2020 test4 productsPower Tools
Which Impact Driver Brand Wins?
We compared 4 impact driver options head to head. Milwaukee M18 Fuel came out on top. See the measured results, the runner-up, the budget pick, and a link to the full test video. Shoppers cross-shopping milwaukee fuel impact driver, m12 impact driver, milwaukee m12 fuel impact driver and milwaukee m12 impact driver land here for the head to head that settles it.
Winner
Milwaukee M18 Fuel
Price shown in test: $115.83
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Runner-up
Makita XDT16Z
Price shown in test: $167.03
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The measured results
Every number below is read straight from the test. Scroll sideways to see all measurements. Products are listed in the order they finished.
| Product | Weight | Torque Rating | Tightening Torque Test | Loosening Torque Test | Lag Bolt Test | Lug Nut Break Loose | Cross Threaded Test | Drop Test | No Load RPM | Warranty | Trigger Lag | Teardown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Milwaukee M18 Fuel 2853-20$115.83 | 989 g without battery, 1,721 g with 5 amp hour battery | 1,800 in lbs claimed | 1st place, blasted past 900 PSI and ran out of the 15 second test time at 1,600 PSI | 1st place at 1,750 PSI | did not compete directly in the timed head to head against DeWalt/Makita pairing but won head to head against the DeWalt after DeWalt beat Makita | won all three rounds against the Makita and DeWalt | totally crushing this test, completed 5 rotations before beginning to power down at 16 seconds, finishing with 7 total rotations in the 30 second test, the best of all four | survived the 10 ft drop onto concrete with no visible damage and continued to work fine, described as just a tank | maximum 3,577 RPM in high impact mode forward, close to its 3,600 RPM rating; minimum 75 RPM forward and reverse | 5 years | not tested | not tested |
| 2Makita XDT16Z$167.03 | 881 g without battery, the lightest of all four; 1,501 g with battery | 1,600 in lbs claimed | tied for 2nd place with the DeWalt at 1,450 PSI | 3rd place at 1,600 PSI | made faster work of the 7 in lag bolt than the DeWalt (about 4.75 rotations vs about 3 for the DeWalt in comparable time) but lost the head to head lag bolt pull test against the DeWalt | won all three rounds against the DeWalt, then lost to the Milwaukee | 4.75 rotations in 30 seconds | experienced more handle flexion than the Milwaukee and DeWalt but the handle did not break and the tool still works fine | maximum 3,413 RPM versus a 3,600 RPM rating; minimum 99 RPM forward, 109 RPM reverse | 3 years | fastest off the line of all three tools compared | not tested |
| 3DeWalt DCF 888BR$150.87 | 953 g without battery, 1,583 g with battery, lightest with battery included | 1,825 in lbs claimed, the highest claimed rating of the four | tied for 2nd place with the Makita at 1,450 PSI despite the highest torque rating | 2nd place at 1,675 PSI | began smoking about 1 minute in with grease leaking from the chuck by 1.5 minutes, made contact with the washer at about 3.5 minutes (slower than the Makita's 2.5 minutes); lost the head to head pull test against the Makita and against the Milwaukee | not tested | just over 3 rotations in 30 seconds, overpowered the lawnmower engine brake and compression | small amount of handle flexion, no visible structural damage, still works fine | maximum 3,305 RPM, faster than its 3,250 RPM rating; minimum 150 RPM forward and reverse | 3 years | not tested | not tested |
| 4Bauer 20V Hypermax Lithium$69.99 with battery and charger, sold at Harbor Freight | 1,151 g without battery, 1,789 g with 3 amp hour battery, heaviest of the four | 150 Newton meters or 1,300 in lbs claimed, lowest of the four | last place at 900 PSI | last place at 1,375 PSI | made pretty good progress at first but began smoking badly at 1.5 minutes, reached about 300 F, and stopped functioning entirely, only one of three lights still working | not tested | not tested | hit hard and lost the battery on impact; electric motor already damaged from previous test, no visible structural damage | maximum 2,795 RPM forward (105 RPM slower than advertised), 2,815 RPM reverse (85 RPM slower than advertised); minimum 130 RPM forward, 155 RPM reverse | 90 days | not tested | impact assembly weighs 261 g; the bracket holding the brushes in place failed, brushes moved and wiped out the fan blades on the armature, leaving it 'pretty much a brushless motor' by accident |
How it was tested
- tightening clamp load torque on a hydraulic ram rig, 15 second test
- loosening (reverse) clamp load torque on a left hand threaded bolt
- driving a 7 in lag bolt into a railroad tie, head to head
- trigger lag response time, head to head
- breaking loose a lug nut torqued to 110 ft lbs, head to head
- spinning over a lawnmower engine with the brake applied and spark plug in for compression resistance, 30 second test
- 10 ft drop test onto concrete
- internal teardown and impact assembly weight comparison
“So, which impact driver won this showdown? In my opinion, Milwaukee just ran away with this competition and did a terrific job.”