18V OCTANE Brushless 1/2 in. High Torque 6-Mode Impact Wrench

Product Information

The 18-volt impact wrench was a beast in our tests, removing and replacing lug nuts with ease. Our partners at Popular Mechanics had similarly positive results, noting that the Milwaukee had no trouble breaking free rusty bolts from old farm equipment, thanks to its bolt removal mode, which also helped prevent damage to the rusted fasteners by slowing down the tool speed to 750 revolutions per minute (RPMs).

Don’t underestimate the subcompact Ridgid . Despite its modest size, this tool — which weighs just 3.6 lbs without the battery — delivered strong performance in our tests. Removing and replacing lug nuts was a cinch with this impact wrench, which delivers a respectable 500 foot fastening torque and 650 ft./lbs of breakaway torque. The kit shown here includes one 4 Ah battery, a charger, and a carrying case.

RIDGID Mid Torque Impact Wrench Features

Kenny’s life around power tools started early. His grandfather was an airplane mechanic in WW2 and took up woodworking as a hobby after retiring from the power industry. Building everything from bookshelves to lazy Susans, he became extremely accomplished while his young grandson observed, fascinated at the way raw wood could turn into something both beautiful and functional. In fact, Kenny still uses several pieces that his grandfather made more than 30 years ago.

Impact wrenches don’t need to be fancy for the dirty work they’re called to do, and Ridgid doesn’t overcomplicate the design.

This impact wrench features six mode settings, the standard three you would expect (Low, Medium, and High) and three auto-tightening settings. These adjust your speed and power but prevent any overtightening. Unlike the Ridgid Gen5X impact wrench, the modes relocate to the bottom of the tool instead of appearing as a hard switch up top. Ridgid also uses digital controls now rather than an electromechanical switch. With the results we got in our testing, Ridgid’s 18V brushless mid-torque impact wrench is an excellent all-rounder. If you’re only going to buy one Ridgid impact wrench, this is the one for the majority of your vehicle, mechanical, and long construction fastener work. Specifications The Ridgid 18V Octane High-Torque Impact Wrench looks impressive with over twice the stated torque of the Gen5X model that preceded it. Overall, it looks to us as if Ridgid increased the anvil size and power of the tool while slowing down the speed and impact rate. In the end, that should work out very well. After all, if I’m trying to pound something into the ground, I’d rather swing a heavier hammer less frequently. You get 4 modes of power to choose from. Actually, Modes 1, 2, and 3 are progressive power modes, increasing respectively. Mode 3 will deliver maximum power in forward and reverse. The “Auto” mode delivers max output until the impact wrench senses that the fastener is tight or loose. At that point, the RIDGID mid torque impact wrench automatically slows up and stops.