The Best Impact Drivers For All Your Fastening Needs

From corded to cordless, our handpicked selection of impact drivers ensures you have the right tool for all your DIY projects.
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Written & Tested By: Richard Morgan | Updated:
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Best Impact Driver
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The purpose of an impact driver is to drive large screws, bolts, or other fasteners into wood and metal with powerful rotational blows. Unlike a cordless drill, impact drivers feature higher torque ratings, enabling more efficient and effective fastening.

It’s important to note that impact drivers and impact wrenches aren’t the same tools as they serve different purposes. This is because wrenches are far more heavy-duty and offer more torque, which is required for loosening or fastening sockets. Impact drivers on the other hand are best suited to driving screws and they also use a 1/4-inch hex drive.

To assist you in selecting the right corded or cordless impact driver, our handpicked selection lists top-performing models, chosen based on our first-hand experience driving screws, bolts and other fasteners into a range of surfaces. Our testing and up-to-date research further ensure the quality of our recommendations.

Our Top Picks At A Glance:

Dewalt DCF887M1 Brushless Impact Driver
Best Overall: DEWALT DCF887M1 18V Impact Driver
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Makita DTD153Z 18V Li-Ion LXT Brushless Impact Driver
Best Value: Makita DTD153Z Cordless Impact Driver
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Ryobi R18IDBL-0 18V ONE+ Impact Driver
Best All-Rounder: Ryobi R18IDBL-0 18V ONE+ Impact Driver
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Bosch GDR 12 V-105 Cordless Impact Driver
Best Lightweight: Bosch GDR 12 V-105 Cordless Impact Driver
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Milwaukee M18FID-0 Impact Driver
Best Professional: Milwaukee M18FID-0 Impact Driver
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INGCO CIRLI20023 Impact Driver
Best Budget: INGCO CIRLI20023 Impact Driver
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How The DIY Works Team Tests & Rates Impact Drivers

An impact driver is a tool that we have plenty of experience with and over the years, we’ve used them for a variety of tasks. Whether that’s to drive screws through sleepers, joists, boarding, decking or a range of other materials, it’s certainly the “go-to” tool for the job. As shown in the photos below, we have experience using multiple impact drivers and it’s a tool that we consider ourselves to be very knowledgeable to talk about.

best impact driver uk

Richard Morgan/DIY Works
best makita impact driver

Richard Morgan/DIY Works

To keep up our commitment to reviewing and testing the latest impact drivers (for this article), we are continually upgrading our units to the latest offerings from the top brands in the UK. Our favourite impact drivers that we highly rate are the DEWALT and Makita units but recently, we managed to get our hands on a Milwaukee unit and we found it to be quite impressive when installing new decking.

best makita impact drivers

Richard Morgan/DIY Works
best cordless brushless impact driver

Richard Morgan/DIY Works

To see the ease of driving a screw through a sleeper, watch our video below which shows us testing the DEWALT unit.

As well as our experience and testing of impact drivers, we also based our recommendations on the latest research and several factors. Some of the factors that we took into consideration included the tool’s quality, performance, additional features, power modes, design, warranty and value for the money.

The Best Impact Drivers

At DIY Works, our content is 100% independent and we would never recommend a product that we wouldn't use ourselves (read our editorial standards and how we test products).

1. Best Overall: DEWALT DCF887M1 18V Impact Driver

(How We Review →)

DEWALT is well-known for its high-quality tools and this cordless impact driver is a great example. The standout feature is its high powered brushless motor because it outputs an impressive 205 Nm of torque. Therefore, due to its great performance, it makes this model more than suitable for most heavy duty applications.

If you want to purchase the complete kit instead of the bare tool, the kit comes with the tool, 18V 4.0Ah li-ion battery, belt hook, magnetic bit holder, charger and even a toolbox.

Pros
  • Max torque of 205 Nm
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  • 3,250 RPM/3,800 IPM
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  • Triple LED halo light ring for superior lighting
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  • Lightweight and compact design
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  • Weighs 1.5 KG (with the battery)
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  • Three power modes and a “PrecisionDrive” setting
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  • Available as a complete kit
Cons
  • During our testing (screwing through sleepers), we found that it went through batteries very quickly
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  • Relatively expensive when compared to the alternatives

Although expensive, the DEWALT DCF887M1 is one of the best cordless impact drivers on the market. It provides impressive performance via the high powered brushless motor and is also available as a complete kit too.

2. Best Value: Makita DTD153Z Cordless Impact Driver

(How We Review →)

Makita produce a wide range of highly rated impact drivers but the DTD153Z is their most popular model.

In terms of its performance, the brushless motor provides a maximum torque output of 175 Nm and offers a no-load speed of 3,600 RPM which is more than ideal for driving screws.

Compared to its predecessors, this Makita impact driver has dual LED work lights, more torque, compact design and is lighter at just 1.5 KG. The DTD153Z also features a range of additional functionality such as TEK mode, which prevents over tightening of fasteners by reducing the impact power during the final stages.

Pros
  • Three stage power selection
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  • Max torque of 170 Nm
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  • Compact design (117mm long)
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  • Forward and reverse rotation
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  • Generates less heat for prolonged use
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  • Weighs just 1.5 KG
Cons
  • Battery and charger sold separately (additional expense)

To conclude, the DTD153Z is by far the best Makita impact driver that features a compact design and outperforms similar drivers within its class. Although Makita offers more affordable options, this model is certainly worth the investment.

3. Best All-Rounder: Ryobi R18IDBL-0 18V ONE+ Impact Driver

(How We Review →)

Another budget-friendly option is the Ryobi impact driver, which uses a clever brushless motor that the brand claims runs cool and lasts up to 10 times longer than brushed drills. In terms of performance, the R18IDBL-0 provides up to 270 Nm of torque and has four pre-set speeds and power levels for maximum control.

Unlike similar-priced impact drivers, this model efficiently uses its power and is capable of driving up to 284 screws per charge when used with the 2.5 Ah Lithium+ battery

Pros
  • Friction-less brushless motor
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  • Impact rate of 3,900 IPM
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  • Max torque of 270 Nm
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  • Supplied with impact screwdriver bit
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  • 4 different power modes
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  • Includes a 3/8 inch socket adapter
Cons
  • More bulkier than other impact drivers

Although Ryobi offers several other impact drivers, the R18IDBL-0 is their best model that combines value for the money and performance. It’s easy to use and provides great control with variable power modes, which won’t disappoint when used for a variety of different tasks.

4. Best Lightweight: Bosch GDR 12 V-105 Cordless Impact Driver

(How We Review →)

Bosch is a brand that need no introduction and their GDR 12 V-105 model of impact driver is a great option to consider. In terms of its construction, it’s compact and weighs just 1.2 KG (with the battery) and it also has a short head with a length of just 137mm, which makes it ideal for tight applications.

In terms of performance, it provides a maximum torque of 105 Nm and an impact rate of 3,100 IPM.

Pros
  • 2,600 RPM no-load speed
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  • Integrated LED work light
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  • Lightweight at just 1.2 KG
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  • Forward and reverse rotation
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  • Overload, overheating and total discharge protection
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  • 44% faster than the predecessor model
Cons
  • One of the most expensive impact drivers within our roundup

To conclude, the Bosch GDR 12 V-105 is a great option to consider if you require a compact yet powerful impact driver. However, it’s own really suitable for light to medium work but it’ll do that with minimal effort.

5. Best Professional: Milwaukee M18FID-0 Impact Driver

(How We Review →)

The Milwaukee impact driver is a high-performing option that’s ideal for professionals that require greater control with its four no-load speeds, impact rates and maximum torque modes. The benefit of these added modes is that it allows you to select between maximum performance or precision accuracy whilst using the tool.

As with the brand’s other tools that use the M18 battery pack, it has been optimised for longer tool run-time and durability. This is thanks to a state-of-the-art battery cell monitoring functionality found with the impact driver.

Pros
  • Max torque of 203 Nm
    •
  • 1/4 inch hex drive
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  • Bright LED work light
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  • Choice of four power modes
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  • On-board battery level indicator
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  • Advanced digital overload protection
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  • 3 year warranty (when registered)
Cons
  • Relatively expensive when compared to the alternatives

Overall, the Milwaukee M18FID-0 is a high-quality impact driver that offers great performance and is backed by a reputable brand. The choice of power modes also ensures that you avoid stripping screw heads but also have the power when you require it.

6. Best Budget: INGCO CIRLI20023 Impact Driver

(How We Review →)

If you are on a tight budget and require a cheap impact driver that comes as a complete kit, the INGCO CIRLI20023 is the perfect solution. Included within the kit is the bare unit, 2 batteries, a charger, screwdriver bits, nut holders and even a canvas bag. Therefore, you certainly get “great bang for your buck” with this impact driver.

In terms of performance, this particular model provides up to 170 Nm of torque and a no-load speed of up to 3,300 BPM.

Pros
  • Supplied with everything you need to begin using it
    •
  • Fast charger charges batteries to max capacity in just 1 hour
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  • Intuitive charge display and LED work light
    •
  • Lightweight and comfortable grip
Cons
  • Not as high performing when compared to other impact drivers

For an average DIY’er that wants a cheap solution to driving screws, the INGCO CIRLI20023 is by far the best budget impact driver. Although it isn’t as powerful or backed by a reputable brand, for the money, you can’t go wrong.

Conclusion

All of our recommendations are suited to a range of budgets and by the best brands in the industry. It’s always worth spending slightly more on a high-performing option because they have multiple modes for additional versatility.

It’s important to note that most impact drivers don’t come with a battery pack or charger and are sold as a bare unit. Therefore, if you are on a budget, you need to factor in the cost of these components to complete the kit.

If you require further information regarding any of our impact driver recommendations, feel free to get in touch and we will try to provide our assistance where possible.

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