20 Best Impact Driver For Mechanics (2023 Updated)

Working up on a 12 ft ladder and I missed my belt with the hook. As it fell I was able to kick it with my foot aiming it toward the wall so it would bounce and slow it down a bit. Unfortunately, it shot onto the concrete and then bounced like a telletubby right out the door and I heard the sound of my job being extended by a day so I could replace my drill driver.

I sulked and lectured myself as I came down the ladder and much to my surprise when I reached the yellow torpedo, it was just still in one piece and just scratched. Like a scared kid shooting his first gun I squeezed the trigger to see if it even worked.

My eyes got so big when I saw the lights come on and heard the driver engage. Like that scared little kid overcoming his fear I squeezed the trigger to its fullest and heard it sing. I gave it a hug and praised the dewalt makers for building an electric tool that would survive my incompetent belt clipping.

I do wish it had a few things. 1. A switch to turn the light off for daylight working to improve the battery life. 2. A quieter driver so when I work with my kids they don’t have to wear earplugs to avoid the reverberations in my garage.

Keep up the good work there at dewalt and let me know if you need any professional product drop testers!!.

I have had this impact driver for about two years. This is now discontinued, but the current series have the same number series. Mine is the DCF885. Bought it as a kit with charger and two batteries.

I was a skeptic on this at first, but manufactured in U. S. A. got my attention, (although I understand some parts are “Global”). I have used this tool a lot. I take care of my tools, but occasionally, you drop or “abuse” things some.

It has survived this without issues. This tool, and many other DeWalt 20v Lithium Max tools I now own, have sold me on the line. I can’t say enough good about this little, very powerful driver. You can drive a 3-1/2″ T25 Torx head screw right thru a 2″ oak board if not careful! Whoever designed this tool must have actually USED it.

Comfortable, balanced, compact, and powerful would describe the main features. Innovative nice features, like the little rubberized pads on the sides, strategically placed to prevent the tool from sliding off of roofs or other angled surfaces.

Easy to operate reverse switch (for older people like me with arthritis) make the tool easier to handle. Quick change chuck is compact and easy to operate, and has held up to much use. LED lights on the front make it handy to use in darker places.

Tough battery retaining flange has stood up to several drops on hard surfaces. And battery life. Hands down, the best 20v battery on the market for the whole DeWalt cordless tool line. Can get a days use with the 5aH battery.

The new version doesn’t appear to have changed much from this one. I see no reason why this tool wouldn’t last for easily 5-10 years of frequent use if taken care of. Great product. DON’T CHANGE too much on this in new designs unless it is an improvement.

I had one of the first designs of this 20volt impact. I upgraded to this version of the brushless as it was 200in/lbs more than my other version, Lighter and smaller to get into tighter places. The 1.

6in difference does make a good bit of a change to warrant this purchase in my book. Although it came with a small 2ah battery my other 5ah xr would be of greater use. Not to mention it gave me an extra charger to keep hot-swapping as my projects and work was going on at the same time.

I have gotten almost an entire day with my 5ah battery rebuilding my storage shed and Garage in a weekend. I was also able to keep both 5ah batteries charged for approx 6 months of no use, use them both pretty much continuously for 6 days hot-swapping them and then about 4 months later they were still charged to full capacity.

My other tools Mill***EE. won’t even touch this. had one of those batteries fail and not even take a charge with that much intermittent use and charge. Dewalt is My Brand from now on. Buy the dcf885c1 kit bere the tool only version for the same price.

Home Depot has them always for the same price and ship to store is free.

I purchased this tool to install vinyl siding in an area that has very high wind using 1 inch SS hex screws with a 5/16 nut setter. A little over 6000 screws were installed and it never missed a beat! It being compact made it easy to get into tight places.

I rotated the 2 batteries that comes with it and “never” had to stop due to lack of power. The fast trigger also made it easy to set the screws the proper depth. I am not a contractor but we did have some working nearby and came to see what we were doing and were very impressed with how fast the installation went.

I too am impressed with this tool and how well the batteries held up.

I got this for a great price and it’s been worth every penny. I beat this thing like I do with all my tools and it’s still kicking. Here is my favorite feature. the chuck. Being able to grab a bit and just pop it into the chuck without using your other hand to pull the collar out is great.

I lose it when I happen to pick a Milwaukee tool and do a bit change. It’s the little things, plus it has way more torque that my m18 stuff. One of my favorite tools in the arsenal.

I built a sawmill with hundreds of 3/8 bolts to tighten. Yes hundreds. Amazingly strong, and to beat all. the battery will last at least six hours of heavy torque. How much torque? With a 6 combination box wrench, I could just barely break the nuts free on these 3/8 bolts!!! Dont waste your money on something bigger, when this tiny machine will do most everything you need.

And -no need- to buy optional bigger batteries. Plenty long lasting, but always have a pair. Keeps the size down too, for tight places. Score 1-10. an 11. THAT GOOD, NO GREAT A TOOL. And I work for no one, a 65 year old retired commercial diver who knows quality.

VERY IMPORTANT: BE SURE TO GET THIS __EXACT MODEL NUMBER. ___ God Bless All Here.

The media could not be loaded. TL;DR: The Makita XDT16 is the absolute king of impact drivers at the moment. Has competitive power/speed when compared to the most powerful units out there, but far exceeds any of the competition when it comes to weight, compactness, build quality and comfort.

If you can’t afford the XDT16, check out the XDT14 – It’s very similar. I have mostly DeWALT 20V, 60V and Kobalt 24v tools. But I big on comfort and I use an impact driver and drill a lot. So, I sprung for the Makita 18v offerings for my everyday drivers.

The Makita XDT16 is the most compact, lighest weight, best built, most comfortable impact driver on the market, with more power than you’ll ever need out of a 1/4″ impact driver. The trigger and ramp up speed is so much more responsive and usable that it absolutely shamed my DeWALT DCF887.

Not to mention the comfort. In the attached video, you can see me driving 10″ Timberlok fasteners into true 6″x6″ Pressure Treated Fir posts for a timber retaining wall I was building for a customer.

Compared to the competition: The closest competitor to the Makita XDT16 is Milwaukee’s 2854-20 (their newest 1/4″ hex impact driver). It is slightly larger than the Makita, but drives larger fasteners slightly faster.

Not enough to make a difference to the end user. Between these two, if a person isn’t interested in picking up a second battery line, there would be no reason to choose one over the other. If you already have Makita tools/batteries, get the Makita.

If you already have Milwaukee, then get the Milwaukee. They’re comparable in every respect. If you have both Makita and Milwaukee batteries and you want the more comfortable of the two tools, get the MAKITA! DeWALT’s DCF887 & 888 have similar power and speed, but are significantly less compact and less comfortable.

I preferred my old brushed impact driver from DeWALT over their newer XR model, when it came to comfort. In my mind, no comparison. Kobalt 24v & Ridgid 18v & Ryobi 18v – These all fall within the same category in my mind.

They’re the more affordable options. But don’t be fooled, they’ll still do professional quality work. But the reality is that they’re build quality is generally lower and they’re much more bulky and clunky to use.

I presently own the Kobalt 24v XTR impact driver and drill combo as my backups for at the house. They meet or exceed the power of the big name brand offerings, but again, they’re much larger and heavier than Makita and Milwaukee for sure, and probably even than the DeWALT.

I’m a mom of 7 boys. I loved learning how to build things for them & with them (or learning to repair things they’d broken). They’re almost all grown now and I’m slowly upgrading my tool collection. After my 24 year old taught me how his impact driver worked, I decided I needed one myself.

Because my nursing career caused me to have a lot of wrist pain I was looking for lightest, best reviewed subcompact driver. After weeks of YouTube vids and Side by Side Tool Reviews, I finally settled on Makita.

It did not disappoint. I think my favorite thing is the light that stays on for a bit even after releasing the trigger. I actually put 1/4 of my fence up in the dark!.

This unit replaces a Hitachi 18v that is still working but is nearly finished. Firstly, this will have enough power to screw anything into anything, quickly and easily. However the variable trigger works best at full power but is very difficult when trying to slow down when approaching depth, and often goes beyond what youd like to achieve.

Example: when putting 100mm batten screws into pine it easily pulls too deep or strips the thread as the variable speed is difficult to adjust when approaching full depth. With finer screws e. g. 8g or 10g star screws it is even worse as its almost impossible to set a consistent depth and easily can then break the head off.

Im not sure what the alternatives are for the this problem, perhaps the units with seperate speed switch. Unfortunately this wont replace my old Hitachi impact even though Ive switched brands and now have all Makita tools which Im very happy with.

It seems that after you hit 70 years of age you need lots of outside help for projects. I have been a DeWalt customer for 27 years because of their power to weight ratios and design so my recent purchase of a 20v 5ah tool set included this impact driver.

I liked the idea of drilling a pilot hole with the drill and driving the screw with this impact. Except this impact has no torque. The bit spins normally under no load but you can stop it with your fingers.

On any of the 3 settings. It is useless for a driver and would not sink a 5/4″ drywall screw into a cold cube of butter. which is not something I would generally do, but you get the point. And the bit wobbles under no load whatsoever.

Wow! The drill in this set appears strong but now I am wondering about the quality of the other 5 tools included in this set. The closest service center is 455 miles away which means I may get this tool back by next Christmas if I send it in today.

At 2 lbs. this tool would make a lousy boat anchor so I might as well send it off for repair or replacement and hope that I get to use it before my time on this planet is over. This is not the DeWalt company quality control and professionalism that I remember from years ago.

I’m on my third of fourth unit of this model, not because it is poorly made, but because I use them hard and wear them out. I would like to see DeWalt release a new model of this tool with the following changes: I almost never use first gear and by that I basically mean never.

I’ve tried it, and it just doesn’t work for me. I’d rather finesse the trigger in second gear to sink my fasteners. Second point; second gear is always the first to wear out, so I run third gear almost all the time.

That brings me to the modifications I would like to see: add a few more windings to the motor, make the magnets a little bigger and forget first and second gear.

This is my go to DeWalt tool which comes with me to every job site. This impact driver is very versatile and has tons of torque! I’ve never had an issue with mine in the last 4 years and I always put it to the test.

It’s been in the rain, it’s been dropped from heights and it’s just keeps going. Paired with a 2 amp battery for light duty or even a 5 amp for more longevity. This tool is useful for my job as a carpenter but also provides useful around the house and small work on my car! Love this thing!!!!.

I usually use a palm sander but that wastes a lot of time when I’m working on a big DIY home improvement project, like building a new outdoor dining table for our deck, so I decided to add a belt sander to my toolbox.

After spending considerable time shopping and comparing belt sandra, this was the best option to meet my non-professional needs. Unlike most belt sanders in this price range, the SKIL belt sander provides a dust collection port that can be attached to a shop vac.

Considering the large quantity of sawdust produced by belt sanders, those that limit dust collection to an attached bag or compartment is a deal breaker for me. I also trust the SKIL brand as I own a couple other SKIL power tools and have been pleased with their performance and durability after years of use.

I’d have preferred a cordless option as well, but in this price range that luxury feature simply doesn’t exist.

This works very well. Now in fairness I haven’t tried this to drill concrete or other quick insert bit drilling but I can say that this works well for the intended purpose. I like the first speed that mostly replaces why I would still use a drill for driving screws and it should since they call it the screwdriver setting.

I’ve only done some work around the house like screwing 2x4s together or attaching fence boards and it does that well. I’m in speed two for just about everything not delicate and speed three is nice for denser spots in the wood.

Outside of the impact driver I like the case but can’t report how well it works when dropped from 100 feet up. The charger is good for the batteries and the batteries are a step up from the usual starter batteries so they do have some practicality with other DeWalt tools as well.

They also last a long time in the impact driver.

This is a powerful and ergonomic driver. It is nice and light with the smaller batteries but they do last a long time. Even when not used for months the batteries hold their charge. Price was very good from Tyler.

I try to buy all my power tools from Tyler. Fast shipping and great selection. All of my cordless tools are Dewalt and I am satisfied with them. They offer several battery sizes so you can pick the right battery for the right job.

I had a hard time getting a power steering pump out of a front wheel drive car. You know how it is. All the pulleys are about 2 and a half inches from the wheel well. You go in from the side, but the top side of the wheel well doesn’t open up.

So you go in from the bottom AND the side. Then one of the mounting bolts is directly in line with the high pressure line fitting. You need a flare nut wrench to get the fitting off, to get to the mounting bolt to get the pump out, but there isn’t enough room to get leverage on the flare nut wrench.

I know what you’re thinking. Use a crows foot flare nut wrench. But I had to order one. That would take a couple days. In the mean time, and I don’t know how, I got that stubborn 10 mm bolt off with the box end side of a wrench.

It was a craftsman. This was after the stubborn fastener destroyed my 10 mm gearwrench ratchet wrench. There wasn’t enough room for even a pass through socket. All four of the mounting bolts were loose and the power steering pump came out.

Except that that high pressure line was still on. I pulled the power steering pump from the engine bay like a doctor pulling a baby from the womb—with the umbilical cord still attached. With an 18 mm flare nut wrench, I tried to get the line loose.

My left hand couldn’t hold the pump still enough as I wrenched with my right. I was trying to hold the pump in mid air so as to not press down on the plastic valve cover. Coming up with a countervailing force was the new challenge.

Maybe mount the pump back on the engine, crawl underneath and get at it with the crows foot that finally came, I thought. Or screw it down to a big two by four that straddled the engine bay. Or. or. get my craftsman 1/2 inch impact wrench and zip it off.

The metal high pressure line was in the way for a full rotation because of how it bent. The nut needed a little zip of power, not too much. Then I remembered I got that 3/8ths impact I hadn’t tested much other than taking off a lug nut.

So with an extension and the crows foot, I zipped the trigger for a split second as a held the pump from underneath with my left hand. The nut needed to be broken free, not whirled off. No go. Wouldn’t budge.

Zipped the trigger again. Same duration. Nothing. A little longer this time. Even if it doesn’t budge, finger off the trigger after a long second, I told myself, and it did buzz loose. The crows foot rotated into the pump housing and stopped.

No damage. Saved me a headache, a possible wood working project, skinned knuckles and I don’t know how many pairs of latex gloves from having to reattach a leaky pump. When I zapped it off, I made sure to take my glove off and use a clean hand.

The wrench still looks new.

This is no doubt the best deal on the market. Less than 60 bucks for 2 batteries, a charger, and the perfect impact driver that is lightweight like a dewalt and efficient like a porter cable. It even has a battery checker on the back that tells you how much battery you have left.

Free shipping and it came in literally a day and a half after I ordered it. All the other deals for an impact driver, two batteries, and a charger are well over 100 dollars. This option is a real money saver, and personally Id rather have this over a dewalt.

Not to mention it comes with an led light that turns on as soon as you squeeze the trigger and a two year warranty. I hang and finish drywall and this tool is like a dream. I totally 100% recommend investing in this amazing deal, you wont regret it and if you buy any other deal, you will feel like you have been robbed considering it probably costed at least 60 dollars more than this one.

20v and lithium battery, the battery life is not bad at all.

I bought this impact as part of a set with a drill and a few batteries and it was the start of a massive collection. I use this drill everyday at work and it has a home in one of many “Versastack” boxes.

The impact has performed great through all types of the materials I’ve used it on. Used it in cement board, plywood, concrete and for rough in framing. Out performs any drill it’s been up against. If you are trying to decide whether or not to get one, I’d highly recommend this impact and any other Craftsman tools.

I have used craftsman since I could walk. My grandfather used nothing but Craftsman as well as my dad. #RedPower #CraftsmanInMyBlood.

After years of taking my husbands tools and misplacing them, he got the idea to get me my own tools. At first I thought this was ridiculous but Im finding that it was a great idea. My new tool kit consists of 5 new tools so far and this is the first one Ive used.

I was putting a wall desk together for my daughter and lucky me, had my new impact driverl ready and had charged the battery days before and havent used the battery much. I LOVE THIS product!!! I hardly applied pressure to get the screw into the stud in the wall, this thing does the work for you! I thought there was no way I got it into the stud cause it was so easy, but it was!! I got that assembled and on the wall (safely) in under 30 minutes.

Im pretty sure it would have taken me over an hour without my new tools. The only thing I would change is maybe get a longer lasting battery next time. I got the job done but I could tell it was losing power towards the end but it held a charge for me.

Would def recommend this to women who dont want to ask someone to screw something in that would normally be hard for them.

Dewalt. I have been a Dewalt Fan since I got married and my dad made sure I had a 4pc Dewalt Kit Jobsite Radio to Match. He wanted me to have quality tools since so was a newlywed 1st time home owner.

Dewalt has only gotten better over the last 20 years. The batteries have gotten smaller lighter but the have 60x more power. They make high quality products that preform and are super durable and quality.

It’s worth the money to have quality tools. Yeah you can buy much cheaper tools at Harbor Freight that have a “lifetime” warranty. So that means you will be spending you valuable DIY saturdays in line returning a junk power tool for a new one that will last ten minutes and once again your driving back to exchange.

Buy quality and buy Dewalt. They are the very best power tool available in my opinion.

[brand:dewalt] The case is rock solid. You can turn it upside down and shake it and bits and sockets stay in place. The spring in the handle holds bits more than a magnetic one would as well. Just the right selection of bits too.

You can tell who ever chose the bits does a lot of work with this type of tool set. Also like that in every row there is room for a bit that by some slim chance doesn’t come with the set, or for spares.

Everything is a bit tight at first, but loosens up nicely with use. The bits are surprisingly strong for a set under a $100 dollars. I have a can of liquid wrench right next to this set in my tool drawer for that reason.

Have broken very expensive bits with my big ole bear claws. Highly recommend.

I couldn’t find exactly the same product I have, but this is the most similar, mine included 2 cordless hammer/drill, 2 batteries 1 charger and the bag. And i have to say that i love it, bag is big and robust enough to put all my drill bits, tools and drills, the drills are not heavy at all so is easy to work with.

also they have a little led light to let you work at night. Batteries are super cool cuz you can use them not only with the drills but also with other Dewalt products (i have a circular saw and it fits and works perfectly) the only opportunity could be that if the batteries get a little dust on it, they do not charge correctly so you need to blow it to clean it before charge it.

In general the product is awesome.

I actually got this driver as part of a package. I bought it only for the drill – but boy am I glad I have this! I have used this frequently to drive bolts into concrete, loosen, frozen nuts, and more.

The battery life is also incredible, I love that I can swap the batteries between all my tools and they always deliver. I’m really pleased with the quality of DeWalt’s tools. I’ve had many of my DeWalt tools for more than a decade and they still perform like new.

This driver is no exception.

This driver is by far my most used power tool in my toolbox and has knocked out every task I’ve put in front of it — whether it’s driving screws, setting nuts, or boring through wood with a spade bit.

Battery life is exceptionally long using a 2. 0aH battery and the LED lights keep your workpiece illuminated. Three speed settings ensure you’re using the right amount of torque for the job. Again, can’t overstate how happy I am with this driver.

It’s a must have for anyone ranging from a weekend hobbyist to mechanic and everything in between.

Finally built a wood workshop and bought these on sale for $189 to augment a single 18v DeWalt, was tired of swapping bits like a rookie. 1. POWERFUL. Can’t imagine a use for power setting 3 (both units have 3 levels), maybe turning a Ferris wheel or winching a monster truck out of the mud? Sheesh.

If I find a use for 3rd gear I’ll report back. Drove 3. 5″ hex screws using level 2 into hard lumber like push pins. Direct brushless power is the way to go, unreal. 2. Having 3 LED lights is more useful than I would have imagined.

If you have a single LED. no more shadows. 3. Battery indicator on back of battery (not on the bottom) is smart. 4. Impact driver – 1/4″ quick release means bits are a one hand operation both in and out.

When it hits resistance and the impact kicks in, whatever’s on the business end becomes a helpless victim. But put it on power level 1 and it’s delicate enough to drive 1/2″ weak sauce screws into soft wood.

5. Belt clips are easy to add / remove, smart design. Unnecessary in the workshop, but need em on the ladder. Zip zip, done. Ever buy something and be happy with the purchase every time you use it? Yeah, this.

The powerful torque works great in repairing small engines where bolts are stubborn to remove. Speeds up repair time. This impact driver packs a punch when loosing or tightening bolts, but the variable speed provides precision control when you don’t want to over tighten and strip threads.

The low profile allows for easy access in tight assembly and engine areas. It’s durable, great battery life, and built in work light makes work easier for all sorts of home DIY projects. A great value!.

Just bought today i am a carpenter/ diy/ do what ever puts the green in my wallet. Not sure about batteries they are way little for me i am a 4 plus AH person. They have no fuel gauge. But really dont care i wont be using them.

But with the batteries that came with it omg has some torque. I am about to build a 14ft w by 40ft deck and a 12×12 deck so i will be updating review but i love it.

I picked up a Dewalt DCF787C1 impact Drill today and sadely, had to return it within 3 hours of purchase. Immediately upon unboxing and slipping on the battery, I noticed that the battery fits very loosely and wobbles.

If I shake the drill in my hand, the battery wobbles and rattles. I tried this battery in my Dewalt hammer drill driver (DCD778) and it fits snugly. And I tried those batteries that came with 778 on this 787 and they wobble.

So it’s not the batteries. I think this has some quality control issue. I took back it to the store and the customer service opened a new box and tried, and it has the same issue. I also went on to check the demo model on the floor, it also has the wiggly battery contact slot.

I don’t know, if this a defective batch or Dewalt’s quality issue. I like this model, so I will be trying a different store.

I got this as part of the tested for life program and I’ve been wanting to get one for the longest time. I have just a regular drill and I have to say this drill has made everything so much easier. the drill is super light weight and is balanced perfectly it does not feel like the battery is weighing it down.

It has lost of power to screw 4 inch screws with ease. Charging takes no time and the onboard led light is fantastic it stays on for a few minutes after you pull the trigger so you don’t need to keep your finger on it to keep the light lit.

I have a different drill and the light is on the base where the battery is and sometimes your hands get in the way this one is located right above the trigger so its less likely to be blocked by your hand.

Definatly is a part of my tool box now I love it.

After years of corded drills and dealing with extension cords I decided to pick up this drill. Initial impression is that it is one built on quality, good feel and weight (for the size), a drill used by professionals.

I never used a impact driver before and I can definitely say it is designed for fasteners (screws and nuts) because the impact feature will reduce fatigue over a long day. A normal drill typically has a little twist at the end of tightening something.

I really like it on my shed project attaching siding. Makes a job a lot faster.

Of course it’s great, it’s a Makita 18V tool! These guys don’t make anything that’s junk, at least nothing I’ve seen so far and I own about 20 of their tools including the coffee maker! I used this to put quarter sawn wood siding on my house, screw after screw it never hesitated.

The trigger is sensitive enough that if you need to sloooooly put in a screw you can lightly press it and get pretty darn good control. In truth, what it does best is drive screws through wood with the action of an impact.

If you’ve ever tried putting a deck together and found yourself stripping screw heads, this is the tool for you. The impacting action taps them in as they turn and I don’t think I have ever stripped a single screw head with it after a zillion uses.

Can’t say that for my hammer drill! It isn’t powerful enough to take off lug nuts (Makita makes a different tool for that) but for assembling things this will keep you from getting into trouble and is LIGHT, so light you won’t get tired holding it.

It is deceptively light, as if it would never bet powerful enough. Don’t kid yourself, this is a real deal.

I work for a general contractor and I have tried several brands But makita is my favorite! Quality, weight and durability!!! Matter of fact, my buddy got lucky with his one day! He accidently dropped his Impact out of the man basket at about 16 ft over a concrete floor, the battery popped out.

But we went down picked it up and slapped battery back in and went back to work. Couldn’t believe it wasn’t busted! Makita gets a 5 star from me!!.

As usual, Makita is one of the better tool lines IHMO. This driver has been absolutely great and a real time saver. There are different battery capacities available – I chose the 3 amp hour and it lasts well enough and recharges quickly.

Lithium Ion batteries are expensive but so it is with all cordless tool lines.

My new FAVORITE TOOL ever. Female, and do lots of simple/routine construction projects. Regular drills are weighted improperly – they strain your muscles just to hold the drill in the right position.

And when they encounter difficulty, your wrist can be badly sprained before you know it. This one feels well-balanced just holding in your hand. The first time I used this drill and it started “banging” I thought I was stripping the screw and needed to apply more force.

WRONG. This wonderful tool knew it had hit a problem – it didn’t twist my arm off when the going got tough, it started to “pound” the screw in and drive it in, too. I LOVE IT. Maybe a person doing more challenging projects would want something bigger than the 12V version, but I think for 98% of home uses, this size is PERFECT.

And it uses only hex bits and drivers, with the simplest of load and unload. Hooray – no more leaving the drill bit behind in the hole because it loosened during drilling!.

About the DeWalt 12-volt Impact Driver. I found (and then bought) this tool [a Kit: DeWalt 12-volt Impact Driver / Drill / 2-batts / charger / bag] on a discount table about 4-5 yrs ago at HomeDepot.

I almost DIDN’T buy it. The reason being, I hadn’t used or ever seen – or at least noticed Impact Drivers being used by others in my trade; or for that matter the other trades (I’m an electrician). I knew that auto mechanics used pneumatic impact drivers/drills – that’s it].

I was really ignorant as to what an Impact Driver was capable of doing. But because the price was too good to pass up, I ‘took the chance’ and bought it anyway. After I purchased it, I don’t think I even tried using it for a while; not being familiar with it.

But once I gave it a go. Wow! Was I glad I did! And very glad I decided to buy it! Skipping everything else I could say about this little 12-volt champion; I’ll just say that I rarely, rarely use my drills now.

only when I really need to use one. Usually when I want to or need to use my older NON-quick change drill or Uni-bits. Otherwise, it is Impact Driver all the way. Recently I bought the 20-volt DeWalt Impact Driver & Drill Kit (discounted again from HomeDepot).

The 20-volt naturally has more power than my 12-volt, and I do use it. But for my particular needs, I find myself mainly using the 12-volt DeWalt Impact Driver to accomplish most of drilling and driving needs.

Why? It is lighter in weight and more compact than all my other drivers and drills; and yet has more than enough power and endurance to handle the bulk of my needs for any given project during any given day.

I really don’t use the supplied handle, but bought the ‘loop’ holder that clips to my tool belt, and I’m off to the races. Lastly, besides the DeWalt 12-volt & 20-volt Impact Driver / Drill Kits; I have the Rigid 18-volt Impact Driver / Drill Kit; and the Milwaukee 18-volt Rigid Impact Driver / Drill Kit; as well as a 12-volt Rockwell Impact Driver.

Out of and above them all, I find myself using and preferring to use this 12-volt compacted power house: the 12-volt DeWalt Impact Driver. The 20-volt DeWalt is next in line; the Milwaukee and Rigid about even; and I never use the Rockwell anymore (lacks power; speed and will not hook to the belt looped hook).

In addition. I rarely use any of the drills that came in the kits. The drills I use the most up to this point have been the 12-volt & 18-volt Milwaukee Hammer Drills for drilling into concrete. Well done DeWalt.

Now about LOOSING BITS: Yes. Sometimes my quick-lease bits are ejected from and go falling to the floor from my ladder. Meaning, at times, when I have NOT BEEN CAREFUL, and I place the nose of my Impact Driver into those holes supplied in the top of my ladder.

The quick-release mechanism can get caught and it CAN eject the bit onto the floor. Yes. It is annoying when it occurs. Its rather rare, though, I get it caught that way. I’ve learned to be careful not to just JAM the Driver INTO the ladder hole (or with some quick release mechanisms, if you YANK IT OUT of the ladder hole without being careful).

But for me, even not being that careful, rarely does it get caught in such a way that it expels the bit. Another worse scenario: Being in a HOT ATTIC for example. While drilling, say, a hole down into the top plate of a wall with my Impact Driver.

If while PULLING the Impact Driver’s nose UP out of the hole; I fail to be conscious NOT to allow the Drivers Quick Release mechanism to get hung up on the side of the newly drilled hole I made. I may end up seeing (or hearing) my favorite bit goes plummeting down into the wall (perhaps, never to be seen again).

Yes. That is more than annoying! It has happened to me. Yet for me, many of the times this has occurred to me I have been able to retrieve a ‘lost’ bit with a powerful magnet on a string or rod (but not always).

It is rather rare though, that this has happened to me over the years. DRILL vs DRIVER: And frankly, it has occurred more often with a DRILL, where the bit has come loose during drilling. It might not be loose enough not to continue drilling; but loose enough, that after cutting all the wood away (that was keeping the bit from falling) – there goes the bit! All in all though.

I trust a quick release mechanism, more than a drill chuck to keep me from loosing a bit. I’m just very careful if and when I may need to stick the quick release mechanism of the nose of my Impact Driver into the hole in the wood, drywall, metal or otherwise.

PLUS, I carry an extra bit with me just in case. I often say to others or a helper, “Take an extra one of those [whatever bit or part]: One to drop or loose; one to use. ” Murphy’s Law is ever present.

But sometimes you can out wit it. sometimes.

Great tool and value with a light I mean feather light compared to my 18 volt DeWalt drill I’ve had for many years. Came with a great carry bag and two batteries which is so much better for my needs as home do it yourself kinda guy.

Who loves his power tools. The charger was not working and it seemed hopeless until rerview I read had claimed to force the battery’s pack onto charger. That sounds very wrong to me as I used to hit my TV when signals would get fuzzy as a youth we all know how that works.

I had almost orders a replacement when to my shock it worked abd it has been fine since then. I recommend this to anyone who needs a great tool and value.

Purchased this on sale about a year ago to replace some yellow tools that were stolen. Got it with a coupon (remember the good ole days with coupons. ) for less than 50 bucks with the tiny little battery and charger.

About 1/4 what i paid for the yellow driver. I use it with the 5aHr battery projects around the house, building stuff, assembly, demo and working on my vintage cars. It drives screws just as good as my yellow driver did.

For auto work I use it for removing small bolts and screws. Obviously not designed for breaking lug-nuts or head-bolts. We recently sold our home and i had to make significant termite repairs to the deck.

I drove two, 5lb boxes of 3″ deck screws (more than 700 screws) with it over a period of two afternoons. Battery life (5aHr) was great, torque was great but i did have to stop to let the gear box cool down a few times as it would get too hot to touch with bare hands.

Motor never got hot or let out that all to familiar stink of electrical death. Ambient temp was in upper 70s but i was working in direct sun. For a home gamer working on occasional construction projects around the house you cant beat the value of this tool.

Even with the small battery it comes with, its a capable tool. If you’re already invested in the Bauer line its a no brainer. I see the brushless version is available so i will be adding that to my growing list of Bauer tools.

I purchased this combo deal to assemble a playhouse based on recommendations to use and impact driver vs. cordless drill. At first I wasn’t convinced of the need, however I’m also not going to pass up an opportunity to buy another tool 🙂 After using this, I realized I’ve been living under a rock for the last forever.

So happy I purchased. The quick change coupler is a thing of beauty, and truly hope the designer is nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for his work. Since the price point was virtually no pain whatsoever, I purchased a second larger battery, however never needed it.

It works like a regular drill except with a little more torque, then when the impact kicks in it’s very easy to overdrive the screw almost through the piece I was assembling.

I had intended to buy the 1/2″ drill but grabbed the impact driver by accident. Out of curiosity I decided to try it alongside my Milwaukee 12v Fuel driver. I know it’s apples and smaller apples but I was curious.

I love my 12v M12 tools so I took 4 1/2″ timber screws and tried to drive one into and elm log and with 3 tries the M12 only got it half way but the 20V Bauer buried one then finished the one the M12 quit on.

I am impressed. Anyhow I did go back and bought the 20v 1/2″ chuck drill so now I have a set. The drill has been great but the 1. 5 ah batteries are a joke. Get the 5ah battery to make it worth using.

Bigger batter makes it better. Small batteries slump and the recover. The big batteries don’t suffer this. I was countersinking 3/8″ screws in 3/8″ mild steel. That’s a 3/4″ countersink. It did the job with the 5ah battery 16 holes.

The 1. 5 ah battery died on the 2nd or 3rd hole.

Plenty of power, decent battery life when using brush attachments for car cleaning, lots of power for all the stubborn stuck and or rusted bolts I’ve come across owning a mobile home. This impact drill even got some of the worst bolts loose on my older car as well.

It does the job and then some. I always recommend Hyper Tough power tools to those looking for a tool to get the job done on a budget. You can’t go wrong with this impact or Hyper Tough.

I use the 1/2” stubby mainly for changing tires, but have also taken advantage of its small size for nuts/bolts in small spaces. There are more powerful impacts out there, but I find this has the best balance of loosening/fastening torque for removing and installing tires.

There are times where the high torque impact is overkill and that’s where this model shines. Some people have reviewed this impact saying that it doesn’t have enough power for lug nuts. I only use the XC 6.

0 battery and have no complaints or issues with this battery/impact combination, so I’m not sure how other’s are having issues with it. It definitely packs a lot of punch for it’s small size and there is a big difference in power if you use the 6.

0 battery instead of the 2. 0 battery. I recently changed tires on a GMC 3500 using only this impact. Zero issues removing rusty lug nuts on this truck…one of the dozens of vehicles it has been used on.

Very impressed with this tool. A+.

1st of all, I bought from Princeton Tool and got my 1/2 impact very fast and in great condition. 2nd, this thing is an absolute beast for its size!! I’m heavily invested in the M12 line of tools, but not afraid to rip on Milwaukee if I get duds.

This is not a dud by any chance! I immediately took it out and threw some Pittsburgh impact sockets on and hit the lugs on my Dodge Ram 1500 Off Road Edition. not a problem, ripped them as soon as I hit the trigger! Then I took it to my 96 GMC Vandura G3500 1 ton van with 8 lug wheels.

It acted like the lug nuts weren’t even there, and just spun them right off!! This would likely spin the nuts off of anything that the average car guy/builder/diy’er/etc. would ever need. I just can’t imagine why anyone would need more than this unless they’re a professional tech, in which case they may buy this as a supplemental tool on top of their mid and high torque models as well.

I won’t be buying the 3/8 model, and will just use a step-down adapter or use my 1/4 impact. The 3/8 seems kind of useless when you have 1/4 and 1/2 inch models. Remember that if you start using adapters/extensions/etc.

it will affect torque loss. I’ve also seen tests where sockets with less mass can obviously cause less of the “nut busting” power. Just buy this, you won’tregret it.

This is probably my favorite Milwaukee tool besides the new m12 rover light. Combined with a 6ah battery, no bolt stands a chance. This tool is basically all I need to do 90% of all work on my trucks.

Ive done suspension, engine, interior work, diff and transmission work, and It takes off lug nuts easily, it does literally everything. Not only does it spare your wrist from swinging a ratchet all day but the amount of time it saved me as well is priceless.

don’t let a 20-min job become a half day project lol I basically junked my breaker bar because of this tool. Whenever there is a really tight or seized bolt ill whip out the mid torque but its on rare occasions.

The stubby is an awesome little tool and I’m very happy with it. Get yourself the neiko 3/8 sockets and youre set! Highly recommend!.