Makita 18V LXT XWT17 Impact Wrench vs Makita 40V XGT GWT07 Impact Wrench
Quick take: The Makita 18V LXT XWT17 Impact Wrench costs $60 less bare; they live on different battery platforms (Makita 18V LXT vs Makita 40V XGT), so the deciding factor is usually which batteries you already own.
| Spec | Makita 18V LXT XWT17 Impact Wrench | Makita 40V XGT GWT07 Impact Wrench |
|---|---|---|
| Price (bare tool) | $289 | $349 |
| Kit Price | — | — |
| Rating | 5★ (21) | — |
| Category | Impact Wrench | Impact Wrench |
| Battery Platform | Makita 18V LXT | Makita 40V XGT |
| Voltage | 18V | 40V |
| Motor | Brushless | Brushless |
| Weight | 6.0 lbs (with battery) | 6.0 lbs (with battery) |
| Released | 2020 | — |
| Fastening Torque | 520 ft-lbs | 560 ft-lbs |
| Nut-Busting Torque | 740 ft-lbs | 810 ft-lbs |
| Anvil | 1/2 in friction ring | 1/2 in friction ring |
| Impacts | 0-2,700 IPM | 0-2,900 IPM |
| Top Speed | 2,200 RPM | 2,300 RPM |
| Modes | 4 speeds + 3 forward / 3 reverse Auto-Stop | 4 speeds + 3 forward / 3 reverse Auto-Stop |
Pros & cons
Makita 18V LXT XWT17 Impact Wrench
- ✓Tool Box Buzz's detent-anvil twin broke loose a bolt torqued to 700 ft-lbs in well under ten seconds, the strongest result among the 18V mid-torques tested.
- ✓Owners doing hub and axle work on rust-belt cars report it pulls staked axle nuts with the car on stands, no breaker bar needed.
- ✓Three forward and three reverse Auto-Stop modes let you dial how hard it seats a fastener, which no other 18V mid-torque here matches.
- ✓The contoured grip, crisp switches and low felt vibration won the ergonomics category in that same head-to-head.
- ✓A flexible joint at the base of the grip keeps vibration off the battery, which protects pack contacts over years of impacting.
- ✓Several owners say it retired their air impact for smaller jobs, so they no longer fire up the compressor to swap wheels.
- ✗Its electronics throttle back under sustained load: it finished sixth on continuous lag-bolt driving because it kept slowing and self-adjusting even in the top setting.
- ✗At 6.0 lbs with a battery it's the heaviest of the 18V-class mid-torques here, and 6-11/16 inches is longer than Milwaukee's 6.0.
- ✗Its 2,200 RPM and 2,700 IPM trail the Milwaukee, Ryobi and Ridgid wrenches, and it removed a set of eight truck lugs slower than the Ryobi, Ridgid and Milwaukee.
- ✗The mode buttons confuse at first, and it takes a few sessions to learn which Auto-Stop setting does what.
- ✗At about $289 bare it was the priciest 18V tool in the Tool Box Buzz field.
Makita 40V XGT GWT07 Impact Wrench
- ✓810 ft-lbs of nut-busting torque is the highest breakaway rating of any mid-torque here, though DeWalt's DCF891 and Flex's FX1451 both rate higher on fastening (600 against its 560).
- ✓Tool Box Buzz found the trigger responds instantly and feathers well, so you can creep a fastener loose without snapping it.
- ✓Six Auto-Stop modes plus four speeds give finer control over seating torque than any single-button competitor.
- ✓Balances well on a 2.5Ah XGT pack with no noticeable loss in performance, which keeps the package manageable overhead.
- ✓A flexible joint at the grip base and silicone buffers in the battery rails cut vibration and contact wear on expensive XGT packs.
- ✓XPT sealing and a reinforced gear housing are built for wet, dirty jobsites like trench shoring and equipment yards.
- ✗In Tool Box Buzz's rig on a 1-7/8-inch socket it broke only a 510 ft-lbs bolt, well short of the 810 spec, so expect less than the headline number on big hardware.
- ✗At roughly $349-369 bare it's the most expensive mid-torque here, before you buy into 40V batteries.
- ✗XGT packs don't fit Makita's much larger 18V LXT lineup, so it's only worth it if you're already committed to 40V.
- ✗Top speed of 2,300 RPM is modest next to Milwaukee's 2,575 and Ryobi's 2,800, so it isn't the quickest at running nuts down.