M12 Problem

I bought an M12 drill about 5 months ago. Have used it for approx 25 holes so far and it was working great. Today I tried drilling a hole and it stopped progressing about halfway. It was still spinning but I'm not sure if it was still hammering. I tried swapping the bit and battery but that didn't help. Both the drill and the bit felt super hot. Could it be an overheating issue or something else? Looking for advice... if it's something with the drill I'd like to deal with it while it's still under warranty. Thanks for your help!

Call Milwaukee, then next step, get an M18 unless you are bolting on lead. The m12 is for little jobs IMHO. 

Sometimes my M12 has some issues lately as well, I’ve put in hundreds of bolts with it though. Mostly granite, always using a new bit after 12-15 holes. I would personally venture to say that it’s not just for small jobs, but has its limitations. 

As for dealing with Milwaukee, they currently have a 5+ week turnaround for warranty work. I find that pretty lame. Non of the local “Milwaukee warranty centers” near me will touch them either. Also lame.

Keep us posted on the outcome!

This is gonna sound silly but this exact thing happened to me. the m12 dial to go from roto to spin is extremely sensitive like really sensitive. Turn the dial back and forth a few times and that fixed mine. Also sometimes the drill bit isn’t actually held by the spade and will just spin. Also make sure you didn’t bump the drill into reverse have had a friend call me asking why it wasn’t working. Hopefully it’s something silly!

My m12 has been great! An m18 would be annoying to bring up the wall with the leaf blower.

In case you bought it from Home Depot, it would be worth bringing it back and asking if they will swap it for a new one. Otherwise I'd suggest the Milwaukee eService tool repair. I just got an impact driver back from them all fixed. Took about 3 weeks including shipping time. They pay for Fedex both ways and it's pretty damn easy ( service.milwaukeetool.com/). 

It does not sound like user error. The bit should get really hot (don't be touching it! haha). The drill can get pretty warm too-- they have fancy power electronics and protection so I wouldn't worry about that. I actually had an M18 SDS-MAX roto hammer (don't even think of clipping that to a harness lol) that had the same symptoms you describe. It was a warranty issue, swapped at home depot after like 4 months.

Good luck.

Dan, which version of the m12 did you purchase? Milwaukee makes a 1/2” and a 5/8” capacity m12 drill. My 5/8” m12 has hundreds of holes on it and still works like the day I bought it, but I’ve heard the 1/2” capacity drills having issues with prolonged use. Regardless, the brushless motors on those drills have a temperature and overload cutoff switch so overheating should not be an issue. There’s a good chance it’s an electronic issue and the drill is still under warranty.

The switch between hammer and drill modes is definitely touchy. I have had it switch modes suddenly a few times. Maybe apply some silicone based lubricant or take it apart and clean out any rock dust. 

Milwaukee tools will stop working when they get “too hot” to prevent damage. Have had many tools get mad at the work I was making them do in hot environments. The battery gives a flashy disco pattern when it’s overheated. However it seems unlikely that this could occur given the time lag required between holes. If it happens again, without the overheating signal on the battery, try and get it warranted while you can.

Just a follow up... The drill worked fine the next time I tried it... I had a hard time reaching Milwaukee by phone or email so I brought it to the local service shop. They took it apart and said it looked fine. I've used the drill a few times since then (I don't bolt a ton and put in fewer than 50 holes/year). Anyways this week I had the same problem. The bit turns but the hammer action isn't engaging properly and the battery dies super fast. Tried a brand new battery, new bit and 100% made sure it's on hammer mode (and rotating clockwise). It makes a different noise in hammer mode than in drill only, but it's not hammering properly. Anyways thanks for the advice!