We’ve had a lot of exposure to Milwaukee’s M18 SDS-Plus rotary hammers, and so far we like what we see. In April of 2011 we reviewed the 2605-22 M18 Cordless SDS+ Rotary Hammer kit and in June of this year we did a face-off of all 18V rotary hammers. Still again, in July we reviewed the Milwaukee Hammervac system and compared it to a competing product from Makita. So when Milwaukee announced a new M18 5/8″ Rotary Hammer Kit (2612-22), I didn’t think it was too critical that I review it formally right away. This is the “little brother” to the 7/8″ model we looked at in 2011 and a larger sibling to their well-equipped and impressive M12 Brushless Rotary Hammer.
That’s a lot of rotary hammers. But Milwaukee isn’t one to sit around for too long and bask in the large numbers of their cordless tools.
Milwaukee 5/8 SDS-Plus Rotary Hammer Features
The M18 Cordless 5/8” SDS Plus Rotary Hammer is just 12-inches long and weighs just 5.5 pounds. The M12 hammer weighs around 4 pounds with the XC battery pack, so adding a pound and a half doesn’t seem like a whole lot of weight. And at just a foot in length, it’s ultra-compact as well. This is a tool that is going to do really well for when you need to drive tons of 1/4-inch Tapcon holes into block to hang shelving or secure electrical conduit on the job. With the 2612-22 you get to bring along a smaller, more portable tool that will do the job and save you a ton of weight in the process. Size and weight reduction may not matter to casual users, but if you’re lugging a hammer around all day, this is going to be a big opportunity to save your arms.
The new M18 5/8″ rotary hammer uses Milwaukee’s RedLithium batteries. With the XC pack, Milwaukee claims you can drill over 100 ¼” x 1-1/2” holes in poured concrete on a single charge! While I recommend the full 2612-22 kit, it’s also available in a one battery kit (2612-21) or as a bare tool (2612-20).
Milwaukee 5/8 SDS-Plus Rotary Hammer Specifications
- Model: 2612-22
- Bit capacity: 5/8 in.
- Length: 12 in.
- Weight: 5.5 lbs.
- Speed: 0-1,300 RPM
- BPM: 0-7,000 BPM
- Includes: 2612-20 M18 5/8” SDS Plus Rotary Hammer, (2) M18 XC high capacity RedLithium battery packs, M18 and M12 multi-voltage charger, side handle, depth rod and carrying case
