Having used many different brands of cordless drill/drivers over the past 15 years, I was curious about this new wave of impact drivers. I had the chance to use this DeWalt driver (a friend's) and I can report that I was extremely impressed with it. In all fairness, this isn't a comparison since I have never used any of the competitor's impact drivers, but the DeWalt was more than I thought it would be.
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br /Power - there's all you would ever want here. I was driving 3" screws into treated lumber and quickly noticed two things. The driver didn't hesitate while driving the screws home and compared to my standard drill/driver I had to apply much less pressure on the rear of the gun to keep the bit from slipping on the screw head.
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br /Size/Weight - You don't notice how much a good drill/driver weighs until you use something like this that is more powerful and yet weighs less. Though the size is tiny compared to what I am used to, it doesn't feel unnaturally so.
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br /Value - though this is probably the best tool I have ever used to drive a screw, it is expensive so the vaulue per dollar isn't what it could be. If I were starting from scratch on a collection of tools, I would think seriously about this one. As it is, I already have two DeWalt drill/drivers and will probably not justify replacing them at this cost.
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br /Overall, this is a great tool that I feel justifies the impact driver craze that is currently going on. If you build decks for a living, run to buy one of these. If you are a weekend warrior, get more bang for your buck by getting a good deal on a 12-14.4 volt drill/driver instead...
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I recently received this tool and really can't believe the power. I bought the 12 Volt version, 1000 inch pounds. I have two DW 12 V , one 14.4V, one 24 V drills plus some other brands. The 24V is only 550 inch lbs. The short depth is a real saver to get into tight places. It drills great with hex drills using the 2400 rpm. You do have to develop a little control touch as there is no clutch and you can drive a screw to eternity or at least till it is buried or stripped. Have not got to use it a lot but what I have done has impressed the heck out of me.

In my company we do alot of weatherstripping installs and we remove AC vents and replace them after working on the ducting. I am obsessed with tools if it is out there I have to have it. Usually I will have it within a week of its release, most of my tools are Dewalt, but honestly they do not make all tools up to par. In this case I do not have a problem with buying a different brand to get the best for the job. This being said I bought the first impact that hit the home improvement store in my area charged it up on the way to the jobsite so I could try it out. I was impressed right away so I let others on my crew use it to see what they thought roughly twenty people had tried it by the end of the day on the charge of the two batteries. On seeing these results I decided that this was the tool of choice for our business and went to buy a few more. Upon arriving at the home center they were out so I had to order them. After talking to the crew several said they would like to have an impact themselves. So I went and ordered twelve more impacts and none of the crew have been disappointed with the tool. A month went by are our crew had increased in size as did the amount of work and so I went and ordered fourteen more impacts.

I remodelled my deck last summer, and used this to fasten the new decking (5/4" x 6" Trex boards). With a fresh charge, I found I could drive about 50 2-1/2" composite deck screws, with no predrilling, before the battery needed recharging. It's not the ideal tool for someone who does this professionally, but it worked great for me. Since then, it has come in handy for dozens of things around the house. In particular, it's very good at driving Tapcon concrete screws. The impact action produces a great deal of torque for its small size, but it lacks a clutch, which makes it easy to twist the heads off screws. That aside, it has lived up to all of my expectations, so I think it merits 5 stars.

Being a door installer, I ordered this tool as soon as it came out. Awesome! Drives hinge screws in with no problem. Drills up to 1/4" bits without impacting. Where was this tool 5 years ago? My 18v drills are semi-retired, who needs a corded drill now. An earlier reviewer said he had problems finding hex drill bits. Most home improvement stores carry them in sets and you can sharpen them accurately with a Drill Doctor sharpening system when they dull. But as always we want more speed, can't get enough. I'm sure that with 2 brands out now that are faster, Dewalt will step up to the plate and deliver the knockout punch, til the next round at least. You can't go wrong with this one. Get one today.....

As a proffesional contractor who relies on my tools to feed my family I have to say this tool is a winner. I was introduced to it by a finish carpenter who had been using one he got as a gift. It has almost replaced my regular heavy 18v drill. the hex bits work great, but beware of breaking them easily. Also the hex drill bits can not be resharpened easily. Between this tool and the Dewalt 7.2v screwdriver, I have gone from using my big 18v drill daily to less than weekly. I love this tool for setting and removing tapcon screws in concrete!!! nothing is better!! I also discovered that by placing a soft brass rotarly brush in it, it is a wonderful tool to cleen off wood, concrete, and sidding. I used to have my assistant clean the concrete splatters off of sidding until I discovered this. Now instead of taking the better part of a hour to clean a porch, it is done in less than 10 minutes and usually less than 5. Time is money and this tool saves time in a big way. The only major downside is the cost of hex accesories and the quality of them. You will definitely get what you pay for in them, so don't scrimp and buy the cheapies. Especially screwdriver bits, they break too easy and you'll just end up going through them faster. I highly recomend using square drive screws with this tool.

I have just received mine and it's better than I expected. I initially wanted to buy a Makita, but after countless hours of research, and comparing both specifications, the Dewalt has the Makita beat. More power, faster, lighter, smaller, and in my opinion, much better looking. Also cheaper. ...This is by far my favorite tool. I just wish that I could find drill bits that have 1/4 in. shank.

I wish I had bought this tool a while ago. It is amazing how it makes driving screws easy. It is so small and light you don't want to stop driving screws! It saves me time on predrilling when I install cabinets. It is well worth the money I spent on it. Actually I just ordered a new one for my carpenter because he could not let it go.....

I LOVE my 12V impact driver! I've used (and abused) my 12V DeWalt drill drivers for a couple of years with GREAT results, and this driver fills the "void" by using the same batteries but being able to get into a smaller space. Only thing I miss is the ability to drive screws at a slower speed...

This Impact Driver has been a revelation for me. I bought it as a reconditioned tool. It is the tool I reach for when driving screws or bolts. It's light, small enough to fit into tight spaces, and has plenty of power. I won't drill with it if the drilling has to be very precise. My 18 volt Ridgid drill/driver continues to work great, but wears out my hand due to its weight. A great tool.

This tool is great. It has high speed (~2200 rpm) until you need high torque, and then it has that too. I use it for almost everything rotary from 1.5" spade bits to little twist drills to driving big screws. It has most of the torque and speed of the 18V unit yet it is small and light and compact. I've owned battery operated drills for ~25 years and this impact driver is a big leap forward. The only issue I have with these is that they are NOISY.

I fabricate custom cabinets. Kitchens, Entertainment Centers, Home Offices and the like. I Install my own jobs with another cabinetmaker. On the last job this guy show's up with this little light unit and I thought get out.He installed kicks faster than I had ever seen and with minimal effort sinks 3" screws through the cletes in cabs to studs with minimal fuss. The thing that sold me was no stripped screws and I didn't have to press hard to drive 3" screws. Try holding a piece of melamine in your hand and driving a screw through it. The absolute best new tool I've bought this year. Same I now have three 12 volt drill/driver that won't get a lot of use driving screws.

Being a DeWalt tool owner I decided (for charging reasons) to stick with them.This tool is awsome!I tried driving a screw right through a 2x4 didn't slow it down !Any one doing electrical work with greenlee knockout punches(slug busters)get the 1/2 socket adapter for the inpact driver put a 1" socket on it and make some holes on electrical boxes !It goes so fast I don't dread using the slugbusters anymore. It is getting so I rarely use my 18v drill except to drill,not to drive screws anymore !

The 12 volt impact wrench is perfect for us HVAC technicians. It's light enouigh to carry to rooftops, fast enouigh to move screws fast, and because of impacting capabilities, never too weak to break loose a hard nut or pierce a thick panel.
br /The last one I bought is still in service with an apprentice; it's now 2 years old. Most of my drills haven't been worth beans by the time I replace them, and most are replaced after only a year or so.