An impact driver does one thing a drill can't: it hammers rotationally as it turns, driving long screws and stubborn bolts without wrist-wrenching kickback. The three below are the ones worth owning at each budget, linked to the retailer that actually has them, whether or not that store pays us a cent.
1. Best Overall: Makita DTD153Z 18V Brushless
The DTD153 is the brushless 18V driver that turns up on job sites everywhere, and the reason is boringly practical: 170Nm of torque, a body light enough for all-day overhead work, and Makita's LXT batteries behind it, the most widespread tool platform in the country. Around $236 as a skin at Total Tools, sold beside its kit versions.
It's a skin, so it assumes LXT batteries. For a first Makita, the DTD153RFE kit with two 3.0Ah batteries and a charger runs around $529 at the same counter, and that kit is how most people sensibly start.
What We Like:
- 170Nm brushless motor
- Light for overhead work
- LXT battery platform
What We Don't Like:
- Skin assumes batteries
2. Best Budget: Ozito PXC 18V Kit PXIDK-250
Ozito's PXC kit is the whole answer for around $99: driver, battery and charger in one box, rated 4.9 by its Bunnings reviewers, with the five-year warranty the PXC range carries. For decks, flat-packs and the occasional stubborn bolt, it does the job the big brands do at a third of the outlay.
The trade is stamina: it drives fewer screws per charge and the torque sits well below the Makita's, which weekend work never notices and a fencing contract would.
What We Like:
- Kit complete at $99
- Five-year warranty
- PXC batteries fit dozens of tools
What We Don't Like:
- Weekend-grade stamina
3. Best Compact: Milwaukee M12 Subcompact
Milwaukee's M12 subcompact is the shortest serious impact driver sold, built for between-studs and inside-cabinet work, and its 413 owners average 4.6 stars at around $160. The brushless motor pulls more torque than the size suggests, and the M12 battery range behind it is enormous.
Two things to weigh: this listing ships from Amazon's US warehouse with free delivery, so allow a week or two, and it's a skin. Milwaukee's Australian dealer network sells the same tool over the counter for the impatient.
What We Like:
- Fits between studs
- Brushless torque
- Huge M12 ecosystem
What We Don't Like:
- Ships from overseas
- Battery and charger extra
Other impact drivers worth a look
- DeWalt's DCF850 Atomic — the shortest 18V driver of the big three, at tool retailers around the Makita's money. The pick when the shed already runs yellow batteries.
- Milwaukee M18 FID3 — the full-size trade flagship at Milwaukee dealers, for the fencing-contract end of the spectrum.
How to pick an impact driver
The platform decides more than the tool. The first battery brand you buy is effectively a subscription: every later tool gets cheaper as a skin on the same batteries. Choosing Makita, Milwaukee, DeWalt or Ozito deliberately beats choosing by whichever is on sale.
Impact driver versus drill. The impact driver drives screws and bolts; it doesn't drill neat holes or take normal round-shank bits. Most sheds want both eventually, and the combo kits at every counter price accordingly.
Hex-shank bits only. The quarter-inch collet takes hex bits, and only impact-rated ones survive the hammering. Ordinary round-shank bits belong in a drill.
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FAQs
Why is my impact driver so loud?
The rattle is the impact mechanism doing its job, metal striking metal thousands of times a minute. Hearing protection is standard practice with every brand.
Do I need an impact driver for flat-pack furniture?
No, and it can overdrive the soft fittings. A drill on low torque or a hand screwdriver suits chipboard; the impact driver earns its keep on decking, framing and rusted bolts.
