Every Major Cordless Impact Wrench Brand Ranked Worst To Best
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Impact wrenches are high-powered tools best known for their use in the automotive and construction industries, for removing wheel lug nuts or fastening lag bolts to girders. In the past, these tools were exclusively driven via compressed air, which. The air moves a drum-like hammer into the drive shaft, or anvil — the thing that holds your socket in place on the outside of the tool. If that initial whack doesn't loosen the nut, rather than sticking in place like a drill, the impact wrench's hammer slides off and rotates again, striking the anvil repeatedly to apply multiple impacts, eventually loosening or breaking off the nut.
While pneumatic tools are still used by pros for their lighter weight, lower cost, and higher power, cordless impact wrenches have seen dramatic improvement. These days they can provide enough power for all but the biggest jobs, and the advantages of a battery-powered impact wrench — portability, accessibility, and not needing an air compressor — have to be considered more seriously.
With so many brands listed on dozens of websites, choosing the right cordless impact wrench can seem daunting, but don't worry. We've put the work in for you, comparing brands and tools, reviewing warranty information, reading product reviews, and watching tool test videos, all to determine who we think are the best cordless impact wrench brands. Just remember: Putting together a list of 10 from a pool of hundreds means that even the "worst" brand here is still pretty good. If you're already invested in a battery system, that's hard to overlook too.
10. Craftsman
The nearly century-old company has a long but inconsistent history when it comes to power tools. The brand was a household name a decade or so ago, with tools all our grandparents recommended and often passed down to their kids. But when Sears made the decision in 2017 to sell the Craftsman brand to Stanley Black & Decker, it was a low point in a time when the company had also switched its hand tool business from American-made items to imported, lower-quality products.
Current versions of its impact wrenches, like The V20 Cordless ½-inch Impact Wrench, have a good power-to-price ratio but weird design decisions like a squishy grip and too-long form factor make it difficult to recommend over its competitors.
However, it's far from underpowered with 700 ft-lbs of fastening torque and 1000 ft-lbs of breakaway torque — after all, even a Ford F-350 only requires 150 ft-lbs of wheel torque, and a Dodge Ram 3500 calls for 130. And if one is already invested in Craftsman's V20 battery system, the Craftsman impact is a decent tool for the price.
9. Porter-Cable
Definitely the least eye-catching of the tools in our list are the putty gray ones made by Porter-Cable. The popular brand's toy-like designs hide a reliable, reasonably powerful tool, albeit one that hasn't been up to the standard Porter-Cable set for itself in the past.
The company got its start in 1906 as a tool shop, before becoming a well-regarded manufacturer of woodworking tools like belt sanders, circular saws, and routers. Today, the Stanley Black & Decker-owned brand produces hundreds of hand and power tools, from woodworking specialty products to impact wrenches and drivers.
Porter-Cable's 20V Max Impact Wrench, the company's most popular impact wrench on Amazon, weighs around 6 pounds, and at 10 inches long, you won't be getting into tight spaces with this tool. It provides 330 ft-lbs of torque, which is enough for most shade tree mechanics and DIY enthusiasts. However, other tools on our list provide more torque in a smaller form, and additional features at around the same price as this, which keeps Porter-Cable low in our rankings.
8. Metabo HPT
Metabo HPT is basically rebranded Hitachi (the HPT just stands for Hitachi Power Tools) — confusingly, there are German Metabo tools as well, but they're a different beast altogether. Metabo HPT offers solid impact wrenches that are made in China and are considered good entry-level professional tools. The plastics used in these tools feel a little cheap in my experience, which is a knock against it for a brand that already isn't on most shoppers' radars.
At around $270, the Metabo HPT 36V MultiVolt Cordless Impact Wrench is sold as a mid-torque offering, producing 1475 ft-lbs of nut-busting torque and featuring auto slow and auto stop to prevent over-torqued bolts or lost nuts. Metabo HPT claims the tool is compatible with any 18V or 36V MultiVolt battery, and the company also offers an AC adapter for plug-in use, which is unique among most impact wrenches in our ranking.
Metabo HPT offers a lifetime warranty, but it should be noted that the warranty only applies to the body of the tool, rather than the motor or anvil. Overall, it's a reliable and powerful tool, but at such a premium price it's difficult to suggest to anyone outside of those already invested in the Metabo/Hitachi MultiVolt battery system.
7. Ingersoll-Rand
A longtime player in the automotive tool market, Ingersoll-Rand is perhaps best known for its air-powered tools. The company got its start with steam-powered rock drills in the late 1800s and has grown into a global empire with over seventy brands under its belt. However, while the company's pneumatic tools are widely praised – many shops your author worked at, as an example, provided Ingersoll-Rand impact wrenches for their mechanics – the company has a more spotty record with its battery-powered tools.
That being said, the company is still producing decent products. The Ingersoll-Rand ½-inch Mid-Torque, Compact, Cordless Impact Wrench features a brushless motor and 450 ft-lbs of breakaway torque, which is really impressive for a compact impact wrench. It also includes a really handy 360-degree LED light around the anvil, which lights the work area far better than the handle-mounted solutions most similar impact wrenches provide. However, a high price for modest power output, a heavy weight, and warranty issues are enough to keep the brand in the lower part of our rankings for its cordless impact wrenches.
6. Ridgid
Ridgid has some good things going for it — a nice balance between power and price, and availability at the largest home improvement chain in the country. While Ridgid tools are generally considered lower-tier-professional grade, the impact wrenches it produces work well when they're working properly. Several reviews point to less-than-stellar customer service if the tool fails, which is unfortunate when one considers registering for Ridgid's lifetime service agreement is a big part of the company's sales pitch.
The Ridgid 18V Brushless Cordless High-Torque Impact Wrench has a lot of the features one would expect in a higher-end product, like an auto-tightening mode to prevent over-torquing of bolts, a brushless motor, and an onboard LED light. While its output is lower than some other wrenches on our list, the price is decent, especially when the tool is purchased in a kit with extra Ridgid 4.0 Ah batteries. Overall, the tool is good, and the kit makes it better; however, Ridgid is a middling option for homeowners or DIY mechanics when compared to the rest of our ranking.
5. Hercules
Harbor Freight recently added the Hercules impact wrench to its lineup alongside the impressive Earthquake tool brand. While it isn't as well-known as many others on this list, relatively low prices and incredibly powerful impact wrenches have earned Hercules a better placement than one might expect for a Harbor Freight-owned brand. Many of the toolmakers' offerings — including not only impact wrenches but also drill/drivers, angle grinders, and more — have received positive writeups from customers and SlashGear.
The Hercules 20V Brushless Cordless ½-inch Ultra Torque Impact Wrench does what it says on the tin: It provides an obscene amount of torque. A whopping 1500 ft-lbs of breakaway torque can remove all but the most stubborn of bolts, and 1000 ft-lbs of fastening torque ensures a solid connection from the largest nuts and bolts. And the tool features an automatic mode like several of its competitors, limiting fastening torque and slowing reverse speed to prevent a nut flying off.
While several reviews (and my own personal experience) note that the impact wrench loses a good amount of power when its battery hits around 25%, this Hercules product is still great for jobs like lug nut removal. It's a bit pricey for a Harbor Freight tool, but the power and reliability of the Hercules brand reflects that price — and it still costs less than more popular brands while outputting comparable power. Truly, Harbor Freight's commitment to providing better quality tools than they have in years past is starting to pay dividends for its customers.
4. Makita
A well-established name in the power tool market, Makita has a long history. Founded in Japan as a motor repair shop in 1915, our first entry from the big three in professional-grade power tools produces reliable offerings with good warranties, and we've discussed them several times in other SlashGear power tool rankings. Makita's tools are carried in big-box stores and specialty tool retailers, and they're relied upon by professionals in several industries.
The Makita 18V LXT Lithium-Ion High Torque ½-inch Drive Impact Wrench provides 740 ft-lbs of fastening torque and 1180 ft-lbs of breakaway torque to break the toughest lugs free. It's a little heavier and larger than some of our other options, placing it fourth in the overall rankings — the high price doesn't help much either, at $257 for the bare tool.
For Makita's users, the brand's reputation for making reliable tools is enough to justify that price tag. For us, the power and feature list of its tools places it solidly at the top of the middle section of our rankings.
3. Ryobi
The neon green tools from Home Depot often get a bad rap, but recently more folks are seeing the benefits of Ryobi's great, affordable battery system for DIYers and weekend warriors. Many of Ryobi's tools are no-brainers, even compared to competing products from the "big three" of Makita, Milwaukee, and DeWalt, and its ready availability and good warranties keep the brand near the top of many of SlashGear's tool rankings — including this one.
Ryobi offers several different impact wrenches, but we'll highlight the ONE+ Brushless Cordless Compact ½-inch 4 Mode Impact Wrench. This lightweight impact is only 5.4 inches long without a socket, small enough to get into some really cramped areas. However, it still produces 275 ft-lbs of torque, more than enough to break most stubborn nuts and bolts. And at only $140 for the bare tool, it's a worthy addition to any mechanic's toolkit, especially if one has already invested in the Ryobi ONE+ system.
2. DeWalt
DeWalt's signature yellow tools are near the top of several of SlashGear's lists because of their durability and reliability for pros and weekend warriors alike. Never too expensive, and with what's considered one of the best battery systems in the cordless tool universe, DeWalt earns its high spot in our cordless impact ratings with a full range of impacts, from humble accessory-removing underpowered models to one advertised at 1750 ft-lbs of maximum breakaway torque.
The best-selling impact wrench on Amazon at time of writing is DeWalt's 20V Max ½-inch model, which represents the middle of the road in the company's offerings. The tool boasts 800 ft-lbs of breakaway torque — more than enough for most jobs — and features four speed settings and a variable speed trigger for maximum control. It also has the bells and whistles one looks for in a cordless impact wrench, like an LED light and over-torque prevention, but it still carries a price tag of under $170. And with a lineup of over 300 tools in the 20V Max system, it's hard to argue against adding one of DeWalt's impact wrenches to your toolkit.
1. Milwaukee
The red brand tops our list, offering some of the most powerful, reliable, and feature-rich impact wrenches on the market today. While some may argue that Milwaukee is a little overpriced, that investment pays for itself in saved trips for repairs or replacements. Milwaukee's five-year warranty, coupled with a network of service centers and a streamlined online service that even provides free shipping to a repair center, means even if a tool fails it's not a long wait for a repair or replacement.
Milwaukee's best-selling impact wrench on Amazon is the M18 Fuel 18V ½-inch High Torque Impact Wrench. It's reasonably priced (for a Milwaukee tool) at $220, and provides 1600 ft-lbs of reverse torque in a 6-pound, 10-inch-long package. At only 7.6 inches in length, it's small enough to get into tight spots without sacrificing power like a full-compact option might. And its auto-shutoff, four-mode drive control, and bolt removal modes provide more control on installation and disassembly than any competitor.
Milwaukee's reputation has been earned. It's what new mechanics turn to when their underpowered tools can't accomplish a task — in my experience, its tools are the ones most often borrowed from professional shop settings. While the brand's fans can often be the loudest, and tests show lower-priced tools can often provide a comparable amount of power, Milwaukee's reliability keeps its tools in the drawers of many professionals.
Methodology
There are literally hundreds of brands of cordless impact wrench out there: A quick search on Amazon reveals dozens of alphabet-soup-like names for tools that look suspiciously similar to those made by big-name manufacturers. Some of them are surprisingly good! YouTube test channels have proven time and time again that a higher price tag doesn't always equate to better performance. However, reliability and warranty also have to be studied when ranking the best impact wrenches, and most of those questionable Amazon products provide little more than a few weeks before they refuse to repair or replace their products.
In making this list, SlashGear considered a number of factors. Performance ratings of the best tools from each brand were examined, as were reviews of those tools, warranty information, and the opinions of several mechanics, contractors, and DIY enthusiasts currently working in the field. As a former professional automotive technician, I also relied on my own experience working with a number of these tool brands and used demo models of those I was less familiar with at nearby retailers.