Trying to find the most powerful cordless impact wrench for your needs can be exhausting, particularly if you’re a beginner and busy. Want to save more time and effort without affecting your choice? Following the list below:
- Milwaukee 2767-20 M18 – My favorite choice
- DEWALT DCF899HB – Top rated
- Makita XWT08XVZ – Long battery life
- DEWALT DCF890B – My top pick
- Milwaukee 2754-20 – M18 – Runner up
- Makita XWT12ZB – Ultra-compact
Most powerful ½ inch cordless impact wrenches
Milwaukee 2767-20 M18 – My favorite choice
- Powerful enough to work on stuck-on bolts or the toughest fasteners
- Offer multiple modes to adjust the torque to your needs
- Can prevent overloading tool and overheating batteries
- Heavy -> quickly beef up your arms during long-term jobs
With 1000 foot-pounds of max torque, it allows the cordless tool to take on the toughest tasks, even stuck-on bolts.
Control is also it’s forte as there are up to 4-mode drive system. Compared to its sibling – the Milwaukee 2763-20, we could find this is a bit superior (4 modes vs. 2 modes). This upgrade will prevent you from the break a bolt accidentally with too much torque.
What we like the most is the REDLINK PLUS intelligence. While working on heavy-duty tasks usually leads to overloading on the tool and overheating on the batteries, this is specifically built to solve that.
Product Specs
| Max torque | 1000 ft-lbs |
| Reverse Torque | 1,400 ft-lbs |
| Voltage (18v or 20v) | 18V |
| Weight | 5.91 pounds |
| Highlight Features | 4-mode drive control with bolt removal mode; REDLINK PLUS intelligence; REDLITHIUM batteries; friction ring design; LED light |
Built with powerful torque and good control, the Milwaukee 2767-20 is perfect for heavy-duty tasks, even the toughest fasteners.
DEWALT DCF899HB – Top rated
- Can handle an 8-foot drop with no damage
- Equipped with bright LED lights with 20-second delay for better visibility with the extra convenience
- Good grip and shock absorption to make the tool very stable
- Much heavier than other counterparts
- Inconvenient directional switch placement
- Work loudly
Constructed with a heavy-duty impact mechanism, brushless motor, and chemical-resistant shell, we believe the durability of this tool is a tried-and-true benefit. In fact, it can withstand daily abuse usage as well as hold up well an 8-foot drop.
While the price is relatively high, its practical add-on features sweeten the deal. Such as the LED lights with a 20-second delay, the hog ring, and the ergonomic handle.
Product Specs
| Max torque | 700 ft./lbs. |
| Reverse Torque | 1,200 ft./lbs. |
| Voltage (18v or 20v) | 20V |
| Weight | 5.8 lbs. |
| Highlight Features | 3-speed selector switch; LED work light with 20-second delay; Brushless motor; 1/2″ Anvil with hog ring |
If you need a beefy impact wrench with a good grip on your sockets and a decent anvil that is resistant to drops, this is the best candidate.
Makita XWT08XVZ – Long battery life
- Give 50% longer operation time per charge than other counterparts
- Prevent over-discharging, overheating, and overloading efficiently to last longer
- Small and compact to easily control
- A bit heavy, not recommended for people with weak hands
It features a Makita brushless motor and 3-speed power selection switch so aside from more accurate fastening control, you will get a powerful max torque of 700 foot-pounds.
The biggest selling point is Makita 18 volts li-ion batteries – known as the world’s largest (and also fastest charge time) cordless power tool system. They can avoid over-discharging, overheating, and overloading quite well while giving up to 50% longer operation time per charge.
Product Specs
| Max torque | 740 ft./lbs. |
| Reverse Torque | 1,180 ft./lbs. |
| Voltage (18v or 20v) | 18V |
| Weight | 7.9 lbs. |
| Highlight Features | 3-speed power selection switch; 1/2″ anvil with friction ring; BL Brushless motor; Built-in dual L.E.D. lights with pre glow and afterglow |
Offering 50% longer operating time than regular models, the Makita XWT08XVZ allows you to finish much more work, saving you time and effort.
Most powerful ⅜ inch cordless impact wrenches
DEWALT DCF890B – My top pick
- Lightweight and compact to not make your arms fatigue when working hours with it
- Can fit into tight spaces -> more versatile to work on different jobs
- Include a belt clip for hands-free capability
- On some jobs down on the roads, its brushless motor is quick to wear out
- The hog ring is too small
At least, your arms won’t feel numb or exhausted because the unit only weighs 2 pounds, around 2 to 6 pounds lighter than other counterparts.
The modest silhouette helps it fit into many narrow spaces while a belt clip included keeps your hands free for working on a certain thing. In short, it makes everything more convenient.
A big bonus is its incorporation with multiple speed triggers so that you can customize its pace to fit the tasks you’re currently working on.
Product Specs
| Max torque | 150 ft./lbs. |
| Reverse Torque | – |
| Voltage (18v or 20v) | 20V |
| Weight | 2 pounds |
| Highlight Features | 3 LEDs; a variable speed trigger; a belt clip included; 3-year limited warranty |
Packed with convenience and compactness, the DEWALT DCF890B is perfect for people who are tired of dragging around air hoses.
Milwaukee 2754-20 – M18 – Runner-up
- Offer a perfect hand-in grip to limit irritation during your work
- Offer various modes to let you control its speed and torque for different tasks
- Made of skin-friendly materials
- Can’t fit into tight places
You will also get the liberty to control its speed and torque through the 4-mode drive control system provided.
The best thing is, it’s built with a perfect hand-in grip, providing good dry and tightness that you can hold it firmly and comfortably even in a long time until the work gets done.
The handle also gives no risks to your skin nor sweats your hand as it’s made from only skin-friendly rubber materials.
Product Specs
| Max torque | 210 ft-lbs. |
| Reverse Torque | – |
| Voltage (18v or 20v) | 18V |
| Weight | 2.5 pounds |
| Highlight Features | 4-Mode DRIVE CONTROL; Friction Ring design; Belt Clip included |
With a tight budget, if you have never tried a cordless impact wrench built with world-class technologies before, the Milwaukee 2754-20 will make you pleasantly surprised.
Makita XWT12ZB – Ultra-compact
- Ultra-compact, lightweight, and comfortable to hold
- Feature dual LED lights to improve your visibility in dark areas
- Batteries are protected from overheating
- Automatically stop rotation when “feeling” the fasteners loosen up enough
- Deliver fewer speed settings
- Not suit for heavy-duty tasks
It features ergonomic construction with 2.7 pounds of weight and 5-5/8″ dimensions that tend to work excellently in any overhead applications and narrow spaces.
Though delivering only 130 foot-pounds at the max torque, the unit is controllable and powerful enough for internal works. Anything outside the engine, for example, intake manifolds, removing valve covers, and transmission pans might fall into its sweet spot.
While being so “cute” and compact, we love that Makita didn’t forget to add some safety features to this. Such as the Star Protection Computer Controls, the LED work light, and the Reverse Rotation Auto-Stop Mode.
Product Specs
| Max torque | 130 ft.Lbs. |
| Reverse Torque | – |
| Voltage (18v or 20v) | 18V |
| Weight | 2.7 lbs. |
| Highlight Features | 2-speed; Reverse rotation auto-stop mode; Extreme Protection Technology; Dual L.E.D. lights |
If most of your current work doesn’t require a ton and a half of power, the Makita XWT12ZB is more than likely to get those tasks done.
How to choose a good cordless impact wrench? (buying guide)
Grip
When you’re into the market searching for a cordless impact wrench, there will be thousands of results with numerous sizes and shapes. But what you actually have to focus on is its grip and hand-feel.
“Comfort” and “a good grip” are what you should bear in mind. Pay attention to the rubberized surface: Is it supportive for you to orient the tool with ease and control?
And the trigger placement: Is it located in a place within the reach of your hand?
Battery Type
| Nickel Cadmium Batteries | Lithium-Ion Batteries | |
| Strengths | Low price | Longer lasting Limit power drops efficiently to deliver more consistent power Hold a charge better |
| Weaknesses | Quickly out of juice Power drops often happen during the use Time-taking to charge them | Pricier |
Above is a comparison table between two common types of battery on the market at the current. We will leave the choice for you.
Torque
This term tells you about the amount of turning force that your cordless impact wrench supplies.
Its measuring unit is foot-pound (or ft-lbs.)
The higher the torque, the harder tasks it can do, so we would say this feature is dependent on your power needs. Here are some clues to give you an idea of how much torque to opt for:
To remove the crankshaft of an engine, an impact wrench should feature 1,100 ft-lbs. of torque while for removing an Axle or changing a car tire, the range of 300 to 600 ft-lbs. is fine.
Best impact wrench brands
Milwaukee
Milwaukee is one of the longest-standing companies here – founded in 1924, and it’s been spending such a long time to work side-by-side with real users to get an insight into what they need. Hence, it’s a reliable choice for diehard automotive tool guys.
DEWALT
Another good competitor is DEWALT. Since 1922, it has been one of the market leaders in this industry, getting attention not only through the signature eye-catchy design but also the real quality and many awards. This year, they have received 9 innovation awards from PTIA.
Makita
Makita is a Japanese company, established in 1915 and specialized in manufacturing power tools. Through years, it’s now been a global company with hundreds of subsidiaries over the US, UK, Germany, and China.
FAQs
How much torque do I need for an impact wrench?
The choice of torque is dependent on the application. Different application results on different torque requirements.
| Application | Torque (ft-lbs.) |
| Install & remove the rims | 75 – 100 |
| Repair the greenhouses from plastic | 100 – 150 |
| Rail constructions | 450 – 750 |
| Tighten large-sized fasteners | 200 – 1650 |
Should you use an impact wrench to tighten lug nuts?
No, you shouldn’t because it’s very easy to over-torque them, which takes risk of accidents. Instead, use a ratchet and then finish up with a torque wrench.
Can I use chrome sockets on impact wrench?
No, you can’t.
As chrome sockets are too hard to warp when being impacted, using them on an impact wrench is prone to cause serious damage to its anvil head.
What is the difference between regular sockets and impact sockets?
There are 4 basic differences between these two types of sockets:
Color: This is the feature that helps you quickly distinguish regular sockets from impact sockets (typically black) in a toolbox.
Locking pins: Only the impact sockets come with a grooved ring one their drive socket end to enable a locking pin
Usage: Impact sockets are specifically designed to cope with the vibration caused by drivers or impact wrenches so they suit only for these two tools. The regular sockets meanwhile can fit with various ¼”, 3/8”, and ¾” ratchets.
Materials: Impact sockets are crafted from chrome molybdenum whereas regular sockets are from chrome vanadium.
Can impact driver be used as impact wrench?
Yes, it can.
As an impact drive can do both carpenter and mechanic jobs, it’s possible to be used as an impact wrench. For example, you can use an impact driver to screw in lug nuts and bolts as long as there are proper bit and attachment.
Can I use a hammer drill as an impact wrench?
No, you can’t.
As these two tools are different in purpose, you can’t use a hammer drill as an impact wrench.
A hammer drill is designed for drilling into concrete, brick and other hard surfaces while an impact wrench is limited to fastening or loosening nuts and removing screws.
Conclusion
Any cursory glance around the web could make you drown in a bunch of options. As narrowing down the field and picking the most powerful cordless impact wrench that suits you is struggling, allow our thorough advice and intensive testing to help you is the best way.
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I’m James J. Decker, a hobbyist and DIYs and also a big of home improvement and gardening tools. I immensely enjoy how these amazing products improve productivity and efficiency, and allow me to do jobs for which I would’ve otherwise needed professional help.
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