Should Nikon 1 owners dump their gear and move to Nikon DL. Best Cordless Impact Drivers 2. Edition. While cordless impact drivers still arent quite as in demand as cordless drills, interest in these high powered fastening tools continues to grow. Its easy to see why theyre often lightweight, compact, and high powered. Plus, impact drivers offer high fastener driving torque without recoil. You might sometimes seem them advertised or described as delivering reactionless torque. Unlike drills, impact drivers dont kickback or expose users to counter rotational torque. Thats not to say that impact drivers are better than drills, although they are certainly different. Impact drivers excel at driving fasteners, while cordless drills are great at boring holes and driving fasteners with repeatable depth and precision. Gear Pro Professional Edition 7.03' title='Gear Pro Professional Edition 7.03' />Charlie Pierce on all this ESPN nonsense and newspapering and what not is so fantastic and Im bitter we didnt run it. Go check it out. SI. Advertisement. These days, there are two main kinds of impact drivers single speed, and multi speed. You will also find those with brushless motors, and those with non brushless brushed motors. Often, but not always, brushless impact drivers will also offer multiple speed and torque settings. I have used many different brands, models, and styles of impact drivers in recent years. For this best cordless impact driver roundup, I started off by thinking about the best impact driver models I have used. The discussion was supposed to be quick and focused, but there are too many very highly recommended models that I couldnt leave out. As a reminder, impact drivers should be used with impact rated screwdriver bits. Impact rated bits are made from tougher steel than non impact bits, which reduces the likelihood that they will break apart or shatter during use. Some work with 1 insert bits, but most work best or exclusively with 2 power bits or bit holders. Best 1. 8V Milwaukee M1. Fuel BrushlessMilwaukees M1. Fuel impact driver, which is available by itself 2. Li ion battery kit 2. This impact is comfortable to use, runtime is great, and its brushless motor delivers gobs of fastener tightening power. The multiple speed and torque settings come in handy when you need to drive in smaller fasteners. There are plenty of user conveniences as well, such as the batterys built in LED fuel gauge, which is positioned at the front of the tool and is easily accessed, the removable belt hook, and the LED worklight. To be fair, belt hooks and LED worklights are pretty standard these days, although the LED battery fuel gauge design is still the most practical one Ive seen yet. Milwaukee might not have come out with the most compact impact driver, but the M1. Fuel brushless model is a solid performer all around. Kit pricing is understandably a little high. But, if you already bought into Milwaukees M1. This is the model you want if youre look for the best cordless impact driver. Buy Nowvia Home DepotRunner Up for Best 1. V Makita LXDT0. 6 BrushlessThe Makita 1. V LXDT0. 6 impact driver came close to besting the Milwaukee M1. Fuel, if not for the Milwaukees added power, greater user friendliness, and lower price. Makitas LXDT0. 6 is still plenty powerful, and still looks to be the most compact impact driver currently on the market, at least in the USA. Overseas, theres a new Makita 1. V impact driver TD1. D that is almost ridiculously compact, while still offering lots of torque and great features. This Makita also sports a brushless motor, which of course means greater runtime compared to brushed motor impacts. It also offers an automatic downshifting setting that certain users might find useful. When you toggle this mode, the driver will start off in high speed, and then shifts to a lower speed and torque setting once the tool senses resistance as a fastener is closer to being driven into position. Or you could just manually select from among the three torque and speed settings. The only major downside to the LXDT0. Just the bare tool, without batteries or a charger, will set you back about 1. A 2 battery kit will cost you about 3. A minor downside is the lack of a battery fuel gauge. On the plus side, Makitas batteries charge super fast on their actively cooled rapid charger. Buy Nowvia AmazonBuy Nowvia Home DepotEditors Choice Dewalt DCF8. BrushlessThe Dewalt DCF8. V Max model that honor goes to the Dewalt DCF8. I really dont like using. The DCF8. 95 is compact, it features three speed and torque settings, and its brushless motor provides for plenty of power and runtime. But its bit holder is really hard to get used to. The new 2. 0V Max impact vs. Dewalts other brushless impact and their original brushed motor impact. The DCF8. 86 doesnt offer multiple speed and torque settings. Nor can Dewalt claim this driver is best in class in any regard. Free Download Amcap.Exe Driver. However, its a very solid performing impact driver that is comfortable to use. Its simple, and its brushless motor delivers a good balance between power and runtime. This impact driver isnt a super featured premium model, but instead seems to be the brushless evolution of Dewalts DCF8. I only mentioned in deal posts here and there a few times since its release a couple of a years ago. I like this impact driver because its comfortable to use, and it just plain works. Its priced at about 1. Even with better impact drivers at my disposal, I sometimes find myself searching this one out, at least when my personal Bosch 1. V impact is nowhere to be found. Buy Nowvia AmazonBuy Nowvia Home DepotBest Budget 1. V Porter Cable 2. V Max. I know I might hear some complaints from Porter Cables product team for saying this, but the Porter Cable PCC6. V Max impact driver, along with their PCC6. V Max cordless power tool lineup. Not that ordinary and mediocre is bad. In fact, I own a couple of Porter Cables 1. V tools, and bought them because they offer okay features and deliver reasonably okay performance at great prices. If you picked up another tool from the expanded Porter Cable 2. V Max lineup first, you might be mistaken into thinking the impact driver was another so so performer. But its not. Porter Cables 2. V Max impact driver isnt a stellar performer, but it is very solidly built and offers reliable and consistent performance. It delivers pro grade results at consumer friendly prices. The 2 battery kit is priced at 1. If youre on a tighter budget, this is the impact to buy, at least if you want a little extra robustness. This Porter Cable impact feels a little more solid than say, Ryobi or Craftsmans 1. There is a downside to the PCC6. Buy Nowvia AmazonSpecial Mention 1. V Bosch Hybrid 1. V BrushlessThe Bosch IDH1. V hybrid brushless impact driver is part impact driver, part impact wrench. It first debuted as an 1. V brushed motor hybrid impact in Europe before evolving into a brushless model that was released internationally. With this model you get great maximum torque thats higher than even Milwaukees M1. Fuel model could muster, as well as multiple speed and torque settings. You also get great runtime thanks to the brushless motor. Besides all those things, you get a combination 14 hex bit holder and 12 square drive anvil. Due to the hybrid bit holder and socket driver design, the Bosch IDH1. Its a great multi functional and versatile cordless tool, but not quite in the running for best overall impact driver. This is the impact to buy if you often find yourself switching between an impact driver and an impact wrench or square drive bit adapters. Buy Nowvia AmazonBuy Nowvia Home DepotBuy Nowvia CPOBest 1. V Milwaukee M1. 2 Fuel. Theres no beating around the bush.