8 min read
Bottom line
Drilling anchors overhead? The 2917-20 at 6 ft-lb and 14 lb bare is the one you hold up all day. Mixed drilling and wall chipping? The 2918-20 nearly doubles impact energy to 11 ft-lb. Floor and trench demolition? The MX FUEL MXF365-0, a 27 lb hammer rated 26.1 Joules.
Milwaukee's 2026 SDS Max lineup covers three jobs with three tools, and the catalog numbers don't make the split obvious. Two run on M18. The third runs on MX FUEL, Milwaukee's larger cordless equipment platform. Here's what separates them on the wall.
2917-20 vs 2918-20 vs MXF365-0 side by side
All three take SDS Max bits, so your chisels, points, and core bits move between them. What changes is how hard each blow lands, how much tool you're holding up, and which battery system feeds it.
 Milwaukee 2917-20 M18 FUEL 1-9/16" SDS Max Rotary Hammer with ONE-KEY$599.00
See Details
|
 Milwaukee 2918-20 M18 FUEL 1-3/4" SDS MAX Rotary Hammer with ONE-KEY$849.00
See Details
|
 Milwaukee MXF365-0 MX FUEL 27 lb SDS MAX Cordless Demolition Hammer$1,499.00
See Details
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Impact energy, as published | 6 ft-lb | 11 ft-lb | 26.1 Joules |
| Speed | 488 RPM, 3,300 BPM | 347 RPM, 2,625 BPM | 2 speed modes |
| Drilling capacity | 1-9/16 in | 1-3/4 in | Demolition hammer, SDS MAX bits |
| Battery platform | M18 FUEL | M18 FUEL | MX FUEL |
| Weight class | 14 lb bare, 17 lb with battery | 17 lb bare, 21 lb with battery | 27 lb class |
| Chisel positions | 12 | 12 | Not applicable |
| Price band | Under $600 | Under $900 | Under $1,500 |
| Warranty | 5 year limited | 5 year limited | 2 year limited |
| Availability | Available for backorder | In stock | In stock |
Read those energy numbers inside their own units. Milwaukee publishes the two M18 hammers in foot-pounds and the MX FUEL hammer in Joules, the way each platform's specs are written, so the figures aren't interchangeable. The step from 6 ft-lb to 11 ft-lb is the one apples-to-apples jump here, and it separates an anchor drill that also chips from a hammer built to break out wall.
Which SDS Max hammer fits your work?
Pick by the job you do most, not by the biggest number. A ceiling layout day and a slab-breaking day reward opposite tools.
- Best for Overhead anchor drilling: Milwaukee 2917-20 M18 FUEL 1-9/16" SDS Max Rotary Hammer 14 lb bare, 488 RPM and 3,300 BPM, and over 24 holes at 7/8 in by 6 in per M18 REDLITHIUM FORGE HD12.0 charge.
- Best for Heavy wall chipping and large-diameter anchors: Milwaukee 2918-20 M18 FUEL 1-3/4" SDS MAX Rotary Hammer 11 ft-lb of impact energy and 1-3/4 in drilling capacity, with 12 chisel positions for locking a flat chisel where you want it.
- Best for Floor breaking and trench demolition: Milwaukee MXF365-0 MX FUEL 27 lb SDS MAX Demolition Hammer 27 lb class rated 26.1 Joules, with up to 33 minutes of continuous trigger time per MX FUEL FORGE XC8.0 charge.
The 27 lb MX FUEL demolition hammer, in detail
The MXF365-0 runs on MX FUEL, the platform Milwaukee built for equipment that used to need a cord or a generator. Push-button start, no extension runs, no hunting for an outlet. Milwaukee rates it for up to 1.5 tons of material chipped per MX FUEL REDLITHIUM FORGE XC8.0 charge, which it also describes as roughly 63 feet of trench at 4 inches deep, with up to 33 minutes of continuous trigger time. An LED work light and a top handle give you grip positions on the flat. It's in stock and ships with a side handle and a grease tube.
See DetailsIf you haven't bought into MX FUEL yet, the battery is the real decision, not the hammer. Our MX FUEL guide walks through the equipment range and the packs that feed it. Crews already running MX FUEL gear have the packs on the truck.
AUTOSTOP, AVS, VACLINK and ONE-KEY, explained once
The same four technologies show up on all three product pages, so here's the set in one place. The one split worth knowing: AUTOSTOP rides on the two M18 rotary hammers, where a bit that grabs can spin the tool.
| Technology | On which tools | What it does on a concrete job |
|---|---|---|
| AUTOSTOP enhanced kickback control | 2917-20 and 2918-20 | Helps prevent over-rotation when the bit binds in rebar or a tight hole |
| AVS anti-vibration system | All three | Cuts the vibration reaching your hands so a long chipping run doesn't end the shift early |
| VACLINK wireless dust control | All three | Starts a paired dust extractor or vacuum from the tool, so the vac runs whenever the hammer does |
| ONE-KEY | All three | Bluetooth tracking and tool management for crews moving tools between trucks and sites |
Dust is the part of this work that follows you home. VACLINK doesn't do the capturing, the extractor does, but it removes the excuse for leaving the vac switched off. If you're writing an exposure control plan, our OSHA silica Table 1 guide covers how the table entries read and what each asks of the tool and the operator.
Kit or bare tool: which way to buy
Both M18 hammers sell bare and as HD kits, and the kit math is simple. The 2917-22HD adds two M18 REDLITHIUM FORGE HD12.0 packs and an M18/M12 Rapid Charger to the 2917-20, and the 2918-22HD does the same for the 2918-20.
The 2917-20 sits under $600 bare with its kit under $1,000, and the 2918-20 sits under $900 bare with its kit around $1,200. Buy bare only if FORGE HD12.0 packs are already on your truck. Milwaukee also catalogs the demolition hammer as the MXF365-1XC kit at over $2,000; the bare MXF365-0 is what we stock.
The pack matters more than usual here. Milwaukee's per-charge figure for the 2917-20, over 24 holes at 7/8 in by 6 in, is stated with an M18 REDLITHIUM FORGE HD12.0 battery. Our M18 battery comparison shows where FORGE sits against the rest of the M18 lineup.
Key Takeaways
- The 2917-20 is the overhead and repetitive-anchor tool: 6 ft-lb, 488 RPM and 3,300 BPM, 14 lb bare.
- The 2918-20 nearly doubles impact energy to 11 ft-lb and drills to 1-3/4 in, at 17 lb bare.
- The MXF365-0 is a 27 lb MX FUEL demolition hammer rated 26.1 Joules, aimed at floors and trenches.
- Impact energy is published in foot-pounds on M18 and in Joules on MX FUEL, so compare inside each platform.
- AVS, VACLINK and ONE-KEY run across all three tools; AUTOSTOP rides on the two rotary hammers.
- HD kits add two FORGE HD12.0 packs and a rapid charger, the pack Milwaukee's runtime figures use.
Which Milwaukee SDS Max hammer is best for anchor drilling?
The 2917-20. At 14 lb bare and 17 lb with a battery, it's the one you can hold through a ceiling layout, and Milwaukee rates it for over 24 holes at 7/8 in by 6 in per FORGE HD12.0 charge. Step up to the 2918-20 when the job calls for 1-3/4 in capacity.
What's the difference between the 2917-20 and the 2918-20?
Impact energy and capacity. The 2917-20 delivers 6 ft-lb at 488 RPM and 3,300 BPM with 1-9/16 in drilling capacity. The 2918-20 delivers 11 ft-lb at 347 RPM and 2,625 BPM with 1-3/4 in capacity. The bigger hammer hits harder, turns slower, and adds 3 lb bare.
Can I compare 26.1 Joules on the MX FUEL hammer to 11 ft-lb on the 2918-20?
Not directly. Milwaukee publishes M18 SDS Max impact energy in foot-pounds and the MX FUEL demolition hammer in Joules, the way each platform's specs are written. Compare the two M18 hammers against each other, then treat the MX FUEL tool as the heavier class it sits in: 27 lb, two speed modes, no cord.
Do all three hammers take the same bits?
Yes. All three use the SDS Max interface, so chisels, points and core bits move between them. The MX FUEL hammer also takes SDS MAX accessories such as a side load ground rod driver, and both M18 rotary hammers offer 12 chisel positions for locking a flat chisel at the angle you want.
How long does the MX FUEL demolition hammer run per charge?
Milwaukee rates the MXF365-0 at up to 33 minutes of continuous trigger time and up to 1.5 tons of material chipped per MX FUEL REDLITHIUM FORGE XC8.0 charge, which it also describes as roughly 63 feet of trench at 4 inches deep. What you're breaking moves both numbers.
Is the HD kit worth it over the bare tool?
If you don't already run M18 REDLITHIUM FORGE HD12.0 packs, yes. The 2917-22HD and 2918-22HD each add two FORGE HD12.0 batteries and an M18/M12 Rapid Charger. That's the pack Milwaukee's per-charge figures use, so the kit gets you the published runtime on day one.
What warranty comes with these SDS Max hammers?
The M18 FUEL 2917-20 and 2918-20 carry a 5 year limited tool warranty, and in HD kit form the included batteries carry 3 years. The MX FUEL MXF365-0 carries a 2 year limited warranty. Tool coverage is the same bare or kitted; the difference is whether batteries are in the box.
Do these hammers work with a dust extractor?
All three carry VACLINK, Milwaukee's wireless dust control. Pair a compatible extractor or vacuum once and the tool starts it, so the vac runs whenever the hammer does. The extractor still does the capture work, and still needs the right shroud or hollow bit for the hole.
Does AUTOSTOP kickback control come on all three?
AUTOSTOP enhanced kickback control is on the two M18 FUEL rotary hammers, the 2917-20 and the 2918-20, where a binding bit can over-rotate the tool. Milwaukee describes the feature as helping prevent that over-rotation. AVS, VACLINK and ONE-KEY run across all three tools.