DeWalt Vs Milwaukee Vs Makita Vs Flex Impact Driver Review

Professional Impact Driver Head-to-Head Pits Four Powerhouse Brands Against Each Other

We’ve heard the hype and we’ve seen the videos, but how do the latest generation of impact drivers stack up in the professional sector? Breaking away from our one-on-one focus, we have a DeWalt vs Milwaukee vs Makita vs Flex impact driver comparison on tap for you today.

Not everyone has the same priorities, so we’re sharing everything we learned along the way. The final call is yours, so be sure to tell us which is your favorite and what makes it stand out from the rest in the comments below!

Here are the models we’re testing (in alphabetical order):

Check out our best impact driver recommendations for the year!

Why Not Use the Makita GDT02?

Makita launched the GDT02 impact driver for the XGT line more recently and you might be tempted to think it’s an upgrade over the GDT01. However, the GDT01 is the better of the two, so we’re sticking with it for this comparison.

DeWalt Vs Milwaukee Vs Makita Vs Flex Impact Driver Specifications

Here are the basic numbers to know before we jump into the testing:

A quick look through the numbers reveals that DeWalt is the lightweight of the group, Milwaukee is the most compact, and Flex boasts the highest performance specs.

DeWalt Vs Milwaukee Vs Makita Vs Flex Test Results

We have significantly different battery systems in this group. DeWalt’s 20V Max and Milwaukee’s M18 are both in the 18V/20V max class, running a 5-cell system. Makita is on its 10-cell 40V max platform (36V nominal) and Flex uses a 6-cell system to reach 24V max (21.6V nominal).

To keep things as even as possible, we’re using the closest batteries we can get. With 5.0Ah packs for Dewalt and Milwaukee and a 2.5Ah pack for Makita, they’re all running at 90Wh capacity. Flex is the odd one with its 5.0Ah battery holding 108Wh.

We started with a medium-load test driving a 6-inch x 1/4-inch GRK Fasteners RSS screw into stacked OSB subfloor. The result is the average of three tests.

The second test is timed to see how far each model can drive a 10-inch x 1/2-inch lag screw into the same material in 30 seconds. The result is the average of how much of the screw remained proud in three tests—less is better.

The third test is to see how long it takes to break loose a nut that is set to 150 ft-lbs (1800 in-lbs). The result is the total time added together for 5 bolts.

But what about advanced batteries?

DeWalt has a PowerStack, Milwaukee has its High Output, and Flex has Stacked Lithium. Unfortunately, we haven’t had the chance to run DeWalt with the PowerStack battery yet, but we do have results for Milwaukee (6.0Ah High Output) and Flex (6.0Ah Stacked Lithium).

DeWalt Vs Milwaukee Vs Makita Vs Flex Impact Driver Highlight Features

DeWalt DCF845

• Brushless motor
• 3 standard modes
• One-hand bit insertion
• 3 LED lights around the collet

Milwaukee 2953

Makita GDT01

• Brushless motor
• 4 standard modes
• 6 assist modes
• One-hand bit insertion
• Quick Shift button above the trigger
• 2 LED lights around the collet

Flex FX1371

• Brushless motor
• 3 standard modes
• 2 assist modes
• Quick Eject button above the trigger
• Foot-mounted LED light

DeWalt Vs Milwaukee Vs Makita Vs Flex Impact Driver Price

So who’s your winner? Let us know in the comments below—bonus points for telling us why!