just my own description of how I think this drill has held up for me over the years. I hope you find it helpful if you are considering getting a cordless impact driver.

Note: If you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission – at no cost to you.

Background of the Milwaukee 2450-22

I received this drill as a Christmas gift from my in-laws about 2 years ago. I have used it as my primary cordless drill for a variety of jobs since that time. From drilling holes in maple trees, to dismantling a washing machine, this unit has been by my side.

This is the link to the drill kit I am reviewing:

Milwaukee 2450-22 12-volt Impact Driver Kit

I also received a 2-pack of the M-12 batteries as well:

Milwaukee (2-pack) 48-11-2401 M12 RED Li-Ion Battery Packs

This drill kit comes with the following items:

Impact Drill
Charging Station
M12 Battery (qty 2)
Case that holds it all

The charging station shows a red light when the battery is charging, and a green light when the battery is fully charged.

I have found this case to be very durable. It is not one of those cheap plastic cases you see from time to time. This one is the real deal.

It is thick plastic with high-quality hinges that are actual hinges, not just plastic that is flexing every time you open or close it.

This driver has the 1/4″ quick bit-loading chuck mechanism for bits. It works great for quickly swapping out drill bits like square drive, Phillips, etc…

These are some of the bits I use in this drill regularly.

One note, if you want to drill holes, you will either need a chuck adapter (I bought this one) or a set of drill bits with the 1/4″ hex drive. I bought this Makita set that has been working well and as expected.

The Cons About the Milwaukee 2540-22

Overall, I am more than happy with this drill. If you force me, these are the things I wish this drill had.

Belt Clip

A belt clip. I was at my brother-in-law’s place the other day and he has the DeWalt cordless impact driver. That is also a nice tool, on similar par with this one (though the 20v version), I would say based on my limited witnessing of it in action. Anyhow, that one has a belt clip which he used quite a bit. That would be handy.

Battery Release Clips

While I do like that the batteries are small and compact, the way you take off the battery is mildly annoying. You press 2 plastic tabs on the sides, then pull the battery out. It is not bad, but I like it when you get some sort of positive tactile ‘click’ when you press the release buttons. In this case, you do not get that. Again, not a big deal, but something I would change if re-designing this from the ground up.

What I like about the Milwaukee 2450-22

I’m now going to describe the things I like about this drill.

Size and Weight

The fact that this impact drill is so small is a huge feature. I can literally put the thing in my back pocket (granted most of the handle is sticking out). The drill is 6 1/2 inches long which is perfect for toting around or keeping in a tool bag/box. And it can fit into tight places well. It weighs only 2.3 lbs. so doesn’t drag you down. The weight of this drill when working with your hands over your head is a non-factor.

Capability

This driver is excellent for driving screws and fasteners. It has plenty of torque (850 lbf-in) for driving into all sorts of wood and metal applications – very efficient and effective. Add to the driver a set of impact grade socket adapters, and your cordless impact drill turns into a battery-operated socket set – very handy.

This driver has the variable speed trigger which is nice and responsive. Basically, the tighter you squeeze, the faster it turns. This comes in handy for when you are just starting a screw and want to turn it in slowly at first until it gets a purchase on the wood. It has a nice smooth start and doesn’t get out of control quickly.

The impact feature is excellent. If you are used to using drills without the impaction, this is a game-changer! The fact that you have that instant torque – pounding away at that screw or bolt is so sweet! You will never go back to the old way of doing things!

Ease of Use

The drill has a set of battery indicator lights on the side that tell you how much power is left in the battery. It is really nice to know what battery level you are at before you head out for a job, if you only have one indicator light (out of 4) then you need to swap out batteries. While I’m on the topic of batteries, this unit has almost no battery fade. It gives full power right to the end.

The batteries themselves are small and compact making it nice for having the extra one or two in the case.

Carrying Case

Believe it or not, I really do like the case for this thing. One thing that drives me nuts is when you have a case for something and the item barely even fits in the case, and/or there is no room for even one other tiny thing! (Looking at you sleeping-bag bag…) This case actually has a couple of extra compartments for a set of drill bits and other adapters/accessories. Very handy.

Flexibility

Although this drill is mainly designed for use with driving screws and fasteners, it really has a wide range of uses. I use this for drilling holes all the time. I like it over my corded drill or non-impact cordless drill for drilling holes. It just works better, is more solid, more convenient, and never lacks power.

Conclusion

If you are thinking about getting a cordless impact drill (and if you aren’t, why not?), you should definitely get this one. You won’t regret it; this is a fantastic drill for the size and price.

View this drill kit at Amazon:

Milwaukee 2450-22 12-volt Impact Driver Kit

Click this link to the 2-pack of extra batteries:

Milwaukee (2-pack) 48-11-2401 M12 RED Li-Ion Battery Packs