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Dewalt Impacts vs Big 3 Battery Powered

gdocktor3

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I am looking to pick up a battery powered 1/2" impact wrench for small jobs around the house and on the road repairs, and want to know how the Dewalt 20v impacts compare to the Snap On, Mac, Matco's etc? I am considering the 20v Dewalt DCF889B with 400 ft lb of torque. The Snap On 18 volt is rated at 325 ft lb and the Mac 20v claims 725 ft lbs. I know the Mac and Dewalt 20 volts run on the same exact batteries and are interchangeable. I also know the more expensive 20v Dewalt impact is rated at 700 ft lb. The only difference between the Dewalt and the Mac is a few hundred bucks..

Wondering if anyone has used Dewalt's 20 volt impact and a big 3 impact and how they compare? Also wondering how the 3/8" Dewalt impact compares to the big names? I also have a ton of 18 volt Ridgid batteries, but the Ridgid impact wrench is only rated at 325 ft lbs. Anyone use the 18v Ridgid vs 20v Dewalt?
 
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Dusty61

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I have a Mac 20 V, two co workers have the Dewalt 20 v.
Pretty close to the same gun. The Mac has more breakaway, and is much better balanced.
 

Danglerb

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When you said big three I was thinking; Milwaukee, Bosch, IR for battery impacts.

Most jobs around the hose I prefer a hex drive impact.
 

xela456

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I had dewalt 20v tools before I ddonate all my things to a thief.
The 889 impact you speak of is plenty powerful enough my only complaint with it is that it is giant. It doesn't fit in many places and doesn't really make up for it in power. Now I have a Milwaukee 2763 fuel impact and it is everything I dreamt of in a battery powered tool. It's rated at 700 wi h 1100 breakaway however the non fuel Milwaukee model 2662 1/2 high torque is a great option as it is rated at 450 and is also much shorter than the dewalt 889 and lighter too the kit comes in at about 250 i believe which is pretty competitive with an 889 kit
Sorry have no experience with the tool truck brands but I work on industrial machinery for a living and my 2763 has never let me down been a great tool with plenty of power
 

bcradio

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When you said big three I was thinking; Milwaukee, Bosch, IR for battery impacts.

Same here. The big 3 the OP listed are certainly NOT the big 3 of cordless impacts. I would look at IR/Milwaukee/DeWalt if I was in the market.
 

Gone Boating

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I got the Dewalt 899 for Christmas. I've only used it a couple times but my god is it powerful.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

stikman56

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Not sure what OP is looking at, but the Snap-On cordless 1/2" is a lot more than 325 ft. lbs. Even the last generation of ni-cad stuff ( the CT6850) is over 600.
 

Dusty61

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Big three I assumed were Snap On, Mac & Matco.
The Snap-On version is HEAVY, very pricy and batteries are really pricy. Not a bad gun, but IMO not worth the money. Matco same thing, even worse the battery has a tab that breaks easily. It's also heavy and has a very long housing. The Mac is the best balanced and uses Lowes/home depot available 20V dewalt batteries. The only difference between the Mac battery and the Dewalt is the Mac is Red (lettering) and has an integrated battery gauge (big whoop) the nice thing is the 20 volt charger will charge the smaller 12 volt batteries too.
The XD dewalt is really top heavy, I got my Mac 1/2" for $500.00 brand-new, (demo model) and am very happy with it.
 
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gdocktor3

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The big 3 I was speaking of were Mac, Matco, and Snap On because I want to know what the $200 price difference gets you, performance wise. It also seems the 3 I mentioned change their design and batteries every 2 years or so, making them obsolete and difficult to replace. The reason I ask about Dewalt and Ridgid is because I have batteries and chargers already. Here is the spec sheet from the Snap On website. Thats where I got the numbers. https://store.snapon.com/CT8815A-Series-18-Volt-Impact-Wrenches-1-2--Impact-Wrench-Cordless-18-V-MonsterLithium-Battery-1-2-Drive-P805838.aspx

That 20 volt Dewalt XR is nice, but a bit too expensive for the little use it would get. I'm not a mechanic. Thats why I asked about the models I did because they are around $150 and I already have batteries.
 

chrisnazzy

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My Matco guy stocks a very complete line of Milwaukee M12 and M18 and virtually no Matco cordless. I walked on the truck last Tuesday and he had a used Snap On 1/2 Impact (the big one) and some batteries and charger laying on the floor. Someone else asked about them and he said they were traded in by a guy at another shop because his coworker got the Milwaukee 2763 Fuel 1/2 Impact the month previous. He told him that too many occasions had come up when the Snap On wouldn't budge a stuck fastener and the other guy would bring the Milwaukee over and......well you get the point.

I just got the 2763 and it is a beast. I have a ton of Snap On hand tools but when it comes to Cordless tools I have owned Milwaukee for over 10 years. Have gone from the Lok-Tor 18v to M18 and now to M18 Fuel and M12 for some other stuff. You know that your cordless tools are awesome when you never even have to wonder or care if there is anything else better out there.
 

woody 73

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I have the 18v dewalt impact and it keeps on going thanks to the GJ; they helped me find a Chinese maker of batteries that fit the Dewalt and they are super cheap, so far the batteries are holding up well. :thumbup::thumbup:
 
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Rubiman14

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IMO Snap-on's 14.4 line is about the only thing I'd buy. Recently I traded in my 8850 for some other tools, since I hardly used it. More than once I had coworkers show me up with their Milwaukee 2763. I also think Milwaukee, IR, and DeWalt reign supreme in the 18-20v stuff. Surprised nobody is recommending the IR W7150. It's a beast for the price.
 
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woody 73

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Not sure if this helps you out or not I have the Dewalt 1/2 impact that is fantastic!:thumbup::thumbup:

But it is somewhat old school battery technology if you look closely at the last two pictures you can see the new Chinese copy of a cheaper brand that is not a Dewlt battery.

Hope this helps you out:
 

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gdocktor3

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I'm still on the hunt for a cordless impact and looking to spend around $150 +/-. I already have 20 volt Dewalt battery and charger and was considering buying the DCF889 with 400 ft lbs. My other option is to buy a used Snap On off Ebay. One example I found is the CT6850 which is also rated at 400 ft lbs. Without considering price, which would be the better buy? I have heard the Snap On's always hit harder and last longer.
 

MattPersman

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I know someone that uses the dcf889...That dcf889 is a good gun not as strong as the 899 the Milwaukee or the IR but still pretty good for a normal use gun, it's just the little bit older brushed motor gun. It does lugs, suspension, etc bolts and nuts all day.
 
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gdocktor3

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Yea I read a lot of good reviews on the DCF889, but 300 ft lbs is a big difference. I'm the kind of person who thinks bigger is better. I'd rather have more power than needed and turn it down a bit than not enough.
 

LeeG

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This is a pretty good video doing comparisons between the Dewalt, IR, and Milwaukee impact drivers. Bottom line: Dewalt and Milwaukee are almost exactly even, and both quite a bit stronger than the IR

 

AA/FC

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MAC and Dewalt are owned by the same company (Stanley) so they are basically the same when it comes to cordless tools.
 
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gdocktor3

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MAC and Dewalt are owned by the same company (Stanley) so they are basically the same when it comes to cordless tools.

Yes their batteries and chargers are interchangeable. As a matter of fact, if you go on Mactools.com and look under their "On Sale, Featured" section they have 12 volt 3/8" and 1/2" impact wrenches on sale for $199. They also have a 12 volt drill. So if you already have 12 volt Dewalt batteries and charger it could be a good deal.
 
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gdocktor3

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I just bought the dewalt dcf899 from a guy off craigslist for $200 NIB. I only have a 1.5ah battery at the moment. Will the tool still run the same as if it had a 5ah? Just not as long?
 
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bubinga

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Do you guys still think the older DeWalt 889 is still worth buying, or should I wait for the new Dewalt line to come out, in hopes that the DCF 899 b will be on clearance?
I'm really not in a big hurry for the impact, I do have the 894 mid torque.
Grainger had the DCF 899 B with a battery and charger and everything for around $130 clearance but I missed it.
(Cross posted)
 

F-22

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Yeah really old...

Personally I think that for 18V it's best to go with Makita (overall widest range with consistent performance and also probably the largest aftermarket part supply even if chinese), and for 12V Milwaukee (compact and still lots of power).
 

finn

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The first 25 posts in this 7 year old thread are pretty useless and obsolete information, unless someone is looking in the antique store or yard sales for their impacts.
 
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