Real Torque #’s | RIDGID 18-Volt Sub-Compact Brushless 3/8″ Impact Wrench Review

What attributes must a tool have to be deemed as a Sub-Compact Tool? Should it matter that the only part of the tool that is SubCompact is the head or motor area? Realistically, no matter what this new RIDGID 18-Volt Sub-Compact Brushless 3/8″ Impact Wrench is called, the head of the tool is very small and the handle and battery sizes remain the same as all the other RIDGID 18-volt tools.

Also, we all know that torque numbers for almost all impacts are inflated. Different sized bolts and nuts will react differently to each impact wrench. We wanted to give you some basics on what you should be able to expect from the new RIDGID 18-Volt Sub-Compact Brushless 3/8″ Impact Wrench. If you are fastening, you should be able to expect to tighten the fastener to about 140 ft. lbs. We found the limit that the tool could remove to be around 170 ft. lbs.

The growing trend with RIDGID Tools these days is increased technology. This impact wrench includes an auto fasten mode to help you tighten fasteners, but not over tighten them. It also has three speeds and a variable speed trigger. For about 1/10th of the market, this is perfect. The rest of us would rather see fewer speeds and a lesser price. We like to let our trigger finger to do the work, not a computer chip. We can remove our finger from the trigger when we want the tool to stop impacting! Feel free to disagree!

When the RIDGID 18-Volt Sub-Compact Brushless 3/8″ Impact Wrench was compared to the DEWALT DCF902F2 XTREME 12V MAX Brushless 3/8 in. Cordless Impact Wrench, the RIDGID felt huge. It is hard to imagine the RIDGID as SubCompact. But the RIDGID is also much stronger than the much smaller DEWALT. Ergonomically, the RIDGID is a complete fail with the battery getting in the way in most cases. While it is slightly smaller and lighter, you gain space for the head of the tool only. For that reason, we feel the DEWALT DCF902F2 XTREME 12V MAX Brushless 3/8 in. Cordless Impact Wrench is still the best choice if you really want a small impact wrench. If you are in the RIDGID 18-volt line, this is a great tool for you if you want something for use in open spaces and is much lighter weight.

DEWALT DCF902F2 XTREME 12V MAX Brushless 3/8 in. Cordless Impact Wrench: https://amzn.to/3cLs5oX