A side-by-side comparison based on expert reviews and community consensus. We analyzed the sources to figure out which one actually belongs in your cart.
The Milwaukee M12 FUEL isn't just better — it's in a different league. At 400 inch-pounds of torque, two batteries, and two years of verified real-world use from The Spruce, it's the rare compact drill that doesn't make you wish you'd grabbed the 18V. The Black & Decker earns its place only in one specific scenario: you need the absolute tightest side clearance money can buy and you're never driving anything harder than a drywall screw.
The tightest side clearance of any drill CNET has tested at 1-18/64 inches — ideal for cramped cabin
Pro-grade power in a shockingly compact 12V body. At 400 inch-pounds of torque, it matches many 18V
The Milwaukee delivers 400 inch-pounds of torque — numbers that rival many 18V drills. The Black & Decker doesn't publish its torque spec, which tells you everything you need to know. In practice, this means the Milwaukee drives lag bolts into hardwood without breaking a sweat, while the Black & Decker is best kept to softwood, drywall, and light assembly. If you've ever had a drill stall halfway through a screw, you know how maddening that is — the Milwaukee simply doesn't do that.
The Black & Decker ships with a single 1.5 Ah battery. The Milwaukee comes with both a 2.0 Ah and a 4.0 Ah. That's not a spec sheet flex — it means you're never waiting on a charge mid-project. With the Black & Decker, one dead battery means your whole job stops. For a $50 drill that's forgivable, but it's a genuine friction point the Milwaukee eliminates entirely.
The Black & Decker's 1-18/64-inch side clearance is the tightest CNET has ever tested — beating even the Bosch PS31 by a hair. The Milwaukee, at 5.95 inches long, is impressively compact for its power class but doesn't claim the same side-clearance crown. If you're regularly drilling inside cabinet frames or in genuinely cramped corners where every fraction of an inch counts, this is the Black & Decker's one legitimate edge.
The Milwaukee costs roughly $130 more than the Black & Decker. That's not nothing. But the Milwaukee ships with two batteries, a higher-torque motor, 12 clutch settings versus fewer on the Black & Decker, an LED worklight, and a metal belt clip — and it's backed by two years of documented real-world use. The Black & Decker is a fair deal at $50. The Milwaukee is a better deal at $180 if you're actually going to use it.
The Milwaukee M12 FUEL isn't just better — it's in a different league. At 400 inch-pounds of torque, two batteries, and two years of verified real-world use from The Spruce, it's the rare compact drill that doesn't make you wish you'd grabbed the 18V. The Black & Decker earns its place only in one specific scenario: you need the absolute tightest side clearance money can buy and you're never driving anything harder than a drywall screw.
