Milwaukee
M18 FUEL 1/4 in. Hex Impact Driver (Tool Only)
$149
Released 2022
Best Impact Drivers · head-to-head
M18 FUEL 1/4 in. Hex Impact Driver (Tool Only) vs 18V Gen5X Lithium-Ion Brushless 3-Speed 1/4 in. Impact Driver
A sourced, side-by-side comparison. 18V Gen5X Lithium-Ion Brushless 3-Speed 1/4 in. Impact Driver is cheaper at $119. Every spec and price links to its source.
Ridgid
18V Gen5X Lithium-Ion Brushless 3-Speed 1/4 in. Impact Driver
$119Cheaper
Released 2019
Which is better: the M18 FUEL 1/4 in. Hex Impact Driver (Tool Only) or 18V Gen5X Lithium-Ion Brushless 3-Speed 1/4 in. Impact Driver?
The M18 FUEL 1/4 in. Hex Impact Driver (Tool Only) wins 2 of the 2 specs we compare head to head; the other wins 0. The 18V Gen5X Lithium-Ion Brushless 3-Speed 1/4 in. Impact Driver is the cheaper at $119. Get the M18 FUEL 1/4 in. Hex Impact Driver (Tool Only) for the stronger spec sheet, the 18V Gen5X Lithium-Ion Brushless 3-Speed 1/4 in. Impact Driver to spend less.
See M18 FUEL 1/4 in. Hex Impact Driver (Tool Only) on Amazon See 18V Gen5X Lithium-Ion Brushless 3-Speed 1/4 in. Impact Driver on Amazon
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Full spec sheet
✓ marks the stronger figure where "more" — or "less", for price and weight — is unambiguously better.
| Spec | M18 FUEL 1/4 in. Hex Impact Driver (Tool Only) | 18V Gen5X Lithium-Ion Brushless 3-Speed 1/4 in. Impact Driver |
|---|---|---|
| US price | $149 | $119 |
| Brand | Milwaukee | Ridgid |
| Released | 2022 | 2019 |
| Voltage (V) | 18 | 18 |
| Max torque in (lb) | 2000 | 2250 |
| Max (rpm) | 3900 | 2750 |
| Max ipm | 4400 | 3500 |
| Brushless | Yes | Yes |
| Speed settings | 4 | 3 |
| Weight (lb) | 2.2 | 2.5 |
Sources — M18 FUEL 1/4 in. Hex Impact Driver (Tool Only): milwaukeetool.com (verified 2026-06-19). 18V Gen5X Lithium-Ion Brushless 3-Speed 1/4 in. Impact Driver: protoolreviews.com (verified 2026-06-19).
What's the difference between the M18 FUEL 1/4 in. Hex Impact Driver (Tool Only) and 18V Gen5X Lithium-Ion Brushless 3-Speed 1/4 in. Impact Driver?
Where the two actually differ on the specs we track (5 of 7). Matching specs are omitted.
- Max torque in (lb): M18 FUEL 1/4 in. Hex Impact Driver (Tool Only) 2000 vs 18V Gen5X Lithium-Ion Brushless 3-Speed 1/4 in. Impact Driver 2250
- Max (rpm): M18 FUEL 1/4 in. Hex Impact Driver (Tool Only) 3900 vs 18V Gen5X Lithium-Ion Brushless 3-Speed 1/4 in. Impact Driver 2750
- Max ipm: M18 FUEL 1/4 in. Hex Impact Driver (Tool Only) 4400 vs 18V Gen5X Lithium-Ion Brushless 3-Speed 1/4 in. Impact Driver 3500
- Speed settings: M18 FUEL 1/4 in. Hex Impact Driver (Tool Only) 4 vs 18V Gen5X Lithium-Ion Brushless 3-Speed 1/4 in. Impact Driver 3
- Weight (lb): M18 FUEL 1/4 in. Hex Impact Driver (Tool Only) 2.2 vs 18V Gen5X Lithium-Ion Brushless 3-Speed 1/4 in. Impact Driver 2.5
What reviewers say
Sourced tester consensus for each — the "what people who used it think" layer, not just specs.
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.
18V Gen5X Lithium-Ion Brushless 3-Speed 1/4 in. Impact Driver
No sourced tester review yet.