Bosch has come out with a new 18V brushless cordless 1/2″ impact wrench, IWMH182, that they described as delivering extreme torque in a tiny package. The new IWMH182 cordless impact wrench is also described as delivering the power of a corded [air?] tool in a compact cordless package.
The press materials also encourage that you could finally ditch your air compressor.
Okay, so first things first, let’s look at the power. This new impact is very compact-looking indeed, and delivers up to ~ 185 ft-lbs or 2213 in-lbs of torque. Bosch provided us with the 2213 in-lbs torque rating, and sales sheets mention 185 ft-lbs, which comes out to be 2220 in-lbs. I’m guessing that the ft-lbs figure is rounded up, which is okay by me.
But is this extreme torque?
We now have a whole category for brushless impact wrench coverage. If you look at some of those other previewed models, you’d see that the new Dewalt heavy duty impact delivers 700 ft-lbs of max torque (1200 ft-lbs breakaway torque), the new Milwaukee M18 Fuel second generation compact 1/2″ impact delivers 220 ft-lbs of max torque, and the new Kobalt 24V Max impact can deliver 650 ft-lbs of nut-busting torque.
But the Bosch is certainly compact than those heavy duty models, at just 6.4″ long and weighing 3.6 lbs. Although, the new 2nd gen M18 Fuel 1/2″ impacts are 6.1″ long.
I’d expect for “extreme torque” to describe a cordless impact wrench that delivers 500 ft-lbs or more. 185 ft-lbs doesn’t sound like much when you compare the new model to compared to heavy duty impacts that deliver up to 700 ft-lbs in forward-driving mode?
I do still think that Bosch certainly does still have a right to be so energetically boastful about their new brushless impact wrench. It’s reasonably powerful, and quite compact, even if it doesn’t best the new Milwaukee M18 Fuel 1/2″ impacts on paper.
- 1/2″ square drive with detent pin
- 185 ft/lbs, 2213 in-lbs max torque
- 0-2600 RPM
- 0-3500 BPM
- 6.4″ length
- 3.6 lb weight (with battery?)
- Slim diameter handle
- Brushless motor
- 3 LED worklight
Bosch says that their new impact:
Was engineered for construction pros and auto mechanics who spend a great deal of time fastening high-torque nuts and anchors.
It was designed to tackle heavy duty fastening and anchoring task, as well as automotive applications.
In the email I received, it says that this is one of the lightest and most compact 1/2″ cordless impact wrenches out there, which I find hard to disagree with.
But in a product page for the impact, it says:
The most powerful compact tool in its class…
Which seems technically correct, but also wrong. Milwaukee’s newest M18 Fuel impact wrench is more powerful, more compact, and also offers more features – electronic speed and torque controls, plus an 4th auto shut-off mode for uniform tightening. So technically, the Bosch and Milwaukee impacts are not quite in the same class.
MSRP: $169 for the bare tool
Street Pricing: $135 for the bare tool (IWMH182B), $279 for the (2) FatPack battery kit (IWMH182-01)
I should note that the impact above is shown with a compact battery, but the impact is bundled with (2) higher capacity 4.0Ah FatPack batteries.
Buy Now(Kit via Amazon)
Buy Now(Bare Tool via Amazon)
First Thoughts
I was initially confused by Bosch’s claims for their new impact, since extreme torque isn’t quite congruent with compact, and to tell you the truth, I still think their message could have been improved. Even so, 185 ft-lb is certainly respectable.
On paper, this looks to be a good choice for anyone in need of a medium-duty impact wrench in a compact package.
My experience with Bosch impact drivers and impact wrenches have been quite decent, and I don’t see any potential hesitations about this one.
The impact is described as having a 1/2″ square drive with detent pin. A detent pin is used for more secure socket retention, such as when using an impact at heights.
More precisely, the press releases says this:
1/2 in. square drive with detent pin for secure socket retention
But when I took a closer look at the product images, it looks to have a hog ring (for friction-based retention) and ball detent. I don’t think I’ve seen dual socket retention before; an impact wrench will typically have a hog ring or pin detent for socket retention, not both. Others have a 7/16″ quick-change chuck. I’ll update this post once I hear back from Bosch.
Hopefully this is the spearhead of even more Bosch brushless impact tools. I definitely want to see them match up to competitors’ premium models that have electronic speed and torque control settings. As a reminder, Bosch is also working on customizable power tools, which will hopefully include some impacts.