We Bought 'em All: By Far The Best Right-Angle Impact DRIVER is... 

Just used this thing yesterday on some drawer glides in a narrow drawer bank: amzn.to/3Gh2G4F I store it like a wrench, just battery and bit driver already installed, grab it when i need it then throw it back in the tool box. RA Impact drivers have been added to our live ranking: etsy.me/3G8j3QK This episode is on *RIGHT-ANGLE IMPACT DRIVERS* , which are easily confused with right-angle drills, ratchets, wrenches, impact ratchets, RA adapters, old discontinued right-angle drivers, and anything from a power tool brand in an L shape :P Torque of TTC is working for Astro Tools, who don't make impact drivers - but always consider multiple sources when looking at a tool. We're not the only game in town!

For the price of the Skil it doesn't matter what battery platform you're already on.

Really interesting in those left angle impact drivers. Disappointed that you only briefly mentioned them.

This really shows the Genius of Torque Test Channel, would anyone previously have thought the Skil would totally destroy a Japanese Makita for power and such a low price? Love it!

In the flour mill I worked at the right-angle impact was a godsend. That said, we used it for hoseclamps about 85% of the time and would figure out how to fit a socket or impact wrench in where we needed the beans.

channels like this and project farm are some of the handiest things to watch on the internet.

Man I continue getting amazed by the reviews and performance of the Skil 12V line. I made a buddy buy the 5 piece brushless kit for $99 and I’ve been wishing I bought it too but I just really don’t want another battery platform.

With these things, I find slow speed control more important than max torque. Often I'm using them to drive smaller screws into tight places. For example - mounting drawer rails inside a cabinet. I have a 12v Rigid from the NiCd era that has a bottom lever for a trigger that is super easy to control and has kept me from stripping out smaller screws when doing these types of jobs. A great test. That Skill is truly a bargain!

I own four different 12 volt platforms. Some of the Skil tools are on point, and the line is a fantastic value.

I use the m18 at work for accessory installation on work/fleet trucks. It’s awesome. Just the right amount of torque not to break things

I look forward to seeing more skil 12v test. I have a lot of the 12v tools. Pretty happy with all of them. I use them mostly for home use.

Upgraded from an older 18v kit. ru-vid.comUgkxW1vOBRCMrgTCDEijzpVzDWsgI-Jm2iQv I independently chose the drill and impact tool, before I came across the kit.I like the 3 speed impact gun. It seems more powerful than my older one, and it can be set to be really gentle. The drill is more appropriately sized for my use. I used to have a hammer drill, but I did not like that it was so big and it was not a great hammer drill. I rather have a smaller drill like this, and then get a corded hammer drill for the odd case I need that.

Can you please start testing skil brand tools. I don't ever remember them being on the channel before. I think they're pretty powerful tools especially for the price. Also almost all Cobalt tools are made by Chevron.

Be interesting to know if a standard impact driver could give more beans than these with a right angle adapter fitted. I use my dewalt adapter with my driver all the time on our 4 Post ramp to drop undertrays etc

I am at Service and Plumber I service on demand tankless water heaters boiler all day every day and day, the m18 right angle impact driver Is my number one favorite tool of all time every day it has just come perfect to break lose the small fasteners and get done what I need but it doesn’t strip off or break the fasteners off…

Finally SKIL is featured

Skil has really been killing it lately. Their contractor table saw is crazy good for the price and their 10" compound mitre is probably the best available in it's class. Sometimes a brand just comes back and surprises everyone 🤷

This is a result where I'd absolutely abandon my battery brand for that Skil. It put on a great showing.

I have the XRW012Z, the right angle 3/8 and 1/4 impact from Makita rated only 35 ft lbs. When it comes to doing interior panels or anything plastic I found myself not needing my regular impact driver. Replacing a sliding window, removing headlight assemblies and changing a valve cover gasket was all done with the right angle and it's now my favorite tool for light torque jobs

I have the M12 right angle just because I wanted and only use the slim batteries. While it is not as powerful as the 3rd Gen M12 regular impact driver it has served me well and everyone at my job loves that thing. When you need it you need it and it has only failed to loosen a nut or bolt once or maybe twice making it just about negligible since we just had to turn the workpiece up to remove the bolts. A piece of equipment on a pallet.

A purely speculative analysis: The resonance of the driver + socket + fastener may be a big part of the design of these devices. I would be curious to see how your results differed if you used a 3/8" drive socket that was using a fastener that one of these would be expected to drive. (as opposed to the massive socket you tested these with)

Good stuff as always! I’m getting back into the automotive field and your testing has been so helpful for filling my new tool box with the correct beans for the job! KEEP IT UP!!

Got the makita a couple years ago and absolutely love it for installing drawer slides, hardware, and getting in hard to reach places. Obviously not for heavy duty work.

I use that M18 Milwaukee for ALL my in-wall rough-in. I LOVE it as an electrician. Ive used mine for YEARS

I bought the brushless 12v Skil set for $99 from lowes around Christmas time even though I currently own other 20v platforms. I am blown away by the performance and quality of the Skil stuff. I honestly reach for it more that the other stuff most of the time now. The 12v oscillating tool is awesome. They just need to expand their line up a little more.

I have a love for the skill 12 V line, picked up the five piece kit at Lowe’s back over Christmas for $99. They’re nearly the size of my 18 V tools, but everything being brushless with a few extra bells and whistles and plenty of power to boot. You can’t go wrong there

Can yall do one on the right angle attachments for impact drivers? I’d be interested to see the torque loss between the different brands on the same impact.

Love the channel and my only suggestion is to light up the liquid crystal gauges so we can see them.

Love that you guys are testing realistic numbers and even now showing hand tool stuff too. We literally talk about your videos on every tool truck. Keep up the great content guys

Could always use a battery adaptor to get that skil into your red or yellow battery collection of tools..

Holy hell, the light in the Skil is amazing! I need one

Thank you for the video! I use my Milwaukee M12 all the time. I only use it for 1/4 stainless zip screws when I have to connect the screws from the inside of 8”-4” diameter stainless pipe, tight space. I don’t use it for anything else. It’s a tool that may not be used in a year, but when it’s needed, it’s a lifesaver, and money well spent.

I have several items in the Skill 12 volt lineup. They are excellent tools, especially for the price.

Love to see some Skil 12v added to the channel. I have multiple tools and all do everything I ask of them. Also, that 5 year warranty is a plus, had a free impact driver sent to me with no questions asked.

I grabbed the skil right angle along with a bunch of their 12v tools during some promotions last year, and they've been pretty good. The biggest complaint I find with the right angle and the regular driver is some impact socket adapters align with the cutoff for the bearing and can rob torque or get stuck in the shank; I've had this happen with some makita, ryobi and milwaukee adapters and the double relief ones with multiple bearing retention positions or ones that stop short without a hex shaft all the way though seem the worst. A straight shaft with no cutout for the bearing seems to work well in a pinch, but the bit or adapter can slide out then. Ultimately just a small inconvenience but it'll hammer away doing nothing if the adapter or bit doesn't fit. It's been great for smaller fasteners in tight places, t25's, etc and running fasteners when not using a ratchet. Fit's well behind some intake manifolds too for those annoying to take out fasteners that aren't all that tight. It's been good for driving in tight screws for construction as well, quite useful when renovating existing structures as the light is great for this. I haven't found the 4ah very useful on the drivers, but it does seem to help out the circ saw and adds decent runtime to the oscillating tool.

Ingersoll Rand has supposed best one on the market and highest torque, nevermind I'm confusing drivers and wrenches. As a wrench man I didn't even realize that RA driver's existed.

Great comparison! I didn't even know these things existed but if I ever need one, it's pretty obvious which one to get, even if the results were more equal. IMO Skil has always deserved more respect than it gets. Yes their tools are low-priced, but are still fairly solid. Their circular saw was THE go-to for years, everyone knows someone with a "Skil Saw." And though it wasn't a right-angle impact driver, I remember buying my dad one of the first ever cordless 3/8" ratchet wrenches about 40 or so years ago, and it was made by Skil. Even had a full metal case.

Well that settles it for me… I run a custom woodworking/ cabinetry shop. There are many times where I need to fasten screws in narrow cabinets and install hardware. I have gotten by with the right angle attachments… owning the Milwaukee and honestly favoring the dewalt because it’s smaller and less cumbersome… it’s always awkward juggling that contraption + the drill + keeping good alignment on the head of the screw + contorting your body to get into the space. I’m a makita guy for generic shop tools. I would have bought the makita, but after going brushless, I’m never going back. I wanted to keep the batteries/ chargers all the same. But quite frankly it SUCKED in the test. Maybe one day if they actually update it. After I post this I’m placing an order for the Skil. That thing hands down just blew away the competition in all regards. And I’m excited about the light that actually illuminates the point of where the work is taking place!

This test plus a couple other reviews convinced me to get the Skil. Great tool for tight places a regular impact driver can't fit. Feels solidly made and has nice features, like the halo light and the USB charging ports on both the charger and the battery.

As a mechanic, high torque isn’t always what I want with a right angle driver. Typically I’m using the right angle driver in tight spaces with bolts not requiring higher torque, but maybe that’s just me. The biggest downside to skil one is it’s thickness when trying to squeeze it into a tight engine bay. It’s also worth noting that you can buy a dewalt right angle attachment for a normal impact driver for $40 at Lowe’s, which is cheapest than any other mentioned option if you just want the cheapestx

Would definitely like to see more skil tools get tested

I love how All these companies rely on the fact that people only buy a lot of their stuff is because they already have those batteries but as soon as people learn you can go online anywhere and find adapters for sale that will pair ANY battery with any tool.

I have a 14V Makita for cabinet work. Probably 15 years old. Looks identical to the 18V. Also have an M18 Milwaukee for framing. Both have enough power for wood screws and the occasional lag bolt. The chuck on the Makita will allow a 2” bit to sit in in the standard position, plus it can drop into the chuck an extra inch. This feature makes the Makita the best tool for tight spaces.

You can get a 4.0 ah battery for $40 on Amazon for the 12v skill, which will boost the power a bit. I have slowly acquired most of the 12v line from skil and they are all excellent homegamer/diy tools.

You missed the Ridgid brushless Job Max with the right angle impact driver head, Job Max seems to be recently discontinued but still available. They also have brushed 12 & 18v models as well as corded and pneumatic versions still available at direct tool outlet . Would love to see how those compare!

I love my skil 12v stuff for work as a low voltage installer is the best bang for the buck. Their 12v jigsaw is the best 12v jigsaw out there. I wish skil would come out with a few things for the 12v line up like a multi head installation driver.

I’m a Milwaukee guy, i have all Milwaukee. but lowes had a skil brushless set with an impact, drill, multi tool, Bluetooth speaker, two batteries and a work light for $140 and it has been solid

Absolutely love my makita lxt. It's my most used tool and has proven performance. Been my favorite tool.

I own a milwaukee m12 impact angle is a great tool on small spaces i used all time drilling small holes and installing screws great tool not complaint or anything

Most people arent using an impact for mechanics tho, most are using it for carpentry and joinery. its more than enough for use on wood.

I'm a Makita guy, but that brushless SKIL was impressive

I'm sunk into Makita, and it works so much better than the drill attachment while freeing up a hand.

I am die hard Milwaukee and purchased the M12 as a pre-order. I use it for crammed spaces on screws etc but also smaller spade bits. I have often wanted needed more power. That skill is tempting me "AHEM MILWAUKEE"

That Makita has been a godsend for the last 10 years I've been using it (has it been that long ?) When working on cars without access to a hoist, removing bumper bars and such, I need the tightest access possible with just enough torque not to strip Torx T20, R25 and T30 screws in plastic, or round off philips heads. With the M18 battery, I can go 2-4weeks between charges sometimes. For high torque applications, I use a different set of tools. If anything, I'd love an even smaller head version, maybe with a through drive setup. But sure, Makita or Milwaukee, if you want to make a brushless version of one these, with a very small head and variable power settings, I'd be all for it.

I work in reinstalling cabinets. I bought the Skil first and it is a good little right angle. I sold it and bought the Makita. Not because of performance, obviously you guys have shown that, but because the Makita is longer and the head is quite a bit more compact. For me the Makita is the way to go. I do wish they would put a brushless motor in it and maybe make the hammer mechanism have a little more mass so it would hit harder but for me the Makita fits behind sinks a lot better.

I would love to see more tests with the Skil brushless line. I wonder if any of their other offerings can hold their own against the "big boy" brands

Good point about battery platforms. I perhaps have too many, but if you buy selectively you can save some money as many great deals can put you into several platforms while spending less. Maybe the hassle of chargers and batteries is a factor, but having 2 or 3 or 4 battery platforms makes sense.

WASN'T, MUCH OF A SHOWDOWN ,,, BUT I AM A DEDICATED FAN SO IT'S MY DUTY TO WATCH THE SHOW . THANKS, TTC !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All you wrench spinners, the M12 version is a fantastic fit in the small places for broken exhaust manifold bolts on all your 1/2 ton and bigger trucks.

Chervon also makes Kobalt. I've been plenty pleased with the all-brushless Skil 12v line. I'll have to look and see if you tried my regular impact driver from that line, or any other tools. I like that performance! They are often available for great discounts too.

Episode idea: Do a comparison of what you can get on a single brand of batteries. IOW, what if you buy into M18 batteries? Dewalt batteries? Skill, Makita, Craftsman, etc.

I have the Milwaukee M12 version, for driving screws and loosening and tightening small bolts not really bad at all. It's a much older design along with the M18. Hoping for a fuel version of each, plus a fuel version of the 90 degree drill. Great test as always.

You can tell just by looking at them. The gear box on the Skil actually looks big enough to handle some torque.

The skill is on sale today on Amazon for $89. I finally ordered one today and while I was at it I ordered the Skill 12v 3/8 In. Compact Impact Wrench IW6744A-10. The 3/8” compact claims 125ft lbs. If only there were someone who could test that…

Nice. That’s way I love watching this channel. One learns things they wouldn’t have :). Live confidently and peacefully

I know this video is old. I was looking at the skill 12v cutter. And found the right angle. It’s a steal for the price I just bought it from Amazon. I can’t wait until it gets here. Battery with the usb is a great option also.

I've pretty much wore out my m12 2467. Been so helpful in so many situations. Much better on smaller automotive fasteners than the m12 ratchet. The ratchet will snap bolt heads off if you catch a ding in the threads going full speed. This will start impacting first letting you know it is encountering resistance. Love to see a fuel version with a 1/4" square drive.

I'm buying it! .... Done .... Always wanted something for impact driving those rusty screws and bolts, but with some advantages over standart impact drivers because my car service has good King tony pneumatic impacters, and there was no need for electric ones, but if it is so narrow, it will do better in some places.

The skil works very well for mobile cleaning, $15 pack of drill brushes and the skil is cheap but decent enough to keep it turning in even the thickest grease

I recently had a go at the M18 right angle, 3/8 version. Possibly the most underwhelming tool I've used! To my hands it felt no more powerful than the M12 ratchet except it's less useful with it's large body and no ability to break something loose manually like you can with the ratchet.

Unless you're using something like this all the time, could just get a right angle adapter for a regular drill. I got "Milwaukee 48-32-2390 Shockwave Right Angle Adapter' and works just fine for fraction of the cost of one of these.

In the wise, wise words of Uncle Bumblef*ck: "Gah-bedge!"

I just got one of the Skil pwrcore 12 impact drivers with a $10 off coupon for the kit. It works almost as well as the old impact driver.

Well, I don’t know about left angle drivers, but I have a few wrong angle drivers in my collection. I am glad to see the Skil logo/brand making a comeback. 35 years ago, Skil made some good stuff, but then lost our favor to Milwaukee and Makita. A couple Makita tools of late, the tool in this review and their drywall screw gun, sent me on a quest for a new line. Skil might be it, if they continue to build out with this quality. I almost bought back into Milwaukee, having surrendered to their PEX expander, but I will keep the old wait-and-see until we see how things develop.

I bought the skill just based on this video and it works awesome, I work in a body shop and use it with 1/4 inch socket adapter and use 10mm sockets on it and torx bits, works great on removing bumpers and other stuff. Would be nice to see it run on the gauntlet though to see how it compares against ratchets.

I recently got the skil 12v 5 piece kit with 2 batteries and a charger for only 99$ and are really great for the value!

Interested in seeing Skil's normal 12v impact driver on the dyno. I got one as part of a kit for next to nothing (5 tools and 2 batteries for $99) and really like it.

Performance is the selling point but for me I want a tool that will last 20 years even if the performance isn’t the highest. The good thing about makita is you can use the batteries on nearly every one of their skins. Milwaukee you can as well but on other ratchet skins use those smaller insert batteries that you can’t use on other skins. The skill? Well who knows what the quality is on the inside and how long it’s battery would last.

Believe it or not, there is a Ryobi/Ridgid branded tool like this, but it's sold in parts :-) It's in their shared "Jobplus/JobMax" tool line (not sure if they're still being made), with multiple options for swappable tool heads and motors. I have the right angle impact driver head among many others, and together with the cheap Ryobi 18V motor handle it probably performs weaker than any of these. But for driving lag screws, deck screws, and most small nuts and bolts on cars and pickup trucks, it hasn't let me down. I also have the Ridgid air-powered motor handle, which comes in handy occasionally.

Idk if you’d be able to find one but there is a old craftsman nextec 12v right angle impact as well. But the line was ended when craftsman got bought. Good tools though I have the multi tool, auto hammer, basic drill and impact and have loved them

You should try the maximum brand name impact gun, it's what I use every day at work. It's a Canadian brand, being sold mainly at a hardware store called Canadian Tire, but you can 100% purchase it on Amazon. It would be great content for subs who live in Canada and want to know more about maximum.

They are all fine, as per the disclaimer there are angle impact wrenches for those on high bean diets.

It seems like for many power tools, having a recent redesign is the best single clue that there will be better performance. Standard impact drivers seem to be the exception now, as it seems like at the high end they are as powerful as they can be practically, due to the inherent limitations of a 1/4 inch hex shank. At this point, they are as powerful as they can be. Right angle ones, on the other hand, are far from that.

after looking at cordless ratchets i decided to buy the husky ratchet with non removeable battery. sure it's not the strongest but is compact and works great for what i use it for . i don't work on cars. it's just for really tight situations to spin a bolt or nut.then you finish or start by hand like a regular ratchet. .once you add batteries to the ratchets they get way bigger. ones with square batteries are useless to me.

I've the Milwaukee and I rather like it. I got it because I've a bunch of Milwaukee tools and it made the most sense to keep all my batteries compatible

I've had my M12 for over a year and it is fantastic for under dash work 👌🏻

Hey guys! I have a video idea. See which right angle impact adapter transmits the most torque. There’s a bunch of different brands of them. Some get really expensive, but can they handle the torque? Great content as always. 👍🏼

I just went on Amazon and placed my order. You better see how many of those Skils they sell this month. And I will just leave the battery in the one 12 volt Skil tool I own. I have a right angle drill, but this impact will be much nicer for screws in tight spaces.

I'm impressed with the skill forsure, but I use my m12 daily in van building to drive wood screws into tight spots, I've never needed more than probably 10 ft pounds driving tek screws in. Point I'm getting at is use these for their purpose and they all have more than enough power.

I was already going to buy the skil simply because of price. This sealed the deal!!

I bought a Ridgid Model R82233 12v right angle impact ~15 years ago that looks nearly identical to all of these. It used a flat 12v Nicad? NiMH? battery pack (model 130252002) similar to Milwaukee's M18. I needed it to remove a couple broken engine mount bolts from the block of a Jeep while it was in the chassis and it was the only thing that would get in that space and twist a drill bit. I think I paid about $129 for it, a battery and a charger back then. The battery pooched a few years back and I couldn't buy a replacement from Ridgid so I gave away the charger and the tool now hangs on the shelf. Lost and forlorn.

This channel has helped me make several purchases, one of the most informed well thought out channels out there. The only thing missing is 1/4 electric tools :( I'm looking to buy a 1/4 electric ratchet & impact wrench and need some good insight. looking between Snap-op, Matco, & Milwaukee Good job and keep counting them beans!

slide card i'm guessing the big difference is that the skil appears to have the hammers in axis with the output, while the others have the hammers up in the body. Small hammers but the others are not any bigger either. update: i've received it now. the hammers are right after the motor/gearbox up in the body and then it changes the direction through some kind of gearbox I assume. sadge. it doesnt look like it's built to take abuse to me but I dont know much about this stuff. i just see the motor armature has a bearing on each end which are just clamped in place with the FRP body, and the motor windings are sort of wedged in place also with the body. i would think a normal motor with a steel casing around it would be better, but it seems from a short bit of research this is normal now.

Ah yes, my Friday TTC fix is here. Today is going to be a good day.

Excellent review! Thank you for covering all the things I was wondering about the lineup

I've the Skil 20 volt platform, and they don't have the variation of tools...Yet. But they are good prosumer products. But I'm not convinced they are better than the Skil 12 Volt platform, because the 20 volts are a little under-impressive. But I'm stuck with a lot of the batteries so I'm attached to that level. Still nice comparison, thank you guys.

man the light in that skil is nuts

Great video. You guys really are one of the best consumer resources on the internet

I’ve used the Milwaukee right angle driver since it came out, remove cover screws and small torx/Phillips screws very fast. Has never failed, but yeah no real power, more for things you don’t want to over-tighten such plastic parts/covers. Skill looks good, but I’d rather stick to my platform since as a profesional you never want to be out of a tool because of the battery dying or breaking somehow.

I have that Skil and it's great. Also have There 12volt drill and jigsaw, which are great as well.