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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.

Kobalt 18V Li-ion Cordless Impact Wrench
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Kobalt 18V Li-ion Cordless Impact Wrench Review

by Clint DeBoer

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.

Makita LXDT04 18V LXT Cordless Impact Driver Preview
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Makita LXDT04 18V LXT Cordless Impact Driver Preview

by Clint DeBoer

Makita’s new LXDT04 Cordless Impact Driver uses the company’s variable speed 4-pole motor to deliver 1,420 in. lbs. of maximum torque. It does it with 0-3,200 impacts per minute and up to 2,300 RPMs. We love impact drivers, and Makita’s new model seems suited for a variety of tough-as-nails (or, as is the case, tough as lag bolts) fastening tasks. Since the LXDT04 only weighs 3.3 lbs, it’s also got an excellent power-to-weight ratio and measures just 5-7/16″ long – smaller and lighter than the BTD141 18V Impact Driver that it replaces.

Makita 18V LXDT01 Brushless Motor Impact Driver Kit Preview
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Makita LXDT01 18V Brushless Impact Driver Kit Preview

by Clint DeBoer

Makita has just released its newest 18V LXT product, the Lithium-Ion Cordless 3-Speed Brushless Motor Impact Driver. That’s a mouthful, but the name is also incredible informative. First off, you know it’s a Makita, so it’s built by pros, for pros. On top of that, it utilizes a brushless motor – and that really brings the level of build quality and power capability to a new level. Brushless motor technology has proven to provide a ton more usable torque in tools like hammer drills and impact drivers and wrenches. While brushless technology isn’t new, even for Makita, the company’s new LXDT01 impact driver is built to be both powerful and efficient. So efficient, in fact, that it gets up to 20% longer battery life per charge.

Rockwell RK1001K2 12V Drill & Impact Driver Combo Kit Review
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Rockwell RK1001K2 12V Drill and Impact Driver Combo Kit Review

by Thomas Gaige

In our testing and review of the Rockwell RK1001K2 12V Drill & Impact Driver Combo Kit, we found it to offer a good combination of both value and performance. With a myriad of different manufacturers coming out with 12V lithium-ion powered cordless tools it can be hard to determine what ones are the best to pick. If you are on the market for a 12V lithium-ion combo set, we think that the Rockwell RK1001K2 Drill and Impact Driver Combo Kit is worth a look. These tools offer performance that is comparable to many leading brands and, as a bonus, they come with a full three year warranty and a program where they offer free replacement batteries for life if you register your tools.

Craftsman 17562 NEXTEC 12V Right Angle Impact Driver Review
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Craftsman 17562 NEXTEC 12V Right Angle Impact Driver Review

by Matthias Gaige

Removing or driving fasteners in cramped spaces is easy with the new Craftsman 17562 NEXTEC 12V Right Angle Impact Driver thanks to its compact head size of only 3-1/2″ and 700 in-lb of torque. This handy tool comes with lithium-ion battery power, a variable-speed trigger, 1/4″ hex quick chuck and a compact size that will surely make it one of the go-to tools in your collection. The engineers at Craftsman did a fantastic job of combining the functionality of a right angle drill with an impact driver. The Craftsman 17562 NEXTEC 12V Right Angle Impact Driver represents what might be an industry first with their design and from what we can tell, they engineered a great tool. This impact driver proved to be very versatile when working in cramped spaces and for some projects it’s a must.

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