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Milwaukee M12 3401-20 vs 3404-20: Choose by Hammer Mode and Bit Fit

Choose the 3401-20 for ordinary drilling and driving when its 3/8-inch chuck fits your bits. Choose the 3404-20 when your planned work calls for its documented hammer-drilling mode or a 1/2-inch chuck. Both are bare-tool model numbers, so plan for an M12 battery and charger separately if you do not already have them.

Published by Pickoryx · Published 2026-10-19

Source checked 2026-10-19 22:46 UTC

Products compared

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The buying question

Does the work require a hammer-drilling mode, and will the selected chuck fit the shanks of the bits you plan to use?

The 3404-20 adds a documented hammer-drilling mode and uses a 1/2-inch chuck; the 3401-20 is a drill/driver with a 3/8-inch chuck. Both are bare-tool model numbers, so battery and charger needs must be handled separately.

Quick verdict

Choose Milwaukee M12 FUEL 1/2-in Hammer Drill/Driver (3404-20) if

  • The job calls for a hammer drill/driver and you want the 3404-20's documented hammer-drilling mode.
  • Your planned bit shanks require the 3404-20's 1/2-inch chuck, and you already have, or will separately obtain, an M12 battery and charger.
View Milwaukee M12 FUEL 1/2-in Hammer Drill/Driver (3404-20) on AmazonPaid link
When to skip: You need a battery and charger in the same purchase and do not want to compare or buy a separate M12 starter kit.
When the recommendation changes
  • A required hammer-drilling task or a bit-shank size changes the fit decision.
  • The exact offer includes a battery or charger, or you need those items in the same purchase; confirm the offer contents before checkout.

The differences that matter

Hammer Mode Task Fit

Milwaukee M12 Subcompact Brushless 3/8-in Drill/Driver (3401-20)

3401-20 is a 3/8-inch drill/driver; its manual's selector instructions cover drilling and driving.[1, 2]

Milwaukee M12 FUEL 1/2-in Hammer Drill/Driver (3404-20)

3404-20 is a 1/2-inch hammer drill/driver; its manual includes an explicit hammer-drilling selector mode for 3404-20.[4, 5]

What this changes: A task list that calls for hammer-drilling mode points to the 3404-20 as a feature fit, subject to the manual's application limits; this does not establish measured superiority.[1, 2, 4, 5]

The better fit depends on your priorities

Chuck And Bit Shank Fit

Milwaukee M12 Subcompact Brushless 3/8-in Drill/Driver (3401-20)

3401-20 has a 3/8-inch metal chuck.[1, 2]

Milwaukee M12 FUEL 1/2-in Hammer Drill/Driver (3404-20)

3404-20 has a 1/2-inch all-metal chuck.[4, 5]

What this changes: Use the labeled chuck size to check planned bit-shank fit; it is not a test of drilling performance or capacity.[1, 4]

The better fit depends on your priorities

Best for your routine

The task list specifically calls for hammer drilling, with the bit and workpiece within the manufacturer's stated limits.

Best fit: Milwaukee M12 FUEL 1/2-in Hammer Drill/Driver (3404-20)

Based on listed features, not comparative testing.

The 3404-20 manual documents a hammer-drilling selector mode; the 3401-20 manual documents drill and drive actions. This supports choosing by required function, not by a tested result.

View Milwaukee M12 FUEL 1/2-in Hammer Drill/Driver (3404-20) on AmazonPaid link

The buyer already owns compatible M12 batteries and a charger, or is separately buying them.

No clear winner

Both model numbers are tool-only configurations; neither should be treated as a complete battery-and-charger kit. Confirm the exact offer contents before checkout.

Value and trade-offs

One or both observed offers have eligibility conditions, so no unrestricted price difference is shown.

Any live price gap should be weighed against the specific need for hammer-drilling mode, the selected chuck size, and separately acquired battery/charger needs. No stable premium is asserted.

Price history is unavailable, so timing guidance is undetermined.

Limitations

  • No hands-on or controlled side-by-side drilling test was performed; no speed, torque-under-load, hole-quality, durability, or reliability winner is claimed.
  • Milwaukee's 3401-20 product page calls the model a bare tool and says batteries are sold separately, but a lower section on that same page lists contents from a kit. The distinct 3401-22 kit page identifies 3401-20 as the included drill and lists the kit's batteries, charger, and bag. Verify the precise package displayed at checkout.
  • The 3404-20 page lists the tool and belt clip in the box. Package contents can vary by retailer offer; verify the exact offer before purchase.
  • A chuck's labeled size does not by itself establish a bit's suitability for every material or a tool's drilling capacity. Check the bit and tool manuals for the intended application.
  • Cached prices and availability are not presented as current offer terms; price history was unavailable.

Questions shoppers ask

Do these two models include a battery and charger?

Milwaukee labels 3401-20 a bare tool and says its M12 batteries are sold separately; the page also has a conflicting kit-includes section. The distinct 3401-22 kit page lists batteries, charger, and bag for that kit. Milwaukee's 3404-20 page is also headed Bare Tool and lists the drill and belt clip in the box. If you need a battery and charger, account for them separately and confirm the exact package at checkout.

Which model should I choose for a bit with a larger shank?

The 3401-20 has a labeled 3/8-inch chuck and the 3404-20 a labeled 1/2-inch chuck. Check the bit's shank specification against the chuck and the tool manual; the larger chuck label alone is not a performance or drilling-capacity guarantee.

Methodology and sources

Compared the named 3401-20 and 3404-20 model pages and their operator manuals for hammer-mode task fit, chuck size, and the separately handled bare-tool purchase requirement.

AI assistance organized and compared model-specific manufacturer information; it did not test either tool.

View 5 sources
  1. 1.M12 Subcompact Brushless 3/8-inch Drill/DriverMilwaukee Tool · Official specifications · Source checked 2026-10-19 22:46 UTC
    Evidence used on this page
    • Product overview and specifications; model 3401-20 is described as a 3/8-inch drill/driver bare tool, with batteries sold separately; page also has a conflicting kit-includes bullet.: Identifies 3401-20 and 3/8-inch metal chuck; describes the tool as bare tool and says M12 batteries are sold separately. A lower kit-includes bullet conflicts with that bare-tool wording and is not treated as the selected offer's contents.
  2. 2.3401-20 Operator's ManualMilwaukee Tool · Official specifications · Source checked 2026-10-19 22:46 UTC
    Evidence used on this page
    • Cover identifies Cat. No. 3401-20; pp. 3–4, selector actions and bit-installation instructions.: Exact-model manual identifies the 3401-20 as a drill/driver and describes drill and drive actions. It does not document hammer-drilling mode for this model; no performance claim is derived from the manual.
  3. 3.M12 Subcompact Brushless 3/8-inch Drill/Driver Kit (3401-22)Milwaukee Tool · Official specifications · Source checked 2026-10-19 22:46 UTC
    Evidence used on this page
    • Product overview and kit contents; kit lists 3401-20 drill, two M12 CP 2.0 batteries, M12 charger, and contractor bag.: Shows that the battery/charger/bag list is for the distinct 3401-22 kit, whose included drill is identified as 3401-20. Used to distinguish the kit from bare-tool model, not to claim those kit items are included with product A.
  4. 4.M12 FUEL 1/2-inch Hammer Drill/Driver Bare ToolMilwaukee Tool · Official specifications · Source checked 2026-10-19 22:46 UTC
    Evidence used on this page
    • Product heading, in-the-box list, overview, and specifications for model 3404-20.: Identifies 3404-20 as a hammer drill/driver bare tool; the in-box list names one drill and one belt clip, and the specification lists a 1/2-inch all-metal chuck.
  5. 5.M12 FUEL 1/2-inch Drill/Driver and Hammer Drill/Driver Operator's ManualMilwaukee Tool · Official specifications · Source checked 2026-10-19 22:46 UTC
    Evidence used on this page
    • Cover lists Cat. Nos. 3403-20 and 3404-20; p. 2 chuck specification; p. 3 hammer/drill/drive selector; p. 3 table identifies masonry capacity for 3404-20 only.: Explicitly specifies hammer-drilling mode for Cat. No. 3404-20, separate from drilling-only and driving modes. Supports the model-specific feature and boundaries; does not establish a measured winner.