The Highly Rated Milwaukee Impact Wrench Tool Buyers Are Obsessed With

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When you're looking for the best-ranked power tool brands, Milwaukee should be near the top of your list. Its instantly recognizable red-and-white logo with a lightning bolt evokes feelings of power. Milwaukee is known for strong warranties on its power tools, high-quality designs, and reliability during busy operational times. If you love the Milwaukee brand, you may already own several high-end Milwaukee tools that are worth the investment – and you may have owned some of them for several years. 

If you have some older Milwaukee tools, the company's recent announcement may have caught your eye. Milwaukee announced plans to introduce second-generation versions of some of its popular power tools, including a stubby impact wrench. The second-generation M12 Brushless Cordless Stubby 3/8-Inch Impact Wrench (model number 2562-20) costs $229 for the tool only. If you already own the first generation of the M12 impact wrench, its M12 Milwaukee 12-volt batteries and chargers are compatible with the new impact wrench. (As an added incentive, Home Depot offered two free batteries with the purchase of some Milwaukee power tools in October 2025.)

The second-generation stubby impact wrench has impressive customer reviews at many retailers. It has a 4.7-star average customer rating on Home Depot's website, a 4.6-star rating on Milwaukee's website, and a 4.8-star rating on Ace Hardware's website. Learn why the second generation of this tool is potentially one of the essential Milwaukee tools you need to add to your toolbox.

The first generation of Milwaukee's M12 3/8-inch stubby impact wrench (model number 2554-20) appears to have been initially released in 2018. Milwaukee's website says the original version is no longer available for sale, but you might be able to find it on Amazon or at other retailers. The two tools look similar and have similar sizes and weights. The new version costs more than the original version (although inflation may account for some of the price difference). The first-generation model was introduced for $149 to $159 for the tool alone. 

The second-generation impact wrench justifies its higher price by offering far more power than the original. The first-generation tool had 250 foot-pounds of maximum torque and an RPM measurement up to 2,700. The new 2562-20 model has up to 550 foot-pounds of torque and an RPM measurement up to 3,000. Impact wrenches with higher levels of torque require less effort from the user for loosening or tightening bolts and nuts. Tools with torque ratings of 300 foot-pounds and higher work better for loosening stubborn and rusty bolts, for example.

YouTube reviewer WorkshopAddict says people new to using this Milwaukee tool should practice a bit to gain a feel for how much power it has. "You have a lot of power in your hands in a small package..." WorkshopAddict says. "There is a significant speed difference between the new second-generation M12 stubby and the old one."

Many of the positive customer reviews for the new 3/8-inch Milwaukee stubby impact wrench mention its ability to deliver plenty of power for removing bolts in tight spaces, such as when working on an automobile. "Don't let the small size fool you; this thing is an absolute beast," one Home Depot reviewer says. "Effortlessly removes lug nuts that had been on a car for 20+ years." One Ace Hardware customer says the battery-powered impact wrench outperforms a 3/8-inch air wrench, yet the smaller Milwaukee tool is far easier to maneuver into tight spaces. 

Finding such a high level of power in a lightweight design impressed a reviewer on Milwaukee's website. It's a "great, compact, strong impact [wrench] when you need something light but strong to get the job done," they say. Other reviewers appreciate the extra power found with the second-generation Milwaukee model for driving large lag bolts and header bolts, meaning you don't necessarily need to grab a heavier tool for this kind of work. It offers four different drive modes, which Pro Tool Reviews says is helpful for matching the amount of torque you're using to the type of job you're doing. Using too much torque could strip or break screws and bolts.

One Reddit user says the second-generation tool delivers the promised level of power, even when using batteries with limited amp-hours: "Already impressed with it; using it for lug nuts and subframe bolts. Even with the 2.0 [amp-hour] batteries, this thing is amazing for its size."