Impact Driver & Wrench Reviews & Buying Guides

We spend hundreds of man-hours testing the best impact drivers and the best impact wrenches through rigorous hands-on objective testing. We also review pneumatic impact wrenches which still play a huge role in the automotive tools market. On the cordless side, our tests cover 12V, 18V, 20V, 36V, and 40V impact drivers and wrenches. All tools we review go through our torque testing rig so we can rank them in their respective categories. We know you already likely have your favorite tools. However, while you may have your favorite “color” or brand, Pro Tool Reviews helps you understand how that tool actually performs against the competition. Our cordless impact driver and impact wrench reviews avoid bias by using standardized testing procedures. Plus, we not only test power, but also look at run-time, vibration, ergonomics, price, and value. After all, the best impact driver or wrench for one Pro, mechanic, or tradesman may not be the same for another.

Panasonic EY75A1LS2G 1/4" Hex Cordless Impact Driver Kit Preview

Panasonic EY75A1LS2G Cordless Impact Driver Kit Preview

Panasonic released some new tools this week, in particular a new 1/4″ Impact Driver that works with the company’s new 14.4V and 18V batteries. Both batteries also now come in 4.2Ah capacities, which begs the question: Are these tools going to win the award for longest run-time over all other Impact Drivers on the market? We think they just might, though as we’ve found in recent testing, run-time and torque are two completely different aspects of a tool and high accomplishments in one area do not necessarily yield the top results in the other. Still, the new EY75A1LS2G 1/4″ Hex Cordless Impact Driver Kit has a versatility about it that is new to the market. While many tool manufacturers have dropped down to more compact 12V products, Panasonic has lagged in this area, which perhaps explains the movement towards accepting dual voltage on their newest tools.

Porter-Cable PCE201 Corded 4.3-amp Impact Driver Preview

Porter-Cable PCE201 4.3-amp Impact Driver Preview

Porter-Cable is addressing the problem of needing the power of a cordless impact drivers, but for extended-use applications. They launched the 1/4-inch Hex 4.3-Amp PCE201 specifically to give tradesmen an option in the workplace. This impact driver is designed for deck builders, steel roofing installers and other tradesmen who complete numerous fastening applications in challenging workplaces (but who have easy access to power).

Kobalt 18V Li-ion Cordless Impact Wrench

Kobalt 18V Li-ion Cordless Impact Wrench Review

For anyone who does any sort of automotive work, the impact wrench is a must-have tool. Even if you only occasionally remove a tire, there is a stark difference between using a breaker bar or tire iron and a pneumatic impact wrench. But with an impact wrench, you also have the obligatory air compressor, hose, and necessary room to make sure it all works. Not so, with Kobalt Tools’ new 18V 1/2″ Cordless Impact Wrench. Of course, the real issue is, now that they’ve severed the cord and gone to the 18V Lithium-ion battery, is the tool sufficiently powerful to truly take off lug nuts? Can it replace, for real, not just for “most purposes” the air powered impact wrench? That’s what we set out to prove or disprove. And like most experiments, we had a lot of fun, and learned more than we expected.