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DEWALT 20V MAX Impact Driver

DEWALT 20V MAX Impact Driver

By DEWALT · Impact Drivers · Power Tools · More from DEWALT

  • 1,825 in-lbs max torque
  • 3,400 RPM max no-load speed (3-speed: 1,500/2,800/3,400 RPM)
  • 20V MAX (18V nominal) brushless motor
  • 1/4 in. quick-connect hex chuck
  • 3-LED work light

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Used, refurbished, open-box

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Problems, parts and running costs

Summary

A compact XR brushless 1/4-inch impact driver kit for driving screws, brackets and fixtures in wood and metal, bundling the DCF845 driver with a 5.0Ah battery, charger, belt hook and bag.

Strengths

  • 1,825 in-lbs and 4,200 impacts per minute in a 2.0 lb bare body.
  • Three speed presets, with Mode 1 Precision Drive for hinges and small hardware.
  • Tri-beam LEDs around the collet and one-hand bit insertion.
  • Runs on the whole 20V MAX battery platform; the kit adds a 5.0Ah DCB205 and a charger.
  • Electric brake, and a belt hook that fits either side.

Weaknesses

  • Owners report a trigger that lights the LEDs but will not spin on the first pull, and one chuck that stopped holding bits within a year.
  • No torque clutch: 1,825 in-lbs is a maximum, not a setting, so it can strip delicate fasteners.
  • In sustained lag-screw testing the Atomic DCF850 ran cooler and had better ergonomics.
  • The 5.0Ah pack brings ready-to-use weight to 3.4 lb, and the kit ships with only one battery.
  • Tool Connect is Chip Ready, but the tracking chip is a separate purchase.
  • No RTINGS, Wirecutter, PCMag, Tom’s Guide or CNET test of this exact model was found.

Verified specifications

ModelDCF845P1 kit (tool family DCF845).
No-load speed3,400 RPM max, in three presets of 0–1,500 / 2,800 / 3,400 RPM.
ModesMode 1 is 0–1,500 RPM Precision Drive; Mode 2 is 0–2,800 RPM; Mode 3 is 0–3,400 RPM.
Impact rate4,200 impacts per minute.
Motorbrushless, 20V MAX (18V nominal).
Chuck1/4 in (6.35 mm) hex quick-connect with one-hand bit insertion.
Work lightthree LEDs around the collet, staying on up to 20 seconds after the trigger is released.
Controlsvariable-speed trigger, reversible direction switch with a middle trigger-lock position, and an electric motor brake.
Tool ConnectChip Ready, but the tracking chip is sold separately.
Kit includesone DCF845 driver, one DCB205 20V MAX 5.0Ah battery, one charger, a belt hook and a kit bag.
Dimensionshead length 5.1 in; overall 8.07 × 3.38 × 5.8 in.
Country of originMexico.
Warrantythree-year limited warranty, one year of free service and a 90-day satisfaction guarantee.
Full research notes and sources

Performance and testing

It drove an 8-in × 1/4-in GRK RSS screw into stacked OSB in 9.1 seconds on average, against 12.6 seconds for the DCF887 and 15.5 seconds for the DCF850. In the timed lag-screw test it left 3.1 in proud after 30 seconds, and it broke five 150 ft-lb nuts in 5.4 seconds. In the wider four-brand comparison, Milwaukee’s 2953 beat it on both lag-screw depth and nut-busting time. The three modes are speed presets, not torque settings, so the headline number is a ceiling rather than something you dial in.

Trigger and chuck complaints

An owner thread on r/Dewalt describes a DCF845 whose trigger lights the LEDs but will not drive until it is released and pulled again; the same poster saw it across several units and a service-center motor and control swap that did not fix it. A separate owner found the tool would free-spin but stall under light resistance until the speed selector was cycled. Another reported a chuck that stopped holding bits in less than a year. Nobody has published a failure rate, so treat these as signals to test within the return window rather than a defect rate.

Battery, charger and running costs

The kit includes one DCB205 5.0Ah battery, a charger, a belt hook and a bag. A separate genuine DCB205 was listed at $119 at Acme Tools, and Home Depot showed $119 promotional against a crossed-out $169. There is no subscription; the recurring costs are worn bits and, eventually, a replacement pack. An illustrative budget of one $12.97 impact-bit set a year plus about $1.25 of charging electricity works out to $14.22 a year, and buying one $119 battery in that year pushes it to $133.22. Those are examples, not measured annual costs.

Repairs, parts and what they cost

DEWALT sells parts for the 20V platform through its ServiceNet network, and the DCF845B Type 1 catalog lists the common failure items: a speed selector at $6.16, a motor and switch assembly at $107.60, an anvil assembly at $72.02, an impactor at $60.81, an LED light assembly at $12.70 and a housing pair at $23.50.

Is it worth it?

This driver’s case rests on speed and control per pound rather than a torque advantage, since the DCF850 and DCF887 carry the same 1,825 in-lbs. At the $219 kit price seen at Home Depot and Acme Tools it is fair value, and the tool-only DCF845B has listed at $129 at Home Depot and $149 at Lowe’s. Below about $150 for the kit it becomes the value pick in DEWALT’s lineup; above $219 the higher-torque DCF860 is worth a look.

Which model this is

This page covers the DCF845P1 kit, which pairs the DCF845 XR three-speed driver with a DCB205 5.0Ah battery, a charger, a belt hook and a bag. The Amazon listing for the kit is ASIN B0BW1L7LJH. Don’t confuse it with the DCF845B bare tool, the DCF845P2 two-battery kit or the DCF845D1E1 POWERSTACK kit; they share the driver and differ in batteries. It is also not the Atomic DCF850 or the older XR DCF887, which run at 3,250 RPM.

Sources

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