First, I was able to get 2-3 hour’s worth of work done with one charge on the battery which was great since getting up and down from the attic is not that fun or easy. Second, often times I only had one hand free to drive screws and there were many awkward instances where I was leaning over or laying on ceiling joints driving dewalt impact drill screws. You don’t have to apply huge amounts of pressure to the back of the tool for the bit to stay in the screw. The black case (kitbox) provides great protection, transportation and storage options. The first thing I noticed once I got it out of its box is how small, compact and ergonomically pleasing it is.
Ahead, learn more about what to expect from the best DeWalt impact drivers, and find out why the models below are some of the tool manufacturer’s best. They use an impact force to increase torque when making holes and driving fasteners. Tool batteries can often be used with tools of the same brand, battery series, and voltage. Tools with low-voltage batteries are light and compact, making them suitable for maintenance tasks. Tools with high-voltage batteries are heavy but deliver ample power for demanding tasks.
There are three speeds and two self-tapping screw modes—one for small fasteners, another for large ones. The self-tapping modes proved their worth when we drove screws into metal studs, as we were able to easily start the screws and prevent over-driving them and stripping them out. And with its two batteries, we had plenty of dewalt reciprocating saw juice to finish most jobs. When we drove lag bolts into treated landscaping lumber, we easily drove the heads, cupping the washers we used, deep into the wood. The one-handed chuck on the Flex was unlike any other models we tested. We pressed a button, just above the trigger, to open the chuck and accept or release a bit.
When making our selections, we took into account the fact that DeWalt’s line of impact drivers is designed to suit the needs of both DIYers and professionals. Most DIYers and pros tend to choose the most powerful tool when purchasing an impact driver. While an impact driver that offers the most torque certainly makes it usable in a broader range of applications, these top-end tools come with a steep price tag. Shelling out a lot of money for an impact driver that has more power than one will ever use makes no sense.
The DeWalt 20V MAX XR Impact Driver, which produces a max torque of 1,825 inch-pounds, is the most powerful impact driver that DeWalt produces. The list below includes the best of a formidable line of impact drivers that DeWalt puts out. They include models for weekend warriors as well as those that are suitable for the pro work site. Dewalt Impact Drivers are designed with the trade professional in mind, so you’ll get the driving performance you’d expect from the brand you know and trust. It’s hard for us to identify an audience for which the Atomic is particularly well-suited. We didn’t think it was a bad tool by any means, but it struggled to earn recognition compared with the top-ranked impact drivers in our review.