5 Cheaper Impact Drivers That Outperform Milwaukee

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There are two types of tool owners in the world: those who know how invaluable an impact driver can be, and those who think a cordless drill/driver is all they need. Of course, the specific driver you're using is also critical. Not only do many major and no-name brands offer an impact driver, but several have multiple models themselves, adding to the wide range of choices out there.

For many of us, the two major factors in deciding which impact driver to go with are performance and price. The latter is why a traditionally reliable brand like Milwaukee isn't always everyone's first choice. While it's near the very top of SlashGear's ranked list of the best impact driver tool brands for good reason, its products generally cost more than similar ones from many other companies. For some, the price differential may not be worth it.

That said, while Milwaukee is a great impact driver brand overall, some of its models may not be as good as those from competitors often considered lower-tier than Milwaukee. Even its newer and better models, like the M18 Fuel ¼-inch hex impact driver, sometimes don't match the performance of more affordable tools. Based on tool tests, listed specs, professional reviews, and user sentiment, here are five cheaper impact drivers that outperform Milwaukee. More information on how we selected these products can be found at the end of this list.

After testing several models, Pro Tool Reviews named the Flex 24V ¼-inch hex impact driver its best overall impact driver. Milwaukee's similar M18 Fuel ¼-inch hex impact driver, which currently costs $20 more than the Flex, was the expert reviewer's runner-up. Unsurprisingly, the higher cost of Milwaukee's tool was one of its disadvantages. On average, the Flex had a tenth-of-a-second edge over Milwaukee when it came to RSS screw tests. It also excelled in Pro Tool Reviews' lag screw testing, where the outlet screwed a 1/2-inch x 10-inch lag screw into stacked and glued OSB at max power for 30 seconds straight; the Flex left much less of the bolt sticking out than all brands, Milwaukee included.

These results, along with its listed specs and smaller price tag, are why the 24V ¼-inch hex impact driver is one of the Flex power tools you'll want for your next DIY project. The manufacturer says the device has an impact range of 0-4,450 impacts per minute (IPM) and a max torque of 2,500 inch-pounds. It offers three different speed ranges, maxing out at 1,900, 2,700, and 4,000 rpm, respectively. One of its most notable features is the tool's quick-eject collet for quick and easy bit changes.

Comparatively, the Milwaukee M18 Fuel ¼-inch hex impact driver (model 2953-20) maxes out at 2,000 in-lbs of torque, which is a fairly significant difference. Its maximum rpm of 3,900 comes closer to Flex's, though, as does its peak 4,400 IPM rating. Milwaukee touts its quick-change collet, though it lacks the eject function of the Flex driver. The Flex 24V ¼-inch hex impact driver (model FX1371) is available from Amazon for $159.99.

On Harbor Freight's website, the retailer invites shoppers to directly compare its Hercules 20V ¼-inch Compact 3-speed Impact Driver to the Milwaukee 2953-20 M18 Fuel ¼-inch Hex Impact Driver. One of the first differences shoppers might notice is that the latter costs $109 more than the Hercules driver. These differences don't stop there, though, because the 20V ¼-inch Compact 3-speed Impact Driver is also one of the Harbor Freight tools that are more powerful than Milwaukee.

The Hercules driver has a higher max torque than Milwaukee's (2,200 vs. 2,000 inch-pounds), though Milwaukee offers higher rotations per minute (3,900 to Hercules' 3,600 rpm). Torque Test Channel's rankings confirm that the Hercules offers more torque, and the YouTuber ended up giving a higher overall score to the Hercules impact driver for its better working torque and forward torque. For what it's worth, however, the Milwaukee delivered significantly more reverse torque than Hercules in the tests.

In addition to hard stats, you can also find a lot of subjective praise for the Hercules impact driver, which has a higher, near-perfect average user rating than Milwaukee's. Online discussion echoes these sentiments, with individuals praising Hercules tools' price-to-performance ratio and their proven ability to compete with Milwaukee offerings. The Hercules 20V ¼-inch compact 3-speed impact driver (model HCB81B) is available from Harbor Freight for $69.99.

House brands' lower prices are often associated with reduced quality, but at least one tool from Kobalt — one of the tool brands owned by Lowe's – defies this opinion: the Kobalt XTR 24V 1/4-inch impact driver. When bundled with a battery, charger, and tool case, Kobalt's impact driver undercuts Milwaukee's 2953-20 M18 Fuel ¼-inch hex impact driver by around $130. Milwaukee includes two batteries compared to Kobalt's one, but that extra battery may not be of use to everyone.

Aside from its lower price, Kobalt's driver has outperformed Milwaukee in torque tests conducted by the appropriately-named Torque Test Channel. Kobalt's impact driver delivered higher maximum and reverse torque than Milwaukee's 2953-20, with the latter beating out most impact drivers in the channel's database as of early 2026. Milwaukee's impact driver did outperform the Kobalt in terms of average working torque, but the expert reviewer ended up ranking the Kobalt over Milwaukee overall.

GearLab also places Kobalt's impact driver over Milwaukee's in its list of the best impact drivers, naming the XTR 24V 1/4-inch impact driver its best overall driver after lab-testing multiple models. The tool scored a perfect 10 out of 10 when it comes to torque, speed, and battery. While the two impact drivers were about equal when it came to average fastening and breaking torque and had the same result in a plywood ledger screw test, Kobalt's driver proved faster in GearLab's lag bolt test. The Kobalt XTR 24V 1/4-inch impact driver kit (model KXID1424A-03), which comes with a battery, charger, and hard-shell storage case, is available from Lowe's for $189, though you can get it for as low as $90.

Like Milwaukee, Makita makes and has made several impact drivers, so it can be tricky to determine which Makita impact driver works best for you. The Makita 18V LXT cordless impact driver is an older model (XDT131), but it competes well against Milwaukee's more recent 2953-20 M18 Fuel ¼-inch hex impact driver when it comes to overall user ratings from Home Depot customers. Plus, it's $20 cheaper. Makita also sells an 18V LXT impact driver kit that comes with a battery, charger, and tool bag for the same price as Milwaukee's driver.

The max impacts per minute of the Makita XDT131 is a bit lower than the newer Milwaukee product's, and it delivers less max torque (1,500 vs. Milwaukee's 2,000 inch-pounds), but many Home Depot customers and Reddit users find that it offers everything they need. It's worth noting that the XDT131 isn't the first time Makita has offered a cheaper impact driver that nonetheless outperformed Milwaukee.

Consumer Reports' CR recommended list of impact drivers includes several products, including the Makita XDT16 and Milwaukee 2850-22CT. While it ranked the Milwaukee above Makita's offering, the latter still tied the former in power and outscored the former when it came to handling and battery. The Makita XDT16 can also be found for less than the Milwaukee 2850-22CT, though both are increasingly hard to find in stock. The Makita 18V LXT cordless impact driver (model XDT13) is available from Home Depot for $159.

Caterpillar offers a line of smaller-scale Cat tools and accessories that can be handy on the jobsite, and among them is its Cat 18V ¼-inch impact driver. This impact driver offers three speeds (peaking at 3,200 rpm) and a brushless motor. After testing it in the lab alongside other brands, Consumer Reports included the device on its list of the best impact drivers of 2026.

That's impressive given that the tool has been around for a few years and its maximum torque of 1,900 in-lbs is shy of the max torque of Milwaukee's 2953-20 M18 Fuel ¼-inch hex impact driver — which, it's worth noting, doesn't feature on CR's best-of-2026 list. It's also listed on Lowe's website for less than what Home Depot sells the 2953-20 for. However, there's a catch — Cat's impact driver is discontinued and out of stock at Lowe's. It's tough to find out of the box elsewhere, as well.

If you're looking for a newer tool that's easy to find, then the Cat 18V ¼-inch impact driver isn't a great choice. However, given that CR has ranked it over Milwaukee, its value makes it worth looking out for at yard sales, flea markets, and online marketplaces — and the same goes for refurbished models you might find on Amazon or from other retailers. Its 1,900 in-lbs of max torque can be used for all kinds of applications and is higher than that of Milwaukee's older 2850-22CT, which peaks at 1,600 in-lbs.

To keep things fair, we only compared impact drivers in the same general category — cordless tools powered by either 18V, 20V, or 24V batteries, which are all roughly equivalent in the power tool market. We also made sure to only compare like-for-like prices; thus, we either compared tool-only prices or those of bundles including batteries and other accessories.

We considered objective and subjective evaluations to conclude that these tools outperformed Milwaukee's products. In addition to manufacturers' specs, we also referred to the results of actual testing to determine real-world performance. These tests were conducted by reputable YouTube channels and publications, including Pro Tool Reviews, GearLab, Consumer Reports, and Torque Test Channel.

Additionally, the overall scores based on subjective formulas used by some of these testers were taken into consideration, as were user sentiments found in written customer reviews and ratings from owners. Online discussions in tool forums like those on Reddit were also used to source subjective feedback for impact drivers made by Milwaukee and other brands, with an emphasis on self-identified professionals and DIYers with years of firsthand experience using the tools.