Best cordless impact wrench 2024
Which cordless impact wrench should you turn to when you need a hand with DIY?
When tackling car maintenance, it’s common to come across a fastener that requires more than just muscle power to shift, and you need a little help.
A cordless impact wrench provides more power to your elbow without the need for a compressor and untidy airlines. Plus, even if your spanners and sockets can manage the job, using an impact wrench will speed up spinning off fasteners and drastically reduce the effort required.
So which is the one to take the strain out of your servicing and repairs? We charged eight to find out.
How we tested them
Torque is king here, so we timed fitting and removing eight lag bolts into and from a solid block of wood. We then tried the tools on conventional wheel bolts and finally, removed a rear-wheel hub nut, tightened to 90Nm and 175Nm respectively.
We rated performance, the size and number of batteries, and extras such as LED lights, battery-state indication and selectable torque settings. Ease of use was also assessed, along with price.
Reviews:
Clarke CIR184LIP 18v 1/2in Drive Impact Wrench
- Price: Around £175
- Battery/Voltage: 2 x 4Ah/18V
- Rating: 5 stars
- Website: machinemart.co.uk
Clarke’s latest top-of-the-range device has a brand-new brushless motor and it’s very good. We like the choice of three speeds, which are denoted by LEDs on the foot of the tool. The instructions are excellent, with plenty of diagrams, photos and information about safety.
With 400Nm of torque on tap, it whizzed off the wheel nuts with ease, and the hub nut presented no problem, although it was a tad slower than the Ryobi. At 2.6kg, the Clarke is the joint heaviest wrench in our test, but its good balance offsets this.
Ryobi 18V ONE+ HP Cordless Brushless Impact Wrench RIW18X-0
- Price: Around £171
- Battery/Voltage: 0/18V
- Rating: 4.5 stars
- Website: uk.ryobitools.eu
There’s little that would stand in the way of this Ryobi. With a claimed maximum torque of 700Nm, it steamrollered all of our tests. It was easy to select the right torque for the job, LEDs on its base showing 120, 200, 350 or 700Nm.
Weighing just over 2kg, it isn’t a chore to use, the brushless motor spinning as smoothly as silk and, just as importantly, stopping as soon as the trigger is released. Supplied as a bare tool, it has no case, and (unless you already have them) you’ll need to buy a battery and charger. We tried both Ryobis with the 2.5Ah battery/charger pack (around £50).
Sealey 18V 1/2”Sq Drive Cordless Impact Wrench CP650LIHV
- Price: Around £132
- Battery/Voltage: 1 x 4Ah/18V
- Rating: 4 stars
- Website: sealey.co.uk
Finished in eye-popping bright green, this wrench certainly won’t get lost in your tool box. We found it well balanced, despite its 2.4kg weight. It wasn’t quite as versatile as our top two, having just two speeds (0-2,200/2,600), but it strolled through our tests, including the super-tight hub nut.
The single 4Ah battery supplied has a series of four LEDs for battery state, and all were still showing when we finished.We like the strong plastic case, which also stores the charger and battery, but the instructions are poor and limited.
Draper D20 20V Brushless 1/2in Mid-Torque Impact Wrench 99251
- Price: Around £191
- Battery/Voltage: 2 x 4Ah/20V
- Rating: 4 stars
- Website: drapertools.com
This is one of four machines claiming to have 400Nm of torque on tap, and that’s easy to believe, given its fine performance. We like the twin 4Ah batteries supplied, which would provide enough power for all but the longest of tasks. The strong plastic case also stores the high-power, 2.4A fast charger, which can cut downtime.
We were pleased to find five torque settings and clear LEDs showing the current selection. It was comfortable in use, despite being a touch long, at 195mm, and not light, at 2.2kg.
Draper Storm Force 20V 1/2in Mid-Torque Impact Wrench 43785
- Price: Around £155
- Battery/Voltage: 1 x 4Ah/20V
- Rating: 3.5 stars
- Website: drapertools.com
Against a raft of 18V motors, the Draper twins both used 20V power to produce a claimed 400Nm of torque. This was quite enough to do our test tasks, including the large hub nut.
We like having five torque-limiting options (100, 150, 200, 300 and 400Nm), all clearly marked and selectable by a button on the base of the wrench. This tool is a bit weighty, at 2.6kg, and joint heaviest. The battery state is shown by three LEDs on the casing, and the instructions are comprehensive, covering use and important safety aspects.
Ryobi 18V ONE+™ Cordless 3-Speed Impact Wrench RIW18-0
- Price: Around £131
- Battery/Voltage: 0/18V
- Rating: 3.5 stars
- Website: uk.ryobitools.eu
Compared with the other Ryobi, this one couldn’t match its huge torque, although 400Nm and a max 2,600rpm were plenty to ace all of our tests. The three torque-control settings are easily accessed on the base of the tool and clearly marked by LEDs.
This has a brushed motor and is almost the same weight as the RIW18X, perhaps showing another benefit of brushless. The design is good and the wrench felt comfortable, although the instructions are very limited, with just a couple of A5 pages of text and some diagrams.
Clarke CCIW160 18v 1/2in Drive Impact Wrench
- Price: Around £120
- Battery/Voltage: 2 x 2Ah/18V
- Rating: 2.5 stars
- Website: machinemart.co.uk
At just 1.5kg, this Clarke is undeniably wieldy and the second lightest on test. The instructions are typically good, covering everything you need, including the need for black sockets. We also like the strong case, which houses the charger and two batteries. However, with just 160Nm of torque on offer, its performance was well down on our winner’s.
It took around three seconds for each wheel nut and could make no impression on the hub nut. It’s cheap enough and handy for smaller tasks, but a touch limited overall.
Milwaukee M12 BIW12-202C Sub Compact 1/2in Impact Wrench
- Price: Around £180
- Battery/Voltage: 2 x 2Ah/12V
- Rating: 2.5 stars
- Website: toolstation.com
At just 1.2kg, the Milwaukee is the lightest on test, barely any heavier than a hairdryer and just as comfortable to use. It’s supplied in a strong plastic case, complete with charger and two pocket-sized 2Ah batteries which, like the others, could be used in other 12v tools.
However, that light weight and having only a 12V motor equated to less performance; its maximum torque figure of 138Nm was the lowest in this test. The Milwaukee couldn’t move the hub nut, and each wheel nut took around six seconds to shift. It’s handy to keep on the shelf or in the boot, but it’s hard to get beyond the relatively high price.
Verdict:
Clarke’s new CIR184LIP is a great combination of all attributes, while the hugely powerful Ryobi RIW18X runs it close. For those on a tighter budget, the Sealey CP650LIHV would not be a disappointment.
- Clarke CIR184LIP 18V 1/2in Drive Impact Wrench
- Ryobi 18V ONE+ HP Cordless Brushless Impact Wrench RIW18X-0
- Sealey 18V 1/2”Sq Drive Cordless Impact Wrench CP650LIHV
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