Dewalt DCF889B 1/2 Inch Cordless Impact Wrench Review: A Tool For Everyone
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When it comes to impact wrenches, most users aren’t going to be doing extensively heavy-duty or precise tasks. Chances are, you’re either a handyman who needs a general impact wrench around his workshop, or a mechanic who needs an impact wrench to work on a wide range of cars.
If this sounds like you, the DCF889B is worth looking at for your next wrench. It’s not the absolute cheapest wrench – rather, it’s an affordable impact wrench with all of the features that you could possible need.
Below, we’ll go over exactly what those features are, and you can make your own decision as to whether or not the DCF889B is right for you. Read on!
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Size, torque, and price
The DCF889B can output a max of 20V and 300 ft-lbs. You’ll see other corded impact wrenches beat those numbers by a longshot, but in terms of cordless impact wrenches, 300 ft-lbs is pretty standard. With that amount, the vast majority of lug nuts will come off with ease – only the really stuck ones will take some extra effort.
The bit itself is a ½ inch, and that’s not adjustable. Thankfully, ½ inch impact wrenches are some of the most versatile – by and large, if you own an impact wrench, a ½ inch one is the first type that you want to get. Most machinery uses that size.
Price: Around $150 on Amazon. This includes the tool only and not the batteries.
Portability and Comfort
Ergonomic Grip
DEWALT has a tested, ergonomic grip in the DCF889B – according to reviewers, it’s quite comfy, even when loosening the tightest of nuts and bolts.
The comfort of the grip isn’t terribly important when you’re just carrying the wrench around, but when it’s in use, the comfort goes a long way towards keeping your wrist healthy and making sure that you’re able to efficiently remove whatever you need to. If you can’t get a firm grip, you’ll be all over the place, and if you have to use the uncomfortable unit for an extended period of time, your hand will start to hurt!
Dimensions and Weight
At 10 inches in length, the DCF889B isn’t the tiniest impact wrench out there, but it’s still extremely small. Picture a ruler – the DCF889B isn’t even as long as that. If your pockets are big, you can toss it in one of them and not worry about it falling out.
Take a look at the pictures here – there are pictures of a mechanic holding the unit for reference.
The weight is 5.8 pounds – again, not the absolute lightest impact wrench out there, but light enough where it’s not cumbersome to carry around.
(Watch out for “cordless” impact wrenches that are 10+ pounds – unless you need the amount of power that they have, they’re often more frustrating to carry about than just using a corded one would be.)
Other cool features of the DCF889B
3-year Warranty!
If you buy on Amazon, you get a 3-year warranty from DEWALT. With tools, a good warranty is always a necessity – you never know how much pressure you’ll be putting the tool under, and if it breaks, you don’t want to be shelling out tons of money on another one right away (even if just the bare tool breaks).
And according to reviewers, DEWALT is prompt in honoring warranty requests.
Variable speed trigger
Not every job requires 100% of the power from the 20V and 300 ft-lbs… with the DCF889B, there are easy-to-use power variable controls on the trigger so that you use only as much power as you need.
Good for conserving battery, minimizing noise level, and reducing wrist strain.
Electric Brake
If your impact wrench comes under enough pressure to the point where the pressure is literally damaging the tool, there’s an automatic sensor built in to stop power flow.
This can be annoying at times if you’re trying to get out a nut, bolt, or fastener that’s really stuck, but if you heed the sensor’s warnings, you can minimize damage to your DCF889B and have it in your back pocket for years down the line.
Who should get the DCF889B?
If you run an automotive shop, the DCF889B is a great choice – just make sure that you have another corded backup with more torque. The DCF889B will be able to get off the vast majority of nuts, bolts, fasteners… but when you’re running a business, you want to make sure that you have more power – you know, just in case.
For the handyman or hobbyist, the DCF889B can be the only ½ inch impact wrench that you need. A low price with a full set of features means that you get all that you need without spending an arm and a leg. Most of the reviewers are using the tool for personal projects – read all of the customer reviews here.
What it lacks
Keep in mind that the DEWALT DCF889B is a bare tool. This means that you’ll have to buy the batteries and charger separately – look on Amazon and scroll down to “Frequently Bought Together” to see some compatible batteries.
Keep in mind that batteries and a charger aren’t cheap – you’ll likely come out to just under $300 for the whole set. Still – that’s less than most other full kits, and you’re getting a great tool that will last you for years down the line.
Overall? 9/10 – highly recommended.