Top 4 Impact Drivers
Best Accessories: DEWALT DCF885C1 Impact Driver Kit Best Torque: DEWALT DCF887B Impact Driver Best Kit: Makita XDT131 Impact Driver Kit Best Value: BLACK+DECKER BDCI20C Impact Driver Kit
Best Accessories: DEWALT DCF885C1 Impact Driver Kit
This impact driver from DEWALT has three LED lights on its tip, allowing you to see where you’re drilling even if you’re in a dark space. In addition to its 1.5-Amp-hour (Ah) battery, fabric carrying bag, and battery charger, this impact driver can also be purchased in bundles with other tool accessories, such as screwdriver bits and tool sets.
Key Features
2.8 pounds 1,400 inch-pounds Three-year warranty Battery, charger, and case included
What Customers Are Saying
Positive reviews highlighted how lightweight this DEWALT impact driver was and stated that it had a lot of torque despite its small size. In addition, the impact driver was praised for being a solid choice for everyday use around the home. Negative reviews pointed out that the battery was defective or had a poor runtime.
Best Torque: DEWALT DCF887B Impact Driver
This DEWALT impact driver has the highest torque compared to the other products in this review, giving it enough twisting power to drive screws over and over again. With 2,000 inch-pounds of torque, three LED lights, one belt clip, and three speed options, this driver has all of the features you could need.
Key Features
2.7 pounds 2,000 inch-pounds Three-year warranty
What Customers Are Saying
Satisfied customers said that this driver had a lightweight, compact build and an affordable price. Many also liked its durable brushless motor. Negative reviews noted that this impact driver couldn’t handle simple projects, lacked power, and had charging issues.
Best Kit: Makita XDT131 Impact Driver Kit
This impact driver comes with a lithium-ion battery, battery charger, and carrying bag, providing you with all of the accessories necessary to use and transport the tool. The lithium-ion battery is powerful and long-lasting with its three-Ah rating, while the charger has indicators on one side to give you updates on the battery’s charging progress. Both of these accessories can fit inside of the fabric bag with the tool for easy carrying.
Key Features
7.1 pounds 1,500 inch-pounds 3,400 revolutions per minute (RPM) Three-year warranty Battery, charger, and case included
What Customers Are Saying
Positive customers noted that this impact driver had a long battery life and a lightweight, ergonomic design. Some unhappy customers said that they received used tools, while others stated that their driver overheated quickly.
Best Value: BLACK+DECKER BDCI20C Impact Driver Kit
This BLACK+DECKER impact driver doesn’t sacrifice quality for affordability. It is compact and easy to use, has 18 volts of power and 3,000 RPM of speed, and comes with a variety of accessories. It also features a soft-grip handle to reduce hand fatigue.
Key Features
3.45 pounds 1,375 inch-pounds 3,000 RPM Two-year warranty Battery, charger, and bit included
What Customers Are Saying
Positive reviews said that this driver was useful and powerful enough for everyday home projects. Unsatisfied customers stated that it wasn’t that durable, as it broke after only a handful of uses.
Buyer’s Guide
For the most effective tool possible, choose the impact driver with the highest power, torque, speed, and battery life. Keep reading to learn how to measure these factors.
Power
Power for impact drivers is measured in volts. The three measurements you’ll commonly see with impact drivers are 12, 18, and 20. Twelve and 18 volts describe the number of volts used while the tool is in use, which is called nominal voltage. Twenty volts describes the number of volts used when the driver is first turned on, which is known as maximum voltage. Twenty volts of maximum voltage is equal to 18 volts of nominal voltage. If you’re looking for a more powerful impact driver, choose one that’s 18 or 20 volts instead of 12.
Torque
Torque measures the amount of twisting power the impact driver has. Twelve-volt drivers have about 1,000 inch-pounds, and 18- or 20-volt drivers can have upwards of 1,800 inch-pounds.
Speed
Speed is measured in revolutions per minute (RPM). If your driver doesn’t list RPM, look for a driver that has several speeds. This gives you more control over how fast the impact driver is going, minimizing the likelihood that you’ll overscrew.
Battery
Amp hours (Ah) is used to measure how long an impact driver’s battery will last before needing a recharge. The higher the Ah rating, the longer the battery will last. In addition to battery life, consider an impact driver’s recharge time, and choose one that doesn’t require you to wait hours for your battery to recharge.
Handle
Since you’ll be holding the impact driver for hours at a time, you’ll want a handle that feels comfortable in your hand. The best handles are non-slip and small, allowing you to easily wrap your hand around the driver.
Do corded impact drivers exist?
Yes. Corded impact drivers exist, but there are limited options on the market.
Is a brushed or brushless motor better?
Brushless motors in any power tool, including an impact driver, are better because they last longer, produce less noise, and have more power than their brushed counterparts. One of the reasons that brushed motors still exist is because they’re cheaper to make.
What types of bits do impact drivers use?
Impact drivers use quarter-inch hex-shank driver bits as opposed to the rounded bits that go in a drill. They also use a collet instead of a chuck—you push a collet into the driver to insert or release the bit instead of twisting a chuck to fit around the bit.
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