Best Impact Drivers · head-to-head

Milwaukee M18 FUEL 1/4 in. Hex Impact Driver (Tool Only) vs Craftsman V20 Brushless 1/4 in. Impact Driver

A sourced, side-by-side comparison. Milwaukee M18 FUEL 1/4 in. Hex Impact Driver (Tool Only) is cheaper at $149. Every spec and price links to its source.

Which is better: the Milwaukee M18 FUEL 1/4 in. Hex Impact Driver (Tool Only) or Craftsman V20 Brushless 1/4 in. Impact Driver?

The Craftsman V20 Brushless 1/4 in. Impact Driver wins 2 of the 2 specs we compare head to head; the other wins 0.

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Full spec sheet

marks the stronger figure where "more" — or "less", for price and weight — is unambiguously better.

Spec Milwaukee M18 FUEL 1/4 in. Hex Impact Driver (Tool Only) Craftsman V20 Brushless 1/4 in. Impact Driver
US price $149
BrandMilwaukeeCraftsman
Released20222018
Voltage (V) 18 20
Max torque in (lb) 2000 1500
Max (rpm) 3900 2800
Max ipm 4400 3500
Brushless Yes Yes
Speed settings 4 1
Weight (lb) 2.2 2.05

Sources — Milwaukee M18 FUEL 1/4 in. Hex Impact Driver (Tool Only): milwaukeetool.com (verified 2026-06-19). Craftsman V20 Brushless 1/4 in. Impact Driver: lifeandhome.com (verified 2026-06-19).

What's the difference between the Milwaukee M18 FUEL 1/4 in. Hex Impact Driver (Tool Only) and Craftsman V20 Brushless 1/4 in. Impact Driver?

Where the two actually differ on the specs we track (6 of 7). Matching specs are omitted.

  • Voltage (V): Milwaukee M18 FUEL 1/4 in. Hex Impact Driver (Tool Only) 18 vs Craftsman V20 Brushless 1/4 in. Impact Driver 20
  • Max torque in (lb): Milwaukee M18 FUEL 1/4 in. Hex Impact Driver (Tool Only) 2000 vs Craftsman V20 Brushless 1/4 in. Impact Driver 1500
  • Max (rpm): Milwaukee M18 FUEL 1/4 in. Hex Impact Driver (Tool Only) 3900 vs Craftsman V20 Brushless 1/4 in. Impact Driver 2800
  • Max ipm: Milwaukee M18 FUEL 1/4 in. Hex Impact Driver (Tool Only) 4400 vs Craftsman V20 Brushless 1/4 in. Impact Driver 3500
  • Speed settings: Milwaukee M18 FUEL 1/4 in. Hex Impact Driver (Tool Only) 4 vs Craftsman V20 Brushless 1/4 in. Impact Driver 1
  • Weight (lb): Milwaukee M18 FUEL 1/4 in. Hex Impact Driver (Tool Only) 2.2 vs Craftsman V20 Brushless 1/4 in. Impact Driver 2.05

What reviewers say

Sourced tester consensus for each — the "what people who used it think" layer, not just specs.

Milwaukee M18 FUEL 1/4 in. Hex Impact Driver (Tool Only)

Only one whitelisted tester, Pro Tool Reviews, yielded a readable hands-on review; TechGearLab was under maintenance and no Popular Mechanics test exists. PTR scored the Gen-4 2953 9.7/10, calling it their best all-around impact driver to date, praising near-top drive speeds, a 4.47-inch compact frame, and a shadow-killing tri-beam LED. No drawbacks flagged. (1 sourced review, 1 lab-tested.)

Praised: Rated best all-around impact driver PTR has tested, with performance consistently near the top of the field (fast measured drive times, e.g. 8.6s RSS-screw average on a 5.0Ah pack); Class-leading compactness at 4.47 inches, 0.12 in shorter than the prior gen while keeping 2.2 lb bare weight; Tri-beam ring LED around the collet eliminates shadows better than trigger-mounted lights, plus one-hand bit insertion.

Craftsman V20 Brushless 1/4 in. Impact Driver

No sourced tester review yet.

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