The coolest part of my paid partnership with Home Depot is that cool new tools show up every 3 months. But that’s also the toughest part.
For this past quarter, I’ve been quite busy, but not a single project involved the use of impact sockets, at least not 1/2″ drive impact sockets. I did use some 3/8″ sockets on a cabinet assembly and installation project.
Part of the quarter’s tool haul included some very sweet impact tools. Sorry, I can’t think of a better descriptor. When I unboxed them, that’s the first thing that came to mind – sweeeeet.
First up, Husky sent over a 64-piece SAE/metric impact socket set, including shallow sockets, deep sockets, extensions, and swivel adapters.
I played around with them a little when they first arrived, as some of the sockets were jostled in the blow-molded case, and quickly determined that they would be “keepers,” at least for a while. Eventually, they’ll be donated, as is my goal with all review samples.
I wish that maybe the size markings were a little easier to read, but that seems to be the case with all impact sockets.
You seem to get a lot for the money.
Price: $199
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I also received a Husky click-style 1/2″ torque wrench, with 50-250 ft-lbs torque range and ±3% accuracy in the upper 80% of the range.
It’s pretty easy to adjust, and comfortable to use. The torque setting locking ring is a little different, but it was easy to figure out.
Price: $85
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This new Dewalt 20V Max brushless impact wrench, DCF894B, has a Precision Wrench control feature which pauses the tool in the forward direction before impacting, to help prevent over-tightening, and when in reverse, it lowers the speed when it detects that a fastener is loose, to help prevent nuts from flying off threaded fasteners.
It has a 1/2″ anvil with detent pin, and can deliver up to 330 ft-lbs of max fastening torque. It weighs 3.48 lbs, and has 3 mode settings to suit a variety of applications and fastening needs.
Dewalt says their mid-torque cordless impact wrenches are ideal for working on grooved couplings, pipe flanges, wheel lugs, concrete anchor settings, and other applications where you need a lot of torque in a compact space.
Price: $199 for the bare tool
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Combined with the Husky impact socket set and torque wrench mentioned above, I’ll be nicely equipped for my next project that might require the use of 1/2″ impact sockets. Well, maybe my breaker bar and dead blow hammer will have to make a cameo, in case I have to break extremely stubborn fasteners free first.
Questions? As mentioned, I hadn’t had any recent opportunities to put these new samples to the test, but there is one project that’s coming up soon.
Thank you to Home Depot, Husky, and Dewalt for the test samples!
