Tool Review: Milwaukee Tool M18 FUEL Mid-Torque Impact Wrenches w/ Friction Ring

Mid-torque impact wrenches are great additions to any technician's arsenal. They're typically more convenient than their pneumatic counterparts as they offer cordless maneuverability. Milwaukee Tool has found a way around that pitfall with the introduction of its line of new cordless mid-torque impact wrenches.

Tool reviewer Leeroy Carpenter, diesel technician at Waste Management in Hartland, Wisconsin, found himself thoroughly impressed by the Milwaukee Tool M18 FUEL Mid-Torque Impact Wrenches w/ Friction Ring, in terms of performance, ease of use, and reliability. He put both sizes, 1/2" and 3/8", to work in a variety of cases for testing purposes.

"With the 1/2" [wrench], I used it mainly for working with lug nuts on F-150 pickups and putting drive lines back on," Carpenter says. "I used the wrenches for pretty much whatever I was using a ratchet on."

Through using both wrenches across various vehicles and situations, Carpenter found that this set of wrenches were more powerful than another he had borrowed from an earlier line in the past. The key improvement from one crop of tools to another? Additional power and a tri-LED setup that made an unforgettable impression.

"I liked that [the wrenches] have a lot of light in the front," Carpenter said of the LED array. "You might be in a dark spot and then you hit that trigger, and boom, everything lights up. They're smaller, too, so they can get into the little tighter spot. That's a very nice feature."

Carpenter also found both wrenches incredibly easy to set up, with "just two snaps" and the tools were "ready to go" directly after opening. He noted that the packaging was efficient, with no unnecessary parts. The wrenches also included two batteries and a charger apiece. While there was a manual included, Carpenter didn't find that he needed it, but after "glancing over it" he found it was simple and clear to understand.

Carpenter was at a loss for anything he might change about them, other than possibly making them a bit lighter at some point in the future.

"If anything, [the wrenches] could be a little lighter, but that's just something that will happen eventually down the line," he says. "They'll sit there and come up with new, lighter components to put into it."

When it comes to reliable mid-torque wrenches, the Milwaukee Tool M18 FUEL Mid-Torque Impact Wrenches w/ Friction Ring impressed this diagnostic technician.