5 Best Impact Driver of [2022-2023] ( Reviews and Buyer’s Guide )

Impact drivers are a new big thing on the market. Make sure you do not confuse them with drills. Impact drivers come with higher torque and offer better control.

For professionals and DIYers alike, impact drivers have become an important tool. They allow you to fix screws and fasteners without much effort.

As you search for the “best impact drivers” on the internet, you are going to come across a lot of results. This makes it difficult to know where and what to buy.

This article lists 5 best impact drivers with detailed reviews and a helpful buying guide. Read on!

Quick Summary: Our Top 5 Picks

 

Top 5 Best Impact Driver Reviews 

1. DEWALT MAX XR

Coming from the house of DEWALT, DEWALT MAX XR is one of the most powerful tools on the list. It comes with a compact shape to allow working in tight spaces. Its excellent specs largely complement its efficiency and productivity.

Weighing 2 lbs. only, DEWALT MAX XR is easy to use and handle. Its lightweight, along with its ergonomic design, helps you work for longer hours without straining your shoulders. It comes with a brushless motor that increases its efficiency. It uses a powerful 20 V lithium-ion battery to ensure maximum performance.

What adds more to its performance is its variable speed trigger. With 3 speed settings, it offers the maximum speed of 3250 RPM. It features ¼ inch hex chuck and works great with 1” bit tips. This helps grip this tool easily and with great control.

Moreover, it is quite a versatile tool. Its precision drive with speed 1 allows you to control this impact driver the way you want. Unlike a regular drill, it will never make you hold tighter to not jump back. If you are tired of strained shoulders after working with a drill to try to fix screws and fasteners, this tool is for you!

DEWALT MAX XR also features three LED lights. This allows you to use your impact driver in the dark or at late night. If you are a working enthusiast, this is a must-have feature for you.

Overall, DEWALT MAX XR makes a great impact driver. Coming at an expensive drive, it is going to be worth every dollar you invest.

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2. BLACK+DECKER BDCI20C

BLACK+DECKER BDCI20C is another strong, cordless impact driver that helps get done with tough screwing and fastening jobs. It offers high-level performance, thanks to its powerful battery and other great features.

When it comes to the chuck size, BLACK+DECKER BDCI20C has ¼ inch chuck, which allows a suitable grip. Even with the quick release and efficient working, it provides great control. The maximum torque it delivers is 1375 in-lbs. It is capable of operating on the variable speed with a simple trigger. The speed range is 0 – 3000 RPM. However, the speed is good enough to tackle difficult tasks.

With its 20 V lithium-ion battery, the performance gets even better. As the batteries come included with BLACK+DECKER BDCI20C, you need not spend any added costs. This makes this impact drive remain within your budget.

Weighing 3.5 lbs. it is a lightweight impact driver. The weight does not require a lot of effort to operate and control this impact driver. With its ergonomic design and superb performance, BLACK+DECKER BDCI20C is quite easy to handle and use.

However, there are no built-in LED lights. This might prevent you from using this impact driver in late hours. So if you are an early riser and quick-to-work kind of person, this impact driver is a good option for you. But if you like to work till late at night, you might need good lighting assistance otherwise.

The package also includes a battery, charger, and a screw driving bit. Overall, it is a compact impact driver designed to handle all the different kinds of jobs. So whether you work at home or outside, this is a great impact driver.

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3. Milwaukee 2462-20 M12

Milwaukee 2462-20 is the lightest impact driver on the list. This amazing impact driver delivers top-of-the-line performance with its built-in features and specs. As you look into its design, you will be surprised over the power it delivers in such a compact shape.

Weighing 1.37 lbs. only, you won’t even feel like holding a powerful work tool in hand. Its ergonomic design and size make it easy to handle and control. No matter if you keep working for long hours, you won’t get tired by the end.

Some other great features to consider include its torque, which goes up to 1,000-inch pounds. Milwaukee 2462-20 operates at the highest speed of 2,500 RMP. With the lightweight of this impact driver, this power is tremendous.

However, when it comes to the battery, its lithium-ion battery only features 12 V of power. This power might be less if dealing with difficult and large-scale jobs. So if you are looking for an impact driver that is suitable for at-home, simple tasks, and DIYs, Milwaukee 2462-20 is the best option on the list.

Its ambidextrous belt clip further adds to the ease of use and handling. You can secure your grip with the belt clip on either side of the driver. This makes it a premium tool for both right and left-handed people.

Another amazing feature is its Red Lithium technology. This ensures that the tool does not overheat and turns off before the battery is going to lose its power and capacity. This keeps you and the impact driver safe from any kind of damage and health hazard. There is no other 12 V impact driver that includes this internal computer technology and offers safety.

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4. Makita XDT131

Makita XDT131 is known to combine durability with performance. Its efficient components offer higher output than expected from an 18 V impact driver.

Thanks to its brushless motors and cordless design, the impact driver does not come with any hassle of the plug-in. As the brushless motor does not include any carbon brushes, the motor remains cooler and efficient for a longer period of time.

The motor delivers 1,500 inches pounds of torque. With variable speed control, it offers two different speed ranges for an excellent performance. You can either use this impact driver at 0 – 3400 RPM or 0 – 3600 IPM. It helps get done with a wide range of fastening jobs and screwing applications.

Another great thing about its brushless motor is that it is electronically controlled. It helps in the optimization of battery energy and allows using the battery up to 50% longer runtime over every charge.

This electronic control of the motor and ¼ inch chucks helps adapt this impact driver quickly with the changing speed and required torque. It provides efficient use of energy as per the demands of tasks and applications you are using this impact driver for.

With a soft rubberized grip and added friction, you can handle Makita XDT131 really well. Weighing 3.3 lbs., it is not the lightest impact driver but is good enough to operate. Coming with LED lights, you can use this impact driver in darker hours as well.

Overall, it is one of the considerable options if you are looking for a professional, durable, and reliable impact driver.

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5. Ryobi One+ P236

Ryobi is another well-known manufacturer in the electronic industry. Over the years, it has given some of the best tools, and Ryobi One+ P236 impact driver is one of them. At lightweight, it brings together durability and excellent performance.

Ryobi One+ P236 features 18 V lithium-ion battery which goes well with its cordless design. It saves you from the hassle of having a power source nearby. With good charging time, the battery comes with adequate capacity.

With its rubber over-mold, you are going to have a good grip on this impact driver. It is especially incorporated should you need to work in slippery conditions. This way, using and controlling the tool becomes convenient. Weighing 2.7 lbs. only, this is a lightweight impact driver, and so, you need not worry about exerting too much effort.

Due to its tri-beam lighting feature, you can illuminate your workspace and work in the darker areas quite easily. It ensures you fasten at the right position with optimum strength.

With its ¼ inch chuck and magnetic plates, changing and ejecting the bit are easier than you can think of. It offers a tool-free bit changing in no time. When it comes to the speed, Ryobi One+ P236 does not offer variable speed control but has a powerful speed otherwise. Running at 3200 RPM with 1,600-inch pounds of torque, you are going to get excellent performance.

However, the battery does not come included in the package, but Ryobi One+ P236 is compatible with all the Ryobi One+ tools. Overall, it is a compact and power delivering impact driver.

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Impact Driver Buyer’s Guide

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Why should I buy a cordless impact driver?

If your job requires dealing with denser materials than usual, it would be very challenging for you to fix screws and fasteners. That’s where the need to buy a cordless impact driver arises. You must remember not to confuse impact drivers with regular drills. Drill machines cannot drive fasteners into tough surfaces.

Moreover, cordless impact drivers come with two times more torque than simple fasteners. With a cordless design, you are free from the hassle of working near a power source. You can freely use your cordless impact driver from any direction and in any space, no matter open or tight.

How should I use an impact driver?

When using an impact driver, you need to be quite careful. Even though it is a handy tool and offers great control, it can be challenging when you are dealing for the first time. If you have ever used any drilling device, you already know how to hold and operate an impact driver.

The rest depends on the torque, power, and speed of an impact driver. Choose the right bit and turn the impact driver on. As you put the bit on the fastener, get started. Drive the fastener in the desired material/surface and then pull the tool back.

It is really easy yet fast to use an impact driver. You can keep working it for longer hours and even in darker areas if the impact driver comes with LEDs. Usually, impact drovers come with ¼ inch chuck size, which is designed to deal with hex-shaped bits. Due to the quick release and change system, you won’t have to wait between transition periods.

Things to consider before buying an impact driver

Before finally buying an impact driver, there are a lot of things you need to look into. Then, match them with your preferences and requirements. This way, you will end up choosing the right impact driver for yourself.

1. Chuck size

Chuck size is the most important feature and differentiates one impact driver from another. Larger chuck sizes offer higher flexibility. The most common chuck sizes include ¼ inch and ½ inch. While ½ is bigger and better, ¼ inch gets you done with most of your fastening applications.

2. Battery power

Depending on the toughness of your job, you need to be careful about the battery power of an impact driver. It helps you make an informed purchase. If you have to do a professional job, go with larger battery power and higher capacity, say 20 V or 18 V. For simpler home-based, DIY projects, even a 12 V impact driver is good enough.

3. Battery runtime

How long your impact driver can keep running is important to know. An impact driver that has shorter battery runtime adds to the hassle. On the other hand, suitable battery runtime offers longer working hours and lesser fatigue.

4. Speed of motor

After battery power, the efficiency of an impact driver depends on the speed of its motor. This makes it an important element to consider. The speed of the motor determines its power. Usually, the motor speed is mentioned in RPM. Different impact drivers come at different speeds. An impact driver with 2500 RPM and higher is faster and more efficient.

5. Weight and compactness

The weight and compactness of an impact driver add a lot to its ease of use and handling. Lightweight impact drivers are preferred as they require you to exert less muscle power. On the other hand, compact size and design make an impact driver highly convenient to control. This allows you to use the impact driver in tighter spaces.

6. Torque

Torque means the rotational power of an impact driver. Higher the torque, the higher the number of blows per rpm you can receive. Thus, it is important to choose an impact driver with higher torque if you are looking for an excellent performing fastening tool.

7. Durability

You would definitely not like to buy an impact driver that shows wear and tear after a few uses. Thus, durability is another significant factor to look into. Make sure you check the warranty offered by the manufacturer.

How to measure the performance of an impact driver?

Measuring the performance of an impact driver is simple. The two simple parameters for calculating the performance are capacity and charging time.

Look at the capacity of the battery, usually given in Ah. Higher the capacity, better the power and deliverance of an impact driver.

Charging time tells how long the battery takes to charge and what is the runtime. Better the runtime, longer you can use your impact driver.

This way, you can determine the performance of an impact driver and buy one that offers higher battery capacity and longer runtime.

Conclusion

Impact drivers are increasing in popularity and demand. They add a lot of ease to professional fastening and DIYers screwing tasks.

As for a final verdict, DEWALT MAX XR is a great option for powerful battery with lightweight. BLACK+DECKER BDCI20C works best for early risers and outdoor workers. Milwaukee 2462-20 is excellent for lighter jobs with its small battery but innovative features. Makita XDT131 is known for its electronically controlled brushless motor, which delivers efficient performance. Ryobi One+ P236 also makes a considerable impact driver due to its professional design and specs.

Keeping these 5 best products and buyer’s guide in mind, you can put your hands on the best product on the market.

Top Rated Impact Drivers in 2022