Milwaukee M18 Fuel 2962 Impact Wrench vs Makita 18V LXT XWT17 Impact Wrench
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Quick take: The Milwaukee M18 Fuel 2962 Impact Wrench costs $10 less bare; the Milwaukee M18 Fuel 2962 Impact Wrench is lighter (3.5 vs 6 lbs); they live on different battery platforms (Milwaukee M18 vs Makita 18V LXT), so the deciding factor is usually which batteries you already own.
| Spec | Milwaukee M18 Fuel 2962 Impact Wrench | Makita 18V LXT XWT17 Impact Wrench |
|---|---|---|
| Price (bare tool) | $279 | $289 |
| Kit Price | — | — |
| Rating | 4.9★ (2,265) | 5★ (21) |
| Category | Impact Wrench | Impact Wrench |
| Battery Platform | Milwaukee M18 | Makita 18V LXT |
| Voltage | 18V | 18V |
| Motor | Brushless | Brushless |
| Weight | 3.5 lbs (bare) | 6.0 lbs (with battery) |
| Released | — | 2020 |
| Nut-Busting Torque | 650 ft-lbs | 740 ft-lbs |
| Anvil | 1/2 in friction ring | 1/2 in friction ring |
| Impacts | 0-3,100 IPM | 0-2,700 IPM |
| Top Speed | 2,575 RPM | 2,200 RPM |
| Modes | 3 speeds + Mode 4 auto shut-off / bolt removal | 4 speeds + 3 forward / 3 reverse Auto-Stop |
Pros & cons
Milwaukee M18 Fuel 2962 Impact Wrench
- ✓Owners in shops and driveways alike say it knocks off lug nuts and suspension bolts without reaching for the high-torque gun, at roughly half the weight.
- ✓At 6.0 inches long it gets onto control-arm and caliper-bracket bolts that a full-size 1/2-inch wrench can't reach without pulling parts.
- ✓Mode 4 bolt-removal slows the anvil the moment a fastener breaks loose, so nuts don't spin off and drop into the splash shield.
- ✓Tool Box Buzz's rig broke a bolt torqued to 610 ft-lbs, within 40 ft-lbs of the 650 spec, and the crew rated it a consistent performer and a favorite throughout testing.
- ✓The three-LED ring around the anvil was rated the brightest and widest light of any mid-torque wrench in that head-to-head.
- ✓A shop mechanic who came from a Snap-on air impact reports daily use on customer cars with no complaints so far.
- ✓Five-year tool warranty beats the three years DeWalt, Makita and Ryobi give their mid-torque wrenches.
- ✗Milwaukee doesn't publish a fastening-torque figure for this one, only the 650 ft-lbs breakaway number, which makes spec-sheet comparisons awkward.
- ✗At $279 bare at Home Depot it costs more than DeWalt's DCF891 and well over Ryobi's P262, which both quote higher or similar torque on paper.
- ✗Nut-busting spec trails the Makita LXT (740) and XGT (810) mid-torques, and heavily rusted hub or axle nuts can still call for the high-torque 2967.
- ✗It weighs 5.1 lbs with a 5.0Ah pack per Milwaukee, so the compact-head advantage shrinks once a big High Output battery hangs off the foot.
- ✗Some owners coming from other brands say the foot-mounted mode button gets bumped into a different mode mid-job, so check it before trusting Mode 4 to stop short.
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.