Replacing the DCF894, DeWalt's current mid-range 1/2-inch wrench is rated at 600 ft-lbs fastening and 800 ft-lbs breakaway, the biggest paper numbers in the 18V-class mid-torque field. A push-button selector gives three impacting speeds plus Precision Wrench, which pauses briefly once impacting starts in forward and slows down in reverse so a loose nut doesn't fly off. The DCF891 uses a hog-ring anvil; the DCF892 is the same tool with a detent pin.
Specifications
Features
Why people buy it
- ✓Owners moving up from the DCF894 say it hits noticeably harder in the same size, closer to the old DCF899 high-torque than to its predecessor.
- ✓Mode 2 alone breaks loose truck lug nuts for most owners, leaving mode 3 in reserve for rusted mower-blade and frame bolts.
- ✓Precision Wrench mode makes it safer to run down smaller fasteners without snapping them, and the reverse slowdown keeps lug nuts from launching.
- ✓Tradespeople running 5/8- and 3/4-inch wedge and screw anchors use it daily to drive and remove them.
- ✓Home Depot street pricing around $215 bare undercuts the Milwaukee 2962 despite the higher published torque.
What to watch for
- ✗At about 4 lbs bare it's half a pound heavier than Milwaukee's 2962, and reviewers note it isn't as compact and light as some of the competition.
- ✗The single LED sits in the foot rather than ringing the anvil; reviewers consistently prefer halo-style lights that aim straight at the socket.
- ✗Precision Wrench's built-in pause makes it slower than simply feathering the trigger when you're running down a lot of nuts.
- ✗Some owners wonder whether the small push-button mode switch will hold up to years of greasy gloves.
- ✗Three-year limited warranty is shorter than Milwaukee's five years on the competing mid-torque.
Common Questions
Is the DCF891's 800 ft-lbs a fastening or a breakaway figure?
DCF891 or DCF892 - which anvil should I get?
Can the DCF891 break loose truck lug nuts?
What does Precision Wrench mode on the DCF891 do?
How does the DCF891 compare with Milwaukee's 2962?
Compare the DeWalt 20V Max XR DCF891 Impact Wrench
Related tools
More from DeWalt →
Rated at 568 ft-lbs tightening and 774 ft-lbs nut-busting, Metabo HPT's 36V mid-torque wrench has a 4-stage speed switch running 1,500 to 2,400 RPM. An auto stop mode prevents snapping bolts from over-tightening, and it can be combined with the High/Low selector. The main unit is rated IP56 against dust and water, and a vibration damper sits between the handle and the battery mount. It runs on any MultiVolt 36V/18V pack or on Metabo's AC adapter.
This 1/2-inch Bosch mid-torque trades headline numbers for control: 330 ft-lbs fastening and 590 ft-lbs breakaway from a 6.6-inch, 3.5 lb body. Three speed/torque settings sit alongside two assist modes, one that stops when the fastener seats and one that stops spinning once a nut breaks loose in reverse so it doesn't drop into the wheel well. The anvil has both a friction ring and a thru-hole, so you can run quick-change sockets or pin them for overhead work. It's connected-ready, but the module that unlocks custom presets in the Bosch app is sold separately.
Ridgid claims 500 ft-lbs fastening and 650 ft-lbs breakaway for its current 1/2-inch mid-torque, which is 10% more compact than the R86011 it replaced. Three speeds cover most jobs, and a fourth auto mode stops once a bolt seats in forward, then runs full breakaway in reverse and stops when the bolt comes loose. The die-cast gearbox and friction-ring anvil are what you'd expect in this class. Register within 90 days and Ridgid's Lifetime Service Agreement covers parts, service and batteries.
Ryobi's HP brushless mid-torque doubles the old brushed P261 with 450 ft-lbs of fastening and 600 ft-lbs of breakaway torque, and its 2,800 RPM top speed ties Ridgid's R86012 for the fastest here. Three speeds plus Auto mode handle the finesse: Auto stops after a few impacts in forward so you can finish with a torque wrench, and in reverse it ramps up to break a fastener loose, then quits. A friction-ring anvil, three LEDs around the nose and a die-cast gear case round it out; the high-torque PBLIW01 is a separate, much larger tool.
Flex rates this 6.3-inch wrench at 600 ft-lbs fastening and 750 ft-lbs nut-busting, tied with DeWalt's DCF891 for the highest fastening rating here, and it backed them up with a consistent 414.8 ft-lbs working torque on Pro Tool Reviews' test rig. Three speeds run from 450 to 2,700 RPM. Bolt Auto Stop prevents over-tightening lug nuts, and Bolt Removal mode shuts off once a nut breaks free. A vibration-isolating housing and an electric brake round it out. The anvil is friction ring only.
Milwaukee's Gen 2 mid-torque packs 650 ft-lbs of nut-busting torque into a 6-inch head and 3.5 lbs bare, which is why it lives on so many shop carts. Four-mode Drive Control gives three speeds plus Mode 4, which quits at about 35 ft-lbs when snugging and backs off RPM once a bolt breaks free in reverse. Three LEDs ring the anvil, and the friction-ring 2962 has pin-detent (2962P) and 3/8-inch (2960) siblings built on the same body.