Professional Tool Reviews for Pros
One of the big challenges with cordless impact wrenches has been power. “High-Torque” for cordless hasn’t always meant the same as it has for pneumatic. The Ryobi 18V One+ HP Brushless High-Torque Impact Wrench aims to hit harder and change your mind about what cordless can do.
Ryobi’s HP Brushless high torque impact wrench boasts an impressive 1,170 ft-lbs of breakaway torque and 700 ft-lbs of fastening torque. The brushless motor delivers up to 2,100 RPMs on high and an impact rate of up to 2,800 IPM. The low and medium speeds produce 900 RPMs and 1,400 RPMs, respectively, when you need a little more finesse and control.
Compared to what else is our there on the cordless side, it’s an impressive amount of power. It wasn’t all that long ago we were talking about the first premium models breaking 1000 ft-lbs for the first time.
Compared to pneumatic, the torque is there to legitimately call this a high-torque impact wrench. Where you’ll still notice a big difference is that the speed is much lower than your air impact.
The big question we all want to know is…how well will this impact wrench perform under pressure? To do this we torqued five Grade 8 1/2-inch nuts on our test rig to the maximum 600 ft-lbs they can handle using our Gearwrench 3/4-inch electronic torque wrench.
Using the selector button at the base, I toggled to the Assist Mode which offers a little extra control once the nut breaks loose. Unsurprisingly, the Ryobi PBLIW01 impact wrench flew through each test without breaking a sweat…it wasn’t even warm!
From these results, we have no trouble believing this impact wrench can handle even the most stubborn lug nuts or frozen bolts on the majority of vehicles, trailers, and construction fasteners you come across. However, you may find the upper limits of the 1/2-inch drive if you start to tackle heavy equipment repairs and fasteners larger than 1-1/2 inches. At that point, it’s time to start considering 3/4- or 1-inch drives that can better handle the heavier workload.
The 4-speed motor features a low, medium, and high setting with an additional Assist Mode. This helps keep nuts and bolts from dropping away from you, or worse, flying away in a manner that can cause injury.
In reverse, the motor automatically stops after a few rotations, even if it never has to impact.
In forward, rotation stops after about 5-7 impacts to help you avoid over-torquing and potential damage to your fasteners and equipment.
Compared to some other similar high-torque impact wrenches we’ve seen, this one weighs a little lighter at 6.63 pounds with a Ryobi High Performace 4.0Ah battery.
Its textured rubber gripped handle feels a little on the bigger side, but it assists in maintaining control of the tool as it’s hammering out that torque.
As far as size goes, it measures 8.25 inches across the head.
Ryobi brought back their triple-LED light system for this impact wrench. Three LEDs surround the drive and do a much better job of lighting up your work area than foot-mounted lights.
The Ryobi high torque impact wrench runs $199 as a bare tool and carries a 3-year limited warranty. At the time we’re writing this, there isn’t a kit option on the market, but keep your eyes open as that may change in the future.
Ryobi did a lot of things right in the design of their cordless high-torque impact wrench. It has legitimate high-torque power with control options that make a difference when you’re using it. Whether your needs are on the automotive side or with larger construction fasteners, this impact wrench delivers the power you need with the convenience of a battery power source.
To check out the entire Ryobi ONE+ lineup, click here.
Having worked in the automotive and metalworking trades, Josh has even found himself core drilling commercial properties for purposes of surveying. His knowledge and love of tools are exceeded only by a greater love for his wife and family.
A fan of all things that can stretch him mentally, Josh quickly dives into new products, tools, and product testing with ample amounts of both enthusiasm and precision. We look forward to many years of growth alongside Josh as he settles into his role at Pro Tool Reviews.
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I must have gotten a bad unit. It could not even break off lug studs that were torqued to 90 ft/lbs. that I fastened myself.
This particular model is actually slimmer, shorter, and lighter than the M18 High Torque brother. It may not have the best consistent torque rating, but it’s still an overall solid tool to own. This is probably good new for Milwaukee owners as this possibly means that they will release a compact High Torque of their own in the future just like they did with the mid torque. Better electronics as well (current model has switches that tend to go bad depending on how old the unit is).
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Professional Tool Reviews for Pros