Power tools · owner-verdict comparison

DeWalt DCF887 Impact Driver vs Milwaukee M18 FUEL Drill 2904: what real owners say

Real owners lean toward the DeWalt DCF887 Impact Driver: 69% of 54 owners recommend it, vs 54% of 56 for the Milwaukee M18 FUEL Drill 2904.

Verdicts aggregated from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube owner comments — affiliate reviews excluded. Sample sizes differ; judge accordingly. How we score

DeWalt DCF887 Impact Driver

69%of 54 owners recommend

69% recommend · 3% neutral · 28% don't

Owners praise

Serious power and torque that drives tough screws, bolts, and even lugnuts
Reliable workhorse that keeps running after years of drops and jobsite abuse
Multiple speed settings handle everything from delicate to heavy driving

Owners complain about

Trigger and speed-control electronics can fail, leaving power fluttering or stuck
Chuck wobble and bit-retention problems, with springs breaking on bit swaps
Repairs cost enough that owners just buy a new tool instead

Full owner report →

Milwaukee M18 FUEL Drill 2904

54%of 56 owners recommend

54% recommend · 37% neutral · 9% don't

Owners praise

Massive power for heavy-duty work, owners reach for the M18 specifically for concrete, tapcons, framing headers, and big fence/deck jobs, often describing it as a 'beast' with roughly 3x the power of the M12
Do-it-all versatility, if you only buy one Milwaukee drill, owners say the M18 covers everything from home repairs to daily contractor use
Auto-stop/kickback protection on the hammer drill shuts the tool off before it wrenches your wrist, which owners repeatedly call out as a standout safety feature

Owners complain about

Heavy and bulky compared to the M12, many owners who have both say the M18 sits unused in the truck 90% of the time and they default to the lighter, more ergonomic M12 for daily tasks
Chuck and trigger reliability complaints, particularly on the hammer drill, reports of chucks coming loose and triggers/hammer mode intermittently failing to engage

Full owner report →

Which should you buy?

Get the DeWalt DCF887 Impact Driver if

✓DIYers driving screws and assembling flat-pack furniture
✓Tradespeople needing an all-day jobsite driver
✓Users wanting three-speed control for fine or delicate work
✓Anyone driving lots of long or stubborn fasteners

Skip it if

People wanting a small driver only for light delicate tasks
Buyers worried about the reported trigger reliability issues

Get the Milwaukee M18 FUEL Drill 2904 if

✓Contractors drilling concrete, thick steel, or large holes daily
✓Framers and deck builders driving thousands of screws or lags
✓Anyone who wants one heavy-duty system to cover both home and jobsite work
✓Users who value the auto-stop safety feature when hammer drilling or driving lags

Skip it if

Buyers wanting a light, everyday-carry drill (M12 owners say it stays in the truck)
Occasional DIYers who rarely need extra power and prioritize weight over torque

What DeWalt DCF887 Impact Driver owners say

“887 still goin strong, really a beast of an Impact for being roughly 8 years and change”
— @BlackenedEclipse on YouTube

“I have the Dewalt DCF887. It makes driving and removing screws effortless, and the impact action does so without stripping heads, wrenching your wrist, and lets you drive long screws into wood like butter. It's the most used tool I own.”
— soupyfrood on Reddit

“the tool repair shop at the other location has literal crates of DCF887 impacts that are just older than 1 year and if the switch just now went out thats not considered a defect so you'll have to ~$97 plus shipping on a tool that sells for $139.”
— shiyal on Reddit

What Milwaukee M18 FUEL Drill 2904 owners say

“The best use i had for the autostop was driving 5/16 lags. It would just touch when they snugged down and shut the drill down. No broken anything or wrists”
— DiarrheaXplosion on Reddit

“My son has the M18 Fuel drill and driver set. Those are beasts.”
— NYOB4321 on Reddit

“So much so that my rotary hammer drill will only work every 2/3 depressions. Very frustrating.”
— thatsmejp on Reddit

DeWalt DCF887 Impact Driver vs Milwaukee M18 FUEL Drill 2904: frequently asked questions

Is the DeWalt DCF887 Impact Driver or the Milwaukee M18 FUEL Drill 2904 better?

Real owners lean toward the DeWalt DCF887 Impact Driver: 69% of 54 owners recommend it, vs 54% of 56 for the Milwaukee M18 FUEL Drill 2904.

Who should get the DeWalt DCF887 Impact Driver?

Owners point the DeWalt DCF887 Impact Driver at dIYers driving screws and assembling flat-pack furniture, and tradespeople needing an all-day jobsite driver.

Who should get the Milwaukee M18 FUEL Drill 2904?

Owners point the Milwaukee M18 FUEL Drill 2904 at contractors drilling concrete, thick steel, or large holes daily, and framers and deck builders driving thousands of screws or lags.

What do owners complain about?

The most-cited downside of the DeWalt DCF887 Impact Driver is trigger and speed-control electronics can fail, leaving power fluttering or stuck. For the Milwaukee M18 FUEL Drill 2904, it's heavy and bulky compared to the M12, many owners who have both say the M18 sits unused in the truck 90% of the time and they default to the lighter, more ergonomic M12 for daily tasks.