Dewalt 20v XR Mid-Torque vs. Milwaukee M18 Mid-Torque

[SuperDutyMikeMc]

Hey Guys,

I think I already know the answer, but I wanted to see if anyone had experience with both these tools.

Long story short, I picked up a 1/2" DeWalt Mid Torque Impact yesterday (it's the 20v XR DCF894b model, using a 5Ah battery) and gave it a whirl on my wifes car (11' Ford Edge) doing pads/rotors/bleeding. I have been using Snap On MG725 and MG325s for automotive work, but figured it would be kind of nice to have less noise and no air hose to deal with.

That said, I was somewhat surprised by the lack of power from the DeWalt; I was using a deep 19mm impact socket too. Both my Snap-On pneumatic impacts will zip those little 19mm lugs off without a second thought. The DeWalt did it, but it had to think about it for 2-3 seconds. I had also replaced the lugs (due to swelling) about a month ago, and I had torqued them to 100ft lbs with a torque wrench.

I then popped on a 21mm and zipped some lugs off my truck, and it really seemed to struggle with that. Those lugs were torqued to 150ft lbs within the past month. It took it about 5 seconds of impacting to free those.

I don't feel like this DeWalt is as powerful as the MG325, and certainly not in the same league as the MG725. I'm running those air impacts at ~150PSI at the regulator w/ 100ft of hose and high flow fittings.

I had really wanted to avoid investing in the M18 platform as I have 6-7 DeWalt 20v batteries, but I feel like the DeWalt line of impacts are overall pretty inferior to what Milwaukee is offering.

That brings me to my question: Is it reasonable to expect that the M18 mid-torque would have significantly more power than the DeWalt? Those with higher ft-lb pneumatics, do you find your M18s to hit about the same?

Just trying to avoid dropping 500-600 on M18 stuff, only to be let down.

Thanks in advance!

 

[GeoBruin]

Just about every currently available cordless impact has been tested by third parties on YouTube. One of the most popular is the Torque Test Channel on YouTube. They are also a member here and they may even have a response posted to you before I complete my post. You don't really need to wonder how they compare.

That said, I would make sure you're getting the most out of your Dewalt impact (is the battery charged, is it old, etc.). Note you're also comparing it with a pneumatic impact running at an insane psi. I know you said 100ft of hose, and assuming you mean 3/8" hose, that could be much closer to spec, but still...

Finally, your Dewalt hasn't failed to do anything you've asked. It's just taken a few extra seconds (literally, seconds). If you legitimately don't want to spend the extra money and invest in another system, don't. Your tool works. But if you are looking for a reason to make the jump, I'm sure plenty of people here will tell you how much they like their Milwaukee impacts and give you lots of anecdotal stories to help you justify the decision. I'm not throwing stones here. I found a "reason" to invest in both ecosystems and I even own tools that are legitimately redundant, but at least I can admit it.

Have you considered the Dewalt High torque?

 

[SuperDutyMikeMc]

Hey GeoBruin,

Thanks for the reply!

I've been on YouTube and have seen some of the tests. While the channel creators are doing a great job, I'm left with some feeling that a bit of those tests are "theoretical". Most seem to be using very large fasteners/sockets that are freshly torqued (i.e. giving readings that are significantly higher than what you'd actually see).

So while I can go watch those videos, I also must contrast that with reviews on HD, Lowes, Amazon etc. I'd guess 90% were saying the gun I purchased (DCF894B) was the greatest thing since sliced bread; that along with the YouTube videos "got me".

Getting the impact home and "struggling" (struggle isn't the right word, but it wasn't anywhere near "authoritative") to zip off what I'd consider fairly light lug nuts was a bit surprising. As far as do I need more? The answer is likely yes. I just finished rebuilding the entire front end of my truck, and many of those bolts had torque specs around ~300ft lbs. I'm left with the feeling the DeWalt wouldn't even budge them.

Regarding the batteries, It was a 5Ah legit DeWalt branded battery, fully charged, and purchased between 2018-2021 (I have a few, I don't keep track of which is which).

To your point though, I don't "need" to invest in the M18 platform. My SnapOn impacts still work just fine. I just like the convenience, and I'm a tool nerd.

I have considered the big DeWalt, but that thing is a freaking monster. It looks like it'd be great for working on heavy equipment, but I'm looking for something *relatively* compact that makes power similar to my pneumatics.

That said, before I buy, I do want to make sure my expectations are set correctly...in the real world...is the M18 Gen2 Mid-Torque "significantly" more powerful than the DeWalt Mid-Torque? My speculation is that it is, but figured I'd ask the experts.

Thanks in advance,
Mike

 

[Yarpo]

Finally, your Dewalt hasn't failed to do anything you've asked. It's just taken a few extra seconds (literally, seconds). If you legitimately don't want to spend the extra money and invest in another system, don't. Your tool works. But if you are looking for a reason to make the jump, I'm sure plenty of people here will tell you how much they like their Milwaukee impacts and give you lots of anecdotal stories to help you justify the decision. I'm not throwing stones here. I found a "reason" to invest in both ecosystems and I even own tools that are legitimately redundant, but at least I can admit it.

All my tools are Milwaukee, but I cant up sell the impacts. There will be tons and tons of people here fawning over the tools because they're great, and they really are (No seriously I own no air impacts/ratchets, m12/m18 for life) but the real world numbers are nowhere near close to what they state. I don't think this is a Milwaukee thing but a cordless tool thing. I think somebody here in the past had some good info on how the numbers are calculated for cordless tools and it made sense, but was deceiving. I'm no engineer and this is only an anecdotal story...but alas. Maybe someone can engineer their way through this haha.

I take off probably 60 lug bolts a day gave or take, 3 vehicles worth. I use my mid torque for almost all of them, and the gun performs similarly or marginally better than described above. Impacts for maybe 1 or 2 seconds, tops. That said this is lug bolts and I've found them to be way harder to remove than lug nuts. I zip off the small 17 and 19mm lug nuts almost instantly. Lug bolts...another story. Anyways, I've had lots of vehicles that my mid torque fails, and I'm up to like three cars worth of wheels that my high torque has failed on. They advertise it as 1400 ft/lbs of torque. Is there an engineer who can tell me how you even torque a fastener that size to 1400 ft lbs, ~14x advertised torque, that results in no damage to the thread/fastener or other (Hub, rotor, etc?) I don't buy it. I also don't believe that a LARGE number of vehicles I encounter have their wheels torqued to over 600 ft/lbs....but my mid torque fails regularly. The m12 stubby that everyone loves, I gave up on in no time at all because it was near useless. A bunch of these cars are repeat customers and our shop is a stickler about torque wrenches after some idiot left a customers wheel loose and they crashed on the highway....3miles away from our dealership. Many of the CPO cars we get come from the east coast, maybe they just stand on the lug nuts before selling the cars, I have no clue. In either situation I don't buy it and the guns should not be struggling regularly to remove standard 17mm lug bolts, yet they sometimes do.

Anyways OP, I think my Milwaukee sounds like it performs marginally better than yours, but I'm not going to over sell it. I've only used the Dewalt mid torque at my uncles house helping him with something...and never had them side by side, so I cant offer a good honest comparison. However with dirt, grime, road salt, or whatever else I notice my guns under performing. That said I use them and only them and I complete my jobs just fine 99% of the time, and that's day in and day out. Cordless is awesome and I'm so glad to avoid air but they have limitations.

 

[Torque Test Channel]

We should be getting our hands on a DeWalt mid torque in the next month or so, so can let you know the difference. But any test you see on youtube is going to inherently be theoretical. No way we can replicate your exact vehicle and condition for each viewer. And in a real world setting seeing them used is useful too, but you'll never know how stuck that bolt was before they came across it vs another tool they used in another video.

The key, even if on large bolts like ours (so they dont stretch) or freshly torqued like on other channels, is as long as every single tool is tested the same way, it should give you an idea of which is more powerful than another. Which is useful if you have a reference, like your MG725 which we tested and there's only really 3-4 cordless high torques that can match it at high pressure, much less a very not new model mid-torque from DeWalt.

The numbers themselves alone are not very useful and dont prove anything, its just the relationship between them. That said, we expect the DeWalt to not stack up too close to a current gen super impressive M18 or Makita mid-toques, but who knows we've been wrong before.

 

[Professional Tool User]

The current mid torque cordless guns are not small and powerful enough to be worth buying. The Milwaukee fuel stubby impacts and ratchets are compact and powerful enough to handle at least 80% of light duty automotive applications. That's why I own them. On the other hand, I'll take my stubby aircat gun or any of the made in Taiwan stubby air impact guns over the mid torque cordless offerings if mobility is not an an issue. The stubby aircat gun is smaller and just as powerful while an MG725 is around the same size. The MG325 is an underpowered dog according to one of my former co-workers after he bought a stubby aircat. Bottom line, if you have perfectly serviceable air tools and a decent compressor, keep using them unless going cordless actually improves your productivity and not just satisfy personal preferences.

 

[SuitorsGarage]

Battery tools hit different than air tools. It took me some time to get used to the non-immediate results but then I realized it was literally just a second or two. Battery is not for every job but it doesn't require tripping over airlines. Personally I skip mid torque and go with high torque and compact.

 

[SuperDutyMikeMc]

We should be getting our hands on a DeWalt mid torque in the next month or so, so can let you know the difference. But any test you see on youtube is going to inherently be theoretical. No way we can replicate your exact vehicle and condition for each viewer. And in a real world setting seeing them used is useful too, but you'll never know how stuck that bolt was before they came across it vs another tool they used in another video.

The key, even if on large bolts like ours (so they dont stretch) or freshly torqued like on other channels, is as long as every single tool is tested the same way, it should give you an idea of which is more powerful than another. Which is useful if you have a reference, like your MG725 which we tested and there's only really 3-4 cordless high torques that can match it at high pressure, much less a very not new model mid-torque from DeWalt.

The numbers themselves alone are not very useful and dont prove anything, its just the relationship between them. That said, we expect the DeWalt to not stack up too close to a current gen super impressive M18 or Makita mid-toques, but who knows we've been wrong before.

Torque Test Channel - I appreciate the response! This specific model of DeWalt is "under represented" on YouTube, so I'm happy to hear it'll make an appearance soon. Also I appreciate all the work you put into your channel; very good content.

As far as the DCF894B, I agree with your assessment that it probably won't stack up. I'm willing to bet by a pretty significant margin. Regarding the large bolts, I totally understand the reasoning as to why, and how performance is relative.

I guess we'll see whenever the tests are published

 

[jsaw]

While I do have a few cordless impacts, There is a reason why I use mostly air powered tools

 

[anavrinIV]

My experience is limited but I have used mit-torque impacts from Makita, Milwaukee, and Dewalt. I own the Makita (all my 18V tools are Makita) and I have friends who have bought into Dewalt and Milwaukee. I cannot give exact part numbers for those but mine is the latest Makita hog ring mid-impact.

None of us have large air setups or air impacts to compare against...I have used them in the past but always in work environements.

Of the 3 the Milwaukee and Makita are comparable. I have not used them side by side but have used both a bit and they have done everything I would expect them to do. The Milwaukee was used to disassemble some engines in a junkyard, my Makita has been used on wheels and brakes and such at home. They may hammer for a second or so but then will zip things out.

The Dewalt is the outsider in this category. It just.....lacks power. Even if used with a 5ah battery it never seems to have the *** that the others do. Where the Ms work great the D struggles, and where the Ms take a minute to work the D falls completely flat.

This is just one person's experience but it seems to go across the board with the Dewalt tools. The drill he has is good but the cordless angle grinder is weak (and un-ergonomic), and the impact driver falls behind the Ms.