Consumer Reports

CR’s take: Hands down the highest-rated impact driver of all sizes in our lab tests, the Flex FX1351-2A delivers a stellar performance. Its power score is Excellent, meaning the tool drives screws with ease. This model also boasts top-notch run and charge time. Plus, it’s loaded with features, including a battery charge indicator, storage case, built-in bit storage holder, and LED work light to help in low-light job conditions. And it comes with a generous five-year warranty. 

Best for Most

TechGearLab

Ryobi is a name synonymous with both quality and affordability, and the Ryobi P238 is no exception. This was one of the fastest drivers in our lineup, and it was one of the most inexpensive. It's incredibly fast and provided ample torque in our tests, and we love the bright LED light and the magnetic plate that you can toss your extra fasteners on — no more "now where'd I put that screw?" moments.
The P238 is one of the longer impact drivers in our test fleet, which can be a drawback for certain applications where you may need to get into tight spaces. It also has a shorter battery life than some of the other contenders in our review. Still, we think for the money, it's hard to go wrong with this offering from Ryobi.

Upgrade Pick

bazaarvoice

amazon.com

For a first-class impact driver, look no further than the Milwaukee M18 Fuel 2853-20. In our speed trials, it surpassed almost all of the competition. When tested for torque strength, it hit its ceiling with a 300ft-lb wrench, as it was able to loosen and tighten nuts onto ½" bolts that we had welded to an I-beam. Due to this tool's compact size, it can easily access small places. The M18 Fuel comes with four different RPM settings — three different speeds and one specific setting for finish work. 
Our main gripe with the Milwaukee M18 Fuel is the battery life just doesn't live up to some of the other contenders. If it's important to you to have long battery life on your driver, consider upgrading to a larger Milwaukee battery, or seek out a different model altogether that has a longer-lasting battery. Finally, we should mention this driver is quite noisy. While most impact drivers make a bit of a ruckus, the M18 Fuel is surprisingly offensive. 

For a first-class impact driver, look no further than the Milwaukee M18 Fuel. In our speed trials, it surpassed almost all of the competition. When tested for torque strength, it hit its ceiling with a 300ft-lb wrench, as it could loosen and tighten nuts onto ½" bolts that we had welded to an I-beam. Due to this tool's compact size, it can easily access small places. The M18 Fuel has four RPM settings — three different speeds and one specific setting for finish work. 
Our main gripe with the Milwaukee M18 Fuel is the battery life just doesn't live up to some of the other contenders. If it's important to you to have long battery life on your driver, consider upgrading to a larger Milwaukee battery, or seek out a different model altogether with a longer-lasting battery. Finally, we should mention this driver is quite noisy. While most impact drivers make a bit of a ruckus, the M18 Fuel is surprisingly offensive. 
Read more: Milwaukee M18 Fuel 2853-20 review

Budget Pick

walmart

yotpo

stamped

The Kobalt XTR Max 24V is our hands-down favorite for heavy-duty tasks. During our head-to-head speed assessment, this model outperformed every other impact driver that we've seen. The XTR showed a ridiculous amount of torque, maxing out our torque wrench for both fastening and loosening large nuts. We love that this model has four different settings, including three speeds and an "ASSIST" mode that slowly increases RPMs to reduce the chances of cross-threading. When we added the XTR to our review, we had to rewrite the battery scores for every other model because this version's battery outlasts all of them. 
The XTR is not without its flaws. We found that the light is relatively dim and doesn't do the best job of illuminating a dark work area. This may not be a deal breaker for most people, but a low-quality light can become problematic if you're working in attics or crawlspaces. We were a bit disappointed that the chuck does not have a quick insert function. This technology is a bit outdated &mdash; most newer drivers allow for one-handed insertion of bits. Despite our short list of small complaints, this model is our top recommendation for those that require top-notch power and speed. 
Read more: Kobalt XTR Max 24V review

The Milwaukee M12 Fuel 2553-20 is the best cordless impact driver that we've found in the land of 12-volt battery-powered tools. This impressive little driver essentially fits in your pocket. Not only is it compact, but it's also lightweight, easy to use, and comfortable to hold. Our favorite thing about the M12 Fuel is that it kept up with &#40;and in several instances, outperformed&#41; drivers with substantially more girth and voltage. To top it off, Milwaukee offers a fantastic array of tools built on the M12 Fuel platform, so you may only need to buy one battery and charger for a fleet.
The M12 is not without its flaws. Despite its light weight and tiny size, it is still very loud. Also, this model is far from the most affordable cordless impact driver that we tested. If you don't mind a tool that's a little more cumbersome, it might be worth it to get a cheaper model that may not be able to squeeze into the tight spaces that this one can, but ultimately offers the same performance.

The Milwaukee M12 Fuel is the best impact driver we've found in the land of 12-volt battery-powered tools. This impressive little driver essentially fits in your pocket. Not only is it compact, but it's also lightweight, easy to use, and comfortable to hold. Our favorite thing about the M12 Fuel is that it kept up with &#40;and, in several instances, outperformed&#41; drivers with substantially more girth and voltage. To top it off, Milwaukee offers a fantastic array of tools built on the M12 Fuel platform, so you may only need to buy one battery and charger for a fleet.
We found a few small flaws while testing the M12 Fuel. Despite its lightweight and tiny size, it is still very loud. Also, this model is far from the most affordable impact driver we tested. If you don't mind a tool that's a little more cumbersome, it might be worth getting a cheaper model that may not be able to squeeze into the tight spaces that this one can but ultimately offers the same performance.
Read more: Milwaukee M12 Fuel 2553-20 review

CR’s take: Although it takes a little while for the battery to fully charge, the lightweight DeWalt DCF887D2 receives an Excellent power rating in our tests, as well as Very Good run time and handling scores. It’s equipped with several bells and whistles: a storage case, battery charge indicator, and LED work light that helps when working in low-light conditions. It has a standard three-year warranty. 

CR’s take: While it’s by far the most expensive compact impact driver in our ratings, the Makita XDT16R is a top performer all around. Its power, run time, charge time, and handling scores are all Excellent, making this the only impact driver that knocked it out of the park in all four tests. Additionally, it features an LED work light, which helps in low-light work conditions, a storage case, and a battery-charge indicator that displays how much juice is left. It has a standard three-year warranty. 

CR’s take: If you’re shopping on a more modest budget, the Milwaukee 2553-22 is about half the price of the Makita XDT16R while still earning strong marks across the board in CR’s tests. This model’s run time and handling scores are both Excellent, and its power and charge time ratings are Very Good. It’s also packed with the same features as the Makita but comes with an extended five-year warranty—two years longer than Makita’s three-year warranty.

CR’s take: This drill has a fixed, ¼-inch chuck, which isn’t a problem if you’re not drilling large holes. It’s pretty average when it comes to run time, but that’s okay because it comes with two batteries, so you can always keep one charging while you work. A built-in LED light helps you see what you’re doing, and the drill’s modest 2.2-pound weight makes it easy to wield. It comes with a 20-year warranty, which goes far beyond the usual three years for cordless drills.

CR’s take: The unique Hilti SFD 2-A drill falls in our light-duty category because of the limitations of its fixed ¼-inch chuck. That’s not a problem, though, if you’re not drilling large holes. Plus, it goes for half the price of many cordless drills with similar capabilities, while still proving to be reasonably powerful. A built-in LED light helps illuminate your workspace, and the drill’s modest 2.2-pound weight minimizes strain and fatigue. What’s included: Two 2.6-amp-hour batteries, a belt hook, an LED light, a soft-sided case, and a 20-year warranty, which goes far beyond the standard three years for cordless drills.

Impact Driver Comparison