Makita makes these two lightweight 12-volt tools to help you complete your tasks at home and work. One will help you with construction and the other with vehicles. Let’s look at them both to see which one, or if both of them, are the best for you.
Makita DT01W 12V Max Lithium-Ion Cordless Impact Driver Kit
First, we have the Makita DT01W ¼” hex impact driver. If you need to drive fasteners into wood, metal, or concrete, and you want a lightweight, compact tool, this is a great value. If you’re looking for an automotive impact wrench, check out the WT01W below.
The DT01W runs on just 12V, but it has 800 inch-pounds of torque with speeds up to 2400rpm and 3000ipm. All of this comes in a little 2-pound package that is 6-1/8” long.
The chuck only accepts hex shank bits, but it’s super fast to swap them. Pull back the sleeve, insert the bit, and let it lock into place. Now you’re ready to work.
The ergonomic, soft-grip handle helps cut down on vibration that makes you tired after a long day of fastening. The LED work light mounted under the chuck helps illuminate where you’re working. It turns on as soon as you pull the trigger.
Of course, the DT01W has a variable-speed trigger with a forward-reverse switch right above it. Leave the switch in the middle position to lock off the driver for safety.
The 12V battery included in this kit refills in under an hour on the included charger. The battery is lithium-ion, which means two things. One, it doesn’t have memory effect, so you can recharge it before it’s completely empty and you won’t reduce its capacity. Two, extreme heat kills this kind of battery, so please don’t leave it in a hot vehicle parked in the sun.
More features of the Makita DT01W impact driver kit
- Comes with driver, charger, battery pack, double-ended Phillips bit, tool holster, and carrying case
- Charger has an ENERGY STAR rating for efficiency
- Makita offers a 3-year warranty on the driver and a 1-year warranty on the battery and charger
Makita WT01W 12V Max Lithium-Ion Cordless 3/8 Inch Impact Wrench Kit
Now we’ll move on to the Makita WT01W impact wrench. You’ll notice that this does not have a hex chuck. Instead, instead it has a 3/8” square driver. You can still change sockets quickly even with one hand. Push the socket down into place to use it, or pull the socket off to remove it.
The WT01W is a bit more powerful than the DT01W driver. It’s rated for 1000 inch-pounds of torque, 2300rpm, and 3000ipm. The greater torque is needed for this tool to handle automotive tasks. Why would you choose the WT01W? If you need to fasten or remove nuts or bolts on a vehicle, this is your tool.
It’s a little larger than the DT01W. It is 6-3/8” long back to front, and it weighs 2.1 pounds with the battery. But it has the same ergonomic soft-grip handle design. Like the driver, the WT01W has an LED light right above the trigger so you can see where you’re working. It turns on as soon as you pull the trigger.
Speaking of triggers, the WT01W has a variable-speed trigger with a forward-reverse switch right above it. Leave the switch in the middle position to lock off the wrench for safety.
If you’re new to using an impact wrench, the owner’s manual gives anoverview of how much torque to use for various size bolts, and about how long it takes to fasten them. For example, a ½” standard bolt needs about 43ft-lbs (or 516in-lbs) of torque (which is about half the top power of this wrench) and takes about 2 seconds to fasten.
One last note, since the WT01W uses sockets, you could technically use it to drive hex screw, but you’ll be limited to only screws or fasteners that you can drive with a socket wrench.
More features of the Makita WT01W impact wrench kit
- Comes with impact wrench, charger, battery pack, and carrying case
- Charger has an ENERGY STAR rating for efficiency
- Makita offers a 3-year warranty on the driver and a 1-year warranty on the battery and charger
Recommendation
Clearly, these two tools are made for completely different tasks, so whether you get one or both depends on the work you want to do.
For building, i.e. driving screws and bolts into wood, metal, or concrete, get the DT01W.
For automotive work with nuts and bolts, get the WT01W.
Click here to purchase Makita DT01W on Amazon!
Click here to purchase Makita WT01W on Amazon!