Many users may confuse the difference between Milwaukee FUEL & Brushless products, or misunderstand that FUEL is the new generation of brushless products – but actually NOT!
The FUEL range provides the best performance in class, it is developed to cater the supreme performance and safety concern. Meanwhile, the brushless range is providing the great performance with lighter body. This article will share the difference of FUEL and brushless range with drill, driver and grinder.
Performance
FUEL is definitely the best in class range in terms of performance.
Take M18 FUEL™ 1/4″ Hex Impact Driver (M18 FID3) and M18™ Brushless 1/4″ Hex Impact Driver (M18 BLIDR) as example, the former can provide 226Nm torque, and the brushless one can provide 192Nm torque.
Once again take M18 FUEL™ Percussion Drill (M18 FPD3) and M18™ Brushless Percussion Drill (M18 BLPDRC) as example, the FUEL drill can drill through 89mm wood meanwhile the brushless one can drill through 51mm wood, details you can find below table:
| M18 FUEL™ Percussion Drill (M18 FPD3) | M18™ Brushless Percussion Drill (M18 BLPDRC) | |
| Torque | 158Nm | 60.5Nm |
| No load speed | 2100 RPM | 1700 RPM |
| Max. percussion rate | 33000 BPM | 25500 BPM |
(M18 FPD3)
(M18 BLPDRC)
Safety Feature and Product Design
The FUEL range is equipped with advanced safety features, including AUTOSTOP™ (extend reading: 【IMPORTANT SAFETY ISSUE】SAY NO TO SPRAIN! QUICK READ ON MILWAUKEE AUTOSTOP FUNCTION), Tri-LED, RAPIDSTOP™ & etc. Comparatively, the safety feature of the brushless range is simpler.
| M18 FUEL™ Percussion Drill (M18 FPD3) | M18™ Brushless Percussion Drill (M18 BLPDRC) | |
| AUTOSTOP™ | Yes | No |
| M18 FUEL™ 1/4″ Hex Impact Driver (M18 FID3) | M18™ Brushless 1/4″ Hex Impact Driver (M18 BLIDR) | |
| LED | Tri | Single |
| Mode | 4 (Incld. Self-tapping Screw Mode) | 3 |
| M18 FUEL™ 100mm Variable Speed Braking Angle Grinder with paddle switch (M18 FSAGV100XPDB) | M18™ Brushless 100mm Grinder with slide switch (M18 BLSAG100X) | |
| RAPIDSTOP™ | Yes | No |
| Dead Man Switch | Yes (Paddle switch) | No (Slide switch) |
| Variable speed setting | Yes | No |
(M18 FSAGV100XPDB)
(M18 BLSAG100X)
Size and Weight
The brushless range is more compact and lighter than the FUEL range, suitable for professional users who don’t do the heaviest work but having long working hours.
| M18 FUEL™ Percussion Drill (M18 FPD3) | M18™ Brushless Percussion Drill (M18 BLPDRC) | |
| Length | 175 mm | 147 mm |
| Weight (Bare tool) | 1.78 kg | 1.04 kg |
| M18 FUEL™ 1/4″ Hex Impact Driver (M18 FID3) | M18™ Brushless 1/4″ Hex Impact Driver (M18 BLIDR) | |
| Length | 114 mm | 112 mm |
| Weight (Bare tool) | 1.1 kg | 0.8 kg |
| M18 FUEL™ 100mm Variable Speed Braking Angle Grinder with paddle switch (M18 FSAGV100XPDB) | M18™ Brushless 100mm Grinder with slide switch (M18 BLSAG100X) | |
| Weight (Bare tool) | 1.9 kg | 1.5 kg |
(M18 FID3)
(M18 BLIDR)
All in all, the FUEL range provides the greatest performance, owns the best motor technology and it is specifically built for high demanding professional users. For the brushless range, it is more fit for professional users who don’t require the top performance and wish to have the lighter and more affordable power tools. Besides, the brushless range is an ideal transitional product for users who want to switch from corded power tools to cordless power tools.