Flex 24V Brushless Impact Driver with Quick Eject Review

April 27, 2021

Compact Design and Extreme Power Highlight the Flex 24V Brushless Impact Driver

With the launch of Flex 24V cordless tools at Lowe’s, there are two impact drivers. The one we’re reviewing today is the Flex 24V Brushless Impact Driver with Quick Eject. It’s the higher-performing and more feature-rich of the two, though the standard brushless impact driver is nothing to shake a stick at.

Pros

Monster 2500 in-lbs of torque
Excellent performance in tough applications
New course leader on the PTR Test Track
3 standard speeds plus 2 self-tapping screw modes
Quick Eject collet opens the collet without taking your hand off the handle
Lifetime warranty available with registration by 12/31/21

Cons

Flex 24V Brushless Impact Driver Performance

Flex pushes the performance envelope further than its competition with this model. Topping out at 3600 RPM in high, it can produce 2500 in-lbs of torque. That’s top-tier speed combined with class-leading power.

To help you control that performance, you have three standard modes and two self-tapping screw modes. Between all of that, you should be able to find the right blend of speed and power for most fastening jobs.

To see how Flex dialed all that in, we put it to work on the PTR Impact Driver Test Track. If you’re not familiar with it, here’s what each impact driver has to accomplish:

20 x 1 1/2-inch drywall screws in 2×4 stud
10 x 3/4-inch self-tapping screws fastening steel stud to a 2×4 stud
10 x 1/4-inch twist bit in 2×4 stud
10 x 1/4-inch x 3 -inch ledger screws fastening two 3/4-inch OSB subfloor layers to a 2×4 stud

The range of times currently starts with Makita’s XDT16 leading the pack at 1:59 and runs to 2:48 on the slow end of the 18V/20V Max class. That was until Flex hit the track, finishing with a new course record of 1:57!

We also wanted to see how this model compares in a more demanding situation. Using 8-inch RSS screws from GRK Fasteners, we drove it into layered OSB subfloor. No, that’s not a “normal” application, but OSB is really consistent so it makes a good material when you’re comparing tools the way we do.

Flex finished with a 5-test average of 6.13 seconds. Of the impact drivers we’ve tested so far, only Milwaukee’s Gen 3 M18 Fuel had a faster time (5.84 seconds). Aside from that, the third-place finisher was more than a second slower.

Flex 24V Brushless Impact Driver Design Notes

Size and Weight

Looking at this tool, it’s clearly compact. From front to back, it measures 4.75 inches. It’s a bit wider than some of its premium competition as it’s right at 2.5 inches across.

For the size, the tool feels a bit heavier than we’re used to. Bare, it weighs 2.8 pounds and moves up to 4.1 pounds with a 2.5Ah battery and 4.9 pounds with a 5.0Ah pack. Part of the weight comes from working with a 6-cell battery system instead of 5 cells the way 18V and 20V Max tools do.

The other part is the construction itself. The impact driver feels like its weight has more to do with a quality build than anything else. With the 2.5Ah battery, it’s really well-balanced and it’s the pack we prefer to use on it.

Handle Ergonomics

Flex spent some real time considering their handle ergonomics and it shows. The foundation has a nice curve to it that fits in your hand well, similar to the way DeWalt and Metabo HPT do. The overmold covering is pretty aggressive from a texture perspective. It helps channel away sweat and gives you a better grip when your hands are a little greasy.

Quick Eject Collet

While there’s no one-hand bit insertion or active spring ejection, the Flex 24V Brushless Impact Driver introduces a Quick Eject feature. Just above the trigger, there’s a button you press with your finger to push the collet forward to the open position. This works well, though the early sample we got our hands on was a little sticky when taking some bits out.

Regardless, you don’t have to move your hand from the handle to switch bits, making it a more convenient way to manage it. It’s especially helpful when you’re working at height or in areas where there’s no easy place to set the tool down.

Additional Features

Brushless motor
Foot-mounted LED light
Belt hook (left-side mount only)
Bright, bold 4-LED charge indicator on both sides of the battery

Flex 24V Brushless Impact Driver Price

You can get the Flex 24V Brushless Impact Driver with Quick Eject as a kit for $249 at Lowe’s. It includes the tool, 2.5Ah battery, 5.0Ah battery, 160-watt Fast Charger, and carry bag.

The standard warranty is 5 years for both the battery and the tool. However, if you register the tool, battery, and charger by December 31, 2021, you get a lifetime warranty for all of them under the Flex Founders program.

The Bottom Line

We all wanted to know where Flex would fit in among the other cordless impact drivers currently on the market. After running it through our tests and taking a closer look at its design, it’s clear the Flex 24V Brushless Impact Driver with Quick Eject is going to shake up the premium end. Based on our experience, Flex is legit and the traditional powerhouses have some serious competition to consider.