Impact Driver vs. Impact Wrench: Which One Does a Homeowner Need?
The names sound alike and both tools hammer in quick rotational bursts, but they're built for different fasteners. An impact driver has a 1/4" hex collet that holds screwdriver bits, so it's made for screws. An impact wrench has a square anvil that takes sockets, so it's made for nuts and bolts, like lug nuts, suspension bolts or big carriage bolts. To compare them with real numbers, we read Milwaukee's own pages tonight for one of each on the same M18 battery platform. We haven't tested either tool hands-on, so there are no ratings here.
| Kit | Maker-listed specs | In the box (per maker) | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee M18 FUEL 1/4" Hex Impact Driver Kit (2953-22) | 1/4" hex quick-change chuck; brushless; 2,000 in-lbs max torque; 0-3,900 RPM; 4.47" long | The 2953-20 tool, two M18 XC5.0 batteries (48-11-1850), M18/M12 multi-voltage charger (48-59-1812), blow-molded case, belt clip | Check current price |
| Milwaukee M18 FUEL 1/2" Mid-Torque Impact Wrench w/ Friction Ring Kit (2962-22) | 1/2" square anvil with friction ring; brushless; 550 ft-lbs fastening torque; 650 ft-lbs nut-busting torque; 0-2,575 RPM; 0-3,100 IPM; 4-mode drive control with a bolt removal mode; 6" long; 5.1 lbs with a 5.0Ah battery | The 2962-20 tool, two M18 XC5.0 batteries (48-11-1850), M18/M12 multi-voltage charger (48-59-1812), carrying case | Check current price |
Watch the units. Milwaukee rates the impact driver in inch-pounds and the impact wrench in foot-pounds. Twelve inch-pounds make one foot-pound, so the driver's 2,000 in-lbs works out to roughly 167 ft-lbs. On paper the wrench has several times the torque, which is the point of it. Both kits ship with the same batteries and charger, so either one starts you on the same platform.
Milwaukee also says the wrench's mode 4 limits it to no more than 35 ft-lbs for hand-tight fastening, to help avoid overtightening. That's the maker's description, not our test.
What the difference means in practice
An impact driver is the everyday tool. It drives deck screws, long construction screws and small lag screws, and with a hex-shank bit it can drill small holes too. An impact wrench is a specialist. It's the tool for breaking loose rusted bolts, swapping wheels, or working on a mower, trailer or car. With socket adapters you can sometimes cross over a little, but a wrench is too heavy and too strong for most screws, and a driver will struggle with stuck lug nuts.
One safety note: an impact wrench can loosen lug nuts quickly, but tighten them back to the torque in your vehicle's manual with a torque wrench rather than relying on the impact wrench.
Which one to buy
Get the impact driver if your projects are around the house: decks, fences, shelving, furniture and general building. For most first-time homeowners, it's the second tool to buy after a drill. See drill vs. impact driver and compact vs. full-size impact driver.
Add an impact wrench if you rotate your own tires, maintain a mower or trailer, or regularly fight rusted bolts. Since it doesn't replace a driver, it makes the most sense as a later tool on a platform you already own, possibly as a bare tool. See bare tool vs. kit.
Sources: https://www.milwaukeetool.com/products/details/m18-fuel-1-4-hex-impact-driver-kit/2953-22, https://www.milwaukeetool.com/products/details/m18-fuel-1-2-mid-torque-impact-wrench-w-friction-ring-kit/2962-22. Specs and box contents checked on the manufacturer pages on Oct 26, 2026.