Milwaukee 2767-20 VS. 2863-20 M18 Fuel High Torque 1/2-Inch User Review

Many professional technicians agree Milwaukee makes the best 1/2″ cordless impact wrench on the market. The Milwaukee sports a superior 5-year tool warranty, low price, and highest torque values on the market. Many professional technicians have had problems with the much more expensive Snap-On gun, which doesn’t even come close to the power/speed of the Milwaukee gun. Plus with the Milwaukee 2767-20 (Fuel/No One-Key) and 2863-20 (Fuel + One-Key), you have endless options for adding other m18 tools that all use the same batteries and charger. Both the 2767-20 and 2863-20 have 1400 ft-lbs of breakaway torque (for loosening) which is enough for even the toughest fasteners. After all my research and asking thousands of professional mechanics on the internet, you can rest assured the Milwaukee Fuel 1/2″ Impact Wrench is the best on the market.

If you want to skip the rest of the review, I found an amazing deal on Amazon for the 2863-20 here. That is just the tool body and you will need to have your own charger and m18 batteries. If you want to buy a kit which includes the 1/2″ driver + 3/8″ Impact Driver and 2 batteries + charger there is also an amazing deal on Amazon for the whole package here. One last thing, if you are simply the kind of person that always wants the top of the line tools then you will want to grab the One-Key version here for the tool only, and here for the kit on Amazon. Even a whole kit with two batteries and a top of the line tool is less than Snap-On wants for just the body of its 1/2″ impact gun (that has a worse warranty).

The Milwaukee gun is PERFECT for the beginner DIYer or professional technician if you aren’t convinced yet keep reading.

Table of Contents

FAQ Questions About Milwaukee’s Tools:

Here are some of the questions I had when I was researching what cordless power tools to buy and specifically what Milwaukee 1/2″ impact gun to buy. I get really tired of all the marketing jargon when looking at power tools. That is why I find it really useful to define all the terms Milwaukee uses so you know what you’re buying.

Question: What is the difference between the 2767-20 1/2″ M18 Fuel High Torque Driver and the 2863-20 1/2″ M18 Fuel One-Key High Torque Driver?

Answer: The 2767-20 Milwaukee 1/2″ gun is the fuel version but does not include Milwaukee’s new One-Key technology. It is the exact same tool, with the same breakaway torque values as the 2863-20 One-Key version. The only difference is with the 2863-20 Milwaukee you get the One-Key app and functionality on the tool. The One-Key version will have a slightly larger base as it needs room for the GPS chip, it will therefore also be slightly heavier (barely noticeable). It also boasts a bigger price tag due to the added One-Key technology.

Question: What is Milwaukee One-Key Technology, and is it worth buying?

Answer: Milwaukee’s One-Key technology means you get some cool features like theft lockout (you can rend a tool useless through the app on your phone). You can also track your tools by using GPS, in case they get stolen. Which is a cool feature but it costs around $50-100 more for the tool to come with the One-Key technology. I don’t know about you, but unless I ran a huge company and needed to track all my tools I will stick with the regular fuel Milwaukee tools and save money. If you’re buying a lot of tools you will end up saving a lot of money by not buying One-Key for each tool. However, if you’re buying a ton of tools and you need to keep track of them, the One-Key app can serve you well.

Question: What Does Milwaukee’s “Fuel” Distinction Mean:

Answer: When Milwaukee says “Fuel” they are saying that the power tool has a brushless DC motor. Brushless motors have longer battery life, better torque, and last longer than their brushed motor counterparts. The Snap-On 1/2″ Torque Wrench, for example, is still a brushed electric motor but costs more than Milwaukee’s 1/2″ High Impact Brushless Gun. Many technicians complain about the Snap-On driver losing its power when the battery is at 50% or less, while on the Milwaukee it keeps hitting hard until the battery completely dies. It is a marketing term, but it does mean that the tool you’re getting has a brushless motor. If you want to read more about brushless DC motors click here to read the Wikipedia article.

Question: What Is The Warranty On Milwaukee’s Power Tools:

Answer: Milwaukee offers a 5-year warranty on the tool, a 3-year warranty on the batteries, and a 5-year warranty on chargers. It also doesn’t hurt that Milwaukee’s tools cost way less than the tool truck brand equivalent. In fact, many tool trucks will actually sell technicians Milwaukee cordless tools because they know they’re so much better than the Snap-On equivalents. They just want you to finance through them, but my recommendation is to stay off the tool truck especially when buying Milwaukee tools. You can just get so much better deals buying them from Amazon.

Milwaukee 2767-20 1/2″ High Torque M18 Specifications (Non-One-Key):

This is the top of the line Fuel 1/2″ driver Milwaukee offers. The only difference is that it does not have the One-Key technology as 2863-20 does.

Only 8.39″ in length which is the most compact of all the high-torque wrenches.
Has a 1-4 drive mode. So you will never accidentally break a bolt with too much torque.
REDLINK PLUS™ intelligence prevents damage to the tool and battery due to overloading or overheating
REDLITHIUM™ batteries deliver more work per charge and more work over the life of the battery
Features a friction ring design to ensure quick and easy socket changes
Premium rubber overmold withstands corrosive materials and provides increased comfort when in use
LED light to illuminate the work area

Milwaukee Electric Tools 2863-20 M18 Fuel One-Key 1/2″ Specifications:

Features One-Key technology which allows you to track your tools using GPS, dial in certain settings, and easily handle warranty claims with Milwaukee.
The 2863-20 1/2″ impact wrench is the same as the 2767-20, with the only difference being the added one-key technology.
- Most people do not need to pay more for the One-Key technology. It is useful if you own a tool of tools or are a contractor.
- If you’re not loaning your tools out, or worried about theft, then there is no need to pay the extra money for the One-Key technology. It may get better as time goes on, but there is no real benefit unless you’re a contractor or worried about theft.

Mechanics Voted On The Best 1/2″ Cordless High Torque 1/2″ Impact Gun:

People will argue about this for hours. However, even technicians that have owned Snap-On 1/2″ cordless guns agree, the Milwaukee line-up is awesome. Dewalt also makes an awesome 1/2″ impact driver, but it hasn’t been as beloved as the Milwaukee line of automotive cordless tools has. For me, it has to do with the fact that Milwaukee has something like 145 tools that all work off the same m18 battery. Meaning you have endless choices for upgrading your tools and being able to handle all your warranty claims through the same manufacturer.

I personally own the 1/2″ Fuel high impact torque wrench, the one before they added the four power levels, and the loosening torque is beastly. Mine is the m18 1/2″ 2763-20 which is discontinued as of late 2018, and it only has 1100 ft-lbs of loosening torque. I say only as if 1100 ft-lbs isn’t enough when in reality my gun has not loosened a bolt.

The new fuel 1/2″ impacts guns (both the 2863-20 and the 2767-20) have 300 more pounds of breaking torque (1400 ft-lbs), which is awesome. There is literally nothing on a small car or truck that these guns won’t loosen. Many technicians say they only need to bust out their air tools when they’re working on semi-trucks or other super heavy duty bolts. The other downside of cordless tools is that they’re often larger and heavier than their air tool cousins.

I asked a group of 30,000 professional automotive technicians what their favorite 1/2″ Impact Cordless Gun was, and the results were staggering. Milwaukee won by a landslide. These are people that buy Snap-On for pretty much everything else, and they were all quick to say that the Milwaukee slams the competition.

You really can’t go wrong buying the Milwaukee 2767-20, plus it doesn’t hurt that I found this awesome deal on Amazon right now.

Many technicians then add on or already own, the Milwaukee 3/8″ Stubby Cordless Impact Gun which makes short work of everything from lug nuts to most bolts and nuts. Click the link above to see the awesome price on Amazon, and let me tell you many technicians use that tool all the time. Combine that with the 1/2″ gun and there is pretty much nothing that will stop these Milwaukee’s cordless tools.

Milwaukee offers a 5-year warranty on the tool. You get a 3-year warranty on the batteries, and it costs way less than the tool truck brand equivalent. In fact, many tool trucks will actually sell technicians Milwaukee cordless tools because they know they’re so much better than the Snap-On equivalents.