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My affinity for big blocks and big cars might cast the impression that I’m among the many who live under the mantra that bigger is better. It’s actually quite the contrary. Minimalism, and function over form, are far more important to me. Cut out the BS, ditch the flare, and focus on what works, and I’m all in. Because when you’re actually out there busting knuckles in hopes of getting field trash haulin’ ass, life will routinely teach that less is more as many times as you care to forget it.
The simple fact is that finding what works is a balancing act. Although it’s easy to long for the biggest, most powerful things, they’re not always the right fit. Sometimes, all that power comes at the cost of packaging. And what you wind up with is something big and bulky that delivers the kind of power you’ll only ever use a fraction of, letting the rest go to waste.
What am I even talking about? It’s not the reasoning behind the lack of a Hemi in my 1969 Dodge Charger. Because the minute I snag an Elephant, it’s going to work. I’m talking about impact wrenches. More specifically, the DeWalt 3/8-Inch Atomic impact wrench I was sent for testing. I have yet to give it a real workout, but my initial impression is that it’s pretty much the perfect choice for most grease monkeys.
The Nitty Gritty
DeWalt’s Atomic 3/8-inch impact wrench is a compact powerhouse, as it’s rated to deliver an impressive 300 foot-pounds of fastening torque and 450 foot-pounds of breakaway torque. That power is delivered from a package that weighs just 2.77 pounds without the battery and has a head length of five inches—four inches without the length of the anvil factored in.
Despite its small size, DeWalt loaded it with all the same features you’d find in a mid-torque impact, and more than its burliest offering has built into it. It’s got four driving modes. Precision wrench and timber screw mode, offer performance tailored to specific uses, while two power levels leave the monkey pulling the trigger in total control. Speaking of which, it’s also equipped with a variable speed trigger, giving you the means to wield it with great efficiency in any circumstance.
This impact is a part of DeWalt’s 20v MAX lineup, meaning it shares batteries with full-size impacts and around 250 more power tools. It’s also set with a retail price of $210, about $70 less than its mid-torque counterpart.
Down on Size, Up in Potential
At this point in time, I’ve done very little other than unbox the Atomic Impact. I did use it to break free some lug nuts, but that’s really about it. And to be totally honest, I really didn’t need to do much more to be sold on it.
The lug nuts I used this thing to bust free were set in place by the DeWalt mid-torque impact I was sent for review a while back. For the past year, that’s been my go-to impact, and it’s seen use on basically a daily basis. I’m fairly confident that this is about to dethrone it.
Obviously, I have to run it through its paces to give it a fair review, but having this kind of power in something no bigger than the average impact driver is something I’m having a hard time getting past. The power-to-weight ratio of this thing is absolutely absurd to me. It puts my Snap-On pneumatics to shame in that division, and I can already see myself picking over any of the other impact wrenches in my shop because of it, even if it is the least powerful of the bunch. In all reality, I don’t know that I need more power than it can deliver anyway.
I did cycle it through some of its modes, including the precision wrench function, which is flat-out addicting. That mode doesn’t work quite as quickly as the max power setting, but it still busts lug nuts impressively fast, and not having to worry about sending one across the shop floor is pretty awesome.
I’ve got some pretty hearty jobs coming up, and I intend to put this little monster to work throughout. That said, I’m open to suggestions on how to compare it to the mid-torque and high-torque impacts I’ve got lying around here. Drop a comment letting me know what you think I should do.
Stay tuned for my full-length review.